Guidebooks for the 2004 Nevada Desert Trail Relay
Guidebooks have now been written describing the first 1161 miles of the Desert Trail in California and Nevada, from the Mexican border north to the south edge of the Black Rock Desert. Hikers on Desert Survivors’ 2004 Nevada Desert Trail Relay may want to purchase one or more of the guidebooks for the segments covered, to aid them in hiking the routes and to gain an understanding of the country. All of the guidebooks are designed to guide the hiker through the desert, explaining the route and its features as he or she proceeds north. Routes are traced on full-scale topographic maps of each segment. Climate, geology and ecology are detailed in the front of each book. Details on geology, plants and animals are interspersed throughout the text. Plant and animal lists are included. The objective of publishing these guidebooks is to avoid the lock-step, treadmill-style hiking of other long-distance routes like the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest, in favor of a more engaged experience based on the appreciation of the desert’s beauty and its natural history.
Four guidebooks cover the routes of the sixteen segments to be hiked in the 2004 Nevada Desert Trail Relay. Segment routes are grouped four to a book. Segments A through D are in the first Nevada guidebook, “South Border”. Segments E through H are in the second guidebook, “Playas & Ridges”. Segments I through L are in the third guidebook, “Earthquake Country”. Segments M through P, grouped for the Relay in one hike on the Stillwater Mountains Crest, are in the fourth guidebook, “Stillwater Mountains”. Details on each of these are give below.
To purchase a guidebook, or for further information, contact Steve Tabor at <StevTabor@AOL.com>, or call (510) 769-1706. The mailing address is: Steve Tabor, P.O. Box 21143, Oakland, CA 94620-1143.
Nevada Desert Trail Guidebook I: “South Border”
The first Nevada guidebook details the first four segments in the state from Cucomungo Canyon to Nevada Route 266, Segments A through D. It is a comprehensive guide describing all aspects of natural history along the route. Featured are: pinyon woods in the Sylvania and Silver Peak Ranges, two Wilderness Study Areas (the Pigeon Spring and Silver Peak Range), Fish Lake Valley Hot Springs, colorful volcanic rock in the Volcanic Hills, and great canyon hiking and great views of the White Mountains in all four segments. Distance covered is 75 miles.
Nevada Book I: The “South Border” Segments [75 miles]
A. Sylvania Mountains (Cucomungo Canyon to NV Route 266)
B. South Silver Peak (NV Route 266 to McAfee Canyon)
C. North Silver Peak (McAfee Canyon to Fish Lake Valley Road)
D. Volcanic Hills (Fish Lake Valley Road to US Route 6)
Available September, 2001
138 pages
22 maps
Text Edition: $16.50 + S & H ($4.00) = $20.50
Photo Edition [17 photos]: $27.00 + S & H ($4.00) = $31.00
Nevada Desert Trail Guidebook II: “Playas & Ridges”
The second Desert Trail Guidebook for Nevada details the second four segments in the state, Segments E through H, from U.S. Route 6 to U.S. Route 95. Featured are: Columbus Salt Marsh (a playa), the Candelaria Hills, Teels Marsh (another playa), the semi-ghost town of Marietta, the BLM’s Marietta Wild Burro Range (one of two in the nation), the pine woods of the Excelsior Mountains, and juniper-clad open ridges of the Garfield Hills. Like all other guidebooks, this is a comprehensive guide describing all aspects of natural history along the route. The distance of the route covered in this book is 77 miles.
Nevada Book II: The “Playas & Ridges” Segments [77 miles]
E. Columbus-Candelaria (U.S. Route 6 to NV Route 360)
F. Teels Marsh (NV Route 366 to Marietta)
G. Excelsior Mountains (Marietta to Garfield Flat)
H. Garfield Hills (Garfield Flat to US Route 95)
Available April, 2002
136 pages
24 maps
Text Edition: $17.50 + S & H ($4.00) = $21.50
Photo Edition [17 photos]: $28.00 + S & H ($4.00) = $32.00
Nevada Desert Trail Guidebook III: “Earthquake Country”
The third Desert Trail Guidebook for Nevada details the third quartet of segments in the state, Segments I through L, from U.S. Route 95 to Dixie Valley Road. Featured are: the Gabbs Valley Range Wilderness Study Area with its woodland of pinyon pine, Gabbs Valley and Fissure Ridge with their vast open spaces and colorful rocks, the Sinkavata Hills and Bell Flat with earthquake faults well-displayed, the “Burnt Hills” with its recent wildfire mosaic, and the high valley of Badger Flat, location of the mining area of Wonder. Like all others, this is a comprehensive guide describing all aspects of natural history along the route. The distance of the route covered is 99 miles.
Nevada Book III: The “Earthquake Country” Segments [99 miles]
I. Gabbs Valley Range (U.S. Route 95 to Gabbs Valley Road)
J. Fissure Ridge (Gabbs Valley Road to Bell Flat)
K. “Burnt Hills”(Bell Flat to U.S. Route 50)
H. Wonder (U.S. Route 50 to Dixie Valley Road)
Available August 2002
152 pages
27 maps
Text Edition: $19.00 + S & H ($4.00) = $23.00
Photo Edition [19 photos]: $30.00 + S & H ($4.50) = $34.50
Nevada Desert Trail Guidebook IV: “Stillwater Mountains”
The fourth Desert Trail Guidebook for Nevada covers the route in the range of that name, the fourth quartet of segments in the state, Segments M through P. Much of this route is along the crest, though approaches on the segments traverse the canyons, interesting environments in their own right. This quartet of segments has the most Wilderness of any Desert Trail routes in the state: 60.5 miles of route in the BLM’s Job Peak and Stillwater Range Wilderness Study Areas. It is seldom traveled, a place where the deer and mountains lions play, as well as the antelope. The line of the route, deep in canyons or right on top of the crest in dense pinyon woods, enable full immersion in a wilderness experience. Both the individual segment routes and a single route along the top of the crest are detailed and mapped. Individual routes total 94 miles; the crest route is 61 miles. Like all others, this a comprehensive guide describing all aspects of natural history along the route.
Nevada Book IV: “Stillwater Mountains” [94 miles]
M. South Stillwater (Dixie Valley to Stillwater Road )
N. Central Stillwater (Stillwater Road to Stillwater Road)
O. “Wild Canyons of the Stillwaters” (Stillwater Road to Stillwater Road)
P. North Stillwater (Stillwater Road to Stillwater Road)
Available January, 2003
184 pages
26 maps
Text Edition: $20.50 + S & H ($4.50) = $25.00
Photo Edition [17 photos]: $30.50 + S & H ($4.50) = $35.00
To purchase a guidebook, or for further information, contact Steve Tabor at <StevTabor@AOL.com>, or call (510) 769-1706. The mailing address is: Steve Tabor, P.O. Box 21143, Oakland, CA 94620-1143.