August 31 2005 To the Steens

Transcribed from the old very poorly hand written leather journal on April 14 2015. 

I certainly didn’t keep track of what we did and saw nearly as well back then as I try to do now!

Click here for Photos of our trip to the Steens

20767 mileage on the baby MoHo

Leaving at 9:50 AM from Rocky Point.  Maiden voyage with the white Tracker as our Toad.  I arrived at Mo’s at 8am and we set up the hitch to tow the GEO, bikes are on the Geo, lights are working except for the right turn signal and right brake.

Planning to go to LensCrafters in Eugene and get my glasses then on to Albany for Melody’s show tonight.  Plan to leave tomorrow AM for Burns via Highway 20, then French Glen and Steens Mountain tomorrow night.  Very excited to finally see the Steens!

Current events include a huge hurricane Katrina which devastated New Orleans Gulf Port MS among others.  around 17000 people are trapped in the SuperDome in NO.

September 1.  We had a good trip with no problems towing the GEO.  We parked in front of Melody’s apartment for the night and unhooked to drive to Corvallis to see her show.  I got my glasses quickly in Eugene and we got to Albany by 4:30 or so.  Supper at McMennamin’s.  Coffee with Melody and a cereal breakfast in the MoHo then on the road by 9:30AM.  We will gas up and get some groceries and head for Burns.

Filled the tank in Albany at $2.59 per gallon getting just over 10 mpg.  Melody’s band played just a little over an hour last night.  Deb came down but got there late.  I of course, loved hearing and watching Melody but the second band was way too loud.  Will get some groceries and be out of town before long.  Hooking up the Geo is pretty easy.

251 miles to Burns since we filled in Albany this morning.  Gas here at the Shell is 2.99!  Took us 7 hours to get here since the pass was slow.  We stopped and checked out a couple of campgrounds, ate lunch and dumped the tanks near Sisters.  Found a free dump site on Highway 20 just past the 395 road.

Arrived at French Glen around 7pm and found a great site at Page Springs #1 for 4 bucks per night with the Golden Age Pass.  Set up camp and made a chef’s salad for supper and enjoyed the balmy desert evening air.

Up this morning to a pleasant morning made sausage eggs and potatoes and cleaning up to organize the MoHo before we left for our day doing the Steens Loop.

Drove to the South loop and decided to go up the hard part instead of down.  Left around ten and home around 3:30 or so.  It was cool and beautiful up there.  We walked to the Summit, viewed Wild Horse Lake, East Viewpoint, Kiger Gorge Viewpoint, and the baby geo did great in 4 wheel drive.

At home we decided to move the MoHo for better shade, relaxed till things cooled down at bit, went for a bike ride, and then ate a great 4 course supper of salad, then veggies, then corn, and finally steak.  Treated ourselves to hot showers and a beautiful night of stars after a pink sunset and a little campfire time.

Everything seems to be working well.  Left light is gray water, right light is black water.

September 3 Saturday

Amazingly uncrowded for Labor Day Weekend.  Up at 7 for coffee and egg breakfast again.  Lovely cool morning but it warmed up fast.  It certainly hasn’t been as cold as we expected, just right.  Warm days, balmy evenings, cool nights.  Perfect.

We left at 9:30 for the big loop around the east side of the Steens.  Took the Diamond Crater scenic drive and saw lava flows and an amazing water filled crater called a moar.

On to the French round barn and museum, which was surprisingly lovely and a really amazing building.  Through some boring stuff till we got to the East Steens Road where it became very wild and beautiful again.  The east face of the Steens was impressive. At Alvord Lake we saw land sailing on the playa.  Had a chocolate shake and fries at Field’s and then finished the 210 mile loop to our camp.  Now we are relaxing in the shade with a glass of wine and reviewing the day after a light hamburger supper.  In bed at 8:30

September 4 Sunday.

Woke to beautiful morning and coffee in bed, cereal for a light breakfast before our hike up Blitzen canyon.  The hike was pretty but challenging because it was very primitive.  Lots of rocks and talus and what looked like poison ivy.  We finally gave up after two miles.  Saw some backpackers camped back in there but it was just too rough to be enjoyable.  Molly did get to swim a lot, however.  Home to visit with our camp hosts and shared a beer with them.

We had a great family style dinner at French Glen shared with people from Germany and the US.

September 5 Monday

Leaving at 8:50 An after getting up around 7 and having a cereal breakfast.  Had to take on some water since we ran out last night during my shower.  Clean skies, cool morning, heading for home via Nevada.