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 (by me). Total round-trip mileage ended up being 1240 miles.

This sounded like an easy final confluence for the trip. As we turned down Old Spanish Trail south of Pahrump, there was a road closed and flooded sign off to the side. It had been over a week since the strong rains and flash floods that had been in the area. We continued cautiously. Previous visitors reported a short drive on a dirt road and then a quick hike. We found the road and determined that only a high clearance 4wd vehicle would make it over the washed out drainage ditch. I decided to proceed by bike. The road was more like a down sloping river bed than a road. Large 6 inch rounded rocks were outnumbered by similar sized sharp edged ones. After about a half mile of this I figured either my bike was going to shake itself apart or would experience some other catastrophic failure. At one point, the sides of the road were about two feet above the road and unless you had a very narrow vehicle, it would become wedged in between.

I decided to bushwack by bike. This proved to be much easier on the bike and my elbows. I paralleled the road and I found many tracks from what appeared to be dirt bikes and 4-wheelers that had done the same. In less than 2 miles I was there, almost all the way down to the dry lakebed. I took the pictures and then had to negotiate the uphill ride back to the RV.

Total round-trip distance from Old Spanish Trail Highway was 4.45 miles and time was 1 hour, 27 minutes.

Now it was only a matter of returning home. Old Spanish Trail was indeed closed because of the recent heavy rains and flash flooding throughout this entire area. Just east of Emigrant Pass a detour would take us on old mining roads (dirt) to Tecopa. It would be too long to backtrack so we had to proceed. Once on CA-127 all we had to worry about was the westbound traffic from Las Vegas on Interstate 15. A successful, 9 confluence visit weekend.

Has anybody ever completed more than 9 successful visits in a single weekend?