My Vacation to Massacre Lake.

In this part of Nevada some of the old ranches and homesteads look like bizarre psychological experiments in isolation.

Freshwater springs are few and far between but when they do occur often someone tried to homestead by them. Some springs appear to have been more reliable than others.

This Massacre Lake location is an exceptionally beautiful spot. It might not have been so remote by the standards of the day and locale, when lots of people were looking to make a go of it on their own place. The spring here doesn't look as abundant or consistent as some.

 This location (tiny dot at about 6 o'clock, below) is on the south end of Alkali Lake. It looks like it would be brackish from the satellite photos, but the spring near the house is beautiful fresh water and the small pond it creates is a true desert oasis, complete with a  resident pair of ducks. The building is the private property of a hunting club, however, and it is posted "no trespassing".

A closer view of the tiny pond, building, and old corral. A 10 acre parcel of land adjacent to this recently sold for less than $6,000. It did not have a spring like this on it, though. I don't think it had any water.