#5: [12-Dec-11]

#4: [20-Nov-06]

#2: [10-Nov-02]

#1: [02-Sep-00]

01-Sep-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.

Our first attempt was from the north turning off US95 at Scotty's Junction and then attempting to go south at Bonnie Claire. In the DeLorme's Nevada Atlas & Gazetteer, the road is depicted as an "Other State Route or Major Connector" - or a big fat red line - we found a dirt road leading to a house. We could see the road as we approached the turn but at the house were mounds of dirt preventing any southward passage. Back to the original plan of the dirt road from US-95. We found the road and gate that would take us on a long 14 mile (one-way) journey. A high clearance two wheel drive or better is definitely required - there are several places where the center berm is about 8" high. Anything faster than about 8-10mph for our RV exceeded the damping capacity of its shocks due to the washboard pattern in the road. Encountering a large rock that chose to jump out at us and knock one of our hubcaps off, we elected to turn around (not an easy feat for a 23 foot vehicle in a depressed road!) and camped for the night. A thin scattered layer of clouds prevented a clear viewing of the stars like the night before. We would make a family hike in the morning.

1 Sep 2003

We left early in the morning, 4 Garmin RINO's and an eMap independently navigating to the intersection 1.17 miles away. My kids were leading the way. Along the way we stopped for multiple lizard sightings all of which successfully evaded capture. We did come across a small horned toad, which was slow enough to pose for some pictures with my kids before being returned underneath the bush where he was caught. A strong motivation for the kids continuing to the site was the possibility of a geocache mentioned by Robert Johnson. If he did put a cache out there in November of 2000, a thorough search of the area revealed nothing.

I took the required pictures and we headed back to the RV.

It would be a long drive on the dirt road back to US-95. Total round-trip distance from highway 95 was 29.7 miles and time was 18 hours. Onwards toward our final objective of 36n-116w before heading home.

In the Death Valley National Park.