Open Spaces

         Saturday night at Hickson Petroglyphs 24 miles east of Austin, Nevada elevation 6500 feet and we have no neighbors in our BLM campground. This is a dry camp bring your own water but staggering views of the valley below us and a walk to view the petroglyphs.

Trust me, petroglyphs here but hard to see!

The reason, we think, we have no neighbors is that it took us nearly 2 hours to get our trailer level. Since this is a BLM campground it has been directly impacted by sequestration and it appears that no grading of the sites has been done in several years. Let me guess since the Republicans took control of the House and Senate. So we had to work and work and eventually dig to get level but finally managed and we have been rewarded in our last night at a campsite after our weeks on the road. Tomorrow we will be at our Don and Patty's in Wellington, Nevada until Wednesday when we make our way home. Do recommend this great site at Hickson, just bring water and maybe a shovel and a beautiful home is yours for the night.

Borders Inn

        Yesterday, Friday, was a transect from the bluffs of Utah to the Great Basin area of Nevada with a stop last night at the Border Inn, which has it's famous showers in Utah and it's casino and bar in Nevada. We had driven 83 miles from Delta, Utah with no services, none. We encountered bike riders 20 miles out with 63 miles to go on this desolate but scenic road. At the end of the 83 miles was Border Inn. It first built when highway 50 was built and a log cabin from Lehman Caves in Great Basin National Park was moved down to become the Inn. The RV park is wind swept and includes some permanent trailers. We settled in and turned on the air conditioner for Rose and went over for a beer at the Border Inn.

View from the petroglyph walk Hickson BLM

We ordered at cold one and had a chance to talk to Denys Koyle the owner of the Inn. We mentioned the bike rider and she said they often get riders on Highway 50. She has taken gallons of water and dropped them for the riders at agreed mile posts for them. She also mentioned the TransAmerica trail that is a dirt road often taken by trail bike riders who come by the Border Inn and restock and shower. The trail we found out is 3743 miles across the US from Astoria, Oregon
to the East Coast. One of the routes goes through Baker City or the Border Inn.
      The Inn has been enlarged over time and has motel rooms in Utah on Mountain time and the restaurant, bar and small casino is on Pacific time. The halls of the Inn has pictures with names of all the local residents and many, we noticed were shepherds. Border Inn, we found out, is beholden to the many shepherds who have come in for a shower (free and clean) and beer and a good meal. It appears to be a community gathering place. The evening we were there they were holding a wake for a local person who had been a "regular." There were at least 40 cars that appeared that evening. We had breakfast there in the morning and the young woman serving us said the man who died "lived up the mountain, did"t say much, looked kind of mean, but was listened to when he spoke, and was really a very gentle person, cared for by many." Jim googled the Inn tonight and found that for the last 14 years and scheduled for this January 20th and 21th is the Sheepherders Ball which welcomes all involved in the sheep industry. The Borders Inn acknowledges that the sheepherders who often come in during the winter months have enabled them to stay in business. Another joy, at finding the Borders Inn was the older gentleman who was at the bar with us in the afternoon telling about people history in this place, and again at breakfast. The Borders is truly a place for community in a very open space. Made me wonder, how many other little unassuming little cafes in out of the way places may also have a long history and connection for the people who live there.

Designs from Native Peoples deepened by erosion on the sandstone