Glad I knew it...when. Travel Nevada has been promoting it lately...for the people that have to be told to do something rather than figure it out on their own.
Like Saline, for instance.
Like Saline, for instance.
Jarbidge or Bust - "Overlanding" Nevada 2015
- Thread starter FJ60Cam
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- Thread starter
- #422
We will wait for record rain again
Subaru meadows V2.0
- Thread starter
- #424
Guaranteed to have Subarus this time
So typical of western US BLM & USFS lands, especially since covid, we've seen 40' diesel pushers and 35-40' triple axle RV trailers so far removed from pavement we wondered if they were airlifted in instead of driven, even in the remote general Jarbidge area. Obviously, they didn't get in there via Subaru Meadows 
So, unless you are an OG car camper who knew about these BLM/USFS hidden gems long before having to be told to do something, these places off limits...got it.
^^^ The biggest problem: People in mass are bringing all their stuff into the back-country and then treating it as a dump when they leave. Campfires still smoldering, all kinds of paper/cardboard waste including camp furniture boxes (yep...couldn't believe that one but seen it more than once), human feces/toilet paper, generators, lack of respect for other campers, shooting up signs, etc., etc. This problem has increased exponentially over the decades I've been traveling and camping in remote places in the lower 48.
The human feces & toilet paper left behind at Alabama Hills, Eastern Sierra, got so bad the park system finally outlawed overnight camping in this area. I mean, WTF is wrong with people?
So, that's my bent.
The human feces & toilet paper left behind at Alabama Hills, Eastern Sierra, got so bad the park system finally outlawed overnight camping in this area. I mean, WTF is wrong with people?
So, that's my bent.
This was a nice place to go...until it wasn't.
that's the slippery slope that has eventually resulted in a lot of amazing places in the east being gated and closed.
Been to Moab lately? Crazy explosion of popularity...so much so the BLM just closed 307 miles of established & popular 4x4 trails in and around Moab. And more to come...
So, again, the internet and all the commerce surrounding "overlanding" hasn't been a friend of long time back-country travelers/campers.
So, again, the internet and all the commerce surrounding "overlanding" hasn't been a friend of long time back-country travelers/campers.
****ing overlanding.... 
no Chick Fil A, no Wct. That's how I roll...
Bomar
SILVER Star
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Cruiserdrew
On the way there
I'd be up for another trip out there next spring. It remains one of my favorite ever trips. I guess we'll need to see what the weather brings. This is supposed to be another wet year, but predictions more than a few days out, are not the most reliable.
With that said, I was up there in late May this past spring, and it poured rain on us especially around McDermitt. We camped a bit further north in Oregon, so maybe that was it. Maybe the weather is always bad there in the Spring!
With that said, I was up there in late May this past spring, and it poured rain on us especially around McDermitt. We camped a bit further north in Oregon, so maybe that was it. Maybe the weather is always bad there in the Spring!
TrickyT
Hate that mud...
I just re-watched Alex's epic video and it was like reliving the trip all over again. Except for all the car washes. 
Great video. Haven't gone through the forums yet . I'm doing a trip into high rock canyon / black rock desert in May . Jarbidge probably still snowed in , they got high pretty good this year and the snow stations still showing 70"+....black rock is already melted off and ready for some wheelin
What time of year was this ? Looks like that mud can get you
What time of year was this ? Looks like that mud can get you
TrickyT
Hate that mud...
It was the last week of May. Pretty sure we could not have made the same trip much earlier in the year. As it was we got bogged down in mud several times, including one location now affectionally known as Subaru Meadows that required several vehicles using linked winch lines plus extensions to in order to extract our fearless trail leader. July or later is recommended. And make sure you go with other vehicles capable of winching each other. But it's a fantastic area for an off-road trip, and so highly recommended.
Sounds like you guys had a wild trip, thanks for the details. I've done a bunch more research since I reached out and spressomon was able to provide some tips as well.
My trip will be mid may but I'm not going to be able to hit Jarbidge this year, the focus will be the northern section of black rock desert instead. We'll be up against the same possible spring run off issues, but luckily most of that seems to be melted off already. Jarbidge is still holding some deep snow
This comment about looking at the map has me laughing hard as I was skimming along thinking the same thing , but then I started to piece it all together and it really did make for a perfect route . I've been studying this section of the map non stop the past few months....
I finally got a chance to read through this trip report , man it looks like you guys had such a a fun time and that approach into the Jarbidge couldn't have been any better .....This thread is worthy of revival and maybe time to motivate you guys to head west again! Thanks for sharing
So this may only be interesting to some but if you check some of the SNOTEL weather stations along the route you guys took, back in 2015 the snow depth was abnormally low . Screenshot below is from the Jarbidge summit. April had 0" of snow.....Every single year since that has consistently always been double digits throughout April.... I wonder if the early season melt made for extra muddy conditions whereas usually they r still snowed in that time of year hmmm
>Link to Jarbidge snotel
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The Shovel Brigade is what initially attracted our attention to Jarbidge. Great friends Jack & Darcie aka @locrwln1 in their, then, white 80-Series, starting in April 2006, we tried every spring to go to Jarbidge via the 'back way' and got snowed/iced/mudded out before we even got close. And each subsequent year we'd plan to go 2-weeks later thinking that would solve the dilemma; nope. Finally in 2010 or 2011, I forget, we said "eff it, we're going to hold off until middle of June". That year we finally punched through but could not have made it a week earlier due to all the tree blow down on high country trails, that some kind volunteers, cut out of the way. Epic.
www.motherjones.com
The Shovel Rebellion
A century-old dispute over federal lands has erupted in protests and violence in Elko County, Nevada. Why are folks in this isolated Western community taking the law into their own hands?
www.motherjones.com