Hwy 50, the lonely one, Nevada

There are plenty of dry camp options around Jarbidge, both forest service and dispersed.

Since these are RV forums, what remote means to us is where we can still get to with our RV. Our days living out of backpacks in the High Sierras over 10K feet are in the past ... although I could probably still do it if I had a reason too using the gear stored in the basement. In Colorado we have had our RV over 11K feet and it still runs fine up there, but we don't RV camp at those altitudes due to density of air reasons. Do propane RV appliances still work above 10K feet?

We don't care about designated places to camp, only legal places to camp - where we can still get level with not too much tire hole shovel work or tire blocks not higher than around 7 inches - and where the hermit/etc. types don't come out to meet us with shotguns or worse. I like the long views one gets out in the deserts as opposed to being closed in by trees. The DW likes wherever the rocks are, with preferrably minimum rattlesnakes among those rocks.

The information on Jarbidge does indicate a hundred or so folks full-time living there, along with a place too to stay and eat if a visitor or two needs it. They also appear to have a few limited "Jarbidge social" events. The residents must be able to maintain and repair their vehicles way out there, too.

We don't mind long gravel road RV runs. We take it slow and easy so as to keep the rig together, but the roads must be wide enough or have hard pack pull offs for faster moving vehicles to get around us.

I have hunted all over Jarbidge. It takes some doing to get there, but you can camp where ever you want. We had a an elk camp at 8,600 feet in the sub-alpine fir and sagebrush. I saw a wolf there. Plenty of deer, elk and antelope. The roads are gravel for about 75 miles. You are on your own.

I was backpacking in the Rubies 2 years ago. Liberty Pass is 10,500 feet. The roads get you to Lamoille but after that you have to walk. We set up camp at 9,600 feet and had steak and lobster. Some friends brought dry ice. and we backpacked in. We made ice for drinks. by putting water in a plastic bag on the dry ice. We made ice cream for dessert. We saw no one for 5 days.

I have visited nearly every gold mine in the state as a part of my job. To travel in Nevada, you need to recalibrate what is remote. Some mine sites are literally more than 100 miles off the pavement. If you still think you need a designated place to camp, you talking about the wrong state.

profdant139 wrote:
Nevada is under-rated, in my opinion. Someday, the Ruby Mountains. Maybe even Jarbidge, if I can persuade poor DW to sit through hours of bad gravel roads to get there.

Dan ... I agree 100%.

The Ruby Mountains have always fascinated me, and recently I've been studying the area around Jarbidge. Now ... if we can only find a rockhounding excuse to check them out in the RV.

Our longest RV trek to date on washboarded gravel roads has been only around 26 miles each way in the OR Outback.

P.S. As I understand it there's a campground in, or close, to Jarbidge. I wonder if there's any drycamping on public lands in the area?

Just left Sacramento Pass last week -- if you can, snag a site near the equestrian campground -- further away from the highway. Astonishing stars at Great Basin!! Great fall color, too.

We've been boondocking east of the Tetons for a week -- now on to central Colorado.

Nevada is under-rated, in my opinion. Someday, the Ruby Mountains. Maybe even Jarbidge, if I can persuade poor DW to sit through hours of bad gravel roads to get there.

Here's what I believe: I had my compass slightly off, but when one is getting "up there in years" ... how about beautiful but remote places like these Northwest of the Black Rock Desert without communication beyond cell towers and Plans A, and B, and maybe C with regards to the unexpected when out and about in an RV:

pnichols wrote:

ppine wrote:
You have a false sense of security about helicopters, Good Sam and AAA.

Maybe your relatives would drive 10 hours each way to help you.

Have you ever tried calling for a helicopter? I broke my femur about ten years ago in eastern OR in a mule wreck. I had several people out trying to find phone reception. There were no helicopters available. We drove 100 miles on dirt roads to a ranch air strip and a fixed wing Cessna with EMTs and first morphine after 8 hours.

Remote country is different and that is my point.
"money will buy anything." In Nevada it buys prostitutes, dope, alcohol 24 hours a day and gambling. Good luck getting a tow truck.

Sorry ... but you're mostly wrong.

My InReach Iridium system satellite device will fetch (medical) emergency help in most of the world if I push a button - including of course little ole' Nevada. That's what it's for - used by outdoor workers, explorers, and outdoor enthusiasts for emergency rescue and text communication.

My daughter bought it for us because we RV rockhound sometimes way out there and she got tired of not knowing exactly where we were at all times - and yes ... she'd take days off and drive personally to Nevada in her AWD SUV to find us once I texted her for help if there were no other way. My brother (ex AF Lt. Colonel) would do the same, and so would my son, and so would my BIL.

I'll bet if I had enough headroom on my credit card I could find a 4X4 Class 5/6 truck wrecker to tow my Class C out of, say, the canyons West of the Black Rock Desert ... or at the very least find a mechanic to drive his 4X4 out there, drop my gas tank, replace the electric fuel pump, and refill the tank with enough gas to get rolling again. I hope we never have to test this, though.

For what it's worth, on cable TV I've seen what huge 4X4 wreckers can do in Alaska in the winter to rescue semi trucks. All it takes is money (or credit) ... and communications not dependent on cell towers.

I used to work for mines all over the state, in every county. I drove Route 50 at least once a month for several years. The Black Rock is in Washoe County, the most populous part of the state except for Las Vegas.

Believe whatever you want to.

2gypsies wrote:
ppine: I wouldn't advise you to take a trip to Alaska.

I used to work in the bush in SE Alaska. I have traveled there more than 10 times.
There are no roads and no trails except the ones made by bears and moose. All of the work was supported by float planes and helicopters.

ppine: I wouldn't advise you to take a trip to Alaska.

ppine wrote:
You have a false sense of security about helicopters, Good Sam and AAA.

Maybe your relatives would drive 10 hours each way to help you.

Have you ever tried calling for a helicopter? I broke my femur about ten years ago in eastern OR in a mule wreck. I had several people out trying to find phone reception. There were no helicopters available. We drove 100 miles on dirt roads to a ranch air strip and a fixed wing Cessna with EMTs and first morphine after 8 hours.

Remote country is different and that is my point.
"money will buy anything." In Nevada it buys prostitutes, dope, alcohol 24 hours a day and gambling. Good luck getting a tow truck.

Sorry ... but you're mostly wrong.

My InReach Iridium system satellite device will fetch (medical) emergency help in most of the world if I push a button - including of course little ole' Nevada. That's what it's for - used by outdoor workers, explorers, and outdoor enthusiasts for emergency rescue and text communication.

My daughter bought it for us because we RV rockhound sometimes way out there and she got tired of not knowing exactly where we were at all times - and yes ... she'd take days off and drive personally to Nevada in her AWD SUV to find us once I texted her for help if there were no other way. My brother (ex AF Lt. Colonel) would do the same, and so would my son, and so would my BIL.

I'll bet if I had enough headroom on my credit card I could find a 4X4 Class 5/6 truck wrecker to tow my Class C out of, say, the canyons West of the Black Rock Desert ... or at the very least find a mechanic to drive his 4X4 out there, drop my gas tank, replace the electric fuel pump, and refill the tank with enough gas to get rolling again. I hope we never have to test this, though.

For what it's worth, on cable TV I've seen what huge 4X4 wreckers can do in Alaska in the winter to rescue semi trucks. All it takes is money (or credit) ... and communications not dependent on cell towers.