Chloride Arizona

Chloride Arizona The third week in August, my friend Harvey Smith and I traveled to Chloride a nearly dead silver and gold mining town located at the base of the Cerbat Mountains in northwestern Arizona. With a population that was once over 2,500 during its heyday in the late 1800’s, it is now down to less than 250 year-round residents. There are over 75 abandoned silver and gold mines here, the largest two of which have recently been ‘reopened’ for production. Probably the towns’ biggest draw are the Roy Purcell Murals, painted in the mid 1980’s on a large rock outcrop about a mile and a half outside of town. Today, at 76, Roy Purcell, a Utah native and 30-year Las Vegas resident, is probably best known throughout the Southwest for his etchings and paintings of Indian and southwestern subjects. We also spent several hours exploring the Cerbat Mountain range. Check it out here … Chloride Arizona.

Another One of my June Hikes 06/20/2012

Rainbow Canyon Scenic Drive The third week in June I spent the week camping, four-wheeling, and hiking with my friend Harvey Smith. We camped at the Spring Valley State Park, 18 miles north of Pioche, Nevada. During the week we found and visited more than a half dozen different locations that provided hiking and photographic opportunities that were new to both of us. This makes for the sixth daytrip page I’ve posted so far, and  I still have four folders of pictures left to review. This location provided for a very relaxing day and for some very interesting and unique views. Check it out here … Rainbow Canyon Scenic Drive.

NEW Reference Book

I recently purchased and added a new reference book to my Site Reference Library titled: Nevada Trail – Southern Region (Backroads & 4-Wheel Drive Trails) by Peter Massey, Angela Titus and Jeanne Wilson, published by Adler Publishing Company, Inc: Nevada Trails Southern Region covers a range of roads from easy-going, scenic drives to more technical 4-wheel drive trails. Full of detailed maps, directions, and vital trail information, this guide takes you off the paved roads and into Nevada's breathtaking backcountry. It includes 44 scenic drives near the towns of Las Vegas, Pahrump, Laughlin, Tonopah, Beatty, Goldfield, and more! Step back in the past while exploring old ghost towns and mining camps. Nevada Trails Southern Region is perfect for scenic drivers, hikers, mountain bikers, 4-wheelers, and everyone who loves the outdoors! Purchase at Amazon for $19.93 - http://www.amazon.com/Nevada-Trails-Southern-Region-Massey/dp/1930193149.

New Photo Tip

Click here to check out the latest photo tip on organizing your photos that I added to my Photography Journal site: Tips For Organizing Your Photos

Chloride Arizona

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This page last updated on 01/03/2019

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10/15/2015 Trip Notes: Instead of going on today's trip to St. Thomas with the Rock-hounds, Blake Smith and I took a daytrip to Chloride, Arizona, most noted as the home to the Roy Purcell Murals (Fig. 01c). Click the link below for more pictures. Though I didn't have a lot of new pictures on this visit, the main thing I noticed was that the past several years of drought has taken a toll on many of the town's structures, including the "Welcome to Chloride" shown in (Fig. 01). We hiked to a mine about a mile up the road past Purcell's site. the picture in (Fig. 01b) is looking back at the site with the town of Chloride in the distance. (Fig. 01b) 08/21/2012 Trip Notes: Harvey Smith and I took a daytrip to Chloride, Arizona, most noted as the home to the Roy Purcell Murals (Fig. 01c) below. Roy painted these back in 1986 on a rocky hill just a few miles out of town. Check out the page I created from a daytrip my wife and I took here back in February of 2010 … Roy Purcell Murals. There are also ruminants of more than 75 old silver, gold and copper mines (Fig. 01a) above) scattered within a five mile radius of the towns’ center. After stopping at the local tourist center to gather some information on what to see, we spent a couple of hours driving around town capturing pictures of local landmarks. Our first stop was to the old Chloride Cemetary (Fig. 02). We were amazed at how many graves had no remaining identifying markers. Click here to view a collage of the pictures I took here … Chloride Arizona Cemetery. Next, we made stops at (Fig. 03) the post office, (the oldest in Arizona), the original Santa Fe railroad station (Figs. 04 & 05), and the old jail (Figs. 06 & 07). Opposite the old jail we found a private yard with hundreds of Prickly Pear Cactus. Check out the pictures here ... Prickly Pear Cactus. We then headed out to the site of the murals and spent the remainder of the morning hiking the area around the murals, where we found several petroglyphs and a couple of mine audits (Figs. 08 & 09).  We then drove back into town and had a beer at Yesterdays Restaurant (Figs. 10 & 11), which used to be the original Butterfield Stagecoach stop from 1868 to 1919, before we headed up the northern end of Big Wash Road which led us 15 miles up and into the Cerbat Mountains. Read more below.

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Having heard that there were two campgrounds high up into the Cerbat mountains behind Chloride, we decided to take a drive up Big Wash Road to check them out. With absolutely outstanding views and drop-dead scenery (Figs. 12 thru 16), this road led us deep into the mountains and up to an elevation of more than 6,000 feet. The view in (Fig 14) was taken from campsite #3 at the Windy Point Campground and shows part of the road we traveled to reach it. The place where the most distant part of the road reaches the saddle is the location of the Packsaddle Campground. The view of Chloride in (Fig. 15) was just a few feet from where we had our lunch on site #3 in (Fig. 16). After lunch we drove another two miles to the trailhead for the Cherum Peak Ridge Trail. We are looking forward to this hike on our next visit. After another hour of “scouting” around for future hikes we finally decided to call it a day and head for home.

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Background & History: The name Chloride came from the silver chloride found in the surrounding hills. Today, silver chloride is used in photographic emulsions and antiseptic silver solutions. Sometime during the 1840’s, prospectors canvassing the area stumbled upon numerous veins rich in silver surrounding the area that would someday become Chloride. The silver was found primarily at a site known as Silver Hill. But silver wasn't all they found. Many metals were actually mined in Chloride including gold, silver, lead, zinc, copper, molybdenum, vanadium and turquoise, with silver being the predominate ore. Silver built the town, but it was the discovery of lead and zinc that sustained it. Though the town of Chloride was founded about 1863, turmoil with the Hualapai Indians slowed mining considerably. In 1870, a signed treaty with the Hualapai's cleared the way for extensive mining of the area. After the treaty, several mining camps were started in the Cerbat Mountains including Mineral Park, Cerbat and Chloride. In fact, they are still mining copper at Mineral Park today. In 1873, the United States Post Office Department opened an office in Chloride and the Chloride Post Office has been in continuous operation since 1893 making it one of the oldest continuously operated post offices in the state of Arizona. Soon, all manner of new business began to spring up in Chloride. From 1868 to 1919, the Butterfield Stage Line serviced Chloride and surrounding area. The stage stop and repair station was located at the building presently known as Yesterday's Restaurant. In 1871, Chloride became the Mohave County seat. At its high point, it’s rumored that the population escalated to approximately 5000, but dropped to 2000 around 1917. In 1898, the Sante Fe Railroad extended its tracks from Kingman to Chloride, dramatically reducing the costs for ore and supply shipments. Just two years later the town boasted a population of 2,000, supported primarily by two major mines, the Tennessee and the Schuykill. Both these mines would produce gold, silver, lead and zinc on a major scale up into the late 1940s. Chloride’s peak years were between 1900 and 1920, when some 75 mines were in operation in the area. In 1910, the railway was again extended directly to the Tennessee Mine, the largest in the area. With the coming of the railroad, Butterfield’s Stage Line finally discontinued service in 1919. By the 1930s, the richest mine in the area was the Golconda, located between Kingman and Chloride. It has been estimated that the Golconda produced six and a half million dollars in ore. Later on, the Tennessee Silver Mine surpassed the Golconda in total ore produced. The Santa Fe Railroad provided both passenger and cargo service until 1935 when a decision to close the station was finally made. It was known as the B&F, back and forth. The railway station still stands today and is fairly intact, but the tracks are long gone. In 1944 the mines were forced to close due to the low prices of silver and other minerals that made the cost of materials and labor too high. Since then Chloride has became a virtual ghost town. During the counterculture period of the 1960's, a band of hippies led by a man named Roy Purcell camped in the hills above Chloride to the East. During their stay, Roy painted what are now known as throughout the world as the "Chloride Murals". Ancient petroglyph's are also known to be located in this area. Presently, the continuous population is around 150 and reaches a high of 250 during the winter months when "snow-birds" come in from the cold. There are two restaurants, two bars, several gift shops, a convenience store, fire station, and a few interesting tourist sights, including the historic post office and train station. Many of the present day citizens are retirees, artists, musicians, and the like. Some residents work locally, some have their own shops, while others work in the casino industry in Laughlin or Las Vegas or are employed in one of many businesses in Kingman.

Lake Tahoe - Summary Page

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This page last updated on 01/10/2018

Destination: Lake Tahoe. Distance from Point of Origin: 448 miles. Estimated (One Way) Travel Time: 8-1/2 hours. Directions: From the Stratosphere Casino head northeast on Las Vegas Blvd about 3 miles and turn left onto US-93/95, keeping on the left for 95 North towards Reno.Stay on US 95 for 345 miles and turn left onto Alt US 95 N (Yerington Cutoff) and follow for 24 miles. Turn Left onto NV 339 S which turns into NV 208 and follow for 24 miles. Turn right onto US 395 N for 16 miles. Turn left onto Riverview Dr. for .6 miles. Continue onto Dresslerville Rd. for 1.5 miles. Continue onto NV-756 W/Centerville Ln. for .6 miles. Turn right onto Centerville Ln. for 4.1 miles. Turn right onto NV-206 N/Foothill Rd for 1.3 miles. Turn left onto NV-207 W/Kingsbury Grade Rd. and follow over the mountain for 11.1 miles. Turn left onto US-50 W (Entering California) for 4 miles. General Description: Lake Tahoe is the largest freshwater alpine lake in North America, located high in the Sierra Nevada of the United States. With a surface elevation of 6,225 feet, it is located along the border between California and Nevada, west of Carson City, Nevada. With a depth of 1,645 feet, it is the USA's second-deepest lake. Additionally, with 122,160,280 acre feet of water, it is listed as the 26th largest lake by volume in the world. Because the area surrounding the lake covers two states, it is generally referred to as Lake Tahoe, or simply Tahoe. As you can see from the map below, its most populated areas are referred to as the North Shore and the South Shore. The east (Nevada) side of the lake includes the towns of Stateline, Zephyr Cove and Incline Village. Its west (California) side includes the towns of South Lake Tahoe, Tahoe City, Tahoe Vista and Kings Beach. The lake was formed about 2 million years ago and is a part of the Lake Tahoe Basin with the modern lake being shaped during the ice ages. It is known for the clarity of its water and the panorama of surrounding mountains on all sides. A major tourist attraction, the South Shore is dotted with casinos, skiing resorts, golf courses and summer outdoor recreation. Special Attraction or Points of Interest: There are numerous attractions, hiking and photography moments in and around the Lake Tahoe area. The Heavenly Gondola ride, Cave Rock, Emerald Bay and the GonVikingsholm Castle,  Eagle Falls hike, Falling Leaf Falls hike, the Eagle Lake Hike, the Tallac Historic Site, and the Lake Tahoe Cruises, plus a series of Lake Tahoe-Nevada State Parks, just to name a few. Primary Activity: Photography. There is no more beautiful place in the U.S Secondary Activities: Hiking, Biking and Boating and Skiing in the winter months. Elevation: Roughly 6,300 feet. Best Time To Visit: Year-round, depending upon your interests e.g. skiing, biking, hiking, etc. Difficulty: Depends upon your chosen activity. Facilities: Everywhere. Estimated Round-trip Time: 17 hours. Definitely a two-day travel plus whatever time you want to spend site-seeing, hiking, and taking pictures.

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General Trip Notes: Because I have a brother, sister  and mother, all living in South Lake Tahoe, over the past ten years my numerous trips here to visit family have covered all seasons, spring, summer, fall and winter. In an effort to provide some type of organization to the photographs I have taken here over the past ten years, I have attempted to arrange them according to the map above (Fig. 02); first by state (California or Nevada) and then by the specific location or nearest town. The location of each post is identified on the above map with its corresponding Figure number. Click the hyper-linked titles below to view the posts.                     Over the years we have taken several drives around the lake with no particular destination in mind, stopping at various scenic turnoffs, just to soak in the beauty. Using individual pictures, collages, diptychs, triptychs, and polyptychs, I have combined many of the pictures taken on these drives into a 'generic' page titled, Lake Tahoe - Drives to Nowhere. (Click to view)

California – South Shore

(Fig. 01) Eagle Falls - South Lake Tahoe: Upper Eagle Falls from the turnoff just past the upper falls on Highway 89, also known as Emerald Bay Road. This beautiful waterfall, falls in two large cascades, the upper falls being about 60 feet and the lower falls about 90 feet.

(Fig. 02) Tahoe Keys Marina Trail: There is a relatively short, popular locals’ walking trail that parallels the water’s edge along the east side of the Tahoe Keys Marina, with several branches that weave through the low level marsh lands that lead out to the shoreline of the lake.



(Fig. 03) Upper Truckee River Trails: This is another popular trail for locals that leads from behind the Barton Memorial Hospital out across a large meadow behind the Hospital that is fed by the Upper Truckee River. On the other side of the meadow and the river, the trail splits off into three trails, with the main trail winding along the river as it leads south towards the Lake Tahoe Airport. 

Nevada – South Shore

Tahoe Rim Trail - Kingsbury Trailhead: Past Brautovich Park at the end of Andria Drive off of North Benjamin Road near the top of Kingsbury Grade there is a trailhead for the Kingsbury Grade North trail. Between an elevation of 7,780 to 7,860 feet, this relatively easy, short 0.5 mile hike winds through open forests of Jeffrey pine and white fir. Near the end you come to a marked vista spot with a glimpse of South Lake Tahoe. Continuing even further, you are rewarded with some nice views of Castle Rock and the west shore of Lake Tahoe

Nevada – Eastern Shoreline

Lake Tahoe – Nevada State Park:  Lake Tahoe – Nevada State Park is a state park of Nevada on the northeast shores of Lake Tahoe. The park comprises six management units which total 14,301 acres. The primary management units are Cave Rock, Sand Harbor, Spooner Lake, and the Marlette/Hobart Backcountry area.

(Fig. 04) Cave Rock: Cave Rock is a small day-use area tucked beneath the rugged volcanic face of Cave Rock along U.S. 50. The entrance is three miles south of Glenbrook, just south of the Cave Rock road tunnels.The site features a boat launch, picnic areas and a small sandy beach. A steep shoreline and rocky shoals make this area a good location for fishing. A small beach located at the south end of the park where park visitors can swim, sunbathe, play in the sand and scuba dive. There are three picnic areas with picnic tables and barbe­que pits.






(Fig. 05) Spooner Lake State Park: Spooner Lake is located near the intersection of U.S. Route 50 and Nevada State Route 28 at "Spooner Summit". Spooner Lake is popular for fishing, and viewing wildlife and wildflowers. The Spooner Lake Trail is an easy 2.1 mile loop that circumnavigates Spooner Lake. The trail is mostly flat and well maintained making it perfect for a quick family outing. Views of the Lake and nice groves of Aspens make this a scenic stroll. The site is also the primary starting point for the Marlette/Hobart Backcountry trails as well as the main vehicle entrance to both areas.

(Fig. 06) Sand Harbor and Sand Point Nature Trail: Home of the Lake Tahoe–Nevada State Park visitor center, Sand Harbor features a large sandy beach on Lake Tahoe's eastern shore. With 55 acres of long sandy beaches, rocky coves, shady forested areas and panoramic lake views, Sand Harbor offers visitors opportunities for bouldering, picnicking, swimming and boating. The one-third-mile Sand Point Nature Trail is a handicap-accessible trail with interpretive signs and breathtaking views of Lake Tahoe.

As I continue to edit and compile more of my photos, and create new blog pages, I will update this page accordingly.

Sand Harbor State Park

Description: With 55 acres of long sandy beaches, rocky coves, shady forested areas and panoramic lake views and the Sand Point Nature Trail, Sand Harbor part of the Lake Tahoe–Nevada State Park system and home to the park’s visitor center. It features three sandy beaches on Lake Tahoe's eastern shore, offering visitors opportunities for hiking, bouldering, picnicking, swimming and boating. The one-third-mile Sand Point Nature Trail is a handicap-accessible boardwalk trail with interpretive signs and breathtaking views of Lake Tahoe and two of the most beautiful beaches on the eastern shoreline.

08/06/2012 Trip Notes: Sand Harbor was the third and final stop of my daytrip with Bonnie & Paul that took us along the east side of Lake Tahoe. This place is so beautiful, that I have visited it at least four times on my various trips to Lake Tahoe. Today, however, is the first time I really got to walk the beaches in a swim suit and enjoy swimming in its crystal clear waters. (Figs. 01 & 02) are pictures of the cove, between the two main beaches, where we spent the afternoon swimming. Due to the number of rocks, and its smaller beach area (not visible on the right, this small cove is generally less populated than the other two beaches. (Fig. 03) is the boat launch beach, located just the other side of the rocky peninsula in (Fig. 01).

At the very left of the peninsula on the left side of (Fig. 01) is the beginning of the Sand Point Nature Trail, found in the (fig.04) close up below. Notice the trail’s wooden walkway here and in (Fig. 05). The next four pictures (Figs. 06, 07, 08 & 09) are but a few of the many scenic views available when walking this short trail. When walking it in the early morning or late evenings, you will be able to encounter a wide variety of birds, squirrels, chipmunks and other wildlife.

These final two pictures were taken on a previous trip in the middle of the winter. I love the solitude of this cove during this time of year as expressed by the absence of the typical summertime crowds found in the previous photos.

Spooner Lake State Park

Fig. 01

Description: Spooner Lake is part of the Lake Tahoe – Nevada State Park, a state park of Nevada on the northeast shores of Lake Tahoe that also includes Sand Harbor, Spooner Lake, and the Marlette/Hobart Backcountry area. Spooner Lake is an alpine lake at 7,100 feet elevation, that lies within the 12,242-acre Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park. It is located near the intersection of U.S. Route 50 and Nevada State Route 28, just below "Spooner Summit" (See map above) and northeast of Glenbrook, Nevada, the oldest settlement on Lake Tahoe. Spooner Lake is popular day spot for hiking, fishing, and viewing wildlife and wildflowers. The trail is an easy, flat, well maintained 2.1 mile loop that circumnavigates the lake. The favored route for hiking the trail is to go to the left and circle the lake in a clockwise fashion. In this direction, the first part of the walk is principally in the sun with the latter part passing through more wooded areas. Toward the end of the loop, a sign somewhat south of where the loop began will direct you uphill to return to the picnic and parking area. Views of the Lake and nice groves of Aspens make this a scenic stroll. The site is also the primary starting point for the Marlette/Hobart Backcountry trails as well as the main vehicle entrance to both areas. History: Spooner Lake is a small impoundment constructed in 1927 to store irrigation water. In 1973, Nevada Department of Fish and Game developed the lake into a trout fishery. Regulations changed from zero-harvest in 1982 to a 5 fish limit in 2006. The reservoir, at maximum legal capacity, covers about 78 surface acres and has a depth of nearly 20 feet.  Lahontan cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, brown trout, bowcutt trout (rainbow x cutthroat), brook trout, and tiger trout (brown x brook) have been stocked over the years.  Lahontan tui chub, however, dominate the lake.

08/06/2012 Trip Notes: The second stop of the day, this was part of a daytrip with Bonnie & Paul that took us along the east side of Lake Tahoe that ended with a very late lunch at Kings Beach. In addition to capturing the beautiful scenic views seen in (Figs. 01, 02, & 03), we also got to observe several Steller's Jays (Figs. 04 thru 07) making their way throughout the Jeffrey pines and white firs in the thick forested areas surrounding the lake. The last picture (Fig. 08) is all that remains of a tree that appears to have been struck by lightening long ago. I have titled it “Nature’s Totem Pole”.

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Fig. 08 Titled - Nature's Totem Pole