Through the Wilderness to Tonopah

After saying good-bye to my friends in the Carson Valley, I headed southeast on U.S. 95 across Nevada, through some of the most isolated valleys of the state. At sunset I reached the mining town of Tonopah (supposedly one of the best places in the U.S. to stargaze because of its location) and checked into the Jim Butler Inn and Suites, where I'd made a reservation.

The next day I continued my isolated journey and by late afternoon had reached Pahrump, a sprawling town of casinos along the highway just on the other side of the mountains from Death Valley, where I had been only a few weeks ago. There I checked into the Saddle West Casino Hotel for the next five nights, as I had planned. They gave me the course discount, just as they said they would.

The next morning I had to be up early. I set my alarm for 4:00 A.M. and was already awake when it went off, giving me plenty of time for my morning routine. When the breakfast buffet of the casino opened at 5 A.M., I was one of the first ones in there, and loaded up on the scrambled eggs and bacon.  

The email I had received said I had to be checked in at 6:30. I certainly wasn't going to be late. There were to be no excuses.

So here it is, I said to myself as I headed south on the highway in the darkness. For the next four days I was going to be out in the middle of the Nevada desert shooting a Glock 17 semi-automatic handgun into a target.