John Day Fossil Beds
Picture Gorge
Tuckered Out
T and I crawled out at 5:30 a.m. to pee, then went back to bed for some more zees. I had to call T away from eating something to get back in the tent. An hour later, I awoke to the loud "ack, ack" sound that often precedes barfing. Unzipping the tent in panic mode, I tried my hardest to push Tucker out the door, but I was too late. Barf pooled on his Thermarest (that would be my Thermarest). I shoved him and theThermarest unceremoniously out the door, pulled my sleeping bag over my head and went back to sleep.
I opted for an easy morning, reading while sipping my coffee while the sun dried the tent, then started a late breakfast of bacon and eggs with smoked gouda and leftover black beans, red onion, and zucchini. Folded into a warm tortilla with salsa and sour cream, it was perhaps the most gourmet meal of the week. Well fed and dishes washed, I packed up as much as I could while leaving some clothes to dry and lunch accessible.
Valerie and Pat were setting out to hike at the same time, but we soon passed them on the relatively flat trail. The trail closely followed the technical Class II-III river through lodgepole pines (many dying). Open areas featured rock outcroppings and and better views of the river. The area was heavily mined in the first half of the 20th century and signs of old mining claims abound. We saw a couple of abandoned shacks and signs nailed to trees. Our pre-determined turn-around point was the “Bigfoot Hilton,” a cabin from the Blue Heaven mining company that now serves as an emergency shelter and camp comfort station. Well stocked with stove and propane, built in bunk beds and canned goods, a plaque inside serves as tribute to the guy who built it(Guy Shafer from La Grande) and the many years he and his family enjoyed the place.
Today's drive featured the Lodgepole pine forest of the Blue Mountains, including an apparently burned area that is thickly reseeded with young Lodgepoles. Then the Ponderosa and green meadows as we proceeded northwest toward Ukiah, a small, quaint town in the middle of the Camas prairie. I loved the drive south toward John Day, hugging the banks of a wide creek for several miles before climbing out of the valley. A side trip down Ritter Road showed off the Middle Fork John Day River and was well worth the extra 20 miles even though the hot springs were closed.
More epic scenery past a closed fire lookout tower, descending into Dayville, and following the main John Day on a hot afternoon through Picture Gorge to John Day Fossil Beds. I had to run the air conditioning periodically to keep T cool. We made a brief stop at visitor center and a short hike through the fossil beds. Still following the John Day River, we drive north to beautiful Kimberly then west to Spray for gas and water. Despite the leisurely pace, we still made camp by 5, and luckily so since the few walk-in campsites at Service Creek filled up within a couple hours.
Just one group was there ahead of us--an older gentleman with a dog and a small boy of about three, both confined in the cab of a pickup truck. He appeared to be overwhelmed by the tasks of babysitting and making multiple carries of gear from the unloading area to the campsite. He said he had just spent several days on the river with his family. An hour later, his grill was fired up and he struggled to set up an oversize tent before realizing he lacked the poles. Shortly, a younger couple and pre-teen girl arrived, poles in hand. After some arguing, grandpa cried out, "what was I supposed to do? He's impossible! Then the mother conceded "we left you too long with him." I was laughing my ass off.
I marveled that I started my trip in a snowstorm and ended it in a dry desert heat. I spent some time perusing my pictures and reflecting on the week, enjoying a crisp Ninkasi ale on my last night of camping. I was looking forward to getting home, yet not wanting the trip to be over. Tucker just wanted to go to bed. As soon as I set the tent up, he wanted inside.
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