A mere three days passed between pulling off the Owyhee and our next river trip of the spring, a three-day float down the North Fork John Day.
North Fork John Day
We attempted this trip last year but the flows dropped too low just days before the launch. With the deep snow pack this year flows weren’t an issue. The North Fork is a different setting than the main John Day. For most of the 41 mile float you are in ponderosa pine and even some Douglas-fir. It’s almost more of a Grande Ronde feel than the dry country of the main John Day.
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.
