Four wheeling in Western Nevada

Western Nevada is my idea of heaven, as it offers unlimited outdoor recreation, with little regulation, friendly locals, and nearly unlimited freedom to "do your own thing." I spent a couple of days with my 20+ year friend, Robert Kipperman, and friends, four wheeling, shooting, and enjoying the great Storey County, Nevada outdoors in early January, 2018.

Photo: Monday, January 08, 2018, we started out the day by enjoying a couple of hours at a rural, "Nevada style" shooting range, peppering targets and beer cans with countless rounds of .22 rimfire ammunition. This impromptu "range," is a 10-minute drive from Robert's place in Lockwood, and definitely requires four wheel drive, thanks to the sticky mud from the recent January rains.

Photo: Tuesday, January 09, 2018, we're headed to our ultimate destination, the Frog Pond, located in Jones Canyon. Part of the journey took us through the Pyramid Lake Native American reservation, so we stayed on the trail, and didn't do any target practice, as the local natives aren't exactly friendly to "gringos." Robert's friend Chris, is a life-long resident of the area, and knows the customs of the locals, along with every deer trail, so he helped keep us on the right track. We're looking south along the unnamed road, and you can almost see Wadsworth in the distance.

Photo: We're headed west, towards Jones Canyon, as we stop, and check out what's left of an old ranch. Chris, our guide and area native, said the large main cabin burned down back in 2000, and it had been home to a large family that ran cattle in the area. Now all that's left of it is a foundation and ruins.

Photo: Chris and I pose for the camera. Chris is tall, but the photo makes him look 7 feet tall, but he's standing on a little mound, and I'm on the muddy trail. Note the mud on the tread of the tires, as the mud tires on Robert's LandCruiser were put to good use.

Photo: The muddy trail is leading us to Jones Canyon, in the distance. Before we started on this trail, we aired the tires down to 20 pounds, and transferred into four wheel drive low, as the trail was muddy and very slippery.

Photo: Fence posts are all that's left of the once-extensive operation at the site of the former ranch. The photo doesn't do the location justice, as it's really pretty in this little canyon. The elevation is about 5500 feet. Although is was pouring rain to the west of us, in California, we enjoyed a picture-perfect day, with sunny blue skies, and temperatures in the low 40's.

Photo: The Frog Pond is a quarter mile ahead, but first you have to cross the stream that is the outlet of the pond. Chris gets out to check the depth of the water.

Photo: It's a "Kodak moment" for all of us, as Robert stops his truck and takes photos of the beautiful scenery.

Photo: The Frog Pond. It's a man-made lake, which served as a reservoir for the defunct ranch a mile downstream. Yes, that's ice around the edges of the pond, as it was quite chilly on this early January afternoon.

Photo: After checking the depth of the water, and assuring there was rock underneath the water, Chris walked across the water on the hill so he could take a video of Robert and I crossing the water. Robert's cute little dog, "Buddy," looks on from he passenger seat. It turned out the water was about a foot deep, and we easily forded the stream, albeit very slowly, so the water wouldn't rise, and enter the inside of the truck.

Photo: My friend of 20+ years, Robert Kipperman, poses by the Frog Pond, with his ever-faithful companion, "Buddy."

Photo: The Frog Pond, looking east. This is an absolutely beautiful little lake, and our friend told us that it offers great swimming during the summer.

Photo: Robert takes photos of his 1994 Toyota "LandCruiser" in it's natural environment: The boondocks. We're at the west end of Frog Pond, and we paused for an hour or so to enjoy some outstanding target shooting, Nevada-style. This would make an excellent camping location.

We toured Olinghouse, but didn't really stop, as it's privately owned by Charlie - he inherited the sizable acreage from his grandparents - and although Charlie is friendly, he's wary and guarded, as most inhabitants of very remote areas are. He welcomed us to return to hunt "dogs," which is Nevada-speak for coyotes, and we just might take him up on his offer. We're sure his cattle would be happy if we did a part in helping him with his "dog problem."