The Schell Creek Range is a linear mountain range in central
White Pine County, in east-central
Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...
. Its length is approximately in a north-south direction. Most of the range is contained within the
Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, with some of the range also included in the
High Schells Wilderness.
The range comprises two major groups of peaks. The southern section rises from a point near Burnt Peak in
Lincoln County, reaching the summit of
Mt. Grafton, , just north of the border with White Pine County. To the west are remote
Cave Valley and the
Egan Range, while to the east are
U.S. Route 93 and the
Fairview Range (Lincoln County). North of Mt. Grafton, the range drops quickly to a line of lower summits, eventually reaching Connors Pass. That is where
U.S. Route 50
U.S. Route 50 or U.S. Highway 50 (US 50) is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching from Interstate 80 (I-80) in West Sacramento, California, to Maryland Route 528 (MD 528) in Ocean City, Maryland, on the Atlantic ...
, the "Loneliest Highway in America", crosses the range, connecting the nearby community of
Ely with the
Great Basin National Park and west-central
Utah
Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
.
North of Connors Pass the range continues into its higher northern section. To the west is
Ely, Nevada, while to the east are
Spring Valley and the high
Snake Range, (including Great Basin National Park,
Wheeler Peak, and
Mt. Moriah). Within this section of the Schell Creek Range are
Cave Lake State Park and the scenic road over Success Summit into Duck Creek Basin. The crest continues to rise, reaching South Schell Peak at , Taft Peak at , and
North Schell Peak which, at , is the high point of the range. Nearby are the Timber Creek and Berry Creek campgrounds (and trailheads).
The range then makes a slow descent to lower elevations, dropping to Schellbourne Pass at , where the
Overland Stage Line, the
Pony Express
The Pony Express was an American express mail service that used relays of horse-mounted riders between Missouri and California. It was operated by the Central Overland California and Pikes Peak Express Company.
During its 18 months of opera ...
, and the
Transcontinental Telegraph made their way through the
Great Basin
The Great Basin () is the largest area of contiguous endorheic watersheds, those with no outlets to the ocean, in North America. It spans nearly all of Nevada, much of Utah, and portions of California, Idaho, Oregon, Wyoming, and Baja Californi ...
. Just west of the range was the Egan Canyon Pony Express Station. From there, the range ascends to
Becky Peak at before quickly descending to the floor of Steptoe Valley near Lages Station.
Climate
Berry Creek is a
SNOTEL weather station situated on the western face of South Schell Peak, at an elevation of 9100 feet (2774 m). Berry Creek has a
subalpine climate
The subarctic climate (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a continental climate with long, cold (often very cold) winters, and short, warm to cool summers. It is found on large landmasses, often away from the moderating effects of ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
''Dfc'').
Notes
{{Reflist
References
Peakbagger.com
Mountain ranges of Nevada
Mountain ranges of White Pine County, Nevada
Pony Express