Tonopah Rockhounding Rendezvous

Discussion in 'Renegade Tales & Trails' started by wayoflife, Nov 29, 2015.

  1. wayoflife

    wayoflife Administrator Staff Member

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    The weekend before Thanksgiving, Cindy and I were getting the itch to get out and do some rockhounding. We had been reading about some trilobite fossils that can be found south of Goldfield, NV and so we decided to pack our bags and our Jeep Renegade and headed on out. Of course, as luck would have it, our good friends Tony and Stephanie let us know that they were looking to get out and play with their new 2015 Jeep JK Wrangler and being that they enjoy rockhounding as well, we invited them to rendezvous with us out in Tonopah.

    On our way out, we took a shot of Renny, our 2015 Jeep Renegade Trailhawk posing for a shot next to the Big Green Cactus out on U.S. Highway 50.
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    Filler up? Making a stop at a ghost gas station along U.S. Highway 95.
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    "I always feel like - somebody's watching me". One of the last remaining original Bob's Big Boy statues now sits in front of the Tonopah Station Casino & Hotel.
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    Soon after pulling into Tonopah, we rendezvoused with Tony, Steph and their daughter Tina at the Tonopah Brewing Company - CHEERS!
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    After lunch, we decided to head up to the Tonopah Mining Museum to check out their impressive collection of rocks, gems, minerals and fossils to get a better idea of the things we can find out in then vast Nevada Desert.
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    After taking notes and picking up some new maps, we decided to take the self-guided walking tour to see some of the cool stuff they have out here. What's really crazy is that Cindy and I have been here multiple times and still find new things to see. Here's a shot of the old Desert Queen Mine & Hoist House.
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    This is the old vault where processed silver and gold were stored until they could be hauled off by rail.
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    Now this one was totally new to us but man, were we glad to see it! An old Nye County Search & Rescue Dodge Power Wagon van.
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    Going down?
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    Taking a peek inside and back in time.
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    Walking out to the Silver Top Mine & Hoist House.
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    Looking out toward the Mizpah Mine & Hoist House.
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    Checking out an old stamp mill on display.
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    The Grizzly.
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    I would just love to have one of these old ore carts in my front yard :D
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    After leaving the Tonopah Mining Museum, we decided to head out to the old Army airfield and got there just as the sun had dipped below the mountains.
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    This massive old hanger used to house B-24 Liberators.
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    The truth is out there...
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    It's not a great shot being that it was pretty dark out but, as we were leaving this active airfield, I spotted what was clearly an old airway beacon and was still working! It was way cool to see.
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    Back in town and pulling into our home for the night - the historic Mizpah Hotel.
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  2. wayoflife

    wayoflife Administrator Staff Member

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    Looking out our hotel room window and enjoying a beautiful sunrise.
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    Heading out into the open desert to look for some trilobites!
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    Tony up on the hill and digging away.
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    The area we were digging in is known as the Lower Cambrian Harkless Formation and it is roughly 540 million years old. While our goal was to find trilobites, the limestone beds are filled with an myriad of fossils of primitive lifeforms that once filled the seas in this area.
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    Taking a break from our digging, we found a few plants have already started to wake and bloom.
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    After a long day of digging, it was time to head on out.
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    Driving through a Joshua Tree forest.
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    It wasn't always graceful but we were able to get our Renegade through just about any deep rut we encountered.
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    Of course, Tony and Steph's stock JK was able to do all of the same ruts with ease.
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    On the way back to Tonopah, we decided to take a long cut down a Nevada Super Highway.
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    CHEERS to a great day out in the Nevada Desert!
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  3. Cozdude

    Cozdude Moderator Staff Member

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    Wow! Looks like it was an awesome trip! Thanks for taking all the pics as well as the history lesson!
     
  4. William Ward

    William Ward New Member

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    Great fun great pictures. Thanks
     
  5. JustinBalboa

    JustinBalboa Active Member

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    Totally abandonded and ok to explore? Looks awesome
     
  6. wayoflife

    wayoflife Administrator Staff Member

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    Always a great trip when we're out exploring Nevada! Glad you liked the pics :)
     
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  7. wayoflife

    wayoflife Administrator Staff Member

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    Sorry, not sure what exactly you were referring to. If you meant the mine museum, you need to pay $5 to explore it. If you meant the hanger, it's on an operating airfield. If you meant the digging area, it's on BLM land and there are open trails out to them :)
     

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