If the portrait in your mind of Nevada begins with a barren wasteland of tumbleweeds and desperate thirst you have only begun to paint.
Nevada is more brutal and vast than you can imagine. One need only to insert themself into a picture of Nevada 200 years ago. Jedediah Smith was the first white man to cross the (future) state of Nevada. What do you imagine he saw? What possessed him to go there . . . what would possess anyone to ever go there?
For many . . . the picture of Nevada is shades of brown and grey . . . the long hours of tedium and boredom fighting fatigue on the open road. The early settlers used these same routes because they were featureless and presented few obstacles. Modern highways use these routes for economical reasons.
For many, Nevada is a death sentence . . . a place for people to go whom don't play well with others . . .
Let's paint a picture of Nevada . . .
Why come here?
It's just a hot desert where you will die of thirst . . .
A place of great loneliness . . . and severe hunger.
Hot sun, dry heat, a place where you could fry an egg on a rock.
The natural wonders in Nevada are only a short distance from the Interstate.
Nevada is 500 miles long and 300 miles wide. It has mountains, lakes and yes, desert.
The Bristlecone Pines have made Nevada their home since the dinosaurs roamed the Earth.
Bristlecones can grow as old as 5,000 years. This ancient life-form has been perched on this mountain for millenia. This very tree was probably here the day God told Noah to build the ark.
Yes it is a wasteland . . . it is a waste of beauty because most people never see its majesty.
Ask any Nevadan why they love the desert . . .
They may use words like "freedom", "wide open spaces", "peace". "quiet", "solitude".
Or they might use words like "opportunity", "adventure", "challenge".
Myth:
"Nevada is nothing but a vast barren desert".
Facts:
Nevada has more mountain ranges than any other state.
Lake Tahoe is one of the deepest mountain lakes in the world. It is so clear you can see the bottom.
"When floating on the lake I have sensed a feeling of agoraphobia when looking down to the bottom."
Next time in Nevada . . . take a closer look . . . it is much more than you ever imagined.
When I die, bury me in the Lahontan Valley. In five thousand years, I will still be here. And the desert will still be beautiful.
The desert is forever . . . don't waste it . . . . FallschirmJaeger
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One thing that I don't like about Nevada. It is that isn't a place with a lot of trees. but at least there are things quite interesting there.
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