Nelson NV

On  Monday I just didn’t feel that poker was in my cards (yeah, I know).  So R.P. and I decided that I would drive her to the Venetian and abandon her there for the day.  I would head out into the desert to find some history.  My goal; Nelson, Nevada and the El Dorado Canyon Mine tour company based at the old Techatticup mine.

You head east and south of town on Interstate 515, continuing onto U.S. Hwy 93 and  then turn south on U.S. 95.   This takes you out of the urban sprawl that is Las Vegas and it’s surrounding communities.  You cross a mountain range and the landscape changes.  Still desert but different. When you turn south on 95, look to your right and the Nevada Solar One project is over there.  I was definitely tempted to let The Beast run once I hit Hwy 95,  but kept him reined in to the speed limit.  There is some construction going on and there were two state troopers hanging out.  Hwy 95 is well maintained and runs almost straight til you turn east on Nevada 165.  This is a two lane road that winds up into the hills.  Once you climb up from the basin you start to see some definite changes in growth.  There are surprise areas of green as you drop back into the canyons toward lake Mohave.   Definitely slow down and enjoy the drive.  Roll your windows down and get the desert smells into your nose.

As you come into the town of Nelson, there is a very nice new house on the right and I find it a definite indicator of life in Nevada.  The house appears to be fairly opulent from outside it’s high walls and nice concrete drive within the closed gates.  The driveway outside the gate is another story.  It is a dirt road that runs down a wash to the main road.  For those of you not familiar with the term wash, it is a dry river bed that is prone to flash flooding when there is rain anywhere near it, hence the name wash.  I pause there to wonder at the owners choice of building site and what he or she chooses to drive.  As you drive on into Nelson, there is quite the mish mash of dwellings.  There are shacks, mobile homes, stick built houses, brick built places and recreational vehicles.  Most of the streets are dirt here and there is an abundance of no trespassing signs.  If you choose to explore in and around town (or anywhere in Nevada), remember that a no trespassing sign means exactly that.  There are a number of mining claims and they are serious about folks messing around.  Also I should caution you at this time that unless you are experienced in caving/underground mining and have the proper equipment you are only risking your life to enter an old/abandoned mine.  Many of them were closed for a reason and they have been untended for so long that the shoring is rotten and unsafe.  People die in old mines every year in the southwest.

I continued my exploration east to the old Techatticup mine site.  As you come around a final curve you see the hodgepodge of buildings below you.

As you come into the collection of buildings, slow down as there are many pedestrians crossing the road.  This area is privately owned and they rent it out to many different groups of people.  The day I was there, there was a model and photographers in the buildings and even in the middle of the road taking pictures.

The signs request you to check in at the store.  Definitely do that as they give you some guidelines regarding area safety.  Some of the collection of buildings are actually residences and please heed those private signs.  The store has some great historical stuff in it and the staff were definitely friendly.  If you want to take the tour, which includes going into the old mine, definitely give the El Dorado Canyon  Mine Tour company a call.  It is the only way to get into the mine.  The outdoor displays of old vehicles and equipment are free to wander about and enjoy, just remember that this is snake and scorpion country.  You might wonder about all the stuff laying about and the buildings and they answer those questions on the tour.  I got lucky and happened to share a coke in the shade of the store porch with Tony, the owner.  He explained that there is a very fine line between collecting/picking old stuff and becoming a hoarder.  He has definitely collected many diverse things (there is a fenced area with a number of navy jet cockpits).  He explained that the entire site had been picked clean of anything valuable over the years and that he and his staff had built all the structures on site from  the ground up.  He said that they had purchased the old mine some 20 years ago and had been building since.  According to Tony, there is indeed gold left in the mine but it would cost him more in expenses to mine it than the gold is worth.  In the meantime, he collects stuff.   There are little gems of history hiding all over the site.  Under a clump of cactus is the running gear of some old unidentifiable automobile.

On the hill is an old Hudson sedan with wooden coach work.

An old panel appears to be hitched to a vintage travel trailer.

An interesting hybrid VW.

A number of old trucks of various makes await your exploring eyes all over the area.

And some interesting hybrid vehicles that they have made on site as well as planes?

After you get done wandering around the site it is definitely worth the drive on down to the end of the road and get the view of Lake Mohave.

There are a number of dirt roads that are listed on the maps that run out into the desert.  They are passable roads that generally run in dry washes out through the hills.  This is a great scenic way to return to Nelson or even go on to Searchlight.  Remember that these are dirt desert roads and are not friendly to your BMW, Mercedes or Honda Civic.  I saw a number of car body panels and ground effects parts discarded in the desert along Eagle Wash Road.

This is a great day trip out into the desert for some great history.  I didn’t go on the mine tour but plan on returning for that trip.  Definitely reserve the tour in advance, I heard them turning down some folks on the phone as they limit the size of the tour groups.

I had packed my own lunch and enjoyed eating it in the shade at the mine site.  I spent some money at the store at the mine to show my appreciation for the great stuff they have collected there.

Get out there and enjoy the sights!

See you out there,

BFD