Black Rock, Wild Horses, and a Day in the Northern Red Desert

 Well we had taken the wrong road. Instead of turning off Interstate 80 at Point of Rocks we drove till we got to Sweetwater County 19 and so now we were way east and north of Black Rock, our intended destination. We could see the volcanic neck, I mean we are out west where the trees don't block your view, and so we decided to just enjoy the extra ride across new country.
Looking at the map we saw that we wanted to take county road 15, heading west, and just as we neared it we got an unexpected pleasure as a herd of wild horses were on the road!. Renita fumbled with the camera case as the horses bolted and ran away from the truck. They were probably shy as there had been a round up recently and so any truck had to be viewed with suspicion.
A few more miles and we reached a rutted four wheel drive road that headed toward Black Rock. Bouncing along the road we both were glad that we had four wheel drive as the ruts were deep and getting high centered was a real possibility. I thought again of the handyman jack in our sons garage, but at least we had a shovel.
The ruts lessened as we connected with another four wheel drive road that took us past an abandoned homesteaders rock house. Crossing a creek bed and slowly driving through deep holes we reached the trail that circles Black Rock. Watching carefully for claims stakes we stopped at some ant piles and looked for peridot crystals.
The book Leucite Hills of the Red Desert, talked about the geologic history of the igneous intrusions of the Red Desert and told about the possibility of diamonds in an olivine rich lava flow but we didn't find any. Further around the road we did see a claims stake and so we continued on, not wanting to bother another's find,(they still shoot claims jumpers out west).

Reaching the northwest face we stopped and I decided to hike to the rim of the neck, hoping to find an easy way to the top. Starting up the slope I had to stop and catch  my breath as the steep grade and loose talus made each step difficult. Further up the ground became firm as I walked through tall sagebrush and I carefully watched and listened for the unwanted buzz of an angry rattlesnake.
I thought of the rattlesnakes I had encountered elsewhere, especially the one I had stepped over while descending the talus of Devils Tower. That snake hadn't buzzed me but had only ticked its tail, a warning I wouldn't have even noticed had not my fellow teacher friend, Paul Lussow  kept live rattlesnakes in his classroom.
Reaching the base of the columns I looked up and saw two obvious routes that would probably go fourth class or free solo, as its now called,(fourth class climbing means you use your hands and feet but don't use ropes). I thought of Renita far below and decided not to try for the summit unless I had another person to back me up,(there are few old and bold rock climbers).

I saw Renita far below checking out the ant piles and as it was lunch time I descended carefully to the truck, sliding really as the bottom was mostly loose vesicular lava, rock that resembled pumice. Safely reaching the bottom I told Renita that the rock would go fourth class, to which she emphatically stated that I was not to try it without a climbing partner.

The drive back home was shorter as we took the right road this time. Another herd of wild horses watched us as we passed a waterhole full of cattle and it reminded me that finding wildlife in the desert is pretty easy, just find the oasis. It wasn't as dusty as last time we had been on the same desert roads, a much wetter year had helped and the desert was full of vegetation, or a full as one could expect of a desert.
It had been a good day, as each day in retirement can be, as long as you fill your time with a new quest or revisiting an old one. I was told, a few years ago, that I was too old to be climbing, but I really don't think age should be apart of ones decision, that you should look in your heart and never let anything keep you from new heights. Clear skies.