Spooner Summit

I left Carson City on US 50 west.

US 50 connects the state capitol with the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe.

The highway climbs the Carson Range to Spooner Summit.


US 50 was one of the steepest grades of my journey. Maybe it was a lack of momentum from the stop light in Carson City...



I stopped at the summit parking lot; an entry point to Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park.

Mormon Station

Just south of Carson City is the small town of Genoa.

Genoa may be Nevada's first (white) settlement. The town of Dayton also claims this title.

This early history is preserved at Mormon Station Historic State Monument.

In the mid 1800s, westbound wagon trains followed overland routes such as the Mormon Trail.

These pioneers depended on outposts such as Mormon Station as a place to rest and resupply.

The emigrants rested at Mormon Station in Genoa, NV before crossing the Carson Range.

Before crossing into California, the settlers faced one final obstacle: the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Timing was crucual to avoid winter snows. Snow could strand entire parties and prove deadly at high mountain elevations.

I visited Nevada out of season. The weather was mild, but Mormon Station Historic State Monument was closed.



The Genoa Court House Museum was also closed for the season. Both are open May-Oct.