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).
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Sheep Rock
Sheep Rock in the John Day Fossil Monument is located in a valley along with a section of the John Day River. The stratified hills in the area reveal the entire mammal history. The site also contains the primary visitor center for the monument. The visitor center has a nice museum containing examples of the fossils found in the hills. A paleontology center is actively used for cleaning and preparing fossils for study. If you have time, you might be able to take a guided ranger tour.
This is a nice stopping point for our son. The center has a lot to explore and there are hiking trails fairly close by. Across the street from the visitors center is the Cant Ranch House - the historical home of one of the original ranching families.
Down the road in Dayville, the Fish House and RV park is a terrific place to spend the night. You can camp, stay in your RV or rent rooms. Dayville also has a few markets and a gas station.
This is a nice stopping point for our son. The center has a lot to explore and there are hiking trails fairly close by. Across the street from the visitors center is the Cant Ranch House - the historical home of one of the original ranching families.
Down the road in Dayville, the Fish House and RV park is a terrific place to spend the night. You can camp, stay in your RV or rent rooms. Dayville also has a few markets and a gas station.
Friday, June 17, 2011
John Day Fossil Monument
The monument is about a four hour drive from Portland. There are three primary sties: Clarno, Sheep Rock and Painted Hills. All of the sites are worth a visit.
Clarno is the site of the fossilized nut beds and mammals. It is adjacent to the Hancock Station (an OMSI educational facility). There are a few short hikes at the Clarno site and the scenery is dominated by basalt palisades.
If you can, joining any of the OMSI programs at Hancock Station will enable you to see much more of the Clarno area than the monument facility will. OMSI offers access to the digging sites.
We enjoyed the hikes and the picnic area. The best part of our visit was speaking with one of the employees of the monument. He was knowledgeable of the area in a way that helped us to make sense of what we were seeing and very passionate about the history or the flora and fauna. In general, any time we speak to some of the older employees at the national parks and monuments, we have a really great experience.
Bring water, food, any park documentation you can find and wear long pants. The terrain is comfortable for rattlesnakes.
Clarno is the site of the fossilized nut beds and mammals. It is adjacent to the Hancock Station (an OMSI educational facility). There are a few short hikes at the Clarno site and the scenery is dominated by basalt palisades.
If you can, joining any of the OMSI programs at Hancock Station will enable you to see much more of the Clarno area than the monument facility will. OMSI offers access to the digging sites.
We enjoyed the hikes and the picnic area. The best part of our visit was speaking with one of the employees of the monument. He was knowledgeable of the area in a way that helped us to make sense of what we were seeing and very passionate about the history or the flora and fauna. In general, any time we speak to some of the older employees at the national parks and monuments, we have a really great experience.
Bring water, food, any park documentation you can find and wear long pants. The terrain is comfortable for rattlesnakes.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Oregon Rocks
We just returned from a trip to the John Day Fossil Beds Monument. The monument is located in the north-central part of the state of Oregon; about a 5-hour drive from Portland. We like to visit this location because:
- it is a beautiful part of Oregon
- there are not many people
- we like fossils and rocks
On the way out, we stopped in Madras at the Richardson Rock Ranch to hunt and dig for thundereggs. The ranch is quite large (of 20 square miles) and has been in the family for 7 generations. In addition to cattle ranching, the Richardson family allows people to hunt for a variety of rocks. They also sell rocks from around the world.
At first, we had no idea what we were doing. We drove to an area set-up for digging and pulled out our gloves, eye protection and borrowed rock hammers (provided at the ranch). The gloves and eye protection were great to have. Towels and water would have been good, too. Digging was a dusty process.
A knowledgable fellow showed up with his family and helped us to better understand what we were looking for. Thundereggs can have ridges on the outside that indicate the formation of a central agate region that is usually fairly crystalline in appearance. There are also mudballs that contain a lot of small round nodules on the outside and a fairly dense, dark center. We picked up about 10 pounds of rocks - mostly thundereggs, but also a piece of obsidian and some rose quartz.
We will have to go to the Rice Museum and see if we can have the thundereggs cut open.
In terms of a family event - this was a great way to go. We could have spent the entire day at the ranch - especially if we had brought a lunch. There are several digging sites and the store and museum of interesting. Our son's imagination was running free while we were digging. He formed a rock-hounding partnership with another little boy and they were busy the entire time.
It would be helpful to do some research beforehand to know more about what to look for.
- it is a beautiful part of Oregon
- there are not many people
- we like fossils and rocks
On the way out, we stopped in Madras at the Richardson Rock Ranch to hunt and dig for thundereggs. The ranch is quite large (of 20 square miles) and has been in the family for 7 generations. In addition to cattle ranching, the Richardson family allows people to hunt for a variety of rocks. They also sell rocks from around the world.
At first, we had no idea what we were doing. We drove to an area set-up for digging and pulled out our gloves, eye protection and borrowed rock hammers (provided at the ranch). The gloves and eye protection were great to have. Towels and water would have been good, too. Digging was a dusty process.
A knowledgable fellow showed up with his family and helped us to better understand what we were looking for. Thundereggs can have ridges on the outside that indicate the formation of a central agate region that is usually fairly crystalline in appearance. There are also mudballs that contain a lot of small round nodules on the outside and a fairly dense, dark center. We picked up about 10 pounds of rocks - mostly thundereggs, but also a piece of obsidian and some rose quartz.
We will have to go to the Rice Museum and see if we can have the thundereggs cut open.
In terms of a family event - this was a great way to go. We could have spent the entire day at the ranch - especially if we had brought a lunch. There are several digging sites and the store and museum of interesting. Our son's imagination was running free while we were digging. He formed a rock-hounding partnership with another little boy and they were busy the entire time.
It would be helpful to do some research beforehand to know more about what to look for.
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