2005 05 02 Tonopah to Truckee
Today was my day to return to Truckee. I thought I might shoot some film if I ran across anything interesting, and I did give the maps a look, but in the end I didn't. I made a lot of notes based on places I passed, some of which I stopped to walk around, most of which I just noted. I am glad I had not make a big mental committment to myself to shoot film. I was very tired after 7 days of driving and getting up early and staying up late. I also find that my "eye" gets tired. Something that would normally be very interesting just isn't the same. I want to want to be interested, but I don't feel it. When that's the case it is best to just make some snaps and a few notes and pass until later.
I also thought about taking a more indirect route back to Truckee, but I didn't do that either. I drove US95 from Tonopah through Mina and Luning and Goldfield and Coaldale and Hawthorne to I80 at Fernley and then on through Reno to Truckee. I'm glad took the direct route. It's quite beautiful and it was good to have the time get get all sorted out in Truckee before returning. I had film to pack up and ship off, and I had to clean out the Jeep and pack all my gear. It was good to not be doing that at midnight.
I did pass one place west of Tonopah on US95 that was interesting. It is called "Millers" and looks to have been the site of a huge mill of some sort. All that is left are the very large concrete piers that the mill equipment stood on, some basement foundations, and a huge amout of debris scattered in the sand. This location is interesting in that it is out away from the mountains more in a valley full of sand. So here all the debris and wreckage is being covered slowly by sand and not sinking into the sage.
I think what happens when these places are shut down is something like this: the company that runs the operation shuts it down and takes any valuable equipment. They might even take whole structures if they have a use for them. After that what's left is scanvenged by whoever can get at it and get what they want out. I believe this is what gives some of these sites the appearance of having been bombed. Millers in particular looked like it had been bombed by he Navy. There is large and small debris everywhere in the sand.
With better light this would be an interesting location to shoot. As it was I took a lot of snaps. Here are a few:
Here are some snaps. I did not shoot any film because the light was not very good. I will another time.
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Some of the remains look like they are part of an ancient religious site, like the Pyramids.
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