October 16-20, 2025 I was just getting back from the Great Basin’s Edge and I had this idea for a Sheldon Lap. I was inspired by the trip I took in May with Wildwood Open Lands Foundation. I created the route by starting with the campsites on the map then drawing a route around them with distances and terrain in mind. The Wildlife Refuge is managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. They require camping in designated sites and following designated routes. The constraints create a new game in route planning.
Day 1 I had two similar options to drive to the start of this route, the Gerlach Route vs. the Susanville Route. Carson City to Gerlach is similar to Carson City to Susanville. Beyond either city is where the differences lie. Gerlach to Vya is about 60 miles of good dirt roads with the potential for getting a flat tire from sharp rocks in the roadway. Beyond Susanville the roads are paved through Alturas and Cedarville and an easy drive. I chose the paved route. I arrived at Vya and was on the bike by 1 pm. I had 22 miles of flat riding to the turn off to refuge. The only others I saw on the road were cattle trucks. Seasonally there could be water along the route but right now the washes are dry. There might be an opportunity to poach water from cattle troughs but I wasn’t needing water yet. Off the flats the climbing began in earnest. I climbed to Bald Mtn which is a local high point with great views. The first cabin has water and a bathroom. There are a couple of turnoffs to the north, worth checking out on a longer day. I saw a big group of deer as my first major wildlife sighting. There were raptors on the wing. Then a badger! I can think of only one other time seeing a badger, I was driving, it was late at night, and the badger was crossing the highway. This encounter was a little closer, it made me think of a grumpy old man shuffling along in a long brown overcoat. Then it disappeared in the bushes. It was getting dark, the sun was dipping behind the rolling landscape. I was fighting sunset, racing dusk and darkness. I passed more than one reservoir, is this Catnip? I hadn’t memorized my route. I arrived at Catnip Reservoir in the dark. To my surprise I was the only one there. Not to my surprise, it was a great starry sky.
Day 2 What is the obsession with recording temperatures? You can’t do anything about it. So much of it is bragging rights. But there is the practical side of answering, “is this kit adequate for the temperatures I am experiencing?” I was waking up to 18o, it was cold but my kit was adequate. I could stay in my tent until temperatures hit 30-40o or just get up and get the day started. I heard coyotes and ducks on the water during the night. Catnip Reservoir looked good. There is a boat launch and I thought it could be a nice place for a little paddle. I didn’t get moving too fast. I waited for temps to warm to dry out the tent. I was on the road by 9. The first loop I had planned turned onto a closed road. I wasn’t sure about continuing on the road ahead, with hindsight it was just a reroute that moved the original road out of a ravine and onto a hillside. This would have taken me to Andy’s Place. I back tracked to the main road. I saw sage grouse, always a plus. I modified my route to camp at Gooch Spring Camp though it was a little early in the day. Such as it goes when you are constrained by designated campsites. I hiked to the springhead and filtered water. I took advantage of the time with a nap. I set up a nice camp. Again I am the only one here and only saw one truck on the road. No antelope yet.
Day 3 I took some night shots to capture the starry sky. I took a sunrise video just to record the coyote song. It was a warmer start, 33o, which made me think what a difference 15o makes. I started the day with a climb, but so worth it. I named this Gooch Spring Loop. The rough road climbs up to Catnip high point. The route loops back down to SR 8a (dirt). Then back onto 34a (paved) to 140. The paved portion had no shoulder but very little traffic. It was 7ish miles of broken tableland to Sheldon HQ, Virgin Valley.
I rode to two view points on Thousand Creek Gorge. I took a ton of photos. I decided to skip Pine Forest Range. I didn’t want to overdo it. I should be home by Wednesday. I saw Horned Lark and a few insects, and that’s about it for wildlife – still no antelope.
Gooch Spring Loop took me to the high point in the refuge. Doug Artman’s route was slightly different but passed by here as well. RwGPS routed me on another closed road to Big Springs campground. Ultimately I didn’t feel the need to return. The 7 miles of pavement were unfortunate in an otherwise dirt tour but there wasn’t an alternative. Thousand Creek Gorge was a real standout of the trip and deserves more exploration. The decision not to include Pine Forest Range was tough. I don’t think I had an overabundance of food with me, but there would have been enough to ration.
Day 4 I woke up to great Orion viewing and the early morning temperatures were a warm, 44o. It is a pretty ugly campground, a wide open light colored gravel parking lot with picnic tables and fire rings. But the pool and bathhouse are pretty cool. I wasn’t carrying swim gear but I definitely will on my next visit. Beyond the warm pool the bathhouse has a shower that is constantly running. Of all things there is a great little library. Then I rolled out. Again, morning light really enhanced the terrain. 7-8 miles down down the Virgin Valley I saw some deer. I passed the Peacock Mine which is a seasonal attraction, then there was a long deep water crossing. Shoes off, socks off through cold water! Then a light rain. There is always that decision, when do I put on the rain gear? I think the answer is to put it on right away. Keep your layers as dry as possible, vent as much heat and perspiration as you can. At some point the rain was heavy enough that I decided to hide out under a rock. The bands of heavy clouds were moving through an overcast sky. As soon as the rain pants came on the rain lessened. Then it was just spitting rain until the route was closed again! This was road number three that RwGPS recommended that was closed. I back tracked to follow the route in the paper refuge pamphlet. If I could have checked in with the Virgin Valley HQ it would be nice to get an update on recommended and open roads. This is the second re-route on good roads. I made it to 8a, then Fish Springs Campsite. This was the first site I saw occupied by hunters. Probably spoiling their good time and street cred for camping in the great outback in their campers while a guy shows up on a bicycle with a tent. At this point I figured I had 2-3 days to go.
Day 5 Waking up to a very frosty 16o was a bit cold. The worst thing was the amount of frost on the tent because I don’t like packing a wet tent. With the light rains the ground was holding moisture and freezing temperatures below dew point meant frost on everything. I got to say I wasn’t impressed. It was cold, a little colder than anticipated. I decided to cut to the finish. It is always a difficult internal conversation. I had another day’s loop planned but I decided to stay on Co Rd 8a to the finish. I took a lot of time to get things to dry out. The morning was staying cold, the wind was calm. I think the wind and rain from the day before and low temps had me thinking of pizza, ha! By noon-ish the temps were feeling ok. Should I explore a random road and extend my trip by a day? Nah, I’ll be back. The day was shorter in mileage and the road was smooth and overall downhill. I did make little detours down roads I passed to leave little “GPS tags” as reminders to take a look as to where these roads lead.
I filled up with gas in Cedarville where there are decent options for food. On the drive in I had spotted a burrito shop, Rubio’s Taqueria, in Alturas to try on my return. I can highly recommend it! Anyone passing through should grab a burrito for the road or trail.
The Sheldon is a special place I will share with others. It seems to epitomize conservation for recreation at the same time as conservation for wildlife. There are a range of managed roads from well graded to minimally maintained, but never extreme. The access to water is good. The designated but otherwise primitive campsites range from having vault toilets, water spigots, corals, picnic tables, and fire rings to just having an open flat space for a tent or trailer. These designated campsites and routes focus the impact of visitors on a very small portion of the landscape leaving the vast majority to be enjoyed by all. I will modify this route into something to share with a group but I would like to develop a northern tier across Nevada tour from here as well. Next time there will be antelope for sure!
By the numbers: 175 miles, 10,900′. View the collection on RwGPS.