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While acknowledging that most members of the climbing sections are on a rigid schedule and have extremely limited time in which to "get those peaks", occasionally one can "work-in" side visits to interesting and historical sites. There are many such in the area of Nevada traversed to reach Toiyabe Dome, Mt Jefferson, Ruby Dome and Mt Wheeler. On a recent trip to climb Mt Patterson, TD & Jeff, Ron Jones, Don Weiss & I took an extra day to visit the Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park, Pot Springs in the desert NE of Gabbs, Spencer Pot Springs near Austin, Toquima Cave SE of Austin and Belmont Historic Site North of Tonopah. The most formally-organized and interesting site was the Berlin-Ichthysaur State Park. This was Kulture, with a capital "K". We arrived at the Fossil Shelter in time for the 10:00 AM lecture given by a young lady - Nina going for her Doctorate in Paleontology. We learned that Ichthyosaurs (it means 'fish-lizards') were air-breathing marine reptiles which inhabited all of the worlds oceans from 240 million years ago til about 90 million years ago. Over 60 species have been found, ranging in size from 2 feet to 50 feet in length. The type found here in the Luning Formation represents the world's largest forms, which lived about 225 million years ago. Nina showed us parts of the fossilized remains from ten individuals inside a "shelter". The "bones" have been only partly unearthed and have been fixed in place with cement to preserve their value. She explained that a1though the present site is 7,000 feet up on a Nevada Mountainside, it was not always so. At one time this was an ocean floor, and the giant ichthyosaurs were trapped one by one along a muddy shore by receding tide. Their enormous weight - 20 to 40 tons - hindered their breathing and they died - as whales do when beached. After the bodies decayed, the bones were buried in mud and eventually the carbonates & minerals sifted through the bones, converting them to fossil remains. Subsequent hardening of the crust, shifting and uplifting along with volcanic activity brought them to their present height above sea level. We learned all we wanted to and more - about this. Only 1 mile away is the ghost town of Berlin, a turn of the century company mining town. It exists today in a state of "arrested decay" (as do many of us). Gold was discovered in the area in the Civil War days but the town was not founded until Silver was found in 1097. It flourished until 1910--only 13 years, but during those frantic years of activity it really thrived. There were a general store, an assay office, several boardinghouses, a Miners' Union Hall, stage station, livery stable, medical offices, a log schoolhouse, many homes--and three saloons. In its heyday there were about 200 miners, plus a doctor and a nurse, a forest ranger, 12 school children and 1 prostitute. Today, Berlin is a true Nevada ghost town. Only the shell of the Stamp Mill, the Machine Shop, Assay Office, Stage Station, mine superintendent's office stand, alone with 6 one & two-room houses. These have been lived-in by various itineraries from time to time during the intervening years. Two brothers-old men-lived in one of the houses and they set the sage-brush afire to rid the area of rattlesnakes and brush. The fire temporarily banished the brush and snakes, however the 12-15 shacks which also burned were lost permanent1y. A large number of period artifacts, tools, stoves & equipment have been kept inside each of the buildings. |
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