In need of a place to camp halfway up Nevada and always on the lookout for nice hot springs, Walker Hot Springs sounded like a winner over the more accessible springs likely packed with travelers. We figured the long 4WD approach would weed most people out, and we were right. It would be the first real 4WD in my new car so I was eager to see how it performed. We had this fantastic spring all to ourselves and could camp with a few feet of it.
The sun was getting low in the sky by the time we reached Hawthorne so we tried to make haste. South from Hawthorne at the turnoff for our first dirt road, search and rescue and road workers had the highway blocked. Chatting with one of them revealed that the freak rainstorm that occurred hours before had wreaked major damage on the highway. Our dirt road was "open" but he recommended we drive very carefully and be prepared to turn around if the road was washed out. It was clear the dirt road had recently been a river, and I carefully drove over and around the many rocks washed onto the road. It was not looking promising but we continued on. Soon the road began to climb a steep hillside via switchbacks. What was usually a wide 2 lane road was barely one lane and we had large trucks constantly bombarding us and forcing me to the side at the last seconds to avoid smashing into them. Once up this grade the road miraculously improved- it seemed that no rain fell anywhere west of here. We followed this road up and down small hills, eventually crossing the pass, and then beginning a descent into the next valley. It was classic basin and range Nevada. Apart from the roads and a powerline, this next valley we drove through was pristine, grasses along its alluvial valley floor for miles around. We then turned off on a less meticulously maintained powerline road, happy to see it in good shape as well. Another turn on a narrow rutted road, and then yet another turn on the final rutted 4WD road to the hot springs.
Now the road was getting tricky and demanding my attention. Here we soon realized the guidebook failed miserably in its description and we floundered around for a time trying to make sense of it (when there was not much sense in it to make it turned out). Luckily I had the GPS coordinate for the hot springs and so could navigate by that. The road became a narrow jeep trail as it plunged over the top and into a steep gully. It was steep and narrow with a few rocky switchbacks and I drove down slowly and cautiously, aware we were a great distance away from help. I stopped the car a couple times to scout ahead and be sure there was a place I could turn around if necessary. The next major obstacle was a rutted jeep track that had loose rock washed onto it such that the narrow road tilted precariously toward the ditch on the side. Cars can always stand more tilt than you feel like they can, but still I was extra cautious.
After this excitement we reached a mine site with a nice flat ground. We were both unsure of the road from here and getting hungry. Sara cooked dinner while I decided to run with my GPS down the road and see what it was like since it was only about 1.5 miles away at this point. My run revealed the road and springs to be in excellent condition, so once dinner was consumed we drove the remaining distance down to the Walker River and along its bank to the hot springs.
A quick soak satisfied us after the night's adventure. After a good night's sleep we found ourselves in a beautiful valley with wonderful granite cliffs and spires. It was a very pretty spot to soak and enjoy the crisp morning. It certainly felt remote. We returned to the main road without incident and continued on our way. The Suzuki performed admirably on this driving adventure.
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