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Well, it was already over 90 F when I got started, so I decided to skip the route over the Pah Rah mountains and just ride directly to Gerlach via Nixon on Highway 447. From Gerlach I rode the whole length of the Black Rock Desert in a northeast direction before popping onto Soldier Meadows Road. It was a steady 102 F through the Black Rock – but with a nice refreshing 102 F head wind, ha.
To get to Virgin Valley I split off from Summit Lake Road about 2 miles north of the Paiute village and followed Sagebrush Creek almost due north down a mostly disused trail. This was the more direct route to Virgin Valley but it was pretty slow, with dozens of rocky creekbed crossings.
It took about 90 minutes to do 30 miles following Sagebrush Creek, which made arriving at Virgin Valley all the better. Virgin Valley has a super refreshing natural warm spring pool, a pump for fresh drinking water and free camping. The camp site is an 8/10, with the only negative being that it is only about a mile from Highway 140 so it is pretty popular. I think a half dozens campers were there when I arrived.
The next day I entered Oregon via Jackass Flat and crossed the Pueblo Mountains via Domingo Pass, which is a 6,400′ saddle. The trail climbs about 1,500′ in two miles and I got to open up the throttle a little bit.
Here is a pic from the top of Domingo Pass. The trail drops down quickly and flows really well. I’ve been here in May a few years ago after some rains and the landscape was very green and the trail muddy. Real dry this time.
I stopped in Fields for gas and drinks and headed out again. I crossed back over the Pueblo Mountains on Catlow Valley Road, then turned off on a 4×4 road that cut across Catlow Valley to the backside of Hart Mountain. I was looking forward to this section because it would pass through several buttes, but unfortunately, the trail was disused and the gate had a no trespassing sign. I had to go to Plan B, which meant staying on tarmac to Rock Creek Lane, which is 45 miles from Fields and 67 miles from Burns…then following this gravel county road for a couple of hours. Bummer.
Here is a pic of Hart Mountain after descending down from the north. My cell phone pic doesn’t do it justice, the mountain really is magnificent.
After stopping off in Lakeview for gas and a burger I climbed up the Warner Mountains in the Fremont National Forest via NF-3923 and NF-391. This was the best riding of the trip, with dense forest and plenty of steep climbs and descents with water bars and stream crossings. It was a bit cooler here (96 F at 5 PM) but humid.
I arrived at Deep Creek Campground at about 7 PM. This was a basic campground with just picnic benches and a long drop. The terrain is rough around here though, so I’m just glad there was any clearing to put my tent down.
There was no one there at Deep Creek Campground, so I was pretty excited about having the creek to myself for a swim. However, it was not real deep at all. The pure water was a lifesaver though, since I only had about a cup left in my reservoir. The mosquitoes were also out in force here. This campsite is a 5/10.
The next day I bid adieu to my mosquito friends and headed south through the Bald Hills. The scenery was epic and it was nice and cool in the morning (70 F).
I continued down to Highway 395 and rode past Fort Bidwell and into Cedarville, where I gassed up and filled my reservoir with ice and Gatorade. The pavement ended and the heat got turned back up to the 102 F range as soon as I crossed the border from CA to NV. I took CR 34 to High Rock Canyon Road, which is a rocky two-track.
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