While idly browsing on the Internet, recently, I found all kinds of interesting trivia about Carson City and Nevada and other places.
I'd like to share some of that information with you, so you will be well prepared to win some easy bets with "Your Favorite Pigeon."
So, with many thanks to a number of different references and sources, including Google and Wikipedia on the Internet, here goes:
Carson City:
1. Is one of only five state capitols not served by an Interstate highway. (The other four are Dover Delaware, Jefferson City Missouri, Juneau Alaska and Pierre South Dakota).
2. Is one of only two of the 50 state capitols (the other is Trenton, New Jersey) that border another state (The City and County of Carson City extends out into Lake Tahoe to the California stateline).
3. Is bordered by five counties in two states. (Douglas, Lyon, Storey and Washoe Counties in Nevada, plus Placer County, California at Lake Tahoe).
4. Covers 155.7 square miles of which 12.3 square miles are water. (That water area is mostly composed of the portion of rural Carson City that extends out into Lake Tahoe).
5. Lies at an elevation of 4,730 feet, but it's highest point is 9,214'. (Urban Carson City in Eagle Valley is situated at 4,730, but the highest point of Rural Carson City is Snow Valley Peak at 9,214' in the mountains between Eagle Valley and Lake Tahoe).
6. Carson City at 4,730' is higher than the highest elevation in 25 states: Alabama (2,405'), Arkansas (2,753'), Connecticut (2,380'), Delaware (448'), Florida (345'), Illinois (1,235'), Indiana (1,257'), Iowa (1,670), Kansas (4,039), Kentucky (4,145), Louisiana (535'), Maryland (3,360'), Massachusetts (3,487), Michigan (1,979'), Minnesota (2,301'), Mississippi (806'), Missouri (1,772), New Jersey (1,803), North Dakota (3,506), Ohio (1,549), Pennsylvania (3,213'), Rhode Island (812'), South Carolina (3,560'), Vermont (4,393') and Wisconsin (1,951). It's true, Carson City is higher than the highest point in 25 other states!
7. Has the distinction of being the smallest of the 361 Metropolitan Statistical Areas as designated by the U. S. Census Bureau (as of July 1, 2004).
8. Carson City's first bus system JAC (Jumping Around Carson) opened to the public on Oct. 3, 2005.
Nevada:
1. The highest point is Boundary Peak (13,140') in Esmeralda County.
2. The lowest point is the Colorado River (479') in Clark County.
4. Is the only state with three huntable sub-species of bighorn sheep: California, desert and desert (AKA Nelson).
5. The highest temperature ever recorded was 125 degrees at Laughlin in Southern Clark County on June 29, 1994.
6. The lowest temperature ever recorded was -50 degrees at San Jacinto in Northern Elko County on January 8, 1937.
7. The State Flower is the Sagebrush.
8. The State Fossil is the Ichthyosaur. (Bet your favorite pigeon, double or nothing, that he can not spell "Ichthyosaur").
9. The State Reptile is the Desert Tortoise.
10. With an area of 110,000+ square miles, Nevada is bordered by five states (California, Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Arizona).
Wildlife Commission:
The current Chairman of the nine-member Nevada State Board of Wildlife Commissioners is our very own Chris MacKenzie of Carson City.
Big Buck:
The No. 1 Non-Typical mule deer buck in the Nevada Wildlife Record Book is an eye-popping 21x21 point buck taken at Stoneburger Basin in Nye County in 1955.
Big Fish:
Lake Mohave in Clark County was the home for the largest state record listed in the Record Fish of Nevada.
It is a huge Striped Bass that weighed 63 pounds, measured 49 inches long and was caught on March 15, 2001. Wow! A 63-pound keeper!
Big Elk:
The No. 1 Non-Typical bull elk is a 7x6 pointer with an inside antler spread of 52 6/8 inches. It was taken in Lincoln County in 2002.
Lahontan Reservoir:
Is the current state record holder for four different species of fish:
White Bass (4-pounds, 0-ounces).
Channel Catfish (31-pounds, 1-ounce).
Walleye 15-pounds, 4-ounces)
Wiper ( a cross breed between a white bass and a striped bass) 25.38 pounds.
Special Note: That Wiper was caught by Dan Hannum of Dayton, this year, and it is also the brand-new world record for 12-pound class line at the International Game Fish Association (IGFA).
Finally:
You're now ready to make some easy "sucker" bets with your favorite pigeon.
When you do and you collect some easy money, remember who gave you all of this good information.
Good luck and have some fun.
• Bet Your Favorite Pigeon
Bet your favorite pigeon that he can't tell you what is interesting about the lowest point in the State of Colorado.
If he grins and says, "The lowest point in Colorado (the Arikaree River at 3,315') is higher than the highest elevation in 18 states," he has been looking at the same reference that I was using.
• Don Quilici is the Outdoors editor for the Nevada Appeal.