Above Dyer, NV lies a fringe benefit for Boundary, Montgomery and Dubois DPS climbers.
After very recently (5/15) returning from a Nevada ghost town searching jaunt, I came to be acquainted with Fish Lake Valley.
I thought I knew a bit about the desert in general, but had never known the goodness of Fish Lake hot springs.
Within the past year or tow, Esmeralda County has enhances this unique water body with a steel-tubed partial fence, and a few unwatered trees. The main feature is a new concrete hot pool about 8 by 15 ft, with fine, not tooscalding water. Goldfish abound in the adjoining dug earth pool and a second earth pool exists to the south, attracting major bird life. We arrived and bad the whole complex to ourselves, as the American avocets, snipe, ducks, and killdeer at one vanished.
To reach this choice piece of free heaven, drive down Hwys 462 and 3A about 12 miles south of Bishop-Tonopah Hwy 6. Enroute, a few minutes after passing the recent agricultural(?) complex with its silos on the eastern side of the road, next comes a group of several home buildings and trees--the only such structures on the highway's west side--termed The Halfway House, by locals. Great snowpack still lies on the White Range at this writing! A couple of hundred yards before reaching said habitation take the A-i graded road to the east and go 7 miles to the springs. Enroute, to the north, about 4-5 miles out, a brand new geothermal plant is to be seen.
If time permits, follow the road past the hot springs several miles over the stable marsh and see Borax Smith's old Fish Lake Valley borax mill ruins. This was my reason for being in the area.
Only one problem. If you venture there as a climbing cleanup aftermath, you probably won't be seen in LA for Monday's work. You may not wish to
leave the place! My newest motto: Go Fish Lake!-Bob Greenawalt, May 1993