A mixture of fact and myth constitutes some of the stories told by the old timers, and may be taken with a grain of salt. It was customary in early days, for two people to “sit up nights,” with the dead after they were “laid out” for burial, until the interment took place.
A miner who had a deformity of the back had died and been prepared for burial. The undertaker had difficulty in keeping the head of the corpse down in place, as it had a tendency to spring upward from the slab on which he lay, so he anchored it down fast with a long piece of twine.
Pat and Mike, (we shall call them that in lieu of their real names), had been engaged to sit with the corpse. They had fortified themselves with strong drink to help pass the long hours of the night, but ran out of spirits about midnight. Pat volunteered to go to the nearest saloon to purchase some more.
Shortly after his departure, a cat meandered into the room and leaped on the breast of the deceased. Mike bleary-eyed was comfortably seated by the stove and by the dim light of the coal oil lamp, attempted to “scat” the cat by heaving a sharp stick of wood at the intruder. The wood hit the taut string that anchored the corpse’s head, and broke it, whereupon the head flew forward. This was enough to spook the startled Mike into yelling, “Lay back down, you s-- of a b--, I’ll take care of that cat!”
The Owyhee Uplands National Back Country Byway offers high desert scenery at its finest. From expanses of sagebrush and grasslands to sheer, red-walled river canyons, the Byway provides an opportunity to visit a vast, little-known, and unchanged corner of the American West.
Beginning from Jordan Valley, the Byway passes through lush irrigated hay meadows that follow the winding course of Jordan Creek. It soon climbs through rolling desert uplands with views of Nevada’s Santa Rosa Mountains on the southern horizon. The road reaches the rim rock of the North Fork Owyhee River Canyon and then descends into the river gorge. Tall rock pinnacles rise from the river’s shoreline. A quiet BLM campground is nestled in the canyon at the North Fork Crossing.
Moving eastward, gnarled juniper woodlands dominate the landscape. Some of these trees are over 500 years old. The grass and sagebrush openings are home to a variety of springtime wildflowers. As the Byway climbs higher into the Owyhee Mountains the juniper are gradually replaced by stands of mountain mahogany interspersed with grassy swales.
The Byway then descends northward through the steep-sloped Poison Creek drainage, where willows, aspen, and poplars line the watercourse. A shady BLM picnic area and restroom are located at Poison Creek Spring. Finally, the road passes through a very dry, salt-desert shrub landscape before reaching Grand View.
You will see many uses of the land. Grazing management areas, riparian areas, fish and wildlife habitat, areas recommended for wilderness, or considered for wild and scenic river status. It is a diverse region; stark in places, possessing dramatic beauty in others.
The Byway is located in Owyhee County, Idaho, and Malheur County, Oregon. It can be reached from the west through Jordan Valley, Oregon and from the east via State Highway 78 near Grand View, Idaho. The Byway is 103 miles long. A roundtrip from Boise is approximately 250 miles and takes a full day. The Byway makes for a great overnight camping trip if you have the time.
The road averages 1.5 lanes with frequent opportunities for safe passing at speeds of up to 35 miles per hour. It has a graveled surface. Snow usually blocks passage between late October and early May. Grades of up to 12 percent are encountered for short stretches, but the Byway can be easily traveled in the summer by passenger vehicles. No services occur along the Byway, so be sure to take food and water, check your vehicle, and gas-up before you begin.