Tour Announcement: The Owyhee Expedition 05/23/08 thru 05/26/08

[Jerry]

ANOTHER BACKROAD DRIVERS NORTHWEST TOUR
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/BackroadDrivers/


THE OWYHEE EXPEDITION
May 23 to 26, 2008

Memorial Day Weekend

We are in the early stages of planning an expected 4-day expedition to the southeast corner of Oregon where we will follow the Owyhee River, drive remote ranch roads, search out geological and historical attractions and perhaps locate the corner of the Oregon, Idaho and Nevada borders via dirt ranch roads. A good map and a GPS will definitely come in handy on this trip.

We can either camp out or make daily loop tours to take advantage of lodging facilities in Jordan Valley, Oregon; Burns Junction, Oregon; and McDermitt, Nevada or plan a combination of camping and lodging. No matter, we will need to visit one of the above locations to fill up on gas during the four-day trip.

The trek will necessitate dependable high ground clearance 4-wheel drive pickups or SUV's capable of two-foot-deep water crossings and equipped with all-terrain or mud-terrain tires and retrieval gear.

How does the Memorial Day weekend sound? If you have any other ideas, suggestions, etc, please comment.

Thanks,
Jerry
_______________________________
BACKROAD DRIVERS NORTHWEST
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/BackroadDrivers/

[Toy Man]

I have been planning on doing this area. It will be great to do it with others rather doing a Lone Ranger drive.

Toy Man

[nightfoam]

This sounds like a good one. I can't guarantee I'll be there YET but I gonna plan on it for now...
Probably my mom in her truck and perhaps a friend also...

[Jerry]

Owyhee Exploration Dates:
Originally we had planned on doing the Owyhee trip the week after Memorial Day. But after second thoughts and twisting arms to allow for schedule changes we find we are able to explore the Owyhee Country over the Memorial Day weekend.

Does the Memorial Day weekend work better for you?

Toy Man? nightfoam? Anybody else?

Jerry

[Toy Man]

Hmm - will have to check with my wife.

What would the exact dates be?

Toy Man

[Jerry]

What would the exact dates be?

The Memorial Day Weekend is May 24 to 26, Saturday thru Monday. We are thinking of starting the trek on Thursday, May 23rd, but that is still in the discussion stage. To accommodate everybody we can make the main part of the trip Saturday and Sunday allowing people to come in on Friday and leave for home on Monday and do a couple of day trips before and after for those who want to spend more time. Let's do whatever works best for all concerned.

[Toy Man]

Think you have a typo on the starting date.

I assume you meant Friday May 23.

Remind me where we would be meeting at Friday Morning.

(And what sort of crazy people are up at this time of day? <g>)

Toy Man

[Jerry]

(And what sort of crazy people are up at this time of day? <g>)

I hit the sack about 7 minutes after your post (1:53 AM) and yes, I did a typo, thanks.

I guess what was on my mind was driving to Jordan Valley on Thursday, 5-22 and check into a motel. Meet on Friday morning, 5-23 and do some loop roads ending up in JV that night. Meet up with the majority of folks on Saturday morning, 5-24 and do a trek into the far SE corner, possibly camp out that night (whatever the consensus), explore more on Sunday, 5-25 and camp out again that night followed by finding a main road on Monday, 5-26 for the trip home. Any configuration works - we are flexible.

If we go over the Memorial Day weekend and if motel rooms are part of our agenda we should make reservations early because there are only two small motels in Jordan Valley. We need to do some route planning ASAP.

This is a great opportunity for traveling that part of the country in a safer environment than going alone. Even if we are equipped to the gills with retrieval and survival gear we want to travel with at least two vehicles in case of an emergency. And we need a minimum of 2 vehicles, one equipped with a winch, for safe water crossings and I have a winch.

We should have it nailed down ASAP, but can still play with some options until mid April when we officially announce the tour. And we can make adjustments once we are on the trail as long as they do not affect people who might be meeting us the next day. Also if people want to leave early they can do that, too.

If anybody is interested in attending one, two, three days or more please let me know.

Thanks,
Jerry

[nightfoam]

Hmm... I'll have to check out the schedule at work, see if I can get the time off....... If I can, I'm DEFINITELY in, it should be a blast, I MAY even get my new lift before then...

[Jerry]

I MAY even get my new lift before then...

You may need it for the water crossings