by John C. Evanoff
June, 2005
Many millions of years ago, a granite
spear of earth grew up from the muddy bottom of the vast Pacific
Ocean to create the Sierra Nevada range. The planet's plates constantly
moving against each other and pressing the land upward along Reno's
western front and along the Carson Range including Slide Mountain
and Mount Rose still moves and is constantly growing and changing
the landscape. Some of the mountains built from these tectonic fault
pressures throughout Western Nevada were created somewhat erratically
away from the main Sierra ridge. Because of the many faults throughout
Nevada, these many mini-mountain ranges make Nevada one of the most
mountainous areas in the world.
One of these erratic fault scarps
instead of moving north and south abutted the massive Sierra fault
line and moved east from Verdi and Crystal Peak to Spanish Springs.
What mountain-building took place is clearly visible from around
the Truckee Meadows to the north as Peavine Peak. This mountain
at 8,266 feet, stands alone as the smallest range in Nevada, but
it is by far one of the more historic and talked about in the area.
Many life-long residents do not plant their tender garden plants
until all the snow is off Peavine.
Peavine has a history that dates
back far into the Pleistocene, a span encompassing 1.8 million years.
The bones of Mammoths, saber toothed cats and other mammals of the
period have been found along the white chalky cliffs on the south
side of the mountain. These cliffs are remnants of inland sea mud
and fossilized shells and fish left there by receding oceans and
rivers and retreating glaciers.
The mountain is biologically diverse
including conifers such as incense-cedar, Jeffery Pine, Ponderosa,
hemlock, white pine, mountain-mahogany, Utah and Western juniper
and other trees and bushes including the Great Basin sagebrush,
mountain alder, dogwood, cottonwood, quaking aspen, bitter cherry,
choke-cherry, elderberry and several varieties of willow. If you
look up to Peavine from the valley, try to imagine the entire hill
covered with trees. Approximately one hundred and seventy five years
ago, Peavine was as wooded as the Dog Valley area above Verdi. Most
of the conifers were cut down for use in the many mines and towns
along Peavine's girth.
The sagebrush, willow and alder
were important sources to early man who lived on Peavine's slopes
beginning around 10,000 years ago. Petroglyphs and large granite
bowls in granite outcrops left from early man still remain on the
mountainside. The Paiute Indians in the area known as the Washoe
Tribe date back thousands of years. Several families lived on the
southwest side of the mountain in the vicinity of the Seventh Street
pits. They moved around the hillside and crossed the Truckee River
around Mogul in the summer following the herds of deer, antelope
and mountain goat that made their home in the area or where major
migration routes intersected. The Indians used the sagebrush and
willow for their living quarters along the many streams and springs
on Peavine. Indian women made baskets, foot gear and other garments
and appliances with the willow and Indian men were resourceful in
fashioning alder, willow and slate or obsidian into spears, bows,
axes and arrows. The Indian tribe that lived in the area was said
to have as many as 150 members and traded heavily with the Washoe
Paiute of the lower Truckee Meadows and the Washoe and Carson Valleys.
The primary trade items were unusually well made mud beads produced
by the women from natural black clay indigenous to the area and
a form of red obsidian, hard black slate and jasper quartz found
in the area that was napped by the men for their tools including
well made arrowheads. The clay beads are unusual in that only this
tribe had the ingenuity to bake the beads to harden them. They then
painted them to give them color and were heavily sought after by
other tribes in the area. Even though some Pinion Pine was native
to the mountain, most of the pinion nuts the tribe enjoyed came
from trades with the Virginia and Carson Range families.
This tribe also spear fished the
Truckee River in the spring during the runs of the giant Lahontan
cutthroat trout, a landlocked salmon species. I spent many days
fly fishing along the same areas they frequented and imagined the
Indian braves from this tribe bringing out dozens of fish in the
twenty to thirty pound range. The tribe was also very resourceful
during deer, antelope and rabbit hunts. They normally left early
in the morning moving up the hill where the white painted "R"
is now positioned on the hillside and hid a line of young braves
along the many lava outcroppings along the ridges. Then, a band
of braves would move the deer up the trails that went next to the
outcroppings providing easy access to arrow and spear shots. These
hunts provided all the game meat the tribe needed for an entire
month or more. Much of the meat was dried for the winter and the
hides were thoroughly scrapped and stretched to provide garments
and protection from the winter and spring winds. Strips of hide
were also used to produce the twine needed to place their heavy
well-made axes on alder wood staffs. Along with the amazing strength
and heartiness of the tribe members and these axes and other weapons,
some of the deadliest ever brandished by western Indians, this individual
tribe became one of the more respected in the entire region.
When white-man first visited the
area, they were only interested in the grasses of the valley restoring
their animals to further their pursuit of California riches. In
fact, Peavine got its name from the purple and white Lupine type
flowering shrubs, inedible by livestock, which grew in abundance
across its upper slopes in the spring and early summer. It wasn't
until the riches of the Comstock were unearthed in the 1860's that
men moved into the area and began to look for silver, gold and other
important medals. The gold, copper, and iron deposits found on Peavine
are the result of hydrothermal activity forming veins of quartz
and minerals. The faults along both the north and south sides of
Peavine are still active and earthquakes happen from time to time
to remind us of their presence.
Several mining towns sprang up along
Peavine's girth including Wingfield, where the Desert Research Labs
and Truckee Meadows Community College now reside; Poeville on the
backside of the mountain just above the Stead area; Keystone on
the southwest side near the Seventh Street pits and Copperville
near Anderson Hill. All of these mining ventures lasted no more
than a few decades. Poeville, which was originally Peavine City,
had a population of over 500 at its peak production and had several
hotels, bars and churches. Keystone had a population of over 200
and four bars and two churches. An assortment of narrow gauge railroads
and stage coach roads moved miners and rock to and from smelters
and mines in the area. A toll road moved goods from Reno to Peavine
Valley which is now called Lemmon Valley and up the mountain to
Keystone. It took three hours to make the trip to Poeville and two
hours to make the trip to Keystone. The Paymaster and Golden Fleece
mines near Poeville were once noted as the next Comstock but because
processing was almost impossible because of lack of water most of
the year, the town of Poeville went belly up. Copper remained as
the number one mineral of note and a smelter just above White Lake
on Anderson Hill produced tons of the metal through the early 1900's.
Another point of history is on the southwest side near McCarran
Blvd and Seventh Street. That area was the location of the first
air field and landing strip in the region. The area around the hillside
just above Mogul is also noteworthy because it was where the California
trail went over the Donner Summit by way of Verdi Peak. That same
area is also part of the original Lincoln Highway and the first
steep grade for the railroad over the pass.
Today, Peavine is a favorite with
off-road enthusiasts and trail bikers as well as hikers and horse
riders. The top of the mountain where several communication and
microwave towers now stand can be reached by a service road off
old 395North between the Stead and Red Rock exits. The view from
the top is spectacular and a highlight is the Dog Valley area west
of the peak. Many people like to hike the area in search of quartz
crystals and other rocks and others appreciate the many canyons
full of wildlife.
Several new large developments along
Peavine's southwestern edge have compromised deer, bear and mountain
lion migration routes. Several golf courses and thousands of homes
have been built and more are on the way. Some residents have taken
up the fight to save those routes and much of the mountain from
more encroachment but as the area grows, only a few spots on the
mountain will remain undeveloped because of forest service protection.
Fifty years ago, my father and I
used to hunt sage grouse, chucker, quail, dove, deer and rabbit
when the area only had a little used access road where Seventh Street
now goes up the hill from Keystone Avenue. The dirt road was single
lane and full of ruts but the trip was always worth it because we
always filled our bag.
The memories are many of this majestic
mountain peak and if you have a chance, you should take a walk,
ride a mountain bike or drive an off-road vehicle along the many
forest service roads to explore it more. Peavine Mountain will grow
on you as you learn of its many secrets.
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