The only thing about riding a bike from Portland to Phoenix is that in-between there is something called... NEVADA.

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Across the Steppe

Stillness, fresh snow, and the warmth of the sun greeted us near the Steens Mountain Pass. The descent into the Eastern valley was glorious, presenting a vast land untouched except for a road threaded across. Another set of hills brought us onto a rolling steppe reminiscent of the Gobi and Western China. Its frigid crosswinds led us to the abandoned Burns Junction and a lunch among its decrepit buildings.

Onward on Hwy 95 we pushed along what seemed to be a never ending straight line of asphalt. The landscape shifted to fit the bleak, grey clouds hanging above. What was once sage and grass land had become a dreary mud pit as far the eye could see, broken only by the charred stumps and trash. We later learned that this was the site of a massive fire, almost the largest in recorded history save for the efforts of the BLM.

Darkness approaching and running low on liquid water, temperatures barely rose above freezing the whole day, we resolved to push on until we had crossed the burned wasteland. Miles later lights in the distance drew our attention and begged investigation.

7 comments:

  1. Jackrabbit Junction abandoned? No donkey behind the cafe?

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    1. Quite abandoned, lots of trash, but still a happy rabbit on the building. Did notice a fenced in area and wondered what might have once been there... donkey?

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    2. I remember a donkey or maybe a small horse that used to live there. The whole place was for sale a few months ago. Is the truck scale still across the road?
      You went right past one of our campsites, shallow quarries on your right a bit before the junction.

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  2. Truck scale there, and also BLM guard station down the road. Didn't notice quarries.... tips for Nevadan campsites?

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    1. I'm not very familiar with that stretch of 95 between Denio Junction and Burns Junction. You'd have to ask Claude Dallas. Have you got a set route through Nevada?

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    2. I think your on the path of Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, but going the opposite way. Sarah Winnemucca territory, if you didn't know.

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  3. Yes, from McDermitt we'll head south on 95 tomorrow to Winnemucca, with a strong tail wind if the forecast holds true. From there it's 80 through Lovelock, then 95 south again to Fallon and then Hawthorne/Walker Lake

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