Steens Mountain – Oregon Desert Trail (ODT)
This day was all about hiking the Oregon Desert Trail (ODT) as far as time would allow, starting at 7:10am, and getting to our turnaround spot at 1:00pm…the 6787’ saddle above the Wildhorse Creek canyon. Getting to the saddle turned out to be 5.6 miles x 2600’ gain, which only two of the miles are on a trail (old road). After a long break at the saddle, enjoying the giant views and complete solitude, we decided to continue in an uphill direction and take a cross-country route back to the truck. By time we got back (6:30pm) we logged 11-miles x 3500’ of mostly cross-country travel.
The views on the hike are incredibly big, looking into the Wildhorse Creek canyon, and up at the jagged peaks protecting the snowcapped Steens Mountain summit.
I couldn’t have had a better hiking partner than my lovely wife, Deb Hill…
Roadside camp the beautiful night before the hike…
On our way to park at the end of the road…
Snow-capped Steens Mountain on the horizon…
Gaining some elevation above the Alvord Desert floor…
First large cairn, marking the beginning of the road (trail)…
Pretty cool outcropping…and spring.
I named it the Serpentine Arch, after that creature from the old movie Tremors, because it looks like the creature coming up out of, then back into the ground… 🙂 Zoom in to see the arch
Looking back down at the Alvord Desert playa…
Second large cairn…at our turnaround spot, the 6787′ saddle above the Wildhorse Creek canyon.
Looking North from the saddle…
Looking South…
Time to wander back…we’ll climb this peak then follow ridges and slopes back down to the desert floor…
From the day’s high point, 7500′, looking down at the Alvord Desert floor 4000’…
Looking south, you can see Alvord Peak, Pueblo Mountain, and through the binoculars, you can even see the small town of Fields, Or.
Truly just wandering this world…
Today’s route…
