To the immediate southwest of the city, there is a pinyon-juniper forest, through which there are several excellent views. The first view is of the end of the snowstorm shown on the previous page, with clearing over the Shoshone Range coming from the Northwest.
In the center of the second view there is a three-story tower once sumptuously furnished as a summer residence of the family of a mining financier named Stokes. It was occupied a few months one year and then abandoned. Stokes' Castle stands as a testimony to the riches that mining brought to some. At the same time, as does Austin itself, it also testifies to the fickleness of the mining enterprise at any specific location. Mining is not dead in Nevada, just in certain specific locales. It is still the number two contributor to the economy of the state of Nevada.
Climbing to the top of the low mountain that supports Stokes Castle and forms the southern boundary of the town of Austin gave this view across the Reese River valley to the west, looking at the southern part of the Shoshone Range:
Wherever there are mountains, there are sunsets of note. And when a storm is clearing while the sun is setting, there are photo opportunities. The next photo shows the setting sun peeking through a hole in the clouds over the southern Shoshone Range. The sun's rays are reflected off the water in the Reese River in the bottom of the valley.
A few minutes later, skies had cleared considerably, and the next photo shows a view from the bottom of the Reese River valley back to the Toyabe Range to the east. Bright red sunlight was penetrating the clouds that remained over that range.
My bottom line? I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Austin, Nevada.