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| | | Drive to Wildhorse Lk Trailhead, OR | | | |
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Drive to Wildhorse Lk Trailhead, OR
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| Car Camping | 20.50 Miles |
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| | Car Camping | 20.50 Miles | | | |
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| no partners | | I stopped by the West side of the Steens Mountains to camp for a couple of nights on a drive from Phoenix to Big Lake in the Oregon Cascades. There are several campgrounds on the West side of the Steens. I selected the small Jackman Park CG since it was well positioned for the sightseeing I had planned. The photos in this triplog show some of the views along the drive to the campground from French Glen on Hwy 205 and from there up to the Wildhorse Lake Trailhead. The GPS route shows the driving route from the campground to that trailhead with stops at a couple of scenic overlooks. It was on this drive that I decided to return the trailhead the next day and hike to Wildhorse Lake.
The view of Mann Lake from the mountain rim reminded me of a good time I had fishing there back in 1999. This is an excerpt from my notes on that trip. "I was fly fishing on Mann Lake in my float tube in the afternoon. Fishing was good and I caught and released several nice sized Lahontan Cutthroat trout. But towards the end of the afternoon the breeze started shifting directions every few minutes. At Mann Lake, this is a sign that it is getting ready for a big blow. I was intent on tying on a new fly when I heard a loud bang, bang, flap, flap crash from shore. I looked up and there was a whirl wind running down a row of three motor homes. The awnings were jerked off and flung a 100 yards out into the desert. A rubber raft parked on shore went bouncing end over end. When the fishermen relaxing under the awnings jumped up to run from the whirl wind, it took their lawn chairs and flung them after the awnings. All this happened in a few seconds, then all was quiet. Fortunately, no one was hurt, and I was able to enjoy a ring side view from the safety of the lake. Everyone knows that all natural disaster phenomena preferentially seek out mobile home parks, or the next best thing, motor homes, so I was safe. I continued fishing and caught a few more before the wind decided which direction it was going to blow. I headed for shore to cook dinner. To my surprise, the fishermen who had taken the afternoon break under their now non-existing awnings were headed back out to fish with the wind starting to pick up. Where did these fools come from? Within a half hour it was blowing at gale force stirring up clouds of dust. The fishermen quickly retreated to the comforts of their motor homes while I was left cooking dinner on the tailgate of my 4-Runner in the wind and dust. (Okay – so you’re thinking who’s the bigger fool in this picture?)" |
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Autumn Foliage Observation Moderate
Aspen groves were about 50% to 100% in their Fall splendor. |
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