Tag: Utah

Utah, a state in the western United States, is renowned for its stunning natural landscapes and unique geological formations. It is characterized by vast deserts, towering red rock formations, and the dramatic peaks of the Rocky Mountains. Home to five national parks—Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, and Arches—Utah attracts outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers from around the world. Its capital, Salt Lake City, is a hub of culture, history, and outdoor recreation, famously hosting the 2002 Winter Olympics. Utah’s diverse terrain offers opportunities for skiing, hiking, mountain biking, and exploring ancient Native American petroglyphs and archaeological sites. The state’s Mormon heritage is also evident in its history, architecture, and the world-famous Salt Lake Temple.

Fay Nevada – Lincoln County Ghost Town

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Fay Nevada is a ghost town and gold mining camp located in Lincoln County Nevada near the border with western Utah. The townsite is located about 24 miles each of Pioche at the upper end of the Fay Canyon at a high elevation of 6900 feet.

Fay Nevada - 1910 - The horseshoe mine is visible on the hill
Fay Nevada – 1910 – The horseshoe mine is visible on the hill

Gold is discovered in the nearby Eagle Valley District and the small mining camp of Deerlodge was founded. In about 1898, Deerlodge was large enough to offer a post office. This initial camp was soon abandoned in 1899 when richer ore is discovered about 1 mile north east of Deerlodge. The new town of Fay was soon founded

Fay Nevada - 1910
Fay Nevada – 1910

The town of Fay was named for the daughter of a major investor. The small camp had a barbershop, four saloons, stage service, general stores and a post office. The town hall hosted singers and orator on occasion to enlighten and entertain the population. The small town was organized around a Main Street which ran North and South following the canyon floor. The principal mine was the Horseshoe mine which operated a 90-tom mill. Later this mill was expanded to 120 tons.

The largest gold production occurred in the initial years of operation from 1900 – 1901. The town continued to have success until 1915. The gold mining town of Fay continued to operated until 1924 when its post office was closed.

Today, Fay can be reached from both Nevada and Utah due to its proximity to the state border. Today, there are few remains of the old gold town, and the townsite of Deerlodge has fewer remans.

Town Summary

TownFay Nevada
Latitude, Longitude37.9080190,-114.0699775
Elevation6926 Feet
Postoffice1901 – 1924
Population99 (1910 Census)

Fay Trail Map

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Western Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis )

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The Western Fence Lizard ( Sceloporus occidentalis ) is perhaps one of the most common lizards in the desert southwest and is also known as a “Blue belly”. Perhaps this commonality is the reason for its name. The Western Fence lizard is found in a variety of habitats and common at elevations up to 10,800 feet. They can be located in forests, desert sage, farmlands and grasslands. This species is typically not found in harsh desert climates and moist forests.

Western Fence Lizard
Western Fence Lizard

This animal is typically between 2 inches and 3.5 inches in length. They are typically black to brown in colors with stripes on their backs. They have blue colored patches on their ventral abdomen. This reptiles will lay clutches of eggs between 3 and 17 eggs in the spring between April and July. The eggs will hatch within two months of feralization.

This animal are known to eat insects including ant, beetles, flies, spiders and some caterpillars. They typically can be found sunning themselves on rocks, fences and paths. The are a prey item for other animals including larger lizards, birds and also some a mammals. As is common with most reptiles, the lizard is known to hibernate in cooler winter months.

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Desert Tarantula (Aphonopelma iodius)

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Desert Tarantula (Aphonopelma iodius)
Desert Tarantula (Aphonopelma iodius)

A favorite cast member of horror stories and adventure movies, the Desert Tarantula (Aphonopelma iodius) is a valuable member of the desert habitat and community. Although their relatively large size can be intimidating, they are reasonably harmless to humans, and their bite is along the lines of a bee sting. This hairy arachnid is known to live in the desert of California, Nevada, Arizona and Utah and have a life span of 25 to 40 years

A member of the Arachnid Class of animals, tarantulas come equipped with eight legs, fangs and compound eyes. There body and legs are covered in short hairs and their overall size is typically between three and inches. This class of animals also include scorpions, mites and crabs. The long legs of the Desert Tarantulas equip the animal with amazing mobility over the hostile terrain of the desert southwest.

A nocturnal hunter, this spider lives on just about any animal of the correct proportion including small lizards, grasshoppers, beetles and other small insects. Like almost any other animal, the are a good food source for the tarantula hawks, lizards, snakes birds, coyotes and other small animals. The live in under ground burrows which offer protection from predator’s and heat. Their burrows are typically 6 in 8 inches in depth and are lined with silk to prevent collapse. The burrow opening will be closed in with silk when the animal is in residence.

This species of tarantula is known by may common names including Great Basin blonde, Fresno County blonde, Desert Tarantula, Salt Lake City Brown, Northern Blonde. Some more adventurous people will even keep these animals as pets.

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Classification

Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Arthropoda
Subphylum:Chelicerata
Class:Arachnida
Order:Araneae
Infraorder:Mygalomorphae
Family:Theraphosidae
Genus:Aphonopelma
Species:A. iodius

Pronghorn ( Antilocapra americana )

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A solitary Pronghorn ( Antilocapra americana ) found near Golbin Valley, Utah
A solitary Pronghorn ( Antilocapra americana ) found near Golbin Valley, Utah

Commonly known as an antelope, the Pronghorn ( Antilocapra americana ) is an even toed or hoofed mammal found in the plains of the western United States of America. The Pronghorn in america is mislabeled as an antelope, which is an old world or African species of Antelope. The Latin name, Antilocapra americana means “American goat-antelope”

The Pronghorn lives in brush and grass lands and deserts and survive by grazing on the vegetation. They typically live in herds which may number in the hundreds depending on time of year and food sources.

They have excellent eye sight use this valuable resource to keep a distance from predators in the wide open habitats they are found. They are also the fastest animal in the western hemisphere and can run at speeds up to 60 miles per hour. The result is a reclusive animals that tends to run when it sees any threat, which means these animals can be difficult to get near. Typically, when I see them in the field, it is their white hind quarters travelling at a high rate of speed away from me.

Males typically stand between 51 and 59 inches in height and weigh between 88 and 143 pounds. The female are about the same height, however, more slight at 75 to 106 pounds. Their coloring is quite distinctive and features large white patches on the rumps, belly and heads with black bands on the face and necks. They boast large eyes located towards the tops of their skulls which have a field of view of 320 degrees. This feature allows the animals to maintain distance and allows them to spot predators while resting in the tall grass.

Cougers, Coyotes, Wolfs and Bob Cats are known to prey on the pronghorn. Additionally, they were a valuable food source for many Native American tribes including the Assiniboine, Rapid and Blackfoot Tribes.

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Classification

Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Mammalia
Order:Artiodactyla
Family:Antilocapridae
Subfamily:Antilocaprinae
Tribe:Antilocaprini
Genus:Antilocapra
Ord, 1818
Species:A. americana[

Coyote (Canis latrans)

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Coyote (Canis latrans) enduring a snow storm in Joshua Tree National Park - Photo by James L Rathbun
Coyote (Canis latrans) enduring a snow storm in Joshua Tree National Park – Photo by James L Rathbun

A symbol of the American Southwest, the howl of the humble Coyote (Canis latrans) is synonymous with wild places. A member of the canine family and cousin to your pet, the coyote is a carnivore, predator, scavenger and survivor and even have a gord named for them, the coyote melon. The mammal is also known as the “little wolf”, “brush wolf”, “prairie wolf” and “American jackal”.

Although not necessarily nocturnal, they may hunt at night in the presence of humans. Regardless, they are more active in the evenings. They prowl and hunt in small groups. Their cries and howls at night are the reason they are known as the most vocal wild animal North American Animals. Personally, I welcome their vocalizations echoing access the desert night.

Coyote hunt reptiles, birds, small mammals, fish and even the larger bison, deer, elk and sheep. They roam up to ten miles per day on a constant hunt for food. In urban areas, this opportunist animal will eat dog and cat food, and known to attack domestic dogs and cats. In Death Valley National Park this resourceful jackal will eat large quantities of beetles and hawkmoth caterpillars for food. They are extremely resourceful and opportunistic survivors.

The coyote is classified in 19 different subspecies throughout the North America. A typical male will weigh between 18 and 44 pounds, while the female tips the scale a at a more modest 15 to 40 pounds. The fair color ranges from a light grey, tan to dark browns or even black depending upon habitat.

Coyote (Canis latrans) enduring a snow storm in Joshua Tree National Park - Photo by James L Rathbun
Coyote (Canis latrans) enduring a snow storm in Joshua Tree National Park – Photo by James L Rathbun

In Native American cultures, folklore depicts the coyote as a trickster. For this Irish American over a certain age, the coyote is call as wiley, known as a super genius and has, upon occasion, ordered an abundance of explosive from the Amce Corporation .

Resources

Classification

Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Mammalia
Order:Carnivora
Family:Canidae
Genus:Canis
Species:C. latrans