Day 27 – Miller Bison Farm

Traveling west out of Utah on “Scenic” Route 50 the clouds were so low at first that they touched the ground. However, as we began to climb the first pass of the day through the Confusion Mountain Range (love that name) snow covered mountains began to peak through the cloud cover.

This mountain range was mainly layers of black basalt which were accentuated by the white snow pack. Seeing the dark jagged mountains was a change from the colored sedimentary mountains through which we have been traveling recently. Much more reminiscent of home in the northwest.


The next few mountain ranges that we crossed to reach our destination outside of Eureka, Nevada, were back to the colorful sedimentary layers. However, that didn’t make them any lower in elevation. They too were covered with white mantles.


There are numerous different mountain ranges in eastern Nevada which surprised us. A few that we crossed through were the Snake Range, Schell Creek Range, Eagan Range, and Pancake Range. Most of the passes had elevations above 7,500 feet, so mounds of snow under sagebrush was common.


Wide valleys covered in dusky-green sagebrush and darker green juniper trees connected the mountain ranges. Most of the wide expanses were dotted with cattle. In a couple locations we saw cowboys rounding up herds. In addition to horses, they also use ATV’s nowadays to bring in the cows.

Eventually we reached our destination the Miller Bison Ranch, where we would be staying the night as a Harvest Host guest. With a backdrop of the snow-covered Diamond Mountains this was the most picturesque stay we’ve had yet. The host was very welcoming and helpful. 

What started in 2013 as a hobby, at the request of friends and acquaintances, has developed into business. They now have over 100 bison in their herd and sell a wide variety of bison products. We gladly bought a few steaks and some bison burger to take home with us. They do ship their products. You can checkout their products and learn about their regenerative farming practices at www.millerbisonmeat.com 




Although a bit nippy in the low 50’s, we spent a relaxing afternoon watching puffy clouds drift across the Diamond Mountains, sipping an Irish Coffee, and discussing our next destination.

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