The Oregon gemstone is the sunstone - a plagioclase feldspar - containing copper shiller. A designated public sunstone collection area is found in the Rabbit Basin to the northwest of the Hart Mountain Antelope Refuge.
We have a family interest in rocks and have enjoyed looking for thundereggs at Richardson Rock Ranch in Madras and fossils in Fossil. We visited Dust Devil Mining to collect sunstones. The people at Dust Devil Mining were really helpful and led us through all of the ways to find sunstones. The mine included options to dig, rake, sift and pick rocks apart - looking for sunstones. This is a terrific activity for youngsters. The rocks are easy to find.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge
South of Steens Mountain is Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge. Hart Mountain is a fault block ridge contained within a 422 square mile refuge. The refuge is predominantly high desert but also contains a large wetland area at the base of the mountain.
We camped one night, hiked a bit near the campground (Hot Springs Campground) and took advantage of a natural hot spring surrounded by low man-made walls. The campground was soggy and probably a better fit for a camp trailer. While camping, we managed to spot several small groups of pronghorn antelope and a herd of bighorn sheep.
On our way out of the refuge, we hiked around Petroglyph Lake. The west side of the lake is rimmed by basalt boulders. The basalt was carved over 10,000 years ago by some of the people living in the area. We were able to spot at least 10 petroglyphs, many of animals. We hiked back to the car on the top of the rim. A variety of desert wildflowers were in bloom. We also spotted what seemed to be intentional circular arrangements of rocks.
If we were to visit Hart Mountain again, we would like to explore more of the refuge and hike to the top of the mountain (~8,000 feet). The refuge is fairly isolated. It is important to have water and emergency supplies. The road to Petroglyph Lake was a bit of a challenge for the car and this appears to be true of the majority of roads in the refuge.
Steens Mountain
We took a day trip to Steens Mountain, driving up to the Fish Lake campground. Fish Lake is 7,400 feet above sea level. The road to Fish Lake had opened a week or so before our trip and the area still had several inches of snow. On May 29, the road was open as far as Jackman Park.
At Fish Lake, the guys spent some time fishing and I did some birdwatching. In spite of the cold temperatures and snow, the tree swallows were picking up insects hatching from the lake. The dog enjoyed trying to track down the frequent and briefly appearing squeaky rodents.
If we were able to travel to the Steens later in the year (August), our goal would be to drive the Steens Mountain Loop road, hike down to Mann Lake, visit the Riddle Brother Ranch and check out Kiger Gorge.
At Fish Lake, the guys spent some time fishing and I did some birdwatching. In spite of the cold temperatures and snow, the tree swallows were picking up insects hatching from the lake. The dog enjoyed trying to track down the frequent and briefly appearing squeaky rodents.
If we were able to travel to the Steens later in the year (August), our goal would be to drive the Steens Mountain Loop road, hike down to Mann Lake, visit the Riddle Brother Ranch and check out Kiger Gorge.
Friday, June 7, 2013
Visting the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge
We recently traveled to south central Oregon to explore the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, Steens Mountain, Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge and the Sunstone Public Collection Area. The trip required quite a bit of planning for a variety of weather conditions.
The Malheur National Wildlife Refuge encompasses approximately 187,000 acres of land, including the largest lake in the state, Malheur Lake, and a large amount of wetland and meadow. The refuge is part of the Pacific Flyway and is a great place to see birds nesting or pausing during their migrations.
The refuge begins about 30 miles south of Burns, about a 6-hour drive from Portland. A good place to begin a visit to the refuge is the Refuge Headquarters, on Sodhouse Lane on the south side of Malheur Lake. The Refuge Headquarters has a lot of information about the refuge (a driving tour, a list of birds and mammals and a list of hikes). In addition, if you are not an experienced bird-watcher, the museum has a lot of birds on display.
There are places to stop and view birds throughout the refuge. There are also a few hikes, some good places to fish and one of the nicest campgrounds I have ever been too (Page Springs) at the south end of the refuge in Frenchglen.
If you can make a trip, you probably need at least 2 or 3 days at the refuge. In addition to an abudance of bird watching opportunities. There are some good hikes, promising fishing locations and historical sites. The historical sites are predominantly part of Peter French's ranching operation. If you have even more time, you could visit and hike around the Diamond Craters Outstanding Natural Area.
We spent 2.5 days at the refuge. This was about right for our 8-year old son. In May, be prepared for rain and cold. The rain was torrential and we were lucky to have a sturdy tent to hold up to the wind. We went ahead and explored the refuge, the historical sites and completed a strenuous 6.5 mile hike along the Blitzen River - the only time we came across a rattlesnake. To give ourselves a chance to dry out, we also ate out a few times.
There are a few restaurants: The Narrows at the north end of the refuge, the Frenchglen Hotel and the all-in-one grocery, gas and restaurant in Fields (with excellent milkshakes).
The Malheur National Wildlife Refuge encompasses approximately 187,000 acres of land, including the largest lake in the state, Malheur Lake, and a large amount of wetland and meadow. The refuge is part of the Pacific Flyway and is a great place to see birds nesting or pausing during their migrations.
The refuge begins about 30 miles south of Burns, about a 6-hour drive from Portland. A good place to begin a visit to the refuge is the Refuge Headquarters, on Sodhouse Lane on the south side of Malheur Lake. The Refuge Headquarters has a lot of information about the refuge (a driving tour, a list of birds and mammals and a list of hikes). In addition, if you are not an experienced bird-watcher, the museum has a lot of birds on display.
There are places to stop and view birds throughout the refuge. There are also a few hikes, some good places to fish and one of the nicest campgrounds I have ever been too (Page Springs) at the south end of the refuge in Frenchglen.
If you can make a trip, you probably need at least 2 or 3 days at the refuge. In addition to an abudance of bird watching opportunities. There are some good hikes, promising fishing locations and historical sites. The historical sites are predominantly part of Peter French's ranching operation. If you have even more time, you could visit and hike around the Diamond Craters Outstanding Natural Area.
We spent 2.5 days at the refuge. This was about right for our 8-year old son. In May, be prepared for rain and cold. The rain was torrential and we were lucky to have a sturdy tent to hold up to the wind. We went ahead and explored the refuge, the historical sites and completed a strenuous 6.5 mile hike along the Blitzen River - the only time we came across a rattlesnake. To give ourselves a chance to dry out, we also ate out a few times.
There are a few restaurants: The Narrows at the north end of the refuge, the Frenchglen Hotel and the all-in-one grocery, gas and restaurant in Fields (with excellent milkshakes).
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