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Our Mount Davidson & Ophir Hill Nevada Expedition - 3/26/16 Easter Weekend......

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AngelOfThyCosmos:
Our Mount Davidson & Ophir Hill Nevada Expedition - 3/26/16 Easter Weekend......

Ever since I laid my eyes on Virginia City I also have done so when staring on up at Mount Davidson which is the tallest peak in the Virginia Range. It also overshadows all of the city below and standing on top one could easily see 200 miles on any clear given day.

Allot of people who come to Virginia City may see the giant V on the side of the mountain above but very few folks ever realize that once you live this boom town its another world up there. The problem is most folks cannot even get up there unless they are A. Willing to Hike or B. Offroad either way can get you there depending on how much you want to see and do.

The last time I did some major hiking in Virginia City I was hiking through a snowstorm to Ophir Hill but came up short. I kept saying id return when the weather is nicer since storms that barrel through here are very intense. I remember it being close to Christmas and here I was pushing through on foot in Spanish Canyon then geological landmarks like Ophir Hill and Mount Davidson disappeared behind a wall of white.

I had ended up instead going back into town and doing an investigation of the old Territorial Enterprise. All my hikes no matter what I have done in the hills of Virginia City have been amazing.Over the last few years I have found strange tracks in the mountains all the way to even ghostly evidence. Its an area full of strangeness if you look for it. Everything here is as it was over a century ago not much has changed the same views I would seen notable people like President Grant, Alexander Graham Bell and Mark Twain would have seen.

Such mountains and hills around this boom town are riddled with mines to be precise over 700 miles of tunnels reside below this mountain and the town. Many of the Chinese miners would work up along the side of Mount Davidson then at the end of the day use the tunnel systems underground to get to Chinatown since the streets were to dangerous for them to be on due to extreme bigotry in the 1800's.

Most of the mills and mines are long gone but Mount Davidson at one time had a few so anywhere you hike or journey to has some level of historic significance. My goal would be to try to find the Empire Mill remnants, Mines and hopefully get to stand on a few peaks which overshadow the region.

I always try to bring our viewers more then just historic sites but rather the scenery that comes with them. Ghost towns are west are very scenic but by me standing above the region you can get a birds eye view of the area. I would reach the top and only then could I stand above the so many places we have investigated, visited and journeyed at which truly was amazing.

Our journey would begin up in Gold Hill which is a smaller milling and mining town just below Virginia City. You could practically walk from Virginia City to Gold Hill in minutes. Really they are sister towns just that Virginia City had gained more popularity and was larger. I decided that instead of hiking through Spanish Canyon to reach Ophir Hill then Mount Davidson that I would try to offroad on the backside of Mount Davidson by pressing on through Gold Hill. The moon was still out even though the sun was up it just rose as I was journeying in the hills.

I tried everything to get up into the Virginia Range one road had a locked gate leading up to the tracks of the Virginia Truckee Railroad the other one led to this big open pit mine. Actually allot of mining has been done recently in the area so entire mountains are being removed or torn up. So allot of these old wagon roads that connected these boom towns you can no longer even access them. There is however a cemetery above Gold Hill on the way to the top of the range which is a truly a historic forgotten wonder with many beautiful gravestones.

My third attempt to get up here would pay off with persistence as I found a road that goes between Gold Hill and Virginia City around Mount Bullion. Supposedly the old Empire Mill is on Mount Bullion somewhere near the peak of course people tend to lie or make inaccurate claims so I had to go out here to see it for myself. But I also had the need to explore the hills hold many secrets.

The road is kind of rugged because it follows the edge of the entire mountain around as you keep ascending and eventually end up in this massive canyon. Their was actually some snow on another peak just across from the canyon. If you do not like cliffs then do not take this road for quite a few miles its all rocky dirt roads that climb along the edge of the mountain with great views of Gold Hill below. Their are parts of the road that are just completely rock this is because your basically traversing the side of the mountain.

So for those who want to get to the top of the Virginia Range you can do so by taking the Ophir Grade to another old stage route called Jumbo Grade. Once you get to the top of the Virginia Range from there on its all rolling hills, patches of forest, seasonal creeks and scenic views of multiple towns around you. As a matter in fact I had not even reached the top of Ophir Hill yet and I seen quite a few landmarks. I seen Silver City, Gold Hill, Washoe City and Reno easily. To our backs was Washoe Valley and Lake overshadowed by the snowy Sierra Nevada's. So it gets scenic really fast if your willing to journey up here.

As I reached the top of the range I seen quite a few dirt roads go off to various parts of the Virginia Range. More or less when your on top of here the rolling hills look like foothills but in fact your just at the very top of the range therefore your really at the top of many various peaks which can be seen from Reno, Carson City or Washoe Valley period! I would drive past a few roads some of them take you to the top of various peaks including Mount Davidson and Bullion.

My goal before anything else was to get to Ophir Hill which is the second best scenic location in Virginia City. I wanted to get here first since last time I came a few hundred feet short during last years winter storm. Ophir Hill is the other peak found in the saddle to Mount Davidson. Allot of folks do not like summating this geological landmark because it has allot of antennas and electrical lines. But if you stand on it you can get some very pretty views of Reno to the NW.

Someone left a Poweraide bottle inside a pair of shoes up on the peak. I always wonder about this kind of thing when I journey when I find one or two pairs of shoes in the middle of nowhere. I always ask myself what happened to the person wearing them? You see this allot out west not sure why anyone would forget their shoes the terrain here is rugged you definitely would not want to walk around barefoot in Nevada. It was brutally cold up here when we arrived nearly freezing temperatures and the sun had not warmed up just yet.

I pulled the jeep up to this cliff on top of the hill then sat back enjoying views of the great basin. You could see the entire Dayton Valley area including a huge lake that dried up and looking east the entire Stillwater Range an area I worked with allot this past year. To the west of us a few hundred feet above Ophir Hill was Mount Davidson which btw still had snow on the western side of it. I also could see below the Flowery Mountains boy they looked small compared to the Virginia Range. But a few times I had paranormal experiences in the Flowery Mountains which are on the eastern edge of Virginia City below.

We back tracked in the jeep riding at the top of the ridge line of Mount Davidson till the road became nearly impossible to Navigate. Its pretty cool to park up here who would think you could take a vehicle so high up? The highest I took my jeep so far is around 12 k last year ago but still almost at 8k is not to shabby either. When your on that ridge you can look out either window and see west to east.

As most of you know its a tradition that we wear rabbit ears when it nears Easter no matter what we are doing. We have done this for years its kind of fun to play dress up on some of our holiday investigations. If anything we do it for the younger kids who take an interest in the paranormal and exploration. So with that being said all of us put on our ears then begin to make our final ascension to the summit of Mount Davidson.

We did not have far to go I had gotten us a few hundred feet from the peak but you still have to rock scramble and climb to get to the very top. This is not everyone's thing but with each step I took I knew I inched closer to finally standing on one of the top vista points in northern Nevada. To be honest with you every time I went to Virginia City I said to everyone I will one day stand on top of there and sure enough we were doing it. So it was very important for me to have the chance to summit this beast once and for all.

When we reached the top there was a man with his dog I am sure he probably thought WTF is this dude doing wearing rabbit ears and gothed out lol. Its not everyday you see on a mountain a guy with rabbit ears and black nails but we ended up talking and he was a pretty cool guy. You have to love the great outdoors to hike all the way from the bottom of Virginia City to the top of Mount Davidson with your dog. He asked me how to get off the mountain easily and swiftly therefore I gave him some directions based on my first hike up here.

The view from on top of here was Marvelous its one of the best vista points above historic Virginia City. I seen so many places we hiked at or investigated over the past few years. Its good to kind of see everything as a whole just to put it into perspective at how much exist below these mountains waiting to be discovered or at least acknowledge.

From the top I could see Reno, Dayton, Carson City, Empire, Mound House, Gold Hill, Silver City, Virginia City, Washoe City and Pleasant Valley. All really great historic towns with many places we have journeyed at. But on top of the mountain is another world compared to being below it. These cityscapes are quite breathtaking its hard to believe how differently it is to be at the bottom as opposed to the world before my eyes above. I was standing on the cliffs one wrong move and you hit an ice patch your going over so you do have to be careful but being on the summit has a multitude of rewards trust me!

At the peak there is an old flag pole which in the 1800's even when Mark Twain lived here working as an editor use to admire the American Flag which they hoisted every 4th of July. The old pole still stands at the peak and I have read about prominent individuals like Mark Twain standing on its summit by the pole. Therefore since I have done allot of Mark Twain projects in Virginia City Mount Davidson was also part of his journeys. Every day Twain use to look up at the mountain and he did talk about it in his book called "Roughing It".

Also from on top you can see quite a few mountain ranges and geological landmarks such as peaks. I could easily see Slide Mountain, Mt. Rose, Jobs Peak, Genoa Peak, Hobart Summit, Sugarloaf Mtn and King Peak easily just to name a few. I been on these mountains so all I was doing is skipping around peak to peak looking across one summit to the next. Its strange to stand on top of such a peak then look forty miles to the SW and get different aspects of the region. No matter what summit thought every single one of them as stellar views.

I had a nice views of many visited locations some of them being the Mackay Mansion, Comstock Gold Mill, Comstock Lode, Silver Terrace Cemeteries, Devils Gate, Combination Mill, Fourth Ward School, China Town, Washoe Club, Belcher Mine, Crown Point Mill Marys Church, St. Mary's Hospital, Old Virginia Truckee Railroad Yard, Pioneer Saloon, Tunnel #4, Ponderosa Saloon, Storey County Jailhouse, Juliet Bulette, Union Mill, Bowers Mansion, Franktown, Donovan's Mill, American Flats, Caledonia Mill, Savage Mansion, Territorial Enterprise and so many other places all just residing below me the size of a marble.

Its kind of strange because its two different worlds while Virginia City is bustling with entertaining gun shootouts and people walking the boardwalks shop to shop. I was sitting here on Mount Davidson enjoying the hills above town. From as high up as we were cars looked like ants you could not even see people walking downtown. Once I had finished up here and was downtown I realize while the daily norms of life were occurring in Virginia City from above it kind of looks like a capsule caught in time.

The Pine Nut Mountains had some snow capped peaks and the sierras had plenty also. That is one of the reasons I had squeezed in a trip here this time of year so that I could get some pictures of the snowy mountains since winter was tapering off. I cracked open a brew to celebrate my victory of being able to stand on top of the world. I had gotten to stand above an area that I had done so much exploring at so seeing every place all at the same time was like wow we did all of this.

Surprisingly the weather warmed up their were hardly any winds on the peak so I was able to film. The day was still young so we decided to make our way slowly back till we made it back down to the bottom of the range. Our next stop would be Mount Bullion which resides to the west of Mount Davidson just across from the canyon. I would have to take this narrow road through some high desert forest which allowed me to park up near the peak.

I went to Mount Bullion to seek out the Empire Mill. I never did find it may have been close hard to tell but if you walk around the peak there are signs of some mining transpiring or collapsed mine shafts. Allot of gold was mined on this peak back in the day. Today nature has kind of consumed everything ranging from sage brush to trees. If you look down into the canyon between this mountain and Mt. Davidson you can see this structure at the bottom. On the hillside of the mountain you can also see many mines as there are many tunnels that go under the mountains here and shafts. Today most of them are closed but you can still see the dump piles.

We did some hiking up at the top of Mount Bullion and down a saddle to Mt. Butler. Mt. Butler had some good views of Silver City and Gold Hill. It also had some pretty rock formations but still Mount Davidson overshadows everything this beast really can be seen almost anywhere in the Virginia Range. But the other peaks are relevant to since they backdrop all these smaller towns we have done explorations at.

Jarrod and I played football at the top of Mount Bullion boy was the air thin but it was fun. We were tossing the pigskin up at around 8k with views of the high Sierras and Washoe Lake and Valley to the west. We had a great time how many father and sons get to do that? The sage brush was a pain a few times I had gotten tangled up in it but we made it work. There did not appear to be much remaining from any mills or mines up here but the scenery is definitely here so we utilized it. With asthma the air is a bit thin so its easy to get winded when running.

After we played football below Mount Bullion about a mile down this steep hill there is this huge open area surrounded by some pretty hills. This is where we came across a herd of wild mustang horses which were grazing. I parked the jeep watched them for nearly a half hour play two of them were battling hell maybe the male was trying to mate its hard to tell. Sometimes female horses try to throw the male out of the herd other times they just horseplay. I had gotten out of the jeep then started to walk with the horses they let me get pretty close so I spent sometime hiking with them.

I would eventually make my way back down through Crown Point Ravine or as some refer to it is a canyon. There is another peak its called Suicide Rock where I seen a rabbit and an old dump pile where mining had been done below it. Id say by the time I was done offroading up here in the Virginia Range I stood on five different peaks which is why it might be better to drive here rather then hike so you can cover more vista points by driving to them.

Going down can be a bit intimidating since your up on cliffs and above this massive strip mine. But eventually I would descend down into Virginia City again but this time I took a different road near the bottom which took me out behind the fire department and some water tank. There are allot of ravines, canyons and roads throughout this area. Its an outdoor Mecca for four wheeling in this range and surprisingly you can take many of these roads to other historic semi ghost towns in the region if you feel daring enough to.

Once we were back in Virginia City we went for dinner and beers. I had a Philly cheese steak burger and some honey BBQ wings. I also drank sierra brews and one of there famous pale ales. I am glad they are reopen for business I guess a new owner purchased the place and the restaurant had been reopened. A few months ago the entire place was about to close and I was so disappointed. But to see this place open for business again was awesome. I drank and ate quite well while enjoying some of the cute waitresses who work there.

The nice thing about the Delta is that it is home to the Suicide Card Table. Also when you walk in its like stepping back into time. All the old light fixtures remain, wood floors and people often dress like its a blast from the past with the top hats or large Victorian dresses. Its pretty nice just being a part of the local culture. I always try to have dinner an ales when I am in Virginia City after a hard days of hiking or doing paranormal investigations. I believe our next place were investigating here would be the Opera House so you definitely want to keep an eye out for this project will be doing or be a part of it.

When I went back outside all I could do is look up at the giant V on Mount Davidson and just chuckle a bit that I stood all the way on top. Not allot of people get to do that most are tourist they never realize that there is so much to see behind just Virginia City up in those mountains. You just have to get out explore and you will find some really great stuff including nature.

I took a nice scenic drive home along the Carson River which also was an area of heavy mining back in the day. Allot of the gold in the river was exported to Virginia City, Gold Hill and Silver City for ore processing. Everything in the region is connected so standing up above it starts to only make sense. There also is this mill its called Crown Point and it resides in front of the old Yellow Jacket Mine. Quite a few men died in a mining disaster here and the hotel next door is very haunted. We did investigate the mill but the hotel is supposed to be very haunted so we may be doing that next year also.

if its one thing I learned its that you cant see it all in one lifetime if you think you have think again. Its another world in those hills almost magical in a sense so being a part of it felt really great. I am able to go to places most folks are not. See places as well most folks never get to see. If your going to enjoy the history you also have to enjoy the beauty here as an entire whole.

When I drove along the river many miles away I could see Mount Davidson standing proud from afar from Carson City. From Carson its a beast from Virginia City your about half way up it already because of how the town is situated. But from the back side and the ravines across from it one can see cliffs, rock formations etc so its rather breathtaking. Its a little tricky getting up here there were parts where water ran across the road from snow melt and cliffs too to deal with. But if you have a good vehicle and the know how you can get up here to hike at the top of the Virginia Range.

Easter Sunday was really awesome we had an awesome episode of The Walking Dead to watch and we also made chrome colored eggs which did not turn out very well lol. I made a beautiful pork loin in the crock pot with brown sugar, apple, honey, BBQ and spices. We also had a nice side of baked asparagus, black olives, chocolate satin pie and garlic red potatoes. Smother it on a nice tasty soft warm roll it was all very good.

So that is how we spent our Easter some of it up in Virginia City offroading and exploring history high up in the mountains and enjoying some family time. All in all this was an important expedition for me Mark Twain use to talk about this mountain. Many famous locals prominent to the towns history made the journey to the summit. Back then what else could you do but drink? mine? gamble? or journey? People use to climb this summit every single 4th of July. Many miners died up on Mount Davidson due to how dangerous the mines were that went into the mountain itself. Allot of history up here not just scenery but back in the day mills, mines and men were being worked 24/7.

This region has one of the top 20 vista points in Nevada with mountains 360 degrees for over a 100 miles in any direction. I could literally stand on the summit and see over 40 places we have investigated or visited on a blink of a dime if that says anything to you about the hard work we do here. So you guys will get to see such places at street level but you will get to see some of them from the top of the world. I was sad to have to retire my rabbit ears but they served me well above Virginia City.

 I swear I have worn every single disguise when it comes to VC all the way from dressing like Santa to wearing a Halloween costume. When I was investigating Silver Terrace Cemetery last year the giant V on the side of the mountain was lit up in orange! So its definitely a huge part of Virginia Cities history and a major geological point of interest if you have the time to explore the area more in depth like we have done.

The photos of the snow capped peaks, cityscapes, wild horses etc came out beautiful. We put allot of time and effort into our photography. I also took a couple hours of footage from the peak and offroading for our viewers. One other thing that caught my mind is I seen a weird object in the sky it was fast but I believe it was a UFO. Allot of UFOs are seen in the region around Tahoe, Carson and Reno area. I get in reports but not just reports we have over the years collected our own evidence to prove such claims are valid. Therefore it does not surprise me seeing one but I would not have seen what I seen if I was not journeying on top of the Virginia Range! My first trek here was not so lucky with a snowstorm and no visibility however this time around it was blue skies and a very rewarding second expedition that was met with success.

The next time we are up in Virginia City will try to do the Opera House. My goal is to investigate as many sites as I can in the area. I am well on my way actually I have done more paranormal work in the Virginia City region then almost any other paranormal group in the area. Our work has been impeccable, thorough and full of great things. If you look at Ghost Adventures they have not even come close to the work I have done in this region when they were first based in the area. I have given our viewers everything from outdoor historic adventurous location to cemeteries, mines, mills and historical structures. Virginia City is one of the largest federally protected historic sites in the nation and it wall before my eyes as I stood on top of Mount Davidson as my hair had blown in the wind!

Namaste,
Lord Rick aka AngelOfThyNight

PS This report is a rough draft all reports are subject of editing and alterations when it reaches our website in the future please make note of it.

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