Road Trip! Part 2: Heads In The Clouds.

I waited for Steve in front of Bruno's Casino in Gerlach, our appointed rendezvous point. I was about 45 minutes early since I had forgotten to allow for the change from Mountain time. So I pointed the car facing the approach road and read, looking up every time a car came into town. Since this happened only about every ten or fifteen minutes, I wasn't worried about missing him.

Until an hour and a half went by and still no Steve. I called him, but there was no answer, so I figured he was still out of cell coverage. Since I got cell coverage only for a short distance around Gerlach itself, I wasn't surprised. So I waited some more.

Finally I was beginning to get concerned. Just then, I heard Steve call my name. I turned around and saw him walking out of Bruno's! How had he gotten there? Yes, there was his car. How had he gotten by me? If you've read Steve's blog, you know the answer. He had come into town via back roads instead of the main highway. He hadn't checked his phone and hadn't noticed me sitting in my car.

Since Steve is an old hand in the Black Rock, I left the choice of where we would camp to him. He had in mind a spot overlooking the Black Rock playa, but the site was very exposed and the wind was fairly intense. We decided to go south of Gerlach to the less-visited Smoke Creek playa and see if we could find a place against the hills that was at least partially sheltered from the wind.

We found this spot overlooking the Smoke Creek playa. It was still pretty windy, 

but the mass of the ridge line cut the force slightly. 

And the view was spectacular.

We bundled up and started setting up camp, using Steve's Range Rover as a windbreak.

We grilled chicken and drank rye whiskey and watched in awe as mountainous formations 

of clouds scudded lightly across the slowly-dimming sky.

As the sun dropped behind our hill, the light show began.

First in dark grays and curdled creams.

 Slowing deepening into soft pinks and oranges.

 Finally bursting into full flame.

That night the wind abated, and the clouds disappeared. The intensely clear desert sky burned with the cold brilliance of thousands of stars and the misty glow of the Milky Way. It promised a better tomorrow.

Next post: At play on the playa.

P.