Trip Logs

April 17, 18, 19, 2005

Sunday we rolled into the Hot Creek Valley about 1:30 PM. Brenda and I started by returning to Tybo for some new photos and to get the measurements of the Tybo Kilns. They put a new roof on the old school building and are rebuilding some of the old shacks. Things are starting to look up around here. Next stop the Hot Creek Ranch.

Well we could not find anyone at home, so Brenda reminded me I forgot to get chain saw gas. Quick run over to Black Rock Summit Station. I found out from the owner that my friend Water Bob was no longer at Hot Creek. He has moved with the old owners and a young guy was now taking care of the Ranch. On the way back we stopped and found the young man at home and visited a while. Brenda gave him the home made cookies we always bring Bob, hate to break an old habit. I took the time to renew my photos of Lower Hot Creek and upper Hot Creek as we drove up the Canyon. It was starting to get late and I wanted find a good camp ground over in Kiln Canyon before dark. We drove on around and came up the back way to the Charcoal kilns. I drove to the end to check it all out. The wind was blowing so hard at 7900 feet I decided to go down lower to find a camp.

The game plan was to get up in the morning and take the back way up to Four Mile Canyon Kilns. So we drove up past Big Fish Lake and drove about 12 miles or so, this was a rough wagon trail to follow. It took us five hours to get up there and back out again. It looked like no one has used this trail in years. It was better suited for ATV's, than trucks. After we came down I drove back through Hot Creek Canyon and headed for Six Mile Canyon for photos and measurements of all of the kilns in it. We redid our photos for the lower set and then stopped at the middle set for new photos. After that I took the road up Wood Tick Canyon for the three in it. I did not know about these kilns the last time we were up here. The last set was farther up Six Mile about half a mile. Now I have all fourteen kilns built by Henry Allen on the Hot Creek range. This was a lot of fun considering the high water run off this spring. I crossed the creek about ten times and it was over my bumper in a couple of places.

The last stop for today was Project Faultless. This would give me all day tomorrow and Wednesday morning to explore Kiln Canyon. It seems the Feds are back to clean up the mess after thirty years. They are drilling a hole just about a quarter of a mile north of the main shaft to test to find out how hot everything still is. They have set up a couple of trailers and a earth mover and seem to be doing a lot of work. They now have keep out signs posted. You can only go so far, but I got some photos anyway. I was hoping tomorrow would go better.

By now it was getting late and I wanted to have my T-Bone and Lobster before dark, so we made a dash for camp. Going through Hot Creek Canyon I came upon a truck headed our way. They rolled down their window like they wanted to talk, so I stopped and visited. I was just starting to find out where they lived when the Lady in the truck said Brenda. It seemed they are fans of our web site. I thought she recognized us, but Brenda reminded me we had our caps on so that's how she new. I never ran into anyone who has seen our site before. This I thought was cool! Well we talked to long, supper was after dark anyway.

The plan was to spend all day exploring in the morning. Well supper was over by eight and I kicked back and made a couple of drinks. The fire was great and we were really enjoying the moment. Tomorrow also marks the date that Brenda has put up with me for twenty years. I promised to take her out for steak and lobster, just the two us, alone. Hey, I do not lie, this is as far out as you can get and we are all alone for sure. It was about that time that the first big flake hit me. Brenda started to get all bummed out, so I assured her it was too late in the year to mount to much, so not to worry. It stopped and started again several times, so we turned in about ten. Long about midnight, I had to take a whiz. As I pulled down the sleeping bag I found the top of our tent at the end of my nose. Another thought hit me, I like to drive in my flip-flops and I had for got to bring my shoes. After beating the tent from inside to get the snow off, I stepped out barefoot. About four inches of snow was over everything, Brenda woke up and hollered what was wrong and I assured her nothing, go back to sleep. We woke up that morning looking at the same thing, at the end of my nose. It looked like about a foot on the level.

Brenda asked me what is plan B, it seems mother nature likes to mess with my plans. I told her I was going to flip a coin to make up my mind. I lost the dammed thing in the snow and never did find it. I could see the valley below and the range to the west was all white. Game Plan, head to Vegas the trip is over. I just about froze my feet, flip-flops are not good snowshoes. We did enjoy the trip for the best part. Next year on our anniversary we will have to go and freeze somewhere together again.