Tag Archives: Oregon

The Steens

23 Monday Sep 2013

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I was excited to see the Steens, a fault-block mountain of the basin and range geology, not like the volcanoes of the Cascade Mountains by my home.  I had driven from the Hart Mountain Antelope Reserve and when I reached the valley rim above Frenchglen the Steens looked like a huge gentle giant of a hill that just kept going skyward.  There was no clue that the backside abruptly drops to the Alvord valley.

I was headed to the BLM Page Springs campground; a campground that my boondocking brother had recommended.  It must be nice if he recommended it. It was centrally located for exploring the vast area with a nice amount of space between each campsites.  I found the campground a happy place with a comfy camp site that I settled into for a three night stay.

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Where The Antelope Play

19 Thursday Sep 2013

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During my trip planning I happened upon finding a campground at the northwest base of Hart Mountain and in the Hart Mountain Antelope Refuge.  The campground wasn’t on most maps and my brother who had been to the area a number of times told me it didn’t exist.  But, it showed up on google aerial maps and it would be a convenient location because I wanted to visit the BLM sunstone collection area to the north.   I was off to find out the truth and I found that the campground did exist.  I don’t remember the name, but it had about 10 sites offering a wide open view.  There were no trees, just wide open expansive view.

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View from my camp site

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Almost Boondocking at the Summer Lake Wildlife Refuge

18 Wednesday Sep 2013

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I had heard that camping was allowed in this wildlife refuge.  Since I was going to be in the area; south of Bend, Oregon, I put it on my itinerary.  Yes, there were picnic tables and pit toilets (no water) like a camping site, but the place had a boondocking feeling.   There are no defined camping sites, you just set up in one of three designated areas and make it your home.  It couldn’t have been better.  The two nights I stayed there I was the only one camping in the refuge.  It was a treat to step out of my trailer in the morning and walk through the refuge viewing the birds with a cup of coffee in my hand.

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Pine Mountain Observatory

14 Saturday Sep 2013

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East of Bend, Oregon is an observatory that is open to the public in the summer on Friday and Saturday nights.  What is especially nice about this observatory is that you can camp across the road and simply stroll to the observatory when it gets dark.  Volunteers are there explaining the constellations and aim the telescope at interesting items all in a friendly informal way that pleases.

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Photo credit:  Orygun, Wikimedia Commons

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Oh My. The Grande Ronde River

22 Wednesday May 2013

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I had recently seen pictures of the canyon formed by the Grande Ronde River slicing through layers of Columbia River flood basalt.  I was astonished.  I was born and raised in Washington and had never heard of the canyon.  I added seeing this wonder to my to-do list.  So on this trip I was headed to the southeast corner of Washington to see the canyon.   I wasn’t disappointed.  Ribbons of basalt from the Columbia River flood basalt were shown in various color.  To me the sight was breathtaking.   Driving Washington Hwy 129 and Oregon Hwy 3 I drove twisting and turning to the bottom of the canyon pausing to look along the way, and then I drove up the other side.  An elevation difference of about 3,000 feet.

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View from Hwy 129

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