While the desert overlaps into both Idaho and Oregon, if you've looked at a map of Nevada the Owyhee desert, even just the Nevada portion, is HUGE. Four hours of driving and we managed only to explore the Western half of the very Southern edge of the desert.
Yet despite its geologic significance, I can find very little written on the subject of the Nevada side. There is a lot of talk about the Lake Owyhee field and the Owyhee Uplift in Oregon; also for Santa Rosa-Calico in Nevada, but not so much for the South Owyhee-Humboldt. So I reckon it's going to have to suffice to say that it was active 15-13 million years ago.
But that didn't prevent a weekend of wonder and merriment, and it all started here, in Squaw Valley, just downwind from Midas.
We definitely took the road less traveled (Left).
The "Caldera Rim" taunting, daring even, to brave the dusty trail.
This took us up Scraper Creek for a good long while, although the road to Scraper Spring was dilapidated...neglected. So we headed for the route that would take us around to the East of the Burner Hills.
Whatever dug this hole must be about the size of one of my basset hounds.
I really didn't want to see one of these in the middle of the night.
Ashfall tuff.
And...a close-up, including some past residences.
Burner Hills from the North.
Again looking East.
One of the better sections of road.
The road, however, progressively deteriorated the farther we went.
It was never terrible, but obvious that very, very, very few people
ever venture down that path.
Our route took us to Well 2.
Button Field/Little Humboldt Ranch in the distance and the end of the great Owyhee.
I really didn't want to see one of these in the middle of the night.
This route, however, does present a couple of nice little chunks of geologic history.
Mmm...igneousy.
By this point we were starting to get glimpses of what awaited us.
Our forecast calls for gently rolling hills, followed by extended periods
of light blue flatness.
And, true to expectation, there was the desert...
Looking East.
...a LOT of desert.
Every so often the contour is interrupted by broad, stubby stream channels. Often the upper reaches of these channels had cut through lava, so running down one side, then up the other, provides a small degree of peril (we never knew if we'd find ourselves unable to continue, forced to retreat from whence we came).
It is something akin to exploring Wyoming without having to drive for a day and a half. Unlike Wyoming, however, I thoroughly enjoyed this remote section of Nevada. With almost no perceptible topographic changes the trail weaves in and out of the Great Basin, flirting mildly with the Snake River drainage.
It is unending solitude; awe-inspiring vastness; unspeakable serenity - interrupted only by the occasion cow pie. For me, driving the Owyhee is a truly transcendental experience.
It was never terrible, but obvious that very, very, very few people
ever venture down that path.
Why does this road keep bending?
There are the occasional signs of humanity, like the McCleary Wells 1 & 2.
And an almost constantly changing biome.
Not too often we find lichens growing on sagebrush - let alone red lichens.
Of course the geography begins to change rapidly toward the edge of the desert.
Milligan Creek Canyon
Approaching the Confluence of Milligan Creek and the
South Fork, Little Humboldt River at Button Field
And a simple little digital camera can't do much justice for some of the treats that await the rare, daring traveler.
And then, faster than it seems to begin, the Owyhee is done. Past. A thing to the East. Now is the Humboldt river drainage. The road forks, and after a period of deliberation the decision was made to go left...again. Left had served us quite well thus far, anyway.
Photo courtesy of David Colborne.
This became the second most terrifying moment of my life. Luckily, the builder of the bridge used iron "I" beams for support, and it is less than 20' long. Still, the boards feel/sound like they are the worse for the wear and the iron beams do not line up terribly well with a wheel base. BUT...it's enough to hold my little Jeep driving over it just as fast as that road will allow.
It also didn't help to get out and look around. It's a good 15' drop under that bridge with a foot of concrete on either end. But, in the end, we live to drive another day. Which will be the next blog entry!
So upon seeing the South Fork of the Little Humboldt River...
...the objective for the day is behind the bluffs in the rear view mirror.
Gone but not forgotten.
But it also seemed that my goal of reaching the Virgin Valley was not the least bit feasible - at least not after leaving Reno at 9:AM.
If you look closely, you can see the hills are laughing at me.
So on to Pleasant Valley! Then back to Winnemucca and tasty, tasty sweetbreads at the Martin Hotel.
As far as the Owyhee Desert goes...I can't WAIT to go back. No, seriously.
Seriously.
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