Thursday May 18, 2023
For the past week Clifford and I have been at the Pioche City RV Park on the outskirts of this small mining town. Today we are leaving Pioche and heading to Patterson Pass Campground between here and Ely off US highway 93, which runs north/south through eastern Nevada.
It looks like a beautiful day to travel.
We have never been there, but the review sounds good and it is probably not so steep a road as it looks on the map.
We arrive at Patterson Pass Campground in the afternoon and are pleased at the easy access and choice of sites. We walk through the campground and pick site #10 as there are enough junipers for shade and a windbreak.
As soon as we are set up, I go on a walkabout to explore and take photos of the scenic landscape, our campsite, and all the wildflowers. Across the valley, I think we are seeing the Snake Range and perhaps Wheeler Peak and Granite Peak in the Great Basin National Park.
Friday May 19, 2023
It is a fortunate time to be here. I talked to a ranger yesterday and he said that just a couple of weeks ago this campground was still under 2 feet of snow. The ground is moist and I can see recent elk tracks, and obviously the wildflowers are loving it now. The Castilleja – Indian Paintbrush – are plentiful and so vivid, a delight to see. Wildflowers abound in white, purple, and yellow.
Cumulus clouds bring a little rain and a rainbow in the afternoon. There are some very interesting clouds near sunset and the subdued light is better for photos without sun glare. Cell service is marginal but I am really glad to have it all being this far from the highway and not near any towns.
Saturday May 20, 2023
More clouds this morning, hazy to the east and the sky is pale. Maybe wildfire smoke from the fires in Alberta? I spend the morning meandering about taking photos of wildflowers – so many, so beautiful!
After the delightful walkabout, I sit out under the junipers with coffee and my “stack” – journal, planner, inspirational reading. I hope that the cell service is good enough to do an online Tai Chi class, but it turns out to be too sketchy to do the class. Ah well, I can make up my own routine.
We are grateful that we were adventuresome enough to give Patterson Pass a try and that we get to stay a while longer. Every day brings different weather and more flowers.
