Out of my comfort zone

My mid July trip consisted four wheel driving from high in the Steens Mt through Juntura and other back pockets of eastern Oregon, finishing in the high, remote gold mining mining sites in the Elkhorn Mts if Baker County.  It was led by David Zartman, a friend of Matt's who graduated from La Grande High School a couple of years before Matt .  David received his degree from the University of Oregon and then went to LA.   While working for Land Rover magazine, he recognized that nothing existed for Toyota 4 Wheel Owners, and so, without borrowing money from either parents or bank, he pre sold subscriptions and started the magazine from his desktop.  

The circulation is now 31,000 and he still produces it from his desktop, now in Gig Harbor Washington state where he lives close to his parents.  He receives many offers to use and review products.  He recently imported a 1983 Toyota Trooper from Australia, which was part of this venture.  He and his friends are not happy unless they have to repair cars along the way, pull them out of tight situations, and use maps, not GPS.  Charlie's Dad drove the Trooper; I was just along for the ride. We were on the road for five days, starting high in the Steens Mt of Oregon and ultimately visiting the high, remote gold mining sites of the Elkhorn Mts in Baker County. It was a great opportunity for me to move beyond my comfort zone!   

Map reading near Juntura

Arborglyph_Steens_Mt

Someplace beyond Juntura

a budding mechanic under David's supervision

Campsite at Fish Lake, Steens Mt

David outside of Malheur Cave

Kiger_Gorge, Steens_Mt

Eastern Oregon back road

Fish Lake

Steens Mt Indian paintbrush

Moon Hill Rd, Steens Mt

Alvord Desert overlook

Fish_Lake, Steens Mt

Great Pyranees watchdog

Fish_Lake

Fish_Lake, Steens Mt

The Trooper from Australia that Charlie drove

Sage Grouse and the French Glen Hotel

Located at the western edge of the Steens Mt, French Glen and its hotel are a historic link to the vast cattle ranching operations that occurred in Oregon in the late 1800's.  The hotel is owned by Oregon Parks, and run by John Ross, a private concessionaire.  The rooms are comfortable, and John has hosted and cooked at the Hotel since 1989. Meg and I always enjoying staying in this family friendly venue, and using it as a staging point to explore the area, and to watch the sage grouse strut.  We arise at 5:30 AM to make sure we reach the "lek" before daybreak.  Here is the Wikipedia description of this annual spring mating ritual.

This display is a delight to observe.  Besides the incredible chest puffing and tail display, the sound of air being compressed in the males chest creates a unique thumping sound.  Enjoy the pictures.  They are worth clicking on to enlarge.

"Sage Grouse are notable for their elaborate courtship rituals. Each spring males congregate in leks and perform a "strutting display". Groups of females observe these displays and select the most attractive males to mate with. The dominate male located in the center of the lek typically copulates with around 80% of the females on the lek. Males perform in leks for several hours in the early morning and evening during the spring months. Lek generally occur in open areas adjacent to dense sagebrush stands, and the same lekking ground may be used by grouse for decades."

Snow geese, Sandhill Cranes and the Malheur Bird Refuge

Located in Harney County in the southeastern part of Oregon, the Malheur Bird Refuge is a vibrant and delightful place to bird anytime of year.  In late winter and early spring, snow geese fill the skies and fields outside of Burns, the county seat. Elegant sandhill cranes also move around in this area. The refuge itself was established in 1908 by Theodore Roosevelt to prevent the near extinction of egrets, grebes, herons, and similar birds that were being decimated for their plumes. Now, its more than
187, 000 acres offer superb bird and wildlife viewing.