Time seems to fly by nowadays. Just a year ago I picked up the truck camper and shortly thereafter headed to the Ochocos for the maiden voyage. I was so excited I had to get an extended trip in, and with winter coming on decided that Death Valley would be the place to go before Christmas.
It was great 5 day trip and I can’t wait to get back. There’s a lot to see there, to say I scratched the surface may be an overstatement.
Typically the last days of October are reserved for fishing, fishing and fishing. Until this year October 31 was the last day to wet a line in most water bodies I frequent. The combination of no more close to the season, a chest freezer full to the brim with kokanee, salmon, halibut and tuna, along with a weather forecast that wasn’t conducive to being in a boat on a high mountain lake led us in a different direction. We headed to northeast Oregon for an extended weekend of exploring with a couple of potential hikes on our minds.
After departing Jordan Craters we had enough daylight left to grab some fuel and bounce our way out to find a camp near Chalk Basin for the night. Just getting out to the Chalk Basin area is no small feat but was made much easier through the description of William L. Sullivan who happens to pen, in my opinion, the best hiking books about Oregon. Luckily we knew that we were driving on a public road even though through the first stretch it feels like you are driving through a private ranch yard (you are). And then of course the rancher chasing you down on his four-wheeler to ask what you are up to doesn’t boost your confidence you are in the right spot either, but we got thorough his property with him telling us to ‘go enjoy yourselves’ so it all turned out fine. After getting through the ranch it is pretty much all nondescript roads through a sea of cheatgrass that alternate between boulder gardens and stretches of dried up mud (note: do NOT attempt this road with even a hint of rain!). We finally made it out to the vicinity of the basin so we could launch our morning hike without more travel the next day. We found a level spot with a view and enjoyed the sunset, the Steens to the west, Chalk Basin below us and not another human within what I’d confidently guess 10 miles.
