Orientation
The trips described on this site are spread across the southeastern quadrant of Oregon, more or less south of 44 degrees latitude and east of 121 degrees longitude.
Warning: map is for orientation only and may not be to scale. Use real maps for navigation.
11 areas, demarcated approximately by major features and access highways, are described:
- Hampton Valley, a broad empty plain punctuated by occasional buttes and cinder cones. Well-known to drivers traveling US 20 between Bend and Burns.
- Christmas Valley, an agricultural area with numerous unusual geologic features including Fort Rock, lava flows, alkali flats, fossil beds and a large area of shifting sand dunes.
- Diablo Mountains area also includes salty Summer Lake at the foot of towering Winter Ridge.
- Warner Basin, including the Warner Mountains, Abert Rim, Warner Wetlands wildlife area and the Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge.
- Oregon Grasslands, a remote area of rims, solitary buttes and oceans of sage and grass.
- Buzzard Creek, a little-traveled area of flat plains, dry lakes and low rims.
- Steens Mountain, including the lush Blitzen Valley, the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge and the newly-designated Steens Mountain National Conservation Area.
- Malheur Mountains, a rugged jumble of remote mountains, picturesque buttes, and intimate canyons.
- Sheepshead Mountains, a dry, treeless range interlaced with dirt roads well-suited to mountain biking. Area also includes the northern end of Steens Mountain and an extensive lava bed.
- Alvord Desert, including the monumental east face of Steens Mountain, the vast and empty Alvord Desert, numerous several hot springs, and the impressive Pueblo, Trout Creek and Oregon Canyon mountain ranges.
- Owyhee Canyonlands, Oregon's answer to Southern Utah. An breathtakingly vast sagebrush plateau slashed by deep canyons gives way to lava beds and rhyolite badlands as one follows the river north.
Caution!
The high desert of Southeast Oregon is at once a beautiful and hazardous place. Many things can go wrong, and the chance of rescue can be essentially zero unless you are traveling with an experienced group or have filed a travel and rescue plan. A partial list of cautions is listed below.
Disclaimer
By reading these web pages, you agree to accept responsibility for your own safety. You must:
- Obtain relevant maps.
- Research your trip carefully. Study all relevant maps and guidebooks.
- Prepare your vehicle appropriately.
- Carry essential survival items - especially water.
- Observe all applicable cautions while driving, biking and hiking.
- Unless you're traveling with an experienced group, file a detailed travel and rescue plan with a responsible party.
Remoteness
Most of the trips described on this site take place on and some are reached by very lightly-traveled dirt roads. Many of these tracks are used once or twice a year by ranchers on cattle drives, if at all. If something goes wrong and nobody knows where to find you, it is likely no one will. The most likely cause of death will be dehydration when your water runs out, and it is an extremely unpleasant way to go.
That said, many of the trips listed on this site can be accessed from relatively well-traveled roads. So don't get too freaked out - just take appropriate cautions.
Car problems
Gee, what could go wrong?
- Your car could overheat in summer (good luck finding water for your radiator!), or fail to start in the winter cold. Meticulously follow the maintenance schedule recommended for your car's cooling system.
- You could blow a tire on the extremely sharp rocks (which has happened to me several times). With the compact spare standard on many vehicles, you may not have enough ground clearance to get out on the rough road you drove in. A full-sized spare is strongly recommended. A patch kit and 12V air compressor can come in handy as well.
- You could also blow a tire on bitterbrush, greasewood or another thorny plant. Don't drive off-road.
- You could then blow your spare trying to get back to Burns or Lakeview, home to the only full-service tire shops in the region. A second spare is a good idea if you plan to leave the major roads and you have room for it.
- You could run out of gas. Gas stations are far apart - top off whenever you get the chance, and always plan for your next gas stop. If you have a way to carry a spare gas can outside your vehicle (never inside!), it is probably a good idea.
- You could ruin an oilpan, differential, axle or exhaust system on a rough road. Drive with caution when away from major highways, and make sure you know your and your vehicle's limits well.
- The roads could turn muddy after a rain, which can temporarily strand even four-wheel-drive vehicles. Carry chains (they work in mud, too!) and a tow strap.
- You could get snowed in - at higher elevations, this can happen any day of the year. Even if warm weather melts the snow quickly, the resulting mud may be even worse. Carry chains, a shovel and maybe a little sand or gravel for traction.
- Some important part could pick the most inconvenient time to break. You might be able to escape Oregon Law out there, but not Murphy's Law. Keep your car maintained, and have it inspected before any adventures into the deep desert.
Weather
The weather of Southeast Oregon is probably more extreme than you are used to, especially if you live west of the Cascades. Andrews, Oregon, on the edge of the Alvord Desert, has the greatest observed temperature range of any place in Oregon: from -33 degrees to +107 degrees Fahrenheit. Check the forecast before you go, and get updates whenever you can find a phone - see the Resources section below for more information.
- Sun. Wear a hat and sunscreen! The sun shines well over 300 days a year in much of Oregon's Outback, and there is NO shade in large areas of the desert. With the added effects of elevation, you can really get scorched: except for the Owyhee canyons, the lowest elevation in the region is generally about 3900 feet (1250 m). Loose-fitting, long-sleeved and -legged clothes work are more comfortable than shorts and a t-shirt.
- Heat. Summer temperatures in the basins frequently exceed 95 degrees, and with the low humidity you may not realize just how hot it is. And the relentless sun can bring the effects of heat on faster than you expect. Know how to identify heat-related illnesses like heatstroke and heat exhaustion. Drink lots of water - 1 gallon per day is an absolute minimum, more if you're working hard or it's hot.
- Cold. Most of the year, this is a more likely hazard than heat. Much of the desert sees frost 250 to 300 nights a year or more. Air temperatures often plunge below zero in winter, and may combine with often-high winds to produce dangerous wind chills.
- Wind. Although lovely and calm days are not unusual in the desert, windy days are more frequent. Wind can greatly contribute to dehydration and to the chilling effects of the cold.
- Rain. It only rains 7-12 inches in most of Southeast Oregon, but much of it is brief and intense. As mentioned above, roads (and trails!) can become impassible after heavy rain. While flash flooding doesn't pose the hazard that it does in Southern Utah, there is some risk in narrow canyons, so use caution if rain is forecast.
- Lightning. Aldo Leopold said you haven't lived until you've ridden out a good desert thunderstorm, fearing for your life as the thunderbolts crash off the rimrock. He was right: you haven't lived until you've had that experience ... but you could die too. A number of Eastern Oregon ranchers have met their maker while tending their herds, and famous Leslie Gulch is named after an early settler who was struck by lightning there. Thunderstorms frequently occur on summer afternoons, and can pop up out of nowhere. I once turned my back on blue skies in the Alvord Desert to set up camp, and barely had enough time to finish as a fast-moving and violent storm bore down on me. Know what to do to minimize your exposure in lightning storms.
Animals
There are few critters that will bother you out there, but here are the some of the threats that could exist:
- Rattlesnakes are probably your biggest animal hazard. Contrary to myth, the desert is not crawling with snakes - they're not as common as all that. Still, you should be on your guard, especially in rocky areas when the sun is out, even when it's fairly cool. Also, be aware that while movie snakes universally sound like maracas, real snakes may sound more like large bees or hornets. The current medical wisdom (as of the early 2000s) is that most snakebite kits don't work, and can do more damage than harm. It is now considered wiser to hike out to safety if possible. If not, elevate the affected area (probably your ankle), remain calm and stay well-hydrated, and wait for the authorities to carry out the rescue plan you've filed (right?). If you're an adult in good health, an Oregon rattler probably doesn't pack enough punch to kill you.
- Venomous arthropods like scorpions and black widow spiders may inhabit some of the hotter areas, but this not being Arizona, they're not that common. I once found a scorpion in my camp in Mickey Basin. check your shoes before putting them on in the morning.
- Bees and hornets are common but seem to mostly leave people alone. Be aware of wasps and bees that may burrow into the ground along lakeshores and mudholes. Also use caution when hiking off-trail, especially if you are known to be sensitive to insect stings.
- Mosquitoes aren't a problem in most of the desert. Wetland areas may be infested in Spring and Summer, however, and mountain areas may also be positively inundated for a few weeks after the Spring snowmelt.
- Big critters mostly pose little hazard. Cougars and bears may inhabit the western fringe of the desert. Also in that area, elk could be belligerent during rutting season. Mule deer, pronghorn antelope and bighorn sheep, common everywhere, could hurt you if you got close, but they won't let that happen. While the coyotes' lonesome howls and playful barks may send a chill up your spine at night, they pose absolutely zero risk to adult humans.
Vegetables
- Malicious plants are common in hotter deserts of the American Southwest, but in Oregon you'll have a hard time finding plants with have barbs that work themselves under your skin, or poison to give you serious inflammation or infection. Not much cactus either. There are plenty of other sharp spiny plants though, most notably bitterbrush and greasewood, and these can be sharp enough to puncture a tire.
- Lack of plants -- that is, edible plants that could help you survive if you become lost or stranded -- is a bigger danger. Carry plenty of food in your car, and pack some extra energy bars or gels on your rides too.
Minerals
- Desert rocks seem to be exceptionally sharp. Be prepared to handle flat tires, on your bike or on your car. And wear a helmet! At least on downhills ... I have been known to carry my helmet on hot climbs and put it back on for the descents. Use your own best judgment. Helmets are a no-brainer.
People
You're not likely to run into that many people in the Oregon desert. Here are some of the characters you may encounter:
- Ranchers are not a danger to you. Forget your differences in lifestyle or politics. In my experience desert ranchers are universally generous, helpful and friendly. If you get in trouble out there, chances are very good it is a rancher who will save your bacon. Be nice to them.
- Hunters sometimes seem to be around every corner during hunting season. Wear bright clothing.
- Yahoos are your only real human danger. Most of the people you will encounter are decent, but not all of them are. Assume everyone you meet is armed. Dangerous individuals are mostly only a problem near towns, and on busy holiday weekends.
- Other recreationists will be found near hot springs, wildlife areas, campgrounds, Leslie Gulch and Steens Mountain. You may encounter anglers, birders, campers, hikers and target shooters, though few other bicyclists. Mostly harmless.
Resources
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Note: This site was first created in June 2001 and is still under construction.