Oregon: Malheur, Ochoco and Deschutes National Forests

[beers_52]

My cousin and I try to attend the SolWest renewable energy fair in John Day, Oregon every year. It’s been a couple(?) years since the last time, so we were both happy we could get away from the daily grind to do it this year.

In the past we have always camped and tried to do some exploring on gravel roads. This year was a nice change, as we only spent a half a day at the fair, and the rest of the time trying to figure a way from John Day to Prineville that didn’t involve any pavement.

July 27

I had my alarm clock set for 0540 to allow me to make my scheduled 0600 departure. The alarm went off, I hit snooze. Repeat. I finally rolled out at 0601 and started loading up the cooler from the fridge.

I stopped at Albertson’s to pick up a bag each, crushed and block of ice and a dozen roses for my wife. (Author’s note: If you are leaving your wife home with the kid(s) while you go play for the weekend, having her wake up to a dozen roses is a good first step towards getting her to let you do it again.)

Officially on the road at 0625. Made it to Eugene and met my dad for breakfast at Brail’s, (1689 Willamette St, rated Best Hangover Breakfast by the Eugene Weekly.) I had the diced ham and eggs w/biscuits and gravy and it was good. Ran into a fellow Honda Transalp rider there and talked motorcycles for a little bit.

My cousin Brian got off work around 1400, and by 1625 we were on the McKenzie highway (OR 126) headed east. We considered taking McKenzie pass (OR 242) but it is closed to through traffic for construction (expected reopening in late August to mid-September.)

We stopped in Prineville for food and gas, then headed out of town, southeast on Juniper Canyon Road up to our Uncle Chris’s property above the Prineville Reservoir. The property is on a ridge, affording great view of both the reservoir and the Cascades. Though there is a nice firepit, we opted against having a fire because it was just too windy and dry.

The sun had just set when Brian snapped this photo of the Three Sisters. (North Sister on the right.)


Moon rising over the camp site.


Landcruiser, camp boxes, and juniper providing a wind block. Later we cooked up some popcorn in the cast iron fryer.


The wind died off around 2200 and we slept under the stars. Even with an almost full moon, the number of stars we could see was amazing.

[XJxplorer]

Sounds like a fun trip...

I miss that area, I cant wait to be back!!

[beers_52]

July 28

The next morning we were awakened by the sound of cattle being herded by guys on dirtbikes some ways off. It was not as unpleasant as one might imagine. The sun was just starting to peek up over a ridge near our camp site.

Our Camp


Sun coming up.


Reservoir


We were back on US 26 heading east by 0745 and rolled into John Day just after 1000. The Grant County fairground played host (as always) to the SolWest fair. After attending a workshop on “Your place in the water cycle” (good) and most of the keynote speaker (we bailed after 45 minutes, just too damn hot in the building,) we decided to go for the air conditioned comfort of the Cruiser. We filled up with gas and Gatorade and headed west, but decided to travel back to Prineville via the Malheur and Ochoco National Forests.

We headed south from Mt. Vernon, off the paved roads and into the gravel. Using my sub-par (for this trip anyway) AAA Oregon map and an onboard compass, we gradually worked our way west by south.

We hadn’t been in the Malheur forest long before we saw signs for the Fall Mountain lookout. After a couple wrong turns, we arrived at the lookout, which anyone can now rent. It was occupied, and since the people in the lookout ducked inside as we drove up, we didn’t attempt to speak with them.

View from Fall Mountain Lookout.


Brian in front of the lookout.


One of the most beautiful roads we encountered was USFS 24, which for a main road gets pretty rough in spots. This time of the year though (that is to say dry) any 2WD with decent ground clearance could make the trip.

A particularly neat section of hillside.


We started encountering a lot of horse dung on the road as we wound our way along 24. I started to think that we might be following a parade, and the word “dung” came up way too often in conversation. Rounding a corner we startled a horse, eating along the left side of the road. It saw us, spun and bolted up the hillside on the right side of the road, holding the branch it was eating it its mouth. Neither of us saw any tack and we both suspect it is wild. Later along the same road, we encountered the biggest bull elk I’ve ever seen. He was mammoth, and taller than the Cruiser (at least it seemed that way!)

Later in the day, while on a road with signs advising against trailers, we rounded a corner and saw another fire tower.


This was too cool to pass up, so we turned off the main road and took the spur up to the tower. The lookout staffer called down and asked if we wanted to come up. Of course! She then told us only one at a time on any ladder section, (we’re big, and that tower is sixty some years old.) Once we got to the top, she informed us that this was the Wolf Mountain tower and that it was 108’ above the ground elevation of about 6500’.

View from the top.


The lookout had a big tomato plant inside the tower that was doing great. Not too surprising as the lookout was like a greenhouse on stilts. We could feel the tower moving in the wind. After signing the guestbook, I headed back down.

Looking down at the Cruiser from the first landing.


Looking up the tower from the first landing.

[beers_52]

July 28, cont.

Cruiser with the tower in the background.


After coming down off Wolf Mountain, we came to an intersection with smooth gravel right and left, each going to a different trail head. Ahead lay an unmarked, rough road, climbing off to the north.

With a nod to Frost, we went straight. Up and up we climbed. The road was rough, which made for slow going, but that afforded us more time to look around. With thoughts of dinner at the forefront, we started looking for a likely overnight spot.

We found it shortly: a nice flat spot in the trees, complete with fire pit and a high pole to keep your food away from animals. We could see the Wolf Mountain tower from our camp spot…barely.


Dinner was great: Yakisoba chicken stir fry!


The moon coming up over our camp.

[beers_52]

July 29

We were up around five the next morning. Neither of us slept too well, even though it was much flatter and less rocky than the previous night.


I started breakfast (bacon and pancakes) and that got the local bug population up. They weren’t bad the night before, but made up for it Sunday morning.


We ate quickly and packed up. We had walked a little of our trail the night before and know that we’d be headed up. The road roughened, narrowed and continued to climb.


We passed a transmission tower, but couldn’t tell if what sort signals it transmitted.


At the top of the mountain we found the foundation for an old tower, but whether for a lookout or radio, I don’t know.

The views were spectacular.


But with nowhere to go, but down, we had to retrace our steps.


After descending that mountain, we headed west again, into open range cattle country.


We passed an old mine that I took many pictures of. However none of my pictures included the name of the mine.


In Prineville, we rejoined civilization, getting gas for the Cruiser and Artic Circle burgers for us. We left town west on 126 for Sisters, where we encountered the notorious Sisters slow tourist traffic.

Even though we wouldn’t be able to go through on 242, we headed down that road for a few miles before turning off onto the gravel again. We briefly considered going to the Dee Wright Observatory, but since we’d both been, we skipped it this trip.

The Deschutes National Forest is much more crowded, people wise, than either the Malheur or Ochoco. We say more people in 2 hours of the Deschutes than the rest of the trip combined. That being said, the grand total of cars/trucks encountered for the weekend was less than a dozen.

Mt. Washington photographed through an old burn.


I dropped my cousin off in Eugene, and headed north on I-5, with my dashboard ninjas riding shotgun.


We had a great trip. Next time I’d like to do it on a shoulder season so it would be cooler, and maybe the weather would make for more challenging trails.

[brian.wenzl]

"On the way to Deep Creek campground from Prineville, visitors see the two reasons people settled in this area - mining and ranching. The ruins of the Blue Ridge mine are along Forest Rt. 42. What was mined here is unknown to the authors, but remaining portions of the mine's buildings give an idea of the effort and expense made to extract whatever it was. Just down the road is a huge expanse called Big Summit Prairie. Perhaps seven miles square, this meadow of grass is dotted by free ranging cattle and an occasional Ponderosa pine. Fans of Western films and books will immediately recognize it as a scene in many a novel and movie."

From: http://www.forestcamping.com/dow/pacficnw/ochinfo.htm

Great trip!

[hattrik21]

Sounds like you had a great trip.

[4Rescue]

Nice... Gotta love our good ol Oregon eh. I'm curious about the Ranger's elevation estimates tho, Timerline Lodge sits at 6200 and most of centeral/eastern Oregon sits right at 4500-5000ft. Cool pics, do you happen to have a route map?

Cheers

Dave

[beers_52]

We didn't verify w/GPS at the actual Wolf Mtn. tower, but we used the GPS to verify that we were at 6508' at our Saturday night camp site, and looking level to the Wolf Mtn. tower.

-Bill