South eastern Oregon is home to Steens Mountain, Alvord Desert, geothermal springs and amazing start nights. This place has been on our list for a couple of trips now but weather and timing has not allowed our visit until now.
You may not know but The Steens is actually only one fault block mountain. It is not a mountain range at all even though many will refer to the area as mountains. And boy is Steen mountain tall! Towering 9,740 feet above the Alvord Desert.
For my east coast friends, the Steens summit is 3,452 feet taller than Mt Washington, NH. 🏔️
For those of you still traveling for work, only 260 feet until the 2 dings signify laptops can be used and flight attendants can move about the cabin ✈️
It's still only one third the way up Everest so I guess it is all your perspective😉
We should all remember that the next time I tell you I'm tall!!
The one mile summit trail may seem short but it's vertical rise challenges most hikers.
The Steens have a loop road that allowed us vistas along the high ridges and deep glacial valleys. A few of the sites along the drive:
Kiger Gorge
Little Blitzen Gorge and Big Indian Canyon
And the high mountain lake of Wildhorse
As a recommendation from Uncle Ted, we stayed a Fish Lake campground for the duration of our Steens adventure. The setting was lovely and Eric caught the only trout which we cooked up for dinner!
Not all our time was spent high in the clouds. Before we ventured into the higher evelations of Steens, we spent a few days exploring hot springs and the Alvord Desert. It was interesting how these springs differed in temperature, vibe and comfort.
The most remote was Willow Springs. No signage, no place to sit, just 105 degree water in the middle of the desert
At our campground was Alvord Hot Springs. A hippie vibe with clothing optional. We met some colorful people here while we sat on upside down washing machine tubs and were allowed to adjust the heat with a 135 degree water facet
The most luxurious spot was Crystal Crane HotSprings which was more a a destination place with lodging options, showers, spot lights and water features
No trip to this area would be complete without some time on the playa. We spent our last morning out there having coffee, playing ball with Nellie and maybe just a bit of 'Go Fast' for Eric!
The last stop before we ascended to Steen mountain was milkshake and a burger at Fields Station. It was DELICIOUS! What we didn't expect was to line up for fuel behind a plane!!
See you on the road
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