Page 86 - 2003 DT 12 Issues

November bearings because these trails tend to lead Directions, continued from p. 1.

away from the Potato! With persistence,
you’ll eventually find your way up to a trail school which later became Nellis Air
Desk Schedule that circles most of the Potato. Force base.

Sat/ 1 W. Barbuck W. Barbuck The east side terrain of the Potato Cold War tensions caused the
Sun/2 M. Gregory T./N. Hughes Knoll is reminiscent of neighboring Blue Atomic Energy Commission to com-
Mon/3 M. Gregory T./N. Hughes Diamond Hill, with groves of barrel cac- mandeer an estimated 250 square miles
Tues/4 M. Slagle J. Geier tus and enough elevation to enjoy valley of additional wasteland between
Wed/5 M. Burk C. Gilmore views from the Calicos to Blue Diamond. Tonopah and Las Vegas as a test site for
Thur/6 G. Sayles J. Barrett The west side of the Knoll is a lush forest nuclear weapons. The northwest corner
Fri/7 E. Schliepp D. Powers nestled into the dark red Chinle layer of of this block was what surveyors labeled
Sat/8 J. McManus R. Conductor Mt. Wilson. There is an old road of sorts Area 51, a dreaded wasteland poisoned
that switchbacks up the west side of the
Sun/9 S. Valladao T./N. Hughes Knoll. It ends abruptly about three-quar- by radiation where nobody with any
Mon/10 P. Christensen M. Augulis ters of the way up and you’ll need to do sense would venture.
Tues/11 E. Rothfuss J. Geier Such a no-man’s land was just what
Wed/12 M. Gregory N. Kresge Kelly Johnson and Tony LeVier were
Thur/13 G. Sayles J. Barrett looking for in 1955. Johnson was the leg-
Fri/14 H. Perlman E. Schliepp endary chief designer for Lockheed
Sat/15 J. Kisosondi R. Kinn aircraft. LeVier was its ace test pilot.
Sun/16 M. Gregory T./N. Hughes Johnson coaxed funds from the CIA
Mon/17 P. Christensen D. Powers to build a secret plane that would fly
Tues/18 M. Slagle J. Geier 65,000 feet above Russian anti-aircraft
Wed/19 E. Schliepp C. Gilmore missiles and take detailed photos of So-
Thur/20 G. Sayles J. Barrett viet military installations. While Johnson
Fri/21 E. Rothfuss N. Kresge put his plane together from the Lockheed
Sat/22 T. Borg J. Barrett scrap heap in Burbank, Calif., LeVier
Sun/23 P. VanDooremaal M./L. Utah some fairly easy bouldering from there to was sent out in a Beechcraft Bonanza to
Mon/24 P. Christensen C. Gilmore reach the top. find an area so remote the plane could
Tues/25 E. Rothfuss J. Geier The top of the Potato Knoll is a real be tested without anyone knowing about
Wed/26 J. Barrett CLOSED treat and well worth the price of admis- it. He and a crew chief dressed as hunt-
Thur/27 HAPPY THANKSGIVING! sion. It’s forested with juniper and pine, ers inspected 10 major dry lakes in
Fri/28 H. Perlman N. Kresge features huge, interesting sandstone boul- isolated parts of Arizona and Nevada.
Sat/29 T. Borg R. Kinn ders, has commanding views of just about The last was Groom Lake, a circle al-
Sun/30 B. Wolin M./L. Utah everything Red Rock and is quite se- most four miles in diameter. LaVier
Changes? Call Scott Bahan (515-5371) cluded. But, there are no trails up on top, decided this was the place. Buried far
so be sure to use your best “Leave No
inside the secured nuclear test site area,
Trace” skills. Tip from the Boot Tracks
Boot Tracks, continued from p. 5. guy: no matter how tempting it might be it had an added deterrent: it was directly
in the path of radiation clouds drifting
to go down the east face of the hill, don’t
with no choice but to forge ahead cross- from nuclear explosions. And so Area
do it! It’s very loose rock and quite treach-
country style and drop down into the wash. 51 began its cloaked history.
erous. Just go back down the west side,
(Rod crushes his smoke out in the dirt and LeVier tested the secret plane,
the same way you came up.
disappears behind the bush.)
The “Knoll” experience is confusing, Article 341, under the crudest circum-
Actually, you have just entered what
and beautiful, and frustrating, and satis- stances. His landing strip was the dry
is officially called The New Oak Creek
fying—all in one day! It wouldn’t be my lake and the plane’s two wheels were
Trail System. Rod Serling calls it Hun-
first choice to show visitors, but if you’ve mounted front and back like a bicycle’s.
dreds of Unmarked Random Trails, or
been around and seen some of the other Johnson insisted on his baby being
HURT for short. Imagine a spider’s web
trails, then by all means, take a day and go landed nose wheel first; LeVier de-
of unmarked trails throughout the wash explore the Knolls. Just keep an eye out
and all around the Potato Knoll. Forget murred—the rear end is the best way
for Rod. I’d give it an overall score of six down. Johnson insisted and LeVier tried
using a map, the only way to proceed is
boots out of ten. ; two nose landings unsuccessfully and
by dead reckoning. The more prominent
equestrian trails follow the sandy wash and then cruised neatly onto the hard sand,
lead through groves of desert oak and pine rear wheel first. As he emerged defiantly
trees. It’s quite beautiful, but watch your from the cockpit he gave Johnson the
Page 6 FORRC/November 2003