The NV-RES crew got back at it for an eleven day hitch out at Walker Lake. Where is Walker Lake? It’s outside Hawthorn, Nevada. Where is Hawthorne? Out in the middle of nowhere. Still, our crew had a nice salty lake to live by and plenty of shady, spider filled cabanas to hide under when the sun became unrelenting.
Our goal this time was to help the BLM turn a dilapidated campsite into something worth staying at. To that end, the crew got to work building three staircases, installing new welcome sings and kiosk, painting bathrooms and staining fences to spruce up the area. The days were long, and the work was challenging. Putting a staircase and retaining wall into a hillside made of sand is a lot tougher than you might think. Still, it all got done and looks amazing.
As our hitch went on, Walker Lake started to grow on us. Yes, the water was very salty, but there is nothing better than going for a swim after a long days work in the desert. Yes, spiders controlling almost every inch of the campground, but they served as food for all the desert spinney lizards and skinks that were there too. The night sky and sunsets were amazing as well.
Overall our hitch was a success. We really made Walker Lake look like nice place to stay. And while it seemed like an unpleasant place to stay at first, Walker Lake turned out to be pretty cool. Though, if I never see another damsel fly it’ll be too soon.
