#4: [19-Sep-10]

#2: [11-Aug-02]

#1: [26-Nov-00]

30-Aug-2003 -- This would be a confluence filled Labor Day weekend. Nine successful attempts would be made making a large triangle across Nevada and partially into California with four confluences on each side. Proceeding east to 35n-115w, my plan was to proceed north to 38n-115w capturing four ( 35n-115w, 36n-115w, 37n-115w, 38n-115w), then due west to 38n-118w for three more ( 38n-116w, 38n-117w, 38n-118w), then diagonally southeast capturing the remaining two ( 37n-117w, 36n-116w), leaving a single confluence in the center which, at 37n-116w, will likely never be visited. Total round-trip mileage ended up being 1240 miles.

Continuing west we backtracked slightly to Nevada 375, which is also known as the Extraterrestrial Highway. We made the obligatory stop at the Little A’Le’Inn at Rachel, Nevada and got some gas. We only paid $2.40 per gallon, which was considerably more than we had paid in Las Vegas but only about $.15 more than the *gouging* rate for regular unleaded anywhere in California.

We approached the dry lake from the south, heading off on a very easily traveled dirt road that took us northeast and then up the east side of the dry lake I have always known as Bearpaw Lake since, from the air, it resembles a giant bear paw print. We were racing the sun once again just as I had at 35n-115w only this time we parked only .4 miles from the intersection. My kids and I hurriedly proceeded west arriving at our objective with the sun just slightly above the Reveille Mountain range to the west. I waited until it had just set before taking the pictures of the area and then walked out onto the dry lake with my kids who were marveling at the dried mud patterns in the lake.

We returned to our RV and sat outside to enjoy the evening and were treated to an unbelievable clear and dark sky. Mars was coming up and the Moon was setting. After it set, an extremely bright Milky Way bisected the dark sky. I doubt there were any other humans within some dozens of miles from us except for the one car we saw northbound on Nevada 375 in the distance and maybe some cows.

We ended up camping there for the night and would start out in the morning towards our sixth confluence of the trip, 38n-117w.

Photo 1 is looking northeast, the sun had just gone behind the mountains and all my pictures (on this trip I have usually been taking eight, every 45 degrees on a tripod)to the west did not come out very well. Photo 2 looks east. Photo 3 looks southeast. Photo 4 is a view of the confluencemobile looking southwest from our campsite towards the confluence the next morning. The last file is the GPS Track record of my visit.

Total distance from Nevada 375 one-way was 8.63 miles and time was 47 minutes.