2021 Map of Upsal Hogback

About this map

The California Emigrant Trl cuts a historical path across this Churchill County landscape, tracing the movement of nineteenth-century travelers through the notoriously difficult Fortymile Desert. This segment of the trail navigates the stark transition between the Hot Springs Mountains in the northwest and the expansive alkali flats of the Carson Sink to the east. The terrain is punctuated by the Upsal Hogback, a distinct volcanic feature that rises above the surrounding desert floor. The map captures the intersection of ancient geological formations and the human tracks left by westward expansion, illustrating the geographic challenges faced by early emigrants as they bypassed waterless stretches of the Great Basin.