Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest

This entry marks a turning point in our trip. We have completed our northern adventure and now, with the onset of winter close on our heels, it’s time to finish preparations for our journey south.

We decided to go back through Denver for a few things, including some fixes to the van, before heading into Mexico. With a long drive ahead of us and with Jennifer’s Aunt having fallen ill, we decided that Jen and Quinn would fly to Philadelphia for a week (from Seattle) while I drove the van back to Denver.

On our way to Seattle we drove down the length of Whidbey Island, camping at Fort Ebey State Park. The Park is situated on a bluff overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca and was home to a WWII gun emplacement and bunker intended to protect the entrance to Puget Sound from the Japanese Navy. The bunker is still there, and Quinn and I had a great time exploring its rooms and hallways with our flashlights. We even got to see some dolphins and whales from the top of the bluff.

Our ferry from Sidney, BC to Anacortes, WA stopped at the picturesque Friday Harbor

Our ferry from Sidney, BC to Anacortes, WA stopped at the picturesque Friday Harbor

Sunset over the strait from Fort Ebey State Park

Sunset over the strait from Fort Ebey State Park

Quinn sits in the foundation for one of the WWII guns at Fort Ebey. The entrance to the bunker is in the background.

Quinn sits in the foundation for one of the WWII guns at Fort Ebey. The entrance to the bunker is in the background.

I dropped Jen and Quinn at the airport on Thursday morning, hoping to be in Denver on Monday morning to start the repairs to the van. That left me little time for sightseeing, but I did work in some back roads through Oregon, a visit to Bend Oregon, and a side trip through the seemingly seldom visited Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in northern Nevada.

Mt Hood

Mt Hood

A house on the Deschutes River in Bend, Oregon. A 12 hour stay made me want to move there.

A house on the Deschutes River in Bend, Oregon. A 12 hour stay made me want to move there.

I entered Nevada at McDermmit on US 95, and turned off onto Indian Creek Canyon Road toward the Humbolt-Toiyabe National Forest 15 miles south of town. It was nearly 5pm when I turned off onto the dirt road so I needed to find a place to camp sooner rather than later. The first few likely spots I found were occupied by parties of hunters, then the road switchbacked up over a mountain pass and it wasn’t until I got to the other side that I was able to find a level spot to pull off the road. The road was slow going but generally in good shape, although you could tell that things would get interesting in the wet.

The next morning I went for a short hike back up to the ridge line I had driven over the night before. The views out over the valleys to the east and west were beautiful.

I followed the main road south through the park enjoying the amazing fall scenery. It took me about 3 hours go up and over Hinkey Summit and descend out of the national forest to the town of Paradise Valley. With more time and preparation (GPS maps and extra fuel) it would have been fun to head due east from Paradise Valley and take the dirt roads across the Owyhee Desert and intersect Highway 225.

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The town of Paradise Valley

The town of Paradise Valley

I re-united with US 95 and drove south to Winnemucca. The next 818 miles on I-80 were covered with the aid of two audio books and involved my first stop at Taco Bell in at least 15 years, a shower at a truck stop and a cool nighttime thunderstorm over Cheyenne.

Because our travel insurance doesn’t cover us within 150 miles of home, we’ll be without insurance while we’re there, so unfortunately we’re going to have to make our stay as short as we can.

One Response to 'Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest'

  1. Good for you taking the roads less traveled! Beautiful pics – guess Paradise Valley won’t be a place for us to investigate – thanks for doing the miles for us!!!! But, Bend, on the other hand, as we’ve discovered, is very interesting! M.