Wilderness Society Hike
My whole deal in bringing folks out is just to introduce them to the country. My idea is just to get people out to get a look, get a view, get a chance to introduce them to a part of it, give them a better sense of how they can come out and appreciate their public lands and see something and think about coming next time. The desert country has been overlooked in the whole wilderness movement because it's not the spectacular alpine scenes. So the desert ecosystem didn't have those areas that were set aside to stay the same, and this is the wildest of the wild. It's really some of the wildest desert country anywhere in North America. By protecting the Owyhee's we've told our kids and everybody else that the wilderness is still alive. It's a thing for today and that we're going to protect more wilderness in ways that people can live with it and use it and experience it. |
John McCarthy of the Wilderness Society is delighted conservationists, ranchers, and others interested in the Owyhee canyonlands have found common ground. During the collaborative process of crafting the Owyhee Initiative he realized many people share an appreciation for this vast desert landscape. And McCarthy is always looking to share his love of this area with others. He's been leading spring hiking trips in the canyonlands for some time and now he's able to take desert explorers into newly established wilderness areas like the North Fork of the Owyhee River Wilderness. The wilderness is just north of the Mud Flat road and the BLMs only official campground in the area. It's a good place to introduce people to the Owyhee country.