Desert

Chickahominy!, 2018

We’ve driven by on the way east many times, the sign always beckoning, but the time not allowing a visit.  This past weekend it was finally the destination.

 

 

Chickahominy is a reservoir in the high desert of eastern Oregon.  Several hundred acres of water seem a bit out of place in the sagebrush ocean of Harney County.  Along with the reservoir is a campground with well over 30 sites, a nice boat ramp and lots of fishing opportunities with views for miles.  Saturday was going to be the nicest day in a week and it was time to start getting out and about.  After a short drive we had a campsite with a lake view and were quickly trolling.  Before long we started getting some takers and it didn’t take too much to figure out where the biters were.

 

Trolling Chickahominy

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Along the White Rim Trail, 2017, Part 3

We had a good night at Candlestick camp and before we were up we were passed by the only other person going our direction (besides a lone bicycle) the entire trip.  Before long we were out of camp and back on the trail.  We didn’t have too far to go for day three, but there was a hike on the list that would take a bit of time.

 

As you make your way upriver along the Green there begin to be bottoms that seem to be big flat bars along the river.  They may have had extensive cottonwood galleries at one time but now the tamarisk has mostly taken over.  There are still some nice cottonwoods to be found too.  We passed Valentine Bottom, Unknown Bottom, Queen Anne Bottom, Beaver Bottom and Potato Bottom.  Somewhere in there the White Rim started getting closer and closer to the level of the river.  In hindsight it should have been obvious that we were seeing the last of it, but we didn’t really realize it until it was gone.  I would have said goodbye.

The White Rim approaches the level of the river

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Along the White Rim Trail, 2017, Part 2

Day two on the White Rim Trail was another blue sky day and we had the luxury of not being in the hurry we had been in the last few days.  Nevertheless we were up and soaking in the scenery and the sun and were on the road before too late in the morning.

 

White Rim and La Sal Mountains

 

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