Tue Jun 21, 2016 @ 00:00

After a morning soak, I headed out and completed the first trail-less segment of the NVT, a brief crossing of an alkali flat which ended at an intersection with a dirt road. From here, the NVT utilizes dirt roads to expedite travel over the Silver Peak Range. Approaching and descending from this range during the early and evening hours of the day, under alpenglow light, was truly a pleasure. During both trips, I had spent the high-noon hours of the day resting at the highpoint of the crossing, under the shade of mature juniper trees, and both times I had camped just shy of the first resupply of the NVT, Silver Peak, a small outpost at an active mine.

Before reaching the highpoint, I had topped off my water at a spring which is located next to the road and labeled in the guidebook as Coyote Summit Spring. On the far side of Coyote Summit, the highpoint of the crossing, there's also a Coyote Spring, but there's no water to be found there.