Oley Skamfer came from Norway to Jordan Valley as a young man. He became one of Jordan Valley’s famous “characters.” Oley is gone but the memory of his corned-beef lingers on. Anyone who ever got a “whiff” of the beef, while it was cooking, never forgot it. During the years, that Oley lived at Bull Basin and Crutcher Crossing, he “put-up” corn-beef. The meat did not necessarily have to be bee, venison and antelope are excellent substitutes for corning, more often than not.
Oley took great pride in his preparation of “vittles,” and many a rancher or cowboy riding out that way were invited to eat a meal or to spend the night with Oley. Invariably the grub, whether it be stew, beans or mulligan was seasoned with corned-beef. Oley’s corned-beef had a distinctive flavor all its own, the rancher say. Trying to describe it, one of Oley’s neighbors declared, “It smelled like somethin’ had crawled in the brine and died!” When it was cooked the meat had a putrid flavor, yet Oley thrived on it for years.
Oley died in his bed in September 1954 at Crutcher Crossing. Oley had not gone to Jordan Valley to “lay around and die.” Oley is buried in the Jordan Valley Cemetery, with a nice tombstone marking his last resting place.
Cache Journey:
Depart Juniper Mountain Road at the Bull Basin Road Exit (N42° 31.015' W116° 53.625' - map board and two cattle guards at exit) and travel south 6.6 miles to the Herds V Exit (N42° 26.302' W116° 52.846'). Recommend a high-clearance vehicle on the Bull Basin Road which can be extremely difficult if wet or snow covered. There is parking available to off load an ATV / UTV at the exit.
The trail from the Herds V Exit to the cache, approximately 4 miles, should only be attempted with an ATV or UTV due to abundance of vegetation, narrow trail, and the elevation drops almost 1100 feet from the exit to the cache. This is not a beginner’s ATV trail so please use caution.
You must travel through the Herd V Gate (N42° 25.916' W116° 54.050'), which is approximately 1.34 miles from the Bull Basin Road Exit. Please leave the gate as you found it. Both sides of the fence line are public lands (BLM-managed). None of the trail is within the Owyhee Wilderness Area.
The last several hundred yards of the trail, you will follow the fence-line. As you get closer to the cache, the trail becomes a challenge with vegetation, especially high grass. Look for man-made clues along the trail. The hilltop east of the cache is known as Herds V (vee) not Herds 5.
No cell phone service in area! This is a very remote cache so use caution and be prepared for the terrain and changing weather conditions.
The cache container is a green plastic ammo can. I have started the cache with the following contents –
• Notebook and pencils
• Miami Vice cassette tape in original case
• OSCB magnet
• Corsair dog tag with chain
• Spirit of America lapel pin
• Cessna 12VDC electric clock
• Mini-mini hand warmer
• 12-hour Cyalume safety lightstick
• SPAM can
Enjoy your journey to this remote cache.