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Published: August 16th 2009
Kiger Gorge
Steens Mountain Wilderness Craig and I began our long, dusty drive east. Our final destination was to be the Steens Mountain Wilderness in Harney County, where we hoped to camp for several days. We drove through Bend and entered into the flat brown landscape stretching towards Burns, a far cry from the lush Willamette Valley. There wasn’t much around besides sage brush, and the “towns” marked on the map were only comprised of tiny gas stations/convenience stores. In total, the drive took us nearly seven hours, culminating in a 17 mile gravel stretch to reach our campsite at Fish Lake. Along the way the countryside had changed drastically, the flat, sage-brush spotted landscape giving way to lush pockets of green grass, naturally irrigated by shallow streams. These small oases were punctuated by impressive flat-topped buttes that formed vast vertical walls on an otherwise smooth plane.
Fish Lake is a small, nondescript camping area, with 23 sites nestled along the shores of the aptly named body of water. We set up our tent in a grove of aspens a short walk from the lake, and built a fire in the gathering darkness. Darkness brought bitter cold, and on the first night I woke
to find my heart racing uncontrollably, and by breath coming in gasps. I attributed this feeling to the thick layers of clothing that were nearly suffocating me, and after stepping outside for some fresh air, went back to sleep. I didn’t realize until later, when even the simplest task left me short of breath, that we had climbed to a remarkable elevation. The summit of the Steens Mountain is nearly 10,000 feet at its highest point. The ascent during our drive had been so gradual neither of us noticed that we’d climbed nearly a vertical mile.
On our first full day in the Steens we drove another nine miles along a windy gravel road to toward the summit, stopping at the spectacular Kiger Gorge Viewpoint. Steens Mountain is classified as a “fault-block mountain”, formed 20 million years ago when tectonic pressure caused the bedrock to break and shoot upward. During the Ice Age, glaciers eroded the rock, cutting dramatic gorges into the mountains. The mountains are snow-bound and nearly inaccessible for a large portion of the year, and even in mid-August strong winds brought a chill near the summit. We parked at the trailhead to Wildhorse Lake and began
venturing down. Roundtrip, the hike is only 2.5 miles, but the 1100 foot elevation difference between top and bottom makes it quite a strenuous climb. The first portion of the trail was comprised of rocky switchbacks, which eventually led us past large, vertical rock walls, and then opened up onto a meadow, with a small trickle of water and many colorful flowers.
The area is home to some remarkable vegetation, many species of which are only found in the Steens Mountain Wilderness. One example was the large Steens Thistle, growing prevalently at the high altitude and providing pollen for the fat bees which frequented its purple flowers. Wildhorse Lake seems incredibly remote, situated in the basin of a steep gorge, with views of the distant Alvord Desert below. The glacial lake is one of Oregon’s highest, and there wasn’t a soul in sight as we collapsed exhausted near the shore. The pristine beauty of such a place is difficult to describe, but sitting near the deep blue water, I felt a profound sense of peace. Craig, feeling a surge of bravado in spite of the cold, jumped all the way in. The hike back up was steep and unforgiving,
the Long Way Down
Wildhorse Lake Hike, Steens Mountain Wilderness but afforded more views of the stunning gorge. Back at the top, we picnicked on a blustery ledge, and made our way back to Fish Lake to hike around the ridges near our campsite.
The next day we hoped to see the Alvord, a dry lakebed that is Oregon’s only true desert. We drove south for about an hour to Fields, a tiny town comprised of a gas station and a small cluster of homes. We ate a breakfast of hash browns and pancakes in the small café adjoining the gas station, chatting with the proprietress about the desert. Her young son enthusiastically showed us pictures of some species of lizards that live in the desert, including Horny Toads and Whiptails. Apparently, a group of students from Western Washington University spends a month in the desert every summer conducting field research on the lizards, tagging them and fixing them with tracking devices. The walls of the small convenience store were plastered with hunting photos; men and women proudly standing over their “trophies” of dead deer, cougars, lynx, and antelope. Some locals sped in on four wheelers and gave us questioning glances. I had the strange feeling of experiencing culture
Kiger Gorge
Steens Mountain Wilderness shock in my own state, and was happy to leave.
The desert was located just twenty miles away, down another long gravel road. We drove along, leaving a trail of dust in our wake, the shimmer of the desert visible across a dry pasture. Then there was a loud bang and what I thought was a sprinkler turning on... until Craig directed me to roll down the window and I realized it was really the hiss of escaping air. In spite of my careful driving, the rough road was too much for our very old tires. A large rock had punched a huge hole in the rubber, and the tire went flat in under a minute. We pulled over and changed it, then made the excruciating decision not to continue up the road. Both of us had been hoping to have a chance to walk on the desert playa, but without a spare tire we were at serious risk of being stuck in the middle of nowhere. Disappointed, we turned around. We were still able to enjoy excellent views of the desert from afar, which looked like something out of the Old West, with dead trees, dust devils, and
Painted Hills
John Day Fossil Beds bouncing tumbleweed. I felt slightly better as we crept back down the road, passing a large 4x4 SUV which had also blown a tire on the unforgiving rocks. Back in the Steens, we hiked around a beautiful aspen grove and climbed on some large boulders. Our last night in the mountains was the coldest and dampest yet, but worth enduring for the spectacular meteor shower that took place across the glittering night sky.
During our time in the Steens Mountain Wilderness, we saw a vast variety of animal life. There were deer, pronghorn antelope, hawks, coyotes, mice, chipmunks, and lizards. Some of our favorite sightings included a golden eagle, and a small fox, which watched us curiously as we drove by. Unfortunately, we didn’t see any wild horses, a native breed known as the Kiger Mustang, descended from Spanish horses brought to North American during the 17th century.
We took a different route home, this time driving north out of Burns to John Day. The road wound through Malheur National Forest, which was draped in moist, low-hanging clouds. As we continued west, the rock formations became more dramatic, and we stopped at the Sheep Rock Unit of the
Painted Hills
John Day Fossil Beds John Day Fossil Beds. We happily stretched our legs on a short trail which wound around a basin of bluish-green clay. Here, researchers have discovered a plethora of fossils dating back 30 million years, including an ancient two-horned rhinoceros and mesohippus, the earliest horse. Farther up the road, roughly 45 miles from Prineville, we also stopped at the Painted Hills, which were formed by ash from volcanic eruptions millions of years ago. Over time, they have eroded to their present dimensions. Their spectacular coloring comes from streaks of iron, manganese, and other elements found in the various types of rock and sediment comprising them.
Exploring the desolate and dramatic beauty of Eastern Oregon made me anxious to spend more time there. Nonetheless, I was happy to make it back to Eugene (and a hot shower) with our last four tires intact.
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