Hunting in Rhyolite

  I never thought I'd ever do something like this and yet here we were.  It was All Hallows Eve and our little group was headed out to Rhyolite, Nevada to do some "hunting".  This was an actual ghost hunt with recorders, cameras and a device with a word data base that spirits can allegedly manipulate to choose the words they want to say and then speak them through said device.  One of our little menagerie is part of a group that logically and scientifically searches for and studies paranormal reports and activity.   I was somewhat sceptical but very interested in seeing his approach to what might or might not be found out there.  Besides, any chance to get back on the road to adventure.....well, you've just got to take it and that's exactly what we did! 

  We arrived on the outskirts of Rhyolite at a little after 8p.m..  This was great because the idea was to be on the hunt when the clock struck midnight and All Hallows Eve turned into Halloween!  About a mile or two away from the actual town site is the Rhyolite cemetery, it was here that our adventure was begun.  After exploring, asking questions at various different graves and getting no results, it was time to hit the "town".  We walked the site and eventually ended up in a small caboose that at one time was used as a school.  another EVP session was begun and although we didn't get any speaking responses, all six of us heard what sounded like old fashioned music playing light, low and faint, somewhere in the distance!  This was very  interesting and we all questioned as to whether the six of us heard the same thing, if anything at all. This strange music lasted between 10 to 15 seconds and as I said before, all of us heard it!

  The music was'nt picked up on our friend's recorder and I thought that was really interesting.  We'd all shared the same experience and yet we had no proof.  This was turning out to be a very intriguing night!  Eventually we arrived at a small house for another round of questions and hopefully......answers.  "Is there anyone here with us?"  Apparently speaking through the "spirit speaking device", someone said "Yes."  "What's your name?"  "Harry."  Our friend then asked if "Harry" wished that someone would fix up and clean the place.  After a short while, we got a response; "Impossible......dirty."  Although I could not be sure, it seemed as if some unseen person was actually conversing with us.  I guess "Harry" left because we didn't get any more conversational responses after this.  But then something else happened.......

  As my wife and 2 other group members exited the small house, they heard music once again!  This time, according to them it was a different tune.......daaa..da...daaa..da.  The music was slow and seemed to last longer, remaining audible for just about 30 seconds.  Once again, even though a recorder was on, nothing was picked up!  They were the only ones to hear the music this time and it occurred to me that this was very weird.  As everyone else left, our friend from the paranormal group and I stayed behind in the front room of the small house and shut off our flashlights.  We sat in complete darkness, asking still more questions and looking for significant temperature drops which may indicate the presence of ghosts.  After getting nothing, it was time leave and continue our exploration. 

  Back on what was once Main street, Rhyolite, we explored a building that was once a bank back in the town's heyday.  My brother sat alone in the vault and began asking questions.  Many, many years ago this actual vault was blown open in a robbery attempt.  My brother knew this and asked if there was ever a fire down there.  He got a response via the communication  device.  It said "Gasoline".  That was all he got.  After several minutes without further response, the intrepid group pressed onward.  We headed to the old train depot.

  I took some pictures 2 of which turned out to be mildly interesting.  While there was no mist on this night, something definitely fog like showed up in the pictures.  While I don't believe this was anything ghostly, it sure was strange and it only showed up in those 2 pictures.  As we walked around the depot, I heard someone yell "Hey" or something like that as if they were trying to get either my or the group's attention.  I looked toward the second floor of the depot because that's were it sounded like the yell may have come from.  Of course I saw nothing!  Even stranger still was the fact that although this "voice" sounded very clear and loud to me, no one else heard it!  And once more it was not picked up on our recorder.  Yet again, another experience with no back up!  Whatever was going on was turning out to be very enigmatic.  

      As we walked down Main street, one of the girls and the paranormal investigator felt that we were being followed!  They stopped because they'd heard what sounded like footsteps in the the desert.  As they looked to the side of the road, they both saw what appeared to be a shadow running through the brush as if trying to avoid being seen.  There was no one else out there!  Four of us were much further down the road and thus completely missed out on the possibility of sharing their experience.  While I can't say for sure just what the heck happened out there, I will say this.......Something definitely did......and I for one would love to go back!     

Night diving and "the neighbors"

  The participants; Mike, Dom and I.  The place; Kingman Wash.  The adventure; Dom's first night dive.  We arrived at just after 9 in the p.m., geared up and got in.  I took the lead as Mike pulled the lighted flag and tailed us with Dom taking the middle.  We were in for just over an hour and dropped to 33 feet.  The awesome thing about night diving is this; The same site turns into something completely different in the dark!  While the change over in fish life from day to night doesn't necessarily differ out here, their behaviors do.  Because they're in a somewhat catatonic state (resting), It's so much easier to get really close to them.  Dom hadn't experienced this before and she thought it was really very cool!   

  She'd also never experienced the sometimes creepy feeling of being able to see only what's caught in the beam of a dive light!  As the dive continued, Mike's light went dead and he saw nothing except for the shine of our beams and the glow sticks hanging on the backs of our tanks, Dom's red, mine green.  He said they'd cast an eerie and almost otherworldly glow.  I showed Dom several Blue gill and juvenile Catfish lazing about on the muddy bottom.  Two large Carp swam slowly just at the edges of our flashlights beams, causing shadowy, ghost like glimpses and staying just beyond us.  We turned our lights off a few times so Dom could have the experience of total and complete darkness beneath the surface.  She loved it!

  As I brought us back to the shallows, I found a spot just about 8 feet deep.  I wanted to show her the moon and stars.  I pointed up and once more, we shut off our lights.  The night was calm and cloudless.  The visibility underwater was great, there was no wind.  The night sky shined in all its starry, moonlit glory and it was beautiful!  The desert was calm and quiet but as we geared down my brother gave out a long and high pitched howl just to see if we had "neighbors".  We did and the short, shrill yips answered in close proximity.  The Coyotes were all around us!  It was as if they filled the wash, staying (much like the Carp on the dive) ethereal and mysterious.  Then Dom caught eye shine in her flashlight's beam. One was closer and on the shore, about fifty feet away.  She pointed him out. He sat there,  watching us for awhile and then sauntered slowly off into the desert darkness.  What an incredible night this was.

Keyhole comes alive!

  She suggested it, so away we went.  Thanks to my soon to be wife, Keyhole canyon would be this day's destination.  Away she and I went off on another desert adventure!  This little canyon isn't too far from Nelson's Landing and after probably about 2 hours of looking, we found it.  We'd taken several wrong turns out in the desert but eventually ended up in the parking area right at the canyon's mouth.  We got out and immediately upon entering the small canyon, we saw the petroglyphs and pictographs all over the rock walls and boulders.  Although we had plenty of water, it was the hottest part of the day so we kept our exploration short.  After taking several pictures we found ourselves back in the truck and bouncing slowly but happily back to "civilization". 

  My brother was intrigued with the story of our little excursion.  We had to go back!  In the late afternoon of the very next day, the three of us arrived.  While it was still hot, the wind and cloud cover made our explorations much easier and a lot more fun!  This time, Keyhole seemed to come alive in the now setting sun!  The bees were all over the place not in swarm like numbers but they definitely let us know they were there!  Still, we explored on.  We found a cave with a large pitted stone "table" inside.  Crawling to it's back end, my brother and I observed the red pictographs deep within.  "BOOM!"  The thunder cracked across the sky and actually vibrated the walls of the small cave!  What incredible acoustics!  There was a storm coming and it was time to leave.  As we crawled back out of the cave, the now darkening sky greeted us.  As my girl and I walked toward the truck, my brother yelled "Come Here"!  "Gila Monster"!  We ran to him but just before she and I arrived, the beast made it's escape.  After a short and in vane search, the bees found us once again. 

  Both my brother and girl got stung!  He on the lower back, she on the knee.  My girl had had enough and decided to head back to the truck while my brother and I explored for just a little longer.  As she headed back, she yelled "Snake!" My brother said, "She said snake!" Off we ran through bushes and gravel, we wanted to see the snake!  We arrived just in time to watch it speedily slither into the boulders and brush!  My girl had stopped to look at her sting.  She bent over to do so and there it was just about two feet away from her shoes!  How cool is that!?  The slithering reptile appeared to be a Gopher snake and my brother and I gave chase as it sped off into the thick undergrowth.  After a brief search, it began to sprinkle and the wind picked up.  It was now definitely time to go.  We had to be very careful and quick while getting back into the truck because of the very angry bees!  Twice the three of us had to get back out because they'd gotten inside! 

  After getting rid of the fierce little bombardiers for the last time, we jumped in post haste!  Slamming the doors as the little guys pinged themselves off the windows in their violent quest for a way in!  We made our way back to the highway as the sunset finally gave way to darkness.  With wind howling we found ourselves in the middle of an intense downpour, a desert car wash!  This really was an incredible little foray into the Nevada outback!    

Diving with dad and an unusual buoy

  Kingman wash on a hot early summer afternoon.   That's where I would meet my dad and brother for this latest adventure.  As I headed out to meet them, the phone rang.  My dad had forgotten his regulator!  Fortunately I was still close enough to my parents house that the turn around/pick up wouldn't take too long so back I went.  Just about 20 minutes later I had the regulator and was back on the road.  No big deal and besides, everybody at one time or another forgets something when it comes to diving.  Finally I was with them on the beach. 

  This would be my father's first time back under in three years and just like my brother, I looked very much forward to getting in with him.  Now began the hard part, the gear up!  For someone who hasn't been diving for a while, this can be quite a challenge and for my dad......it was! My brother and I "walked" him through the process of setting up his reg, tank and BCD, and it was next time for the wetsuit "wrestle".  With some strain and effort and a lot of help from my brother, he was finally suited up and ready to enter the water and of course I took pictures!

  As they walked in, I stayed back to finish my own gear up.  I was knee deep in the water when they yelled that my dad had forgotten his mask.  Back I went.  With mask in hand, I trudged back in once again now thigh deep.  They yelled again!  This time they'd realized that they did not have his weight belt!  I laughed and once more headed back to my brother's truck.  This time with weight belt firmly in hand, I headed back out towards them.  I was waist deep when I was informed that my dad didn't have his hood!  I headed back to the truck for the third time.  Having grabbed the hood, I stopped at the water's edge.  Before heading further in, this time I asked if they were missing anything now?  They weren't and after a few laughs we were together and ready to submerge.  Sometimes diving is quite a workout! 


  After a buoyancy check at the surface and a few weight adjustments with my dad, he and I dropped while my brother finished his gear assembly.  I wanted to make sure that my dad was comfortable in his gear and that it worked properly in very shallow water before the three of us continued.  After doing so, my brother met us again and we kicked out about a couple hundred feet to our drop point.  Visibility was very low so my brother brought up the rear while I led with my dad staying between us.  We eventually came to an instructor platform and hung around there for several minutes.  My brother decided to stand on his head on the platform and in doing so, his j-valve became stuck in the chain link that makes up the platform.  He was stuck!  I watched briefly as he worked to free himself.  I knew that he was in no danger and that if he was alone, he could safely get out of the situation which he now found himself in.  Because I was there, I helped pull the chain link off of his valve and shortly, away the three of us went following a navigation line to a very special site! 

  As we slowly ascended, the excitement mounted and I pointed upward!  We followed the chain, finally popping our heads above the water.  It was then that we showed him!  The giant phallus bobbed gently on the surface, a buoy painted to look like a penis!  That's right!  In Kingman wash there is a huge floating penis....and now you know!  By the way my father almost bumped his head on the bottom of said large floating penis buoy on our way back up!  All in all, this was a very good day and dive and pater familius did very well throughout!  I really hope it's not another three years before his next dive! 

 

"Dirty Harry's" Campsite

  This day found my brother and I at Kingman Wash, on the Arizona side of Lake Mead.  We dive here frequently because of the easy get in and gradual slope.  This makes Kingman Wash a great place to take new or vacation type divers.  It's an interesting area because of the underwater topography and a small, fairly deep side cove with large boulders and decent walls.  There's actually a lot to see, especially when visibility opens up during the winter months.  We dropped to 100 feet and slowly made our way back into the shallows.  As we climbed back up the slope, we spotted something large just about twenty feet from us. 

  As my brother and I swam closer, things became somewhat creepy!  Here's why; There it was directly in front of us and at first, we still weren't exactly sure just what it was.  The way it hung vertically suspended off the bottom, it looked very much like a body with it's arms spread , covered in some kind of tarp!  We looked at each other briefly hovering, wondering what to do next!  Of course we had to find out and that's just what we did.  With courage now gathered, we crept closer and closer....until there we were right next to the "Phantom"!  Mike cut open the tarp and it was with much trepidation that I timidly poked my hand through the opening.  I felt something big and squishy!  My hand recoiled almost involuntarily!  I thought to myself, "Quit being a baby!"  Once again, I reached back in.

  I grabbed what felt like cloth and pulled it out.  It was a sleeping bag!  Thankfully, it was empty.  What we'd originally thought might be a body covered by a large tarp was actually a large tent!  It appeared to either have been a washed out campsite or may have fallen off of a boat.  As we dug around inside the tent, out popped a laundry basket and several pieces of clothing including some very sexy purple panties!  This was obviously a campsite for two and the birth control pills and two toothbrushes attested to that.  Over several dives, my brother and I thoroughly explored this site.  Among our other findings were 2 tin cups and a coffee pot, a cooler, more clothing, a large flashlight, and a 3-57 Magnum Black Hawk Ruger in a heavy leather holster with art work on the stock.  It was very similar (at least to me) to the gun that Clint Eastwood used in the Dirty Harry movies and it was loaded with armor piercing hollow point bullets! 

  We found this out when we turned the gun into the police.  My thought was "What if it was involved in a crime?"  And so off we headed to the station.  After turning the gun in and taking down our identification/information, the officer told us that the gun probably was not involved in any criminal activity.  He said this because the gun was holstered, still loaded and the cereal number hadn't been filed off.  I asked if we could have the gun back if it came back clear.  We were informed that it was no longer their policy to return weapons of any kind once they'd been turned in.  The gun would probably be melted down and used to make razor blades.  That was that.....or so we thought! 

  Returning to the tent site, my brother and I cleared the rest of the area.  We loaded our gear bags with what ever else we could find and then sent them up with lift bags.  This included several blankets, and various different pieces of small camping equipment, nothing more of any real value.  Most of the stuff that could be was salvaged, cleaned up and donated to Goodwill.  Just about a week later, my brother found out through a friend that the gun was worth between fifteen hundred and three thousand dollars!  His friend knew a gun collector who was a former police officer.  He would've run the numbers through colleagues still on the force.  If the gun came back clean (it did), he would've bought it right then and there.  It hadn't been submerged long and all the gun needed was a good cleaning and it would once again fire.  Apparently guns hold their worth very well and anything with artwork on it becomes even more valuable!  No wonder the police officer had a big smile on his face when I stupidly turned in my find!  What an expensive lesson to learn.  I'm getting smarter by the dive and at least we took pictures!

Headhunters and a "new" mystery

  Out here, you always have to watch out for personal water craft users.  They definitely won't be looking out for you!  While dangerous and at times incredibly frustrating, here's one time that surface traffic actually helped my brother and I to "stumble" right onto a "new" wreck.  When we went in, the headhunters (jet skiers) were nowhere near us.  As we neared our get out point (original point of entry), even with our Dive Flag prominently displayed, they arrived directly above us!  We were forced into deeper water, descending to get to the foot of one of the cliffs where my brother and I would then slowly ascend within inches of the rock's face!

  Because we were pushed off of were we'd originally intended to end our dive, we swam right over her.  My brother spotted her first and signaled me to stay where I was as he dropped below to investigate.  There I hung on the flag line, watching as he quickly took stock of what would become our next adventure.  We headed back up and were actually glad that we'd been forced to alter our dive plan and yes we would eventually return!

  After just about 2 months and 10 more dives, we finally were able to relocate our latest mystery boat.  In this stretch of the mighty Colorado, the river rises and falls according to the needs of it's surrounding population.  This means that what's found on any given dive out here could be in a different location to you on the next because of the possibility of depth change.  This change can be as much as ten to twenty feet.  We'd forgotten to take that into account.  Anyway, we found her again and were ready to explore!  When we got to her, my brother tied off our line and worked the wreck which lay capsized, scraping mussels, searching in vain for some sort of identification or registration tag.  I worked the large section of dock which she was still moored to.  This was a significantly sized, rectangle shaped walkway with a line leading straight to the vessel. 

  After digging out the shape of the dock, I scraped silt off the top, getting to the original surface.  This was all done in zero to very little visibility once my brother and I started working the site.  As we worked our areas, juvenile Catfish and Bluegills started to pour out from beneath the upturned craft!  They couldn't see either and  I could feel them bumping into me in their frenzy to escape! Several times I raised above the expansive mud cloud which now covered the site in it's entirety.  This to keep an eye on my brother as he did the same for me. 

  With the expanse of dock now defined, I joined my brother on the wreck.  I found a spot on the gunwale were I could look beneath and into the upside down boat.  Reaching into it's underside up to my shoulders, I saw nothing but darkness.  Feeling around, the result was the same and I found nothing.  With the both of us now shivering in the 56 degree water, it was now time to leave.  This latest wreck demands definitive exploration and oh yes....we'll be back! 

Laws vary by location but typically state that personal watercraft users must stay at least 100 feet away in rivers/channels/inlets and at least 300 feet away in open water.  On a personal note; Everyone has the right to use and enjoy our parks and waterways but it is also each person's responsibility to know the laws in the area in which you choose to recreate.  Just please remember, when you see this flag there are divers in the water.  After all we are all out there to have a good time, we just have to remember to keep one another in mind when we do so. 

The Chuckwalla Dive

  This little dive really turned into an oddly culinarical adventure.  Read on and you will soon understand why.  The fish were all over the place in the shallows and most of my dive was spent in swimming around with them as my brother explored a bit lower, searching the murky depths.  He found a black hills gold ring, 20 dollars and a big fat Chuckwalla that'd apparently fallen from the cliff face just above us, landing right into our dinner pot.  This may sound gruesome but if they were good enough for the natives out here then why not?!  Besides, the lizard was fresh and just about a foot long.  Shortly he was bagged and put on ice in our cooler right next to the sodas.  This gastronomic adventure was quite interesting; boil, slice, gut, peel, fry and finally......eat!  What the Hell were we thinking?!

  Chuck (lizard) softened up quite nicely in the pot and my brother did the cooking.  I watched as he slit the little beast from throat to butt, right down the middle.  It was quite a sight indeed and the entrails were really interesting to look at and poke around.  Inside the stomach, there were tiny yellow flowers.  I've never seen a Chuckwalla from the inside out.  Well, now I have and the air bladders on it's sides were pretty big, stretching all the way down the entire length of his body except of course for the tail.  With the gutting done, my brother peeled back his belly skin and fried him up. 

  The smoke and odor weren't all that pleasant and it definitely smelled like raw, dead meat.  The longer Chuck (the lizard, remember?) fried , the more tolerable the atmosphere became as the smoke and now cooking lizard blended.  Soon we peeled off the tough skin and dug in.  It was sort of weird at first and up until that point, I'd never peeled a lizard before!  The meat was tough and chewy but not all that disagreeable.  It tasted somewhat like fish blended with chicken and you'd have to bag three or four of them to make a substantial meal but it was well worth it!  I've always wondered what Chuckwallas tasted like anyway! 

 

Sturgeon Virgins

  If not for my girl, I would never have gotten this awesome opportunity.  She's got the connection and that's how we got to do this really cool, trying and fun dive!  She wanted me in as a back up and comfort for her in case she needed help.  Although she had some trouble and had to get out for a while, she continued the dive after relaxing and calming herself a little.  I'm so proud of her because it was a somewhat difficult dive even for me.   With all the extra gear and the fact that the both of us were slightly underweight, it was a real workout!  Oh yeah, and a very large Sturgeon!  The big fish bumped me in the face with her snout!  Then as she made another pass, knocked me on the other side of my head with her tail fin!  As weird as this may sound, I thought this was incredibly cool! 

  My girl did very well with the Sturgeon also.  I watched as it swam right by and under her several times.  This fish is bigger then she is so I was thrilled to see her stay in the water!  As I said before, she did great!  Two friends came by to watch us dive and it was great to see them there.  They really helped my girlfriend by talking with her when she was out of the tank for that little while. 

  Towards the dive's end I dropped a five pound weight.  While my girlfriend got out and geared down, I stayed in to find it.  I looked for about ten minutes before my friend finally pointed it out to me right in front of the main window which I'd searched past twice already.  My friends were a big help and I know I already said this before but I was really proud of my hot diver girlfriend (yes they really do exist)!  By the way, the Sturgeon was about six feet long, weighed one hundred thirty pounds and was very curious!  How about that.......No longer Sturgeon Virgins! 

Grapevine Canyon and The Underwear Tree

  Although we'd begun the day hoping to dive telephone cove (Nevada side), we knew this might be very unlikely because of the holiday weekend.  We were ready for that and when it actually happened, we set off for plan B.  Grapevine Canyon is a very fascinating place with hundreds of petroglyphs and surprisingly lush plant life because of it's natural spring.  I hadn't been here for several years and it was really good to get back.  After spending about an hour admiring the petroglyphs at the canyon's mouth, we hiked a little deeper in, to the water.  The grape bushes were incredibly green and offered an amazing contrast to the arid desert surroundings. 

  I noticed a small cave just above us and it was there that we next headed.  Inside, I looked up and observed the smoke covered ceiling!  My girlfriend and brother soon joined me and together, we sat and wondered about the people who'd used this cave hundreds of years before us.  This canyon is a great place and as we headed back out, I thought "Yeah, we'll definitely be back!"  My brother and I decided to drive the rest of Christmas tree pass (where Grapevine Canyon is located) back out to the highway.  This is a fun, interesting and very scenic drive through the high desert.  Although it can be driven by car, I would strongly recommend some type of four wheel drive vehicle just to be on the safe side.  Back to the story; So there the three of us go, bouncing along the trail and what do we see?  There right along the side of the trail, a bra and panties hanging in a Juniper tree!  A light flashed in my brother's eyes and it was then I knew, my jealousy palpable for not having thought of it myself, we had to contribute to this strangely ornamented flora!  And that my friends is how our underwear ended up on the side of the road, hanging scandalously close to the bra and panties in a tree up on Christmas Tree Pass! 

You never know what you will find in the desert, or what you will leave behind...

The Phone Call

  It all started with a simple phone call.  My sister's friend had gotten her interested in scuba diving and before long she found herself in Arkansas, where her friend's family owned a dive shop.  It was through them that she became the first certified scuba diver in my family.  When she told the rest of us about the underwater world and the idea that both she and another family friend were planning a trip to Grand Cayman to experience the diving there, we were hooked.  Thinking back, I always remember the excitement in her voice, which came through so clearly in that simple and short conversation!  She said, "You guys would love it!"  My sister was right, and it wasn't long afterwards that my brother, dad and I all gained open water certification.  My mother would join the ranks just about a year later.  My brother and I would join my sister and our family friend on that Grand Cayman trip, and what a trip it was!

  That's the thing about scuba diving, it's a great reason to explore new places whether local or far off.  The thought behind writing this is the simple idea that these experiences have definitely enriched my life.  Diving has also become for me a reminder that there are great and amazing things to be found not just in our cities, but in nature as well.  And if it has done so much for me, maybe it can affect you the reader in a similar way.  Whether one dives mostly local waters, travels to far off places or simply reads, really doesn't matter.  Once you've done any of these, you become part of the adventure and that adventure must be shared.  Although I've only been diving for a little over ten years as of this writing, what stories, adventures and experiences I have gained! 

Out here, you never know what you'll find......and how do you find it if you never go looking?