A certain level of existential dread creeps in as I approach each birthday and I am forced to confront the fact that time truly only moves in one direction: forward. This particular year contained the daunting milestone of turning 30. Or, as I preferred to consider the moment, the 20th anniversary of turning 10.
Embracing My Inner Child
With this boyish gleam, I set about planning a birthday extravaganza to run away from all of my worldly problems during a long roadtrip through the Nevada Desert. The goal was to visit the Nevada Northern Railway Museum and participate in their “be the engineer experience” to operate a steam locomotive. The rest of the trip was somewhat free form, but themed around the ideas of desert landscapes, vast open spaces, and freedom.
The drive to Ely, NV was mostly uneventful except for a brief section of muddy offroading as the sun set over the snow-capped Nevada mountains. When we arrived at the Hotel Nevada, we knew we were in for a treat due to the decor and smell of adventure. That night, we reviewed the guidelines for the safety test and prepared for the next day where we could become railroad engineers.
That’ll Do
Down at the station, early in the morning, we were greeted by the station agent who graded our safety tests. I got a few questions wrong, but was introduced to the train crew who would guide us through the journey.
The engineer and fireman were a little anxious as the prior day Locomotive 93 had a leaky bolt in the boiler that had to be replaced. This required the fire in the firebox to be extinguished for the repair. So everything was behind schedule when we arrived. Their anxiety immediately evaporated when they climbed into the cab and invited us to join them.
They first taught us the basics of the controls and had us practice starting and stopping the locomotive within the confines of the railroad yard. Once we felt confident with the throttle and the air brakes, we headed out onto the main line. I blew the whistle twice to signal a forward movement, released the brakes, and slowly opened up the throttle.
After we climbed the first grade, we entered a tunnel where the coal soot blew through the forward cab window and swirled around my face. Though we were going relatively slow, I could feel the power of the steam locomotive that was designed to pull thousands of tons up steep mountain grades. The control was all analog and I found it challenging to operate the heavy throttle and position it smoothly into the correct notch. Railroading at the turn of the 20th century truly was hard, backbreaking work and I felt so appreciative of modern day electronic control systems.
Operating the locomotive required teamwork between the engineer and fireman. Running the train required teamwork and communication with these two plus the conductor. Running the railroad required even more people and elaborate systems of signals, record-keeping, and communication. There were no GPS satellites to precisely track locomotive positions, just people who relied on other people. On the Nevada Northern, the crews shouted “That’ll do!” when indicating that the job at hand was done.
Caverns, Ghost Towns, and Deserts
The next day, we headed to Great Basin National Park to tour Lehman Caves. The caverns were spectacular, but isolated in a remote part of Nevada. After the tour, we began the long drive along Highway 6 to Tonopah, before heading south towards Beatty. Most of the day was spent on long, empty highway stretches. We would crest a ridge and then descend into a valley for a several mile long straight shot until the next mountain range to climb. This is where I learned that Nevada is the most mountainous state in the Lower 48.
We reached Beatty rather late, but were extremely hungry so we headed to Happy Burrow Chili & Beer. The chili was great and the vibes were wonderful western kitsch, but the best part was the friendly service from the bartender Kitty. She gave us several tips about Death Valley and convinced us to go to Rhyolite Ghost Town, which we almost skipped since it was getting late.
After finishing our dinner, we went to the ghost town for some late night photography before driving up towards Ubehebe Crater to disperse camp along race track road. (I have had previous misadventures here, but have learned my lessons!). The next morning, we woke up to a beautiful desert sunrise and discovered we were surrounded by wild flowers. We spent the day site-seeing in Death Valley and even had the rare opportunity to see Lake Manly where the recent rains had refilled the oft-dry Badwater Basin. This trip just seemed full of wonderful, once-in-a-lifetime opportunities.
Back to Reality
The trip, like my 20’s, ultimately had to end. The railroading and wild west fantasies would fade into a happy memory. My 20’s started in the middle of being an undergraduate engineering student, shielded with a self-centered bubble of invincible confidence. As I graduated and moved into the work-force, I received some humbling reality checks, but experienced some healthy personal and professional growth. In my mid-20’s, I decided to return to graduate school and started pursuing a masters. The end of my 20’s was a little bit bumpier as I focused on proving myself professionally, moving beyond some heartbreak, and living more deliberately.
As I move into my 30’s, I feel like I am in a good place professionally, but I am still working on myself to be the best version of myself that I can be. I’ve been able to achieve a lot of important educational and career milestones so far through a combination of hard work, luck, and privilege. With the help of some amazing friends, I’ve pushed myself to new heights. I am so thankful for the opportunities that I’ve had and the people I’ve met along the way.
I can’t wait to see what this next decade of life will bring. As for my 20’s, I guess “that’ll do!“
