Winnemucca Lake/Pyramid Lake: Nevada

Dried remains of Winnemucca Lake

ancient Tufa 

Tufa dotting the dried lake bed

sand dunes near Pyramid Lake

Pyramid Lake in the distance

Tufa information in the Visitor Center on the Paiute Reservation

Pyramid Lake

Living Tufa on Pyramid Lake

Spring water seeping out under the tufa

soft clay on shore of Pyramid Lake

Continuation and Conclusion of a trip to the Sierra Nevada back in August:

Moosie and I woke up on the floor of the dried ancient lakebed of Winnemucca Lake. I slept good amongst the sage and sand. After breakfast, Moosie and I decided to explore a few more of the dried tufa structures dotting the dried lakebed. Again, it was a fascinating education we received as we tried to imagine what life must have been like for the Native populations living in Nevada 10,000 years ago, when much of the state was covered with lakes. We wondered what stories the people must have heard and learned over time, especially as the lake began to slowly disappear. What was a typical day like in this dry climate, fishing along the lake shores? What, if any, was the significance of the rocks and mountains? How many generations of people lived in these areas? What was it like in Nevada when there was once so much water?

Around lunchtime, we drove to nearby Pyramid Lake, on the Paiute Reservation, the largest remnant of the ancient lake world of Nevada. Pyramid Lake once fed into Winnemucca Lake before it dried up. Pyramid Lake answered some of our questions. After purchasing permits, standing along the shores felt pretty powerful, as we could now see in person what we imagined the day before in dry Winnemucca Lake. We could see with our own eyes, living tufa structures, seeping spring water, white, surrounded by live plants and animals, inviting to sit amongst while having a meal, or sharing stories. We could feel the refreshing, cool lake breeze, birds of different sizes fishing. We could imagine the large and famous Lohanton Cutthroat Trout that makes the Pyramid Lake a prized fishing destination for anglers. The one thing that still bothered me was the desolate surrounding mountains, so dry and foreboding. What did the natives think of them?

Before long, Moosie and I had to leave. I would be flying back east the next day, and Moosie was starting a new school year teaching in a couple days. It felt great to get a small taste of the Sierra and west once again, just before summer officially ended...