Geological Time, p. 18
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Our plan was to set up our tent right next to the pond, close enough to enjoy another swim by the evening’s full moon. But this turned out to be one of the coldest nights of the winter and even the thought of another soak did not lure us from our spots in front of the fire.
Before retreating to the tent, however, we did enjoy a long walk on the desert playa. The clear sky and the bright moon cast our shadows distinctly onto the white sand. In this featureless landscape we were careful to walk in a straight line, keeping the silhouetted mountains in back of Trego as a reference point. Judy later painted a watercolor of our moonlight walk on the playa.

"Moonlight on the Playa" watercolor by Judy Strauss

Midnight at the Trego Ditch
 Sleep that night was not easy; my down-filled sleeping bag, usually too warm for comfort, left me shivering through the night. At one point I noticed Mica also shivering in a corner of the tent. I invited her to join me in my mummy bag and she eagerly squeezed in beside me. The two of us soon created adequate warmth, even though it was really a two-dog night. A side benefit of our sleeping arrangement was Judy’s reaction when she woke up and discovered the dog’s face next to mine poking out of the end of the sleeping bag.

When I emerged from the tent in the morning I discovered a few problems in our campsite. The water in Mica’s dish was frozen solid, and our five gallon container was not much better. But the biggest problem was that the 4Runner had a flat tire. Not wishing to spoil the beauty of the slowly-warming desert morning, we determined not even to think about what we’d do if the spare were flat or the tools were missing. So I took photographs and Judy made her specialty campsite cornbread while we pretended that 4Runner tires are self-healing. Eventually we changed the tire and carefully drove the 18 miles on the rocky road back to Gerlach to have the tire repaired.

But wait! There is one other thing I ought to mention about the Trego Ditch hot springs. Play the video below to see what it is.

 


Play for another view of Trego Ditch hot springs.

 
 
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