In the late 1800s a causeway crossed the north end of Washoe Lake, heading directly east from (Old) Washoe City. When the lake is at a very low level, as here, the stumps of posts that supported the causeway are exposed. Strikingly straight alignments of vegetation and differently colored dirt also must be artificial in origin, and presumably also indicate where structures existed.
In the late 1800s a causeway crossed the north end of Washoe Lake, heading directly east from (Old) Washoe City. When the lake is at a very low level, as here, the stumps of posts that supported the causeway are exposed. Strikingly straight alignments of vegetation and differently colored dirt also must be artificial in origin, and presumably also indicate where structures existed.
Looking east. In the late 1800s a causeway crossed the north end of Washoe Lake, Nevada, heading directly east from Franktown. (At present Franktown is a high-end suburb of Reno and Carson City; then it contained ranches and truck farms that supplied Virginia City.) The causeway formed part of a wagon road that went directly east-west across the valley, connecting over the Virginia Range (on the skyline) to the mines of Virginia City. When the lake is at a very low level, as here, the stumps of posts that supported the causeway are exposed.
Another view, looking west toward Franktown and the Carson Range. The old Ophir Road went up the prominent pass to Lake Tahoe. It's now a hiking trail. It was also the site of a flume that brought logs from operations around Lake Tahoe down to Washoe Valley, where they were went on to Virginia City to become mine timbers, lumber, and firewood. Modern US 395/Interstate 580 now runs along the base of the range.
