Walker Lake's East Side

A Glimpse Through Earth's Ancient History

A trek through the desert to the east side of Walker Lake takes one back through the ages to a glimpse at Earth's ancient times.  The natural high desert lake of Walker Lake lies with in the Great Basin Desert, south of Reno Nevada and northeast of Yosemite, California. 

Going back in history, earlier than 586 million yeas, the Great Basin Desert was formed during the Prepaleozoic Era due to plate tectonics that lifted the ancient seabed.  Having no outlet, it became an inland sea.  Moving forward in history, during the Pleistocene epoch (ice age), Lake Lahontan covered most of the western U.S.  As the climate began to warm, the massive ice sheet receded northward, causing Lake Lahontan also to recede.  A number of smaller isolated lakes were left behind in closed valleys, thus Walker Lake was born.  Today, three major rivers still drain and feed these lakes: the Truckee, the Carson and Walker which presently flows to Walker Lake.

The west side of Walker Lake is established with a residential area, parks and recreation.

 Across the lake, the east side still remains desert and primitive. Desert sage, natural grass and rabbit bush grow abundantly in the alkali desert soil. Shells from ancient sea creatures are uncovered from wind drifts and accent the sandy banks. 

The mantle from a long extinct volcano stands out against the distant Gillis Mountain Range and is a reminder of Walker Lake's violent past.

Looking out across the desert playa toward the west side of Walker Lake and the Wassuk Mountain Range.

A fun day exploring the desert with the camera.  At a glance, the desert appears barren and harsh, but remain still and watch closely and its many secrets will be told.

Photographs Make Great Gifts

With my Nikon and tripod, my goal is to recreate the scene as it appears in nature, to preserve in a photographic image the awesome, yet simplistic beauty of the scene that waits around a bend or over a hill. Sometimes it's a colorful landscape, and many times I'm allowed in the presence of the numerous creatures that adapt to life in the wild.

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"Reflecting Nature's Artistry"