The American Outback
There’s a great place just across the southern Oregon border, in northern Nevada, that few have heard of and even fewer venture to. It is called Sheldon National Antelope Refuge, and it’s prime habitat for grazing Pronghorn Antelope. I’ve covered my other exploits in that region here, https://jollyroutes.com/floating-around-having-a-good-old-time/, namely a bike ride and a proposal.
This part of the country is one of the most remote I have visited. The only town within shouting distance is Denio, population 34, which has a post office, bar, and jeweler. At Denio Junction (not a town), a couple miles down the road, there is a combination gas station, restaurant, bar, and motel. Rita and I stayed there in the “green-gray trailer” out back, since they were out of rooms. Goats wandered around the premises and maybe a handful of cars passed by all day.
The refuge itself is huge and sparsely built up. It is 573,504 acres yet has only one campground with full amenities (toilet, drinking water, shower). There is also only one paved road, Highway 140, and no formal hiking trails. Any serious desire to see the heart of the land would be an offroad, backcountry adventure. Here’s the real kicker; there is a location on the refuge that is the farthest one can possibly be from a McDonald’s in the contiguous United States, at 115 miles.
On opals and antelopes
Many interesting things happened on our trip to this barren sagebrush steppe. One is that we visited Virgin Valley Opal Mine, one of only two places on earth where black fire opal can be found. Driving out there we saw a handful of trailers tucked away in the hills, each with an occupant hoping to strike it rich. I bought a ring for my fiancé here. It was mostly abalone with a small opal stone at the center. The life of a do-it-yourself miner is appealing to me. Dig by day, rest out on the porch in the evening, gazing at the great expanse of remote, rugged terrain.
Another interesting thing is that we visited a hot spring in the Virgin Valley Campground. It isn’t hot, like a hot tub is hot. It’s more like a warm pool, and in fact many sources call it a “warm spring”. There is a bathhouse for changing, and the pool is a great place to swim around in for an hour. The water is fed in from a few hot springs in the area, as well as a natural mineral spring. We were entertained by the many dragonflies zipping around the area.
For those keeping score at home, the dip in the warm springs counts as a water voyage in the Great Basin. At first, I thought I was technically still in the Pacific Northwest region, as the boundary weaves in and out of Oregon and Nevada. However, I dug out all the maps I could find, made comparative measurements using a ruler, and even found the Great Basin sub-region called “Thousand-Virgin” (there is a Thousand Creek Gorge on Sheldon Antelope Refuge). Without a doubt, I was swimming in the Great Basin.
One thing that did not happen, surprisingly, was that we didn’t see any antelope. We almost hit a jackrabbit on the drive out to Denio Junction, but other than that the wildlife was sparse. We did see an antelope from a distance later in the trip, but much farther north near Burns, Oregon.
Oasis
Besides the warm springs, we did not see much water in Nevada. We did however cross the border and stay near Steens Mountain. The rain shadow of the prominence created a dry lakebed known as Alvord Desert, which is popular for land speed record attempts. There is also a hot spring nearby. We could not pass up on the opportunity to visit two desert hot springs in one trip.
This one was definitely a hot spring, and it offered stunning views. In one direction, the icy peak of Steens Mountain loomed. In the other direction, distant cars kicked up dust as they raced across the flat, white playa. There were two areas to soak, one sheltered and one outdoor. For a period of time, we had the whole spring to ourselves; it really can be desolate out there.
I had to dig deep again to see if Alvord Hot Springs is in the Great Basin or the Pacific Northwest. USGS does not fail, Pacific Northwest Region 17120009 is called Alvord Lake. So, I’ve only got one foray into the Great Basin to speak of. One day, mark my words, I will go float on the Great Salt Lake. Until then, dip your toes in the waters of a new adventure.
