Owyhee 2016, Part 2 – Birch Creek and Jordan Craters
After departing Leslie Gulch we made our way across the sagebrush sea to Birch Creek. Not having been there I wasn’t sure what to expect but I was hoping to find a place to spend the night.
The Owyhee Country is a vast expanse. Considering the area drained by the Owyhee River you are looking at portions of 3 states. A four-day weekend is enough to just scratch the surface. Travelling across a lot of this country you are driving through vast areas of sagebrush and cheatgrass punctuated by a ranch here and there, but there are a lot of hidden gems. You get to the edge of some rimrock and all the sudden it is like you are in another world. I suspected as much from Birch Creek after the sights of Succor Creek and Leslie Gulch, but after 20 miles of rough dirt road and dry cheatgrass you start to question yourself. Is there really something out here worth driving all this way? When we reached the warning sign of 8 miles of steep dirt road ahead where four-wheel drive was highly recommended we knew we were in the right place.
