1/2/11 – Rhyolite Ghost Town

Rhyolite is another ghost town that popped up in the early 1900s while they were mining gold nearby, and then just as quickly died. 

We thought there was a lot of haze or dust in the air as we were driving from Pahrump to Beatty.  When we got to ­­­­Beatty, it suddenly registered that it was starting to snow! 

We decided that since we were about 5 miles from Rhyolite, we’d make a quick tour to say we’d been there.  There are actually very few buildings left.  The bank building was cool, and the old railroad station.  It was cold so we didn’t stay long.

The Goldwell Outdoor Sculpture Museum is nearby so we detoured for that, even though the snow was starting to come down in earnest.  But you have to see to believe things like the huge mosaic sofa, the huge pink and yellow lady that looks like it was built out of giant Lego blocks, the white ghost holding a bicycle (“Ghost Rider” LOL), and Szukaiski’s “Last Supper”.

Okay, we saw it.  We took pictures.  We got in the truck and high-tailed it back to Pahrump!  By morning there was about 4” of snow—just enough to have us extend one more day in Pahrump until the Spring Mountain Pass was clear before we headed to Las Vegas.

Link to Rhyolite Ghost Town pictures

Link to Goldwell Outdoor Sculpture Museum