July 30, 2004
We followed the directions to the Remote Location in
our Tracker, past the Bonneville Raceway (salt flats)
to the east and toward the Pilot Range looming ahead,
roughly north. After passing Pilot Peak and the TL Bar
Beefmaster Ranch, we saw antelope under a stand of
cottonwood trees. The road was fairly adequate for a
dirt road, except for the washboard.

There is a historical marker out there for the
Donner-Reed party's bane-one of their many
fiascos-Hasting's Cut-Off. Matt told us that an artist
had marked the road or tracks when you turn east from
the sign that reads Patterson Pass, to the Remote
Location with orange poles. We continued with the
directions that Matt had e-mailed to us.

After turning off the dirt road, we followed tracks
and were grateful for the orange poles. The tracks
meandered around washes and a low rise that led to a
playa. The playa was smooth compared to the last
thirty plus miles of gravel, sand and dust. It felt
like driving on butter. Before the tracks circle the
southern end of Lemay Island, the only visible human
structure is a telemetry station. The other human
intervention in the landscape is a solar light on
Lemay Island that produces light when it is dark,
installed by artist Achim Mohne. It is a constant
beam, like a fixed beacon. We chose a place to camp
off of the playa on the stony ground near outcroppings
of rock.

It was early afternoon when we arrived on Lemay
Island. Out on the playa, the heat waves caused
mirages that made the edges of blue mountain ranges
appear as if they were floating. I know of a feature
called Floating Island in the area. The brush was a
type of sage, I think, with yellow-green leaves. No
trees are on the island.

Brett found a bicycle and a tent that were left
behind. He rode the bike with two flat tires down a
craggy slope, legs extended. I just looked up while
eating a sandwich and saw that improbable scene. A
pink moon rose over the Crater Island Mountains that
night.





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