Foy
Resident Geologist
Good morning from North Carolina,
I just got registered here at WTW and this is my first post.
I'm a CPA, mid 50s, with a background in geology (mineral exploration). In part due to my first degree, I have kept my feet wet in off-roading even though I haven't had to rely on my truck or navigational skills to earn a living in nearly 30 years. For the past two summers, the wife and I have joined a geology field school classmate and his wife for summer vacations in MT, ID, and UT, and we plan to do it again in July 2012.
What we're beginning to look at is a big loop with the start/finish in Elko, NV. We'll want to be in Elko for the 2012 Silver State Stampede rodeo, a slice of Americana you pretty much can't get anywhere else. We're pondering heading northeast up US 93 to Rogerson, ID, and from there travel on gravel/dirt to Jarbidge, NV, then to the Bruneau River canyon just west of Jarbidge, then to the vicinity of Mountain City, NV, over Maggie Summit, and then down the Independence Valley to Tuscarora. From Tuscarora we'd either go back to Elko or possibly farther west to Midas, re-joining pavement at Golconda, NV.
I run a well-equipped F350 SRW Crew Cab diesel, 2002 model with a simple shell cover. There'd be two couples and we're looking at booking rooms for a couple of nights in Jarbidge, tent camping on the Bruneau, and either rooms at Mountain City or tent camping in the Bull Runs or Independence Range.
I'd be most interested in any input on the following:
Has anybody accessed the Bruneau canyon, at the point near Rowland, NV, from Jarbidge. The Benchmark NV and ID map books show a National Forest road connecting the two, but it traverses two passes and I haven't been able to reach any individual at the Humboldt NF office in Elko who can tell me specifics about this road. This is NOT the Charleston-Jarbidge road and its well-known Coon Creek and Bear Creek Summits south of Jarbidge, but is instead accessed by driving north from Jarbidge for about 5 miles, then climbing up and out of the Jarbidge River canyon, over the passes, and dropping down into the Bruneau Canyon at Rowland/Mink Ranch.
From Rowland/Mink Ranch, we're interested in accessing the mostly drive-up access to Merritt Mountain, accessed from the south from the California Creek drainage. Again, it appears we can venture up close to or just into Idaho, then back south, skirting the Mahoganies, to access the drive-up route to Merritt Mountain. Any details available on that?
From Desertislands.org, I've seen some pics of the route from just south of Mountain City over Maggie Summit. Looks nice. Anybody been there?
Direct communications tells me diesel is available in Jarbidge and I am interested in fueling in Mountain City, if possible. The Desertislands.org notes closure of either "a store" or "the store" in Mountain City, so I wonder what's available up there presently.
Given the elevations involved, I'm not anticipating uncomfortably hot daytime temps in July, and we think the evenings will be cool. Confirmation or correction?
We wonder what the mosquito/fly/general bugginess factor may be out that way. We're assuming the canyon bottoms might be buggy, but perhaps not higher up out of the canyon bottoms.
We're aware of the large hot springs at Murphy HS, on the east fork of the Jarbidge River, and of Bruneau HS (Indian HS) on downstream well into ID, but we'd be intrigued to learn of more remote soaks in the Jarbidge, Mahogony, Bull Run, or Independence ranges.
We're aware of generally good vehicular access to points at or near the summits of Merritt Mountain and Porter's Peak, and would be very interested in other drive-ups.
I wonder if anybody on WTW has wandered this particular piece of territory and has any specific advice on our thoughts/plans at this point. I am particularly interested in opinions about taking a longbed Crew Cab pickup out there, as she's heavy and has the turning radius of an 18-wheeler. I recently wrestled the old girl to the end of the road at Comet Mountain, MT, but some multi-point turns were required.
Thanks for any interest and feedback.
Foy
I just got registered here at WTW and this is my first post.
I'm a CPA, mid 50s, with a background in geology (mineral exploration). In part due to my first degree, I have kept my feet wet in off-roading even though I haven't had to rely on my truck or navigational skills to earn a living in nearly 30 years. For the past two summers, the wife and I have joined a geology field school classmate and his wife for summer vacations in MT, ID, and UT, and we plan to do it again in July 2012.
What we're beginning to look at is a big loop with the start/finish in Elko, NV. We'll want to be in Elko for the 2012 Silver State Stampede rodeo, a slice of Americana you pretty much can't get anywhere else. We're pondering heading northeast up US 93 to Rogerson, ID, and from there travel on gravel/dirt to Jarbidge, NV, then to the Bruneau River canyon just west of Jarbidge, then to the vicinity of Mountain City, NV, over Maggie Summit, and then down the Independence Valley to Tuscarora. From Tuscarora we'd either go back to Elko or possibly farther west to Midas, re-joining pavement at Golconda, NV.
I run a well-equipped F350 SRW Crew Cab diesel, 2002 model with a simple shell cover. There'd be two couples and we're looking at booking rooms for a couple of nights in Jarbidge, tent camping on the Bruneau, and either rooms at Mountain City or tent camping in the Bull Runs or Independence Range.
I'd be most interested in any input on the following:
Has anybody accessed the Bruneau canyon, at the point near Rowland, NV, from Jarbidge. The Benchmark NV and ID map books show a National Forest road connecting the two, but it traverses two passes and I haven't been able to reach any individual at the Humboldt NF office in Elko who can tell me specifics about this road. This is NOT the Charleston-Jarbidge road and its well-known Coon Creek and Bear Creek Summits south of Jarbidge, but is instead accessed by driving north from Jarbidge for about 5 miles, then climbing up and out of the Jarbidge River canyon, over the passes, and dropping down into the Bruneau Canyon at Rowland/Mink Ranch.
From Rowland/Mink Ranch, we're interested in accessing the mostly drive-up access to Merritt Mountain, accessed from the south from the California Creek drainage. Again, it appears we can venture up close to or just into Idaho, then back south, skirting the Mahoganies, to access the drive-up route to Merritt Mountain. Any details available on that?
From Desertislands.org, I've seen some pics of the route from just south of Mountain City over Maggie Summit. Looks nice. Anybody been there?
Direct communications tells me diesel is available in Jarbidge and I am interested in fueling in Mountain City, if possible. The Desertislands.org notes closure of either "a store" or "the store" in Mountain City, so I wonder what's available up there presently.
Given the elevations involved, I'm not anticipating uncomfortably hot daytime temps in July, and we think the evenings will be cool. Confirmation or correction?
We wonder what the mosquito/fly/general bugginess factor may be out that way. We're assuming the canyon bottoms might be buggy, but perhaps not higher up out of the canyon bottoms.
We're aware of the large hot springs at Murphy HS, on the east fork of the Jarbidge River, and of Bruneau HS (Indian HS) on downstream well into ID, but we'd be intrigued to learn of more remote soaks in the Jarbidge, Mahogony, Bull Run, or Independence ranges.
We're aware of generally good vehicular access to points at or near the summits of Merritt Mountain and Porter's Peak, and would be very interested in other drive-ups.
I wonder if anybody on WTW has wandered this particular piece of territory and has any specific advice on our thoughts/plans at this point. I am particularly interested in opinions about taking a longbed Crew Cab pickup out there, as she's heavy and has the turning radius of an 18-wheeler. I recently wrestled the old girl to the end of the road at Comet Mountain, MT, but some multi-point turns were required.
Thanks for any interest and feedback.
Foy
