It rained off and on all across the great basin for two days. Lots of rainbows with the sun.
Stopped to stretch my legs east
of Wheeler Peak (above)
13000+ in elevation
It is a national park now… Great Basin
National Park
Peaks this high have snow on them
year round
They serve as sponges to wring
out water from the clouds
There are many perennial creeks
and rivers running from them
You would not know that
Unless you drove it and saw for yourself... after all it is the Great basin Desert.
These three highways through the great basin of Nevada, Utah, and Oregon
It is a driver’s route.
Wide open in all directions it gives
you a look at the earth you cannot envision
on a map or from the interstates.
There are mountain ranges there.
Short mountain ranges
40 to 80 miles long
10 miles wide
Spaced 20 miles or so apart
Rising very high… some over 10,000 feet
There are dozens of them
Like wrinkles in a bed sheet
Ribs protruding on a lean horse
Running north south
Pushed up by the same forces that
shaped the Sierra… I suppose
The highways run north south between ranges
and jog east west over low passes
between them
It is a beautiful drive
If you are a driver
Just sayin
Better map shows the mountain humps
Humboldt River near Winnemuca
A larger part of the drive is agrarian. Hundreds of acres of sage cleared and planted with a hay-grass product of some kind. The cleared land is always down in the valley low lands where the water is cheap to pump.
Most of the hay farmers were cutting or had cut not too long ago. It smelled like grandpa’s new mown lawn times ten. The whole valley smelled of cut grass.
Often the highway divides the farmed land from the “native” land. One side green with grass and the other side dry sage land. None of the native land is really native anymore though. Cattle grazing keeps the grasses down and the sage brush takes over. The “native” land was almost all grass a hundred years ago. Now it is almost all sage with no grass to keep the brush at bay. It’s a treat to see some places that have been reclaimed by the natural grass lands. Easy to spot pronghorns if you care to stop and look.
Stayed at the Winnumucca RV park
Not the best
Rates 5
06-27 Winnemucca to Ellesnburg
North of Winnemucca on 95 I hit and killed a Raven.
If you are not familiar with Ravens out west they are very smart birds.
You often find them in groups in the middle of the road scavenging road kill.
They always scatter when a car comes and then they circle back to work on the carrion again... always except this time… one just took too long to clear.
I hate to kill animals and my language and volume showed it.
Ravens are held in high regard in all native cultures.
It was a mystical thing killing a raven... mystical is not always pleasant.
On up the road there was a migration of toads. Millions of quarter size hoppers trying to make their way across the highway… unsuccessfully, what a killing zone that was.
Squished little toads for miles.
This was not a good day for me.
spending 13 hours per day on the road avg 45-50 mph.
so no time to post much
not until I get to Terrace BC or thereabouts can I take some time.
Tomorrow try to get to Williams Lake BC and stop by and visit with Rease and Tammy at Escape along the way.
The problem with going balls out to get to the start of the trip (prince rupert) is long distance each day (600+miles), the reward is a shorter trip.Nevertheless those who spend two + months in Alaska and BC are crying for their own bed and shower after the first month
Alaska should be ingested like a seven course Italian dinner... savored slow and with love and attention over a long period of time
see different parts of Alaska each time
I will go back again after this
Slower trip coming once I reach the land of dungenous crab with butter, bread and beer (Rupert)
Just sayin
Getting into fresh fruit country.
I love this part.
Wineries all over the Yakima Valley too.
Eastern Washington and the valleys of BC
There is a better little fruit barn behind this one.
Gibson's or something like that.
I bought a small bag of rainier cherries... OMG!!
Yum
Stayed at a nice RV park on a golf course
http://www.golfsuncountry.com
$23 and it looks just like the banner on their web Site
Rates 7
Don't remember if they had wifi or not.
