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Monday, July 11, 2011

North to Jarbidge

 Driving east from Nevada 225 on our way to Jarbidge. Independence Mountains and McAfee Peak in background.
Cruising through a sea of Mule Ears.
Getting closer to Coon Creek Summit.
More Mule Ears. Gotta love high elevation flora in summer.
Looking back on the road just traveled.
 Only ten more miles to Jarbidge.
Our journey to Jarbidge ended here. The road had several snow drifts before and after this downed tree.
Looking for a campsite we are stopped by snow again.
Our camp near Coon Creek Summit.
Spotted this lake west of the road.
We retraced our route for ten miles and started down an alternate route to Jarbidge. After about three miles on the new route we met some people on quads who told us the road was blocked by a mud slide five miles ahead.
Wild Horse Reservoir.
Our third route to Jarbidge and it is also closed. It seemed that the only route into this remote Nevada town was the long loop up into Idaho and then south. We put Jarbidge on our Idaho/Montana trek itinerary.
 
Spotted these unique figures on the way to Maggie Summit.
Passed two of these signs as we drove east on the Maggie Summit Road. We continued on knowing that sometimes you can still get through.
The signs were correct. Makes one wonder what conditions were like weeks before.
The hole was only three feet deep but had sharp steep sides, a muddy bottom and narrow slippery sides that fell into larger holes. I was pondering our line through the washout when a shepherd strolled up and we began to talk. 
Well, sort of talk. Using hand gestures, pointing and drawings in the dirt he told us that the road further ahead was washed out even worse. A few minutes later another truck arrived, its driver confirmed that there was a larger creek ahead and said it could be much worse. The other driver turned around and drove away while we gave the shepherd a drink and snacks.
Leaving Sheridan Gulch after deciding not to cross the first washout.
The time has come to drive on to Utah. Bull Run Mountains in background. We needed five gallons of our extra fuel to make it back to Elko where we gassed up and drove east on I-80.
Pequop Mountains Camp about a mile south of Pequop Summit.
Same camp, different time, light and angle.
Noticed this odd succulent near our camp.
Looking east at sunset from our Pequop camp. The next morning we drove on to Wendover for gas and a quick visit to the Bonneville Salt Flats.
Lots of water out there. This summer the Bonneville Salt Flats were more an extension of the Great Salt Lake.
The Floating Island about 15 miles away with New Foundland Mountains in background.