- This time, I'm headed to the Alta Toquima Wilderness Area for some camping and some hiking.

And trust me, these visuals only get better.

That's all coming up right now on "Wild Nevada."

- [Presenter] Support for PBS Reno and "Wild Nevada" comes in part from the William N. Pennington Foundation.

Bill Pennington was an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and gaming pioneer who built a legacy of community service in Nevada.

- [Presenter] And by Thelma B and Thomas P. Hart Foundation, Kristine Perry, Margaret Burback, Mark and Susan Herron.

In memory of Sue McDowell, Lloyd Rogers, and Gaia Brown, Stanley and Neila Shumaker, and by individual members.

(calm guitar music) (calm guitar music continues) (calm guitar music fades) (bright guitar music) (bright guitar music ends) - Hi, I'm Chris Orr, and this time, I'm headed up to the Alta Toquima Wilderness Area for some camping and a hike up Mount Jefferson.

But before I do, I'm starting out in the community of Eureka, which is a fun, historic community right in the heart of Eureka County.

Let's check it out.

(bright guitar music) (bright guitar music continues) Eureka has been described as one of the best preserved mining communities in Nevada with dozens of beautifully intact historic buildings to admire and plenty of hands-on history to explore.

To learn about the area, I meet Brenna Rogne, Facilities and Events Coordinator for Eureka County.

Thanks for meeting me up here.

- Hi, Chris.

Welcome.

- [Chris] So, this is a beautiful building.

- [Brenna] This is our opera house.

There's one of three in Nevada.

- You know, it's so cool when you see a building that's this beautiful and historic that's still in operation and still part of the community.

- Yes, we're really lucky to have it.

And we have several other old buildings here in Eureka as well.

- You wanna maybe take a walk and- - Yes.

- you can show me a few of them?

- Absolutely.

Let's do it.

- This is another beautiful building - [Brenna] And it's still decorated much like it was back in its heyday.

It's got a saloon, a restaurant, and you can still stay in the rooms today.

- You know, it's nothing like staying in a historic hotel and you have to come and stay some time.

- Yes, and this has all the fills, and there has been talk of a ghost haunting here still, so.

- Oh, I'll just come for the classic room.

(Brenna and Chris laughing) - This is our courthouse.

It's still in operation.

We still hold court in the original courthouse.

Everything is still exactly how it was back in the 1800s.

It's still connected to the old, original, first jail here in Eureka as well.

- So, another building that was built around the 1870s, 1880s?

- Yes, 1880.

Yes.

- [Chris] It's beautiful.

- [Brenna] It's gorgeous.

- [Chris] You can tell you guys take a lot of pride in maintaining it.

(bright guitar music) - This is our museum, this Eureka Sentinel Museum used to be the Eureka Sentinel Newspaper building, and the printing press is still exactly how they left it in 1960.

It was in operation from 1870 to 1960.

It's like going back in time.

And the museum is upstairs.

If you head down to the cafe down there, it's Afterlife, Antiques, and Oddities.

But you can get a tunnel tour, and there's actually tunnels that connect different buildings here in Eureka.

- So, I look for the cafe sign, but it's actually to get into the tunnels.

- Yes.

- Well, I think that's gonna be my next step.

Thank you for showing me town.

- Yes, thank you.

It was nice hanging out.

(calm guitar music) - [Chris] Many of Eureka's historic buildings are connected by a system of underground tunnels.

Access to some of this unusual labyrinth was recently reopened to visitors through one of the local storefronts.

At the Afterlife, Antiques and Oddities, I meet up with one of the shop owners, Miles Umina, who also just happens to be the Eureka County Sheriff.

- Welcome to Afterlife, Antiques.

In 1868, W.H.

Clark built this building.

It was a one-story building, and he was one of the largest mercantile owners in northern Nevada.

So, this was his shop.

And in 1879, he died, but it stayed in Mercantile till 1906.

And then from 1906, this was a cafe.

Next door was a bar, and above us was the 17-room hotel.

From the 1940s till 2014, it was a Chinese restaurant.

- [Chris] So, there's been a lot of history through this location.

- Yes, yes.

(calm guitar music) So just watch your step through here.

- [Chris] Okay.

- It's a typical old building.

- This is really cool.

- So, it was easier to use the tunnels to move stuff around.

So, this part actually was completed by Mr.

Clark because he was a mercantile owner, and if he put all of his goods underground, and there's two steel doors over there and there's two steel doors over there, the town caught on fire, closed up the doors, and his goods wouldn't burn up.

So it made his fire insurance go down.

- Oh.

- So, there was an economic side to it also.

But he did die around 1879.

And so, that's why a lot of this is not completed.

And he didn't build out some of the tunnels.

- You just had all of this history hidden behind the storefronts, and you wouldn't know it, unless you had someone walk you in like you were doing.

- It connected two and a half miles, which connected 123 bars, three breweries.

And I'm not sure how many businesses we are finding businesses all the time that were along here.

- So, it really was almost like a express system under the streets.

- Yes.

There was a rail system down here.

We still have a section of the rail system down below, and it was also used as an opium dens.

I'm not sure if this actual section was used as an opium den, but they had a lot of opium dens.

I have found a bottle buried down below that came from the prohibition era.

And then even up until 2014, there was an issue here.

They came here and they executed a search warrant, and they located 400 marijuana plants growing down here in the tunnels.

- So, it's got quite a notorious past to it that it has kind of continued over generations.

- Yes, yes.

So it's not even just 2014, it goes all the way back to the beginning.

- So, really, the oddity shop, and the tours of the tunnel are probably the most legitimate thing that's happened in the tunnels in a long time?

- At least, the past 11 years, so.

(Chris chuckles) (calm guitar music) And so, you can see the pre-planning here- - [Chris] Yeah.

- that they were going to continue on.

A lot of the tunnels were dirt tunnels, and you can see what they were digging in.

- [Chris] There's a lot of rock to cut through.

- Yes.

So, when they were digging this out, every five minutes, they were getting seven wheelbarrows of dirt out of here.

And then if they came across a large boulder, they just dug a hole and buried it in place.

- That's easier than trying to move it out, right?

- Correct.

Governor Sadler was the governor in, well, he originally became a lieutenant governor and then the governor died.

He became the governor and then in 1898, he became the governor of Nevada.

He's the third foreign-born governor of Nevada.

And he used the tunnels because he wasn't really well-liked in town.

- Oh, that's interesting.

- So, if he had to go to the courthouse, he would use the tunnels to go to the courthouse from his house.

If he needed to go across the street, he would use the tunnels because the story is if he was seen out on the street, they would pick fights with him.

They would get into a fight with him, so he stayed underground.

(Chris laughing) - So, convenient for other reasons than you might think.

- Yes.

So we're in the main catacomb here.

- This is great-looking.

This is huge.

I didn't expect, when you think tunnel, I didn't expect ceilings this high.

- [Miles] So, we're 28 feet underground here.

- That's a lot of dirt to move up.

- It is.

And right above us is Monroe Street.

So, we have a street that goes right above us and then right behind our shop is the Colonnade Hotel.

And the Colonnade hotel is right where that dirt wall is.

- That's fascinating.

And then, am I looking at a hole in the ceiling?

Is that what that is?

- You are.

So that they called that the skylight.

So they had a metal door over the top of it, and they would open up the metal door, and that's where they could lower goods down here.

It's just amazing all the hard work- - [Chris] Yeah.

- that they had to do here.

And it's still standing, and it's part of Nevada history, and it goes to show the mining engineering that they, it wasn't just for the mines.

It was for the infrastructure of the town.

- It's fascinating.

Well, thank you for bringing me down.

- You're welcome.

- [Chris] Whether you're a history lover or even a ghost hunter, there's nothing quite like this tour.

It's like getting to see into what feels like is the very heart of historic Eureka.

Tour availability varies depending on the season, so be sure to call the shop or visit their website for information.

Eureka is charming and full of history.

And though there is much more to explore, it's time to get some rest because after all, this is our launching point for a backcountry excursion, which starts tomorrow.

(calm guitar music continues) (calm guitar music fades) (bright calm music) Morning brings the last check of camping supplies and gear before we're headed out for the Alta Toquima Wilderness and our campsite at the Pine Creek Campground.

We set out west on Highway 50 for about 58 miles before driving south on 376 for approximately another 40 miles.

Shortly after our left-hand turn onto Toquima Range Road, pavement becomes dirt, and the navigation becomes more interesting.

To get to the campground on the east side of the range, we're actually taking a route through the mountains instead of around them.

This means using a variety of smaller dirt roads, including New Moore's Creek Road to get to Moore's Creek Road, then Pasco Canyon Road.

Then briefly State Route 82 before finally reaching Pine Creek Campground Road.

There are several OHB roads and other trails along this route, making it very important to have a good map and to be attentive to staying on course.

After all, this is an area where you definitely cannot rely on cell phone maps or GPS to get you where you're trying to go.

We're using a recently published map of the area from Friends of Nevada Wilderness.

Keep in mind that it's important to not only check road conditions, but also the date and accuracy of the maps you're using to access those roads before you head off grid and out of cell service in these more remote parts of the state.

As we arrive at Pine Creek Campground, the beauty of the area is too tempting to resist.

So, we take the opportunity to enjoy a little bit of it before we settle into our campsite.

(bright calm music continues) (bright calm music continues) Up on the trailhead, we meet Tara Nasvik, Trails Manager at Friends of Nevada Wilderness.

Tara, this is a beautiful place.

I'm so glad you told me to meet you here 'cause this is just gorgeous.

- Yeah, I love Pine Creek.

- So, why are the Friends of Nevada Wilderness involved with the trail system here on Mount Jefferson?

- Friends of Nevada Wilderness, we have been involved with pretty much all the wilderness areas in Nevada ever since we've been around since 1984 as a nonprofit.

So, we started with just protecting these places, advocating for 'em, and then as we started to do that, we realized that, you know, they also need help with trails.

These wilderness areas need our help in more ways than just protecting.

So, we're also stewarding these areas by doing things like trail work and making sure people can access the wilderness.

That's super important to us.

- But should we go off the trail a little bit and take a look at some of your work?

- Sure, let's do it.

(bright calm music continues) - What designates an area as wilderness?

- Well, a lot of different things.

So, first of all, wilderness is a designation by an act of Congress.

So, it's actually something that is a law, passed into law, but these areas were inventoried a long time ago to determine their natural qualities.

If they provide solitude for people, basically, if they're undeveloped, don't have roads in them, areas that really are free from the impact of our developing world.

Wilderness really just is a place to escape our developed society now.

- And that's why the trails are so important, right?

Because there's not really access otherwise.

- Yeah, this is the only access.

You're free to roam around as you'd wish, but it's a little difficult in some of these areas without a trail.

So, that's why it's really important to us to make sure these trails are accessible.

- And it's so quiet and pristine out here.

I can understand why you wanna protect it 'cause it definitely feels wild and and very fresh.

- Yeah.

These areas are very special.

(bright calm music continues) - How does working in a wilderness area impact trail maintenance?

- We actually use primitive and traditional tools instead of any modern tools.

So, in order to uphold those wilderness characteristics of having that natural environment, undeveloped.

It's a lot of manual labor.

It's a very physical job.

Our crews work 10-hour days, eight days straight, so they're out here all summer.

- So, when you're doing trail maintenance in wilderness areas, you have to use different tools, right?

- Right, yeah.

We use a crosscut saw.

So, that's a traditional tool not often used anymore except for in wilderness trail maintenance.

So, it's a really unique experience for people who work on these trail crews to become really skilled at that.

There's certifications through the Forest Service, and we don't use chainsaws.

We prefer the quieter tool, safer, easier, to get the job done.

Ideally, we could get to these trails every two to three years, but oftentimes, it's five years in between some of these wild trails in Nevada.

But, of course, wilderness trails are really primitive, so you're gonna come across some obstacles.

There's rocks and trees and roots.

It's not as clean cut as some of our more established trails outside of wilderness.

- That's kind of half the fun though, right?

- Yeah.

Oh, yeah.

(laughs) Part of the adventure.

- You guys do absolutely beautiful work.

I'm looking forward to seeing more of it.

- Thank you.

Yeah, I'm excited for your adventure.

- Great, even as a beginning.

With just a taste of the trail ahead of us tomorrow, the crew and I are finally ready to settle in for the evening.

So, director, Josh Fuss, and videographer, Isaac Coops and I, get busy setting up tents and making camp.

Always the hardest part of making camp, setting up the tent, so don't grade me, no judgments.

We double check fire restrictions to make sure it's allowed and then prep a campfire as part of our evening's relaxation.

As we continue to set up camp, we make sure that we have enough room for one more.

Since our guide for tomorrow's hike is joining us tonight to ensure an early start in the morning.

Just as dusk settles, we welcome an old friend who's hiked with the Wild Nevada crew before, Chad Kelly of Battle Born Adventures.

- Hey, Chris.

- How are you?

- How you doing?

- I'm good.

How are you?

- Great.

A really exciting day tomorrow.

And let me get settled in, and we'll take a look over the map.

- I think that sounds good, and let's get some good food - because- - Awesome.

- I think we're gonna need it.

- Yeah, I'm ready for the campfire too.

- [Chris] As we wind down from such a full and fun day, there's one more thing for us to do.

It would be remiss for us to be out in the Alta Toquima Wilderness and not take the chance to look up and appreciate some of Nevada's amazing dark skies.

(bright calm music continues) (bright calm music fades) (calm guitar music) In the morning, it's time to shake off camp and set out for today's goal, one of the summits of Mount Jefferson.

Well, it feels good to be on the trail and we're, it's already looking pretty, but so what's our destination today?

- So, today, we're on the Pine Creek Trail head up into the Alta Toquima Wilderness, and our destination is the middle summit of Mount Jefferson.

- You know, when I, Mount Jefferson's, been on my peak list for a while, so it's a good day to shake off camp and kind of check it off on my bucket list.

But it's interesting 'cause there's not just one summit, there's three.

- Yes.

Yep, so we can loop into the north and hit north summit or we can loop into the south and hit south summit, which is the highest point of the Mount Jefferson complex and also the Knight County High Point.

- Got a few miles to do.

- Yeah, we do.

- Should we keep going?

- Yes, we should.

(Chris laughing) - [Chris] I'll let you lead.

- [Chad] Okay.

(calm guitar music) - [Chris] Mount Jefferson is the highest peak in the Toquima range and truly a challenging hike.

Depending on which and how many of the mountains three summits you're trying to tackle, hiking it can take between 15 and 20 plus miles.

And from Pine Creek Campground, it's a climb gaining 5,900 feet in elevation.

But the beauty and solitude of this hike makes the effort worth it.

Oh, wow.

Look at this view already.

- [Chad] Yeah.

(calm bright music) (calm bright music continues) - [Chris] We are opening up in color, aren't we?

- Yes, we are, about 8,200 feet here.

- [Chris] And I think my watch was saying about two and a half- - [Chad] Yeah, excellent.

- [Chris] so.

- [Chad] Yeah, these colors, we're getting into 'em now.

It's only gonna get more and more the further up we get.

It's beautiful.

- [Chris] So, we still got about 3,000 more feet to go.

- [Chad] Yeah, we do.

Yeah.

(chuckles) (Chris laughing) Yep.

- But the first thousand is always the hardest, right?

- Yeah, yeah.

It's getting a little easier, and we're starting to open up out of this canyon a little bit now and so our vistas should be getting great.

- But honestly, you know, when the visuals are this pretty, I find that the elevation gain is always a little easier because you get distracted.

- [Chad] Yeah, yeah.

- [Chris] You just enjoy the beauty.

- [Chad] Yeah, we're enjoying the view that much more.

- Well, I'll let you lead on.

- Okay.

All right, we'll keep moving.

(bright guitar music) (bright guitar music continues) - [Chris] The Alta Toquima cultural and historic significance extends beyond its natural features with human occupation and exploration in the area spanning millennia.

The range was sacred to the western Shoshone before European-American culture arrived in the 19th century.

And Basque immigrants in the late 1800s and early 1900s added Arborglyphs or tree carvings into the cultural history of the area.

As we hike outta Pine Creek, we're able to observe many of these carvings marveling at what the letters, numbers, and other figures may mean.

(bright guitar music continues) This is a great map.

- [Chad] Yeah, it is.

- [Chris] I have to say.

- [Chad] Yep.

Yeah, Friends of Nevada did an awesome job on this.

- And it can't be said enough that when you're up here, you can't rely on devices 'cause we don't have cell service.

- Right.

- And sometimes the GPS still doesn't work.

- Yep.

- Because you're so remote.

And the nice thing is this is a brand new map.

- Yeah.

(Chris laughing) Yep.

Just came out this year, so.

- So, you know, 'cause trails changed 10 years, 50 years, 60 years.

So it's nice to know this is this year's map.

- Yep.

Yeah, we've got our mileage distances on here, so great way to track where you're at and how much further we got to go.

(calm music) (calm music continues) (calm music continues) - [Chris] It bears repeating that this hike is remote and challenging.

In places, the trail may fade out and then reappear after a mile or so.

So be sure that you're ready to navigate in these more wild areas.

And if you like us, are determined to have that summit view, be prepared for the mileage and some steep elevation gain.

(calm music continues) (calm music continues) With more than 300 named mountain ranges, Nevada is the most mountainous state in the lower 48.

And as you explore them, I always feel that the mountains have unique personalities.

(calm music continues) The Alta Toquimas comes from it being so remote and secluded, and it's highlighted by its sage-covered lower slopes lending into an abundance of Aspen.

And that giving way to Pinyon and Juniper woodlands before at the higher elevations, rocky tundra, above the timberline.

(calm music continues) (calm music continues) (calm music continues) (calm music continues) (calm music continues) Look at that view.

Thank you for getting me up here.

This is amazing.

- Yes, absolutely.

Thank you for the invite.

And same getting out here.

And this is what it's all worth right here is it's a, you know, good challenging climb this morning.

We gotta to see our desert big horn, which was awesome.

- And the colors were amazing.

- Yes, yep.

- That whole stretch.

That last pitch though, was a good challenge, I have to say.

- Yeah, it was.

Yep.

- But this view.

- Yep.

Now, we get our awesome view, so.

- We did it.

- Yep.

Good job.

(hands slapping) (Chris laughing) - Well, we had our summit moment, but you know what this means?

- Yeah, we better get back to camp now.

(both laughing) - Yeah.

Up and down, right?

- Yeah.

All right.

- [Chris] At least it's gonna be downhill.

- [Chad] Yeah.

(calm music continues) - Well, that's all I've got time for in this adventure, but it's been a great trip and especially after that hike, I think I deserve a few extra smore calories.

So, I'm gonna stay right here and enjoy these.

But if you want more information about this or any in the Wild Nevada series, visit our website at pbsreno.org and stream us with the PBS app.

And until my next "Wild Nevada Adventures," I hope you get to have some delicious adventures of your own.

Oh, yeah.

That's good.

- Oh.

- Oh.

(Chris and Miles laughing) (Chris laughing) (calm guitar music) (calm guitar music continues) (calm guitar music continues) - [Presenter] Support for PBS, Reno and "Wild Nevada" comes in part from the William N. Pennington Foundation.

Bill Pennington was an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and gaming pioneer who built a legacy of community service in Nevada.

- [Presenter] And by Thelma B. and Thomas P. Hart Foundation, Kristine Perry, Margaret Burback, Mark and Susan Herron.

In memory of Sue McDowell, Lloyd Rogers and Gaia Brown, Stanley and Neila Shumaker, and by individual members.

(calm guitar music continues) (calm guitar music continues) (calm guitar music continues) (calm guitar music fades)