After a short break following our trip to the South Fork our next stop on our John Day adventure was a float down the North Fork. This week was originally set aside to float the Owyhee, but with less than 200 CFS in the river and needing more than 1000 it was clear an alternative was needed, and the North Fork flows were looking good. Not great for this time of year, but plenty good for a few days floating through some of the prettiest country Oregon has to offer.
We arrived the day before launch and enjoyed burning a jag of wood and watching the stars as the night cooled off to downright chilly. The next morning we were off floating with sunny skies and views in all directions, with the frost just off the boat.
From camp we hiked up and up and found lots of blooming wildflowers, and of course more views. We eventually identified over 30 flowering plants on the North Fork and Main Fork of the John Day over the week.
The next day we started the transition from the mixed Douglas-fir, Ponderosa forest out to the drier country. Still very picturesque. This country has seen a few wildfires over the years that have thinned out the forest and created lots of snags. The Lewis woodpeckers were one of the many beneficiaries of this return of fire to the fire dependent landscape, and they were everywhere. It was hard to look in any direction and not see at least a couple sallying forth to grab all the bugs that were flying around creating tasty meals.
We had one more night on the river, then a quiet float out before a re-supply for our next and last segment of the trip, the next fork was just a day away, and we’d be back on the river again. It’s always a good day when you are on the river.
