This past weekend, my wife and I took off to explore the east side of Steens Mountain and surrounding terrain. We followed several suggestions from Sullivan's "Exploring Oregon's Wild Places".

We left Burns on Hwy 78. Since the sky was absolutely clear, we caught many glimpses of the mountain on the way, but the best were obtained after turning onto East Steens Road (also called Fields-Follyfarm Rd). We stopped near 15-cent lake (dry lake bed) to hike over the ridge to the east to Heath Lake. This vantage point provided great views back west to Steens Mountain.



East Face of Steens Mountain from Near 15-cent Lake.

Going over the ridge provided views of the dry lakebed below (not worth a photo here) and the Sheepshead Mountains further east:


Sheepshead Mountains

After returning to our car, we drove further south, and took a dirt side road to Mickey Hot Springs. The springs were quite beautiful and active, with many steam vents, hot pools, and this boiling spring.


Mickey Hot Springs

By that time, it was getting late in the day, so we drove a little further south to a side road that goes a short distance west to the base of Steens Mountain at Pike Creek. There are several undeveloped campgrounds here, and it overlooks the Alvord Desert. The mid-evening light was beautiful, but not very amenable to photos, as heavy shadows descended from the mountain.

In the morning, however, the desert colors once again came alive, and I got this photo from our campsite (yes, that juniper tree is growing right out of a crack in a large boulder).


View west from Pike Creek Campground

After breakfast, we crossed Pike Creek to its south side, then followed an old mining trail (now a wilderness trail) up the gorge. The description in Sullivan makes it sound as if you can't go very far, but  with a little fortitude and some judicious rock hopping, the trail can be followed nearly to the head of the gorge. And it is well worth the effort.


A few of the many rock formations on the southern wall of Pike Creek canyon


Looking back east to Alvord Desert from part way inside Pike Creek canyon


The headwall of Pike Creek canyon from part way along the trail


View from near the end of our hike, toward the headwall of Pike Creek canyon

During our return hike, we did a little rockhounding and found some good fossils of mosses. Then we returned to our car and drove to Fields for the obligatory milkshake. Then we drove north along Catlow rim, which forms the west side of the Steens mountain area.  After driving through Frenchglen, we took the Center Patrol Rd through Malheur wildlife refuge, although it was rather disappointing because the runoff had not really come yet and the marshes were mostly dry, with few birds. South of Burns, however, a few of the farmers had just begun to flood their fields, so some of the migratory birds were around.

Ken

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You cannot step twice into the same river; for fresh waters are ever flowing in upon you
--Heraclitus

Thanks for this report. I get the feeling that many of us will be heading east to avoid the snows for some months to come.

Great pics. How are the ticks down in that corner of Oregon?

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"If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went."
- Will Rogers

We encountered no ticks, and only a very few, non-biting, mosquitos. However, the two days we were there were probably the first warm days of the year. It may have been too early for most insects.

Ken

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You cannot step twice into the same river; for fresh waters are ever flowing in upon you
--Heraclitus

kscholz, thanks for posting.  There Sun certainly was bright and the weather was beautiful out there!

My wife and I were down there for the first time the same wkend.  We spent 4/12 exploring Malheur wildlife refuge and 4/13 driving the East side of Steens, though the opposite direction in which you did. 

The bird numbers were dissapointing at the refuge but we still had a good time there.  At least we're more familiar with the refuge though, and looking forward to returning.  We spent Sat. night at Page Springs campground.  We did encounter some hungry mosquitos there, but nothing a little campfire smoke wouldn't take care of.

I was dissapointed that Frenchglen didn't really provide gas, though all the brochures said it did.  Apparently, the lady that operates those pumps along 205 did the same thing last year from what locals told us.  I would recommend to folks reading this not to count on being able to get gas there.  Have to go to The Narrows RV park or get it at Fields.

The folks that run the Fields Station were incredibly nice people.  I was very impressed with their food, service, friendliness, and the milkshakes sure are good in that environment :)  These folks will be seeing us again next time we're in the area.

We didn't really do any hiking per say, just short jaunts from the car.  We stopped at Alvord Springs to take a look.  Took the road to Mikey Hot Springs, that place was very neat.  The hissing steam vents were very cool, and we found quite a few smaller pools in the area while walking around.  We also stopped at Mann Lake where we saw a few Avocets and White Pelicans.  We didn't make it to the Pike Creek Canyon or see the round barn this go around, but it gives a good excuse to go back :)

We never encountered any ticks either.

I haven't been able to make it through my pics yet but will this wkend.  If you don't mind could a append a few pictures to this thread later this wkend?

With the weather and the scenery down there it would have been hard not to have a good time!

My text looks huge in the preview... can't sort it out... sigh...sorry if it bugs anyone

EDIT: Jeff here - I fixed the text for you.  I copied all the text into Notepad, then cleared the message in your post, then copied the text back...that removed whatever formatting that was messing with your font

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S4B
http://www.pbase.com/s4b

We have also had varied luck with spotting birds. In our experience, the best bird watching is in the farm fields just south of Burns--but you have to catch it when the farmers have flooded their fields, and of course when the birds are migrating through.

Please post your photos when you get a chance.

Ken

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You cannot step twice into the same river; for fresh waters are ever flowing in upon you
--Heraclitus

I found one tick one me at the end of my Owyhee hike. So they are not common in the desert, but not completely absent.

For some reason ticks are more prevelent in the riparian areas. The best time to bird The refuge IMO is near the end of April and the beginning of May. If you go latter in May and June you WILL be eatin alive by skeeters. This is a great place to explore. You could spend two weeks there and not see everything.

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"There is this to be said for walking: It's the one mode of human locomotion by which a man proceeds on his own two feet, upright, erect, as a man should be, not squatting on his rear haunches like a frog." --Edward Abbey

We traveled north up the east side of steens mountain on 4/13/08.  That afternoon we started getting nice whispy clouds, perphaps due to the cold front that was coming in.  It continued to get cloudier throughout the evening

Fields Station, where ya get the milkshakes.

Steens mountain and the Alvord Desert

Alvord Hot Springs

We found Mickey Hot Springs very interesting

Steens Mountain

Mann Lake

We're looking forward to going back again, thanks for looking.

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S4B
http://www.pbase.com/s4b