Northern Nevada Roads Less Traveled

[BSS]

Another great trip report here! I also had no idea Vya was actually a functioning community nowadays.

Get any good sheep pictures out that way?

 

[Barko1]

tually a functioning community nowadays.

Get any good sheep pictures out that way?



Lonely?

 

[Silvertip47]

Great Trip Report!!!

I spent a long weekend camped at Virgin Valley with my dual sport MC club. Talk about off road paradise!!!!

You were also close to the B 17 crash site. I never made it up there but the rest of the group did. Very rough trail and only my 2nd year riding I turned around after crashing twice!!! Was wishing for my quad at that time!!!!

 

[locrwln]

Great Trip Report!!!

I spent a long weekend camped at Virgin Valley with my dual sport MC club. Talk about off road paradise!!!!

You were also close to the B 17 crash site. I never made it up there but the rest of the group did. Very rough trail and only my 2nd year riding I turned around after crashing twice!!! Was wishing for my quad at that time!!!!


Thanks and yes it is.

B-17 crash?? Got any info? I would love to keep that in mind the next time.

Jack

 

[Silvertip47]

Thanks and yes it is.

B-17 crash?? Got any info? I would love to keep that in mind the next time.

Jack



Sorry, it was a B24. My link

 

[locrwln]

Sorry, it was a B24. My link


Awesome, thanks for the link. Might have to see if we can find it the next time we are up there, which should be in a couple of weekends. We'll see.

Thanks again,

Jack

 

[Smokecreek1]

Anybody else remember (back in the early-'90s) that family (husband, wife, baby -- the Stolpas) that headed east from Cedarville at Xmas -- as a shortcut to Idaho -- and traveled along 8A. Naturally, they got stuck in the snow on that unmaintained-road for several days or more...they tried to walk on/out, etc. Long-story-short: Mom and Dad lost their feet to freezing, but the baby was just fine.
They made a TV movie out of the story, starring Neil Patrick Harris. The story (the actual story, not the movie) intrigued me because I'd been through and camped in the area...but not in the dead of winter! I love winter camping, but I avoid areas where I'll get stuck.

Stolpa Story Part 1
Stolpa Story Part 2


FYI When we were alerted about the stolpas being lost out there we had crews out everywhere and---- -after they were rescued they tried to sue the Nevada Road dept, the BLM and the usfs (no where near the area) because they couldn't read the sign that says "not passable during inclemit weather" because it was covered by snow ; the judge threw it out. These people did everything wrong and it was only by a luck that they all didn't die! They looked right at our rescue crew later and said we don't want to do it but our lawyers told us to sue. Makes you wonder why we still do our job and these types of things still happen-sorry for bitching, but any fool knows you don't go into that country (as neat as it is ) unprepared, especially in the winter-based on someone telling them it was a short cut. Anyway that country is great and i miss not being out there everyday-but I have my fwc to make me feel better!

 

[Smokecreek1]

Yeah, it depends on which map you are using/looking at on whether it is called New Year's Lake or Crook's Lake.

Jack


On different maps it had different names, but most of us in BLM called it Crooks Lake (at least back in the 80's/90's) What a wonderful trip you people had-brought me back all those wonderful years working in and flying over that country! This year was a wet year, so lot's of dry lakes get both water and rushes and wildlife, never forget one year out saw some poor old bull standing in water up to his knees, with a sort of a what the hell is this stuff on my dry lake bed look on his face (climate change at work)! I have not been up in the High Rock NCA since it was officially made one, but I hear there are lots of Big Horns up there now-

Smokecreek

 

[Dughlas Stiubhart]

FYI When we were alerted about the stolpas being lost out there we had crews out everywhere and---- -after they were rescued they tried to sue the Nevada Road dept, the BLM and the usfs (no where near the area) because they couldn't read the sign that says "not passable during inclemit weather" because it was covered by snow ; the judge threw it out. These people did everything wrong and it was only by a luck that they all didn't die! They looked right at our rescue crew later and said we don't want to do it but our lawyers told us to sue. Makes you wonder why we still do our job and these types of things still happen-sorry for bitching, but any fool knows you don't go into that country (as neat as it is ) unprepared, especially in the winter-based on someone telling them it was a short cut. Anyway that country is great and i miss not being out there everyday-but I have my fwc to make me feel better!


Ain't that the truth!

 

[MarkBC]

after they were rescued they tried to sue the Nevada Road dept, the BLM and the usfs (no where near the area) because they couldn't read the sign that says "not passable during inclemit weather" because it was covered by snow ; the judge threw it out. These people did everything wrong and it was only by a luck that they all didn't die! They looked right at our rescue crew later and said we don't want to do it but our lawyers told us to sue.

I never heard this sleazy part of the story, but it doesn't surprise me.

"our lawyers told us to sue"??? And what kind of gun were the lawyers holding to their heads?
But at least the judge was sane...too bad he couldn't take the kid away from those losers.

 

[craig333]

Nice thing about the camper. I can do something incredibly stupid like that and not lose any feet over it. In fact I'd probably sit tight till I could self rescue just so no one found out how dumb I am

 

[oldnslow]

" Nice thing about the camper. I can do something incredibly stupid like that and not lose any feet over it. In fact I'd probably sit tight till I could self rescue just so no one found out how dumb I am"

That is what I would do too. I've done a few dumb things that I was not about to admit to later.

 

[SunMan]

What a great report, this fell through the cracks for me, just reading this for the first time. We like remote and it sure looks like you found it. Awesome.

 

[locrwln]

What a great report, this fell through the cracks for me, just reading this for the first time. We like remote and it sure looks like you found it. Awesome.


Thanks, we really enjoyed ourselves. Keep trying to head back out, but the few weekends we have had free, ended up not being free. Has really put a damper on our travel plans.

Jack

 

[tipandchimmy]

Did you come across Hell Creek where the Stolpa rescue site is located?

 

[locrwln]

Did you come across Hell Creek where the Stolpa rescue site is located?

Sorry for the delay in responding, life has been busy.

I did not on that trip, but I have been in that area a couple of times and it shocks me every time that they not only were on a remote dirt road in Northern Nevada in winter, but they made a turn off of that road onto an even smaller road (really nothing more than a two track) and then onto an even less traveled road to get to where they ended. Truly made every effort to kill themselves in a very remote land.

Jack

 

[craig333]

But, in a low snow winter, and not being stolpad, is it totally unreasonable to do a winter trip up that way?

 

[MarkBC]

But, in a low snow winter, and not being stolpad, is it totally unreasonable to do a winter trip up that way?

The main county roads (not the silly secondary roads that the Stolpas for some reason ended up) through the Sheldon Refuge are high-speed gravel -- the roads I've driven twice in my Honda Civic on "Black Friday" (and documented here). So, though the roads are not plowed in winter...if there's little/no snow then it's no sweat. But in a normal winter there will be a time when there will likely be impassable drifts here and there.

 

[Smokecreek1]

The main county roads (not the silly secondary roads that the Stolpas for some reason ended up) through the Sheldon Refuge are high-speed gravel -- the roads I've driven twice in my Honda Civic on "Black Friday" (and documented here). So, though the roads are not plowed in winter...if there's little/no snow then it's no sweat. But in a normal winter there will be a time when there will likely be impassable drifts here and there.

Ya, but you know how to drive Mark ( and now "unstuck" trained), unlike the "stupids" who could neither drive nor read, nor have any common sense. It still bothers me that the so called media made a movie that made these people seem like hero's or something (complete with nice snow pictures of the Sierras not the northern Great Basin) ,. instead of where they were and what they did wrong ---so he made one decision after he go stuck that was right and walked to a county road station-then tried to "sue" the rescuers- the county road crews, the BLM -who later got to his wife/kid -(remember there where lot's of us folks trying to find them out there), and for some reason the USFS for not marking the road as impassible during uncertain weather. We had several threads a while back discussing "them" so except as an example of what not to do, let's do not talk about them any more!

Smoke