Forgotten Nevada
Exploring Nevada So You Don't Have To!™
Things That Can Happen
to an “Experienced hiker”
by Petr Suchomel
(Note: Mr. Petr Suchomel is a software engineer for Sun Microsystems and lives in the Czech Republic. His fascination with Nevada has resulted in many, many trips here to explore its history and natural wonders. The following article describes a trip he made with a friend of his, also named Petr.)
Jarbidge. Such a beautiful place! My colleague Petr and I got to the B&B, arranged for our room, and started looking for something to eat. The lady who was showing us what was where asked if we wanted to go to the pub for dinner. Oh yes, we replied. She called the pub, explained the way (because bridges were out, otherwise it was simple) and told us they were serving until 8pm.
I looked at my phone (no watches at all) and told her, “We are fine, it is 5pm, we have three hours to get the meal.”
She looked at me and replied, “It's 6pm and you have only two hours.”
I was surprised and asked her, “It is Pacific time here, we are in Nevada, aren't we?”
“Oh, yes. we are in Nevada,” she replied, “ but Pacific time didn't work for us, so we moved to Mountain!”
I stopped with my mouth opened. I thought to myself, “This is a really interesting place.”
We went to the pub, and had a meal there. We finished our supper and were having a beer. A blond, young waitress was serving us and I asked her, “Hey, we want to go to the mountains tomorrow, but we have no maps, do you have any?”
“Yes, see me at the bar, you can choose and buy one!” Looking at maps, we discovered two lakes above Jarbidge – Jarbidge Lake and Emerald Lake. We were thinking about Emerald Lake – farther, more tempting, and Jarbidge Lake was on the way. I told her: “Okay, we're about to go for Emerald Lake!”
She looked at me like I was crazy and told us, “Emerald Lake? It takes hikers two days, one day to get there and one day back! They do the same with Jarbidge Lake, but if you are good hiker, you might be able to it in one day - but wake up really early!”
You should have seen my stone-looking face, and I was a completely self confident guy when I told her, “Don't worry about me, I am experienced hiker!” I had 24 hours left to prove it.... and become a superstar.
On the following day, we got up really early, right after 9 a.m. Breakfast, talking more about who we were, then some sightseeing around town and finally— shortly before 11a.m.— we were able to start climbing. We took the car, hoping we can make our way to trail head shorter, but we quickly realized that the bridges were completely washed out and the car could not cross the river. It was about six miles to the Old Trail Head, and the first three miles of road were in good shape, so it was easy to walk. After three miles, we found a camping place and New Trail Head. Looking into the visitor book and signing it, we found the last people before us had been there months ago.
Real wilderness, not National Park(ing). Let's go! We walked the next three miles to the Old Trail Head. The road was washed out badly, and sometimes we had to pass the river by jumping on the rocks. Finally, at one point - about 5 miles away from Jarbidge, the river was passing the canyon from left to right with no obvious way how to get through. The water was wild and cold. The last thing we wanted to do was to take off our shoes and go through the water. After fifteen minutes we crossed over a fallen tree, crazily happy we found the way. We walked about another 200 meters, and the river crossed the canyon again. “No way,” we thought, it was either return, or shoes off and go through the water. We decided we're heroes, and thus we chose the second option. The water was horrible— fast and freezing— but we did it.
After a mile, we found the Old Trail Head and started climbing the mountains (just for information, Jarbidge elevation is 1900 meters (6233’), Old trail head elevation is 2100 (6889’) meters). Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. Virgin nature all around, you can see mountain lion finger prints on the way. Oh I almost forgot – river one more time. Grrr.
Getting up in elevation, we reached some old mines there, one can hardly imagine someone who could work here at an elevation of 2600 meters. Getting higher and higher, getting closer at least by GPS to Jarbidge lake, something went wrong. “Nevada is the desert only” we were saying all the time, being deeper and deeper in the snow (it was almost middle of July!). We were somewhere in vicinity of the lake - the surrounding area was just the place where were lakes were supposed to be. But also we were waist-deep in snow with no idea where the path was.
The elevation was 2850 meters and we were sure we were close to our final destination, but the snow was so deep, that without skies there was no way to move ahead. Remember, Nevada is the desert only, but why is desert so white and cold nobody has explained us.
We turned around and descended, tired and silent. We knew the river was waiting for us for three times and this was nothing to be happy with. We got to the first passage through the water, took shoes off, passed through and continued. We came to the Old trail head, and thereafter to two more passages. When we got there, Petr took off his shoes and crossed the river. I took off my shoes, tied them together and went into the river. When I was about one third in the river from the point I had entered it, fast water undercut me a bit and a lost some of my stability. I survived it and did not fall, but got somehow nervous about it, trying to quickly find the way making it easier a bit at least.
I got an idea: “Let's throw the shoes to the opposite side of river.” Then I quickly thought, “It is bad idea, because if they fall in the water, the river will take them at the speed of light away and I'll be here without the shoes, lost in the middle of nowhere. Then Petr will have to go five miles down for my other shoes, five miles back and down again, while I'll be waiting and freezing for hours sitting on that big stone.”
No way,” I told myself, “It is the most stupid idea to throw the shoes”.
At the moment I decided it was the most stupid idea, and said no for throwing them, there was a short connection in my brain and I did it.
They were flying the right way and direction, until, as they were tied together, they hit my hand and did some kind of hang during the flight. This changed their trajectory a bit. A bit more. It is hard believe, but it happened as I had predicted, just in that way. The shoes fell to river, and it took them away with incredible speed.
I could only desperately scream: “Could you catch them!??” Petr could only unhappily look at them and then at me, responding with sadness in his voice: “No!”
I emerged from the river and sat on that big stone I was talking about previously. Petr was running around and screaming: “You are an idiot, you are really ‘Experienced hiker’, you are ...” It was the reality – I was not able to make even one step.
“Calm down,” I said, “I know it is my fault, but we should survive. Take all water we have, I'll take all things you have and try to reach some help down the Jarbidge.” He did as I said and disappeared into the woods after a while.
I was sitting there, thinking about how many hours it is going to be the same, thinking how the cold night is coming, mountain lions are roaming around me and talking to each other: “Something delicious here, isn't it?” It was a desperate situation.
I took all my things from backpack and put them in front of me. Jacket, pullover, knife, two mobile phones (really useful thing there), light and one pair of socks. That's all I had. Not much. But suddenly I got an idea and my star started rising. But let's leave this Petr here and follow the second one.
Petr was walking down the canyon, when he reached the New Trail Head. He was surprised to see a car and a tent standing there. The guy was Ranger, some biologist doing research about fish. He could not believe that someone as stupid as me could exist, so he started the car and took Petr down the canyon to Jarbidge. They stopped before the river passage, Petr walked rest of the way over the bridge, took our car, drove to B&B and announced that, due to some “small” problems, we were about to stay one more night. He drove back, taking my second shoes, changed the car and he and the Ranger drove together back up to the canyon. They're getting about mile to New trail head, everything was as expected but suddenly something went wrong.
They could not believe their eyes – there was a guy, smiling, walking fast down to Jarbidge. The Ranger desperately asked Petr: “Is this him?”. Petr answered: “Yes”. Ranger even more desperately: “What is he doing here?”. Petr almost down by this unexplainable situation answered: “I do not know!” trying to find any explanation. He was thinking I found the shoes. “No, he has no shoes”. He was thinking I can levitate: “It's stupid idea, but what he did he do??” I saw the car which was slowly slowing down, then stopped. Two faces hanging on windshield visibly not understanding what's happening. Car stopped. Doors opened. Two guys got out. Two guys falling on the ground and screaming.
Cold blooded guy. I took my pullover, took knife and cut it into half. Rollover sleeves, put on my feet and rollover again. Zip off part of my trousers and did the same. Finally took my socks, put them all over and ... I can walk! I can walk! I was walking down the canyon, easy and smiling, when suddenly, being about three miles away from accident place I saw the car. I told myself, it should be Petr if he was clever enough. Anyway, I was ready to ask for help in whatever situation. The car was getting closer, two faces visually not believing what they saw pressed against the windshield .....
The ranger was trying to take a picture of me. It took him about five minutes to stabilize the camera he was laughing so hard. When we came to B&B, owner of the property – after Petr had told her story, she was screaming: “I'll pay $1000 to anybody who will bring the shoes, I wanna have them hanging in the living room”.
A day after, the whole Jarbidge knew the “Experienced hiker”. I do not know, but usually when talking to people, they look into my eyes. In Jarbidge, onto my feet. I do not understand why.
And the story continues...
It is a year later and we decided to climb Wheeler Peak, the second highest mountain in Nevada. On the way up, we met the guy from the Netherlands who joined us. The way up was very, very difficult, lot of snow (you know, Nevada is the desert only, but why so cold, man?) and he was getting strange. Even worse, we lost the way and later we realized he got high altitude sickness. This was quite serious, we gave him some food and pills – and make our best to get us on path again. We found it and led him at lower elevation, while we decided to climb a bit higher to take some pictures (at the end, we made the peak, because we were fast and well prepared, thanks to Jarbidge’s high elevation).
On the way back, we met him lying behind stone windshield, without shoes in sleeping bag. He did not look well and it was obvious we had to get him down; otherwise he had no chance to survive. We told him: “Wake up, take shoes and go descend to get it better”. He was taking 5 minutes to put on one shoe, so long. Suddenly he stopped, look at us with very, very strange look ( I remembered, I had such strange look a year ago in one small village called Jarbidge). Then he told us with serious voice: “Guys, believe me, you don't have to worry about me, I am experienced hiker!”
Blackout.
Only I remember I got the blackout. When I got up, Petr was laying by me on ground and screaming same as me: “Experienced hiker, experienced hiker!” We weren't able to explain him, what happened to us. Nevada seems to be rich of “Experienced hikers.” Some of them are more experienced than others.
“Yes, see me at the bar, you can choose and buy one!” Looking at maps, we discovered two lakes above Jarbidge – Jarbidge Lake and Emerald Lake. We were thinking about Emerald Lake – farther, more tempting, and Jarbidge Lake was on the way. I told her: “Okay, we're about to go for Emerald Lake!” 
Real wilderness, not National Park(ing). Let's go! We walked the next three miles to the Old Trail Head. The road was washed out badly, and sometimes we had to pass the river by jumping on the rocks. Finally, at one point - about 5 miles away from Jarbidge, the river was passing the canyon from left to right with no obvious way how to get through. The water was wild and cold. The last thing we wanted to do was to take off our shoes and go through the water. After fifteen minutes we crossed over a fallen tree, crazily happy we found the way. We walked about another 200 meters, and the river crossed the canyon again. “No way,” we thought, it was either return, or shoes off and go through the water. We decided we're heroes, and thus we chose the second option. The water was horrible— fast and freezing— but we did it. 
someone as stupid as me could exist, so he started the car and took Petr down the canyon to Jarbidge. They stopped before the river passage, Petr walked rest of the way over the bridge, took our car, drove to B&B and announced that, due to some “small” problems, we were about to stay one more night. He drove back, taking my second shoes, changed the car and he and the Ranger drove together back up to the canyon. They're getting about mile to New trail head, everything was as expected but suddenly something went wrong.
when suddenly, being about three miles away from accident place I saw the car. I told myself, it should be Petr if he was clever enough. Anyway, I was ready to ask for help in whatever situation. The car was getting closer, two faces visually not believing what they saw pressed against the windshield .....
