Charlie Shugart here did a few postings of Steens Mountain wildlife, and it got me reminiscing...The last time I was in that area of Oregon was July 2005. Steens (and it's Mountain, not Mountains plural, as it's one big massive fault block) isn't very high, only reaching 9,733 feet at its peak, but it's a smaller version of the California's Sierra Nevada, with a gently sloping west face and a massive dropoff on the east. There's a 66-mile loop road that is one of my favorite country byways, though a bit rugged at times. There's evidence on Steens of glacial scouring, especially at Kiger Gorge, and Kiger Notch, visible for miles, is actually a part of the mountain where the glacier broke through to the other side. Here are some photos I took during my trips there, and though they may not be of the best quality (some of them were taken nearly 10 years ago with a Panasonic FZ20), I think they capture in at least a small degree the immensity -- and majesty -- of Steens.
1
Pronghorn Antelope at Hart Mountain Wildlife Refuge, west of Steens. The dirt road through the refuge, though long, is the best way to approach Steens, to my way of thinking.
2
Introducing -- Steens Mountain, seen in the distance from the road through Hart Mountain Refuge. You can see Kiger Notch on the left. This is a 3-photo panorama using the Panorama Factory stitching program --
5
And the massive dropoff to the east, showing the Alvord Desert and Idaho in the distance. The view is so extensive you can see the curvature of the earth! (Nah,I think it was a warp in the panorama trying to blend too many photos together).
An astounding place. Shepherds grazed their flocks there (John Muir called them "hooved locusts") creating widespread damage, but parts were designated wilderness in 2001, so it's
on the mend. As Charlie said, Steens is remote, seldom-visited -- but well worth the effort.
