Eastern Oregon's John Day
Country
A series of scenic highways wind through the High Desert's
colorful past and present.
I had already been to Arizona twice before my first excursion
into Oregon's John Day country and was quite impressed with
its similarity to Prescott and Sedona. There is no Grand
Canyon or Oak Creek Canyon but the topography and even the
climate is somewhat similar. As a transient from the suburbs
of Chicago, I am always tickled at the choices of places
to explore in Oregon all within a few hours' drive from
most population hubs. Only a handful of small towns dot
the map in this empty land. The throngs of RV's and rowdy
tourists are a dime a dozen. One of my favorite scenic drives
winds through the canyons and plateaus of the John Day,
tagging more renowned stops along the way such as the Painted
Hills and Sheep Rock.  The
regions' more subtle charm includes peaceful cattle ranches
alternating with interesting rock formations and rolling
hills dotted with juniper and a lonely ponderosa pine once
in a while. From high passes along the route, distant Cascade
sentinels mark the western horizon; Mt. Hood and Mt. Jefferson
to name a couple. The jagged Strawberry Mountains rise to
the east. Weekend geologists and rock hounds can have the
times of their lives combing the cut banks for fossils and
the state rock, the Thunderegg. Nothing more than somewhat
unattractive gray mass of molten earth until it is cracked
open, revealing an attractive quartzite-like core. Just
remember to leave fossils and take only pictures while in
any of the three National Monument units.
Many armchair travelers, including
myself and even native Oregonians alike often wonder where
the famed river, valley, canyon and town received their
names. Unfortunately, little information on the demographics
can be found, unless you inquire with some of the local
folks in the area. John Day was a fur trapper and hunter
who was separated from his exploration party led by John
Jacob Astor and William Price Hunt in search of the Columbia
River in 1812. He and another man, Ramsey Crooks, wintered
where the present-day John Day River empties into the Columbia.
The river was named Mah-hah until the 1850's. John Day most
likely explored the remote canyons and may be responsible
for discovering the rivers' three forks, though never was
anywhere near the Sheep Rock area.
Many travelers can be just
as content to spend a few hours or a whole day, depending
on which direction you're coming from, enjoying the scenery
from the car. My favorite starting point is from the west
in Prineville along US Highway 26. Just a few miles out
of town, drive past the man-made Ochoco Lake, busy with
water-skiers and sailboats in the summer. The reservoir
is drained throughout the year, usually in fall months,
only to be filled again with snowmelt from the surrounding
Ochoco Mountains during runoff season.
In about ten miles or so, you'll
notice a vegetative transition from juniper and mahogany to
a beautiful forest of towering ponderosa pine and scattered
western larch. Numerous meadows dot the relatively open timber
permitting views of grazing deer and an occasional elk. As
a forester, I am always delighted to see the extra care that
has been implemented in the underburning efforts of the forest
near Ochoco Summit. This underburn, or "controlled fire",
in a sense, clean out the dry tree litter of needles and twigs
which accumulates over time providing fuel for potentially
catastrophic fires. In order to prevent this and mimic the
natural forest succession, these prescribed fires may occur
along a mile or two stretch of the highway. Just roll up the
windows, turn on the vent and accept the fact that the result
will be a healthy forest to enjoy on future trips. Unfortunately,
Mother Nature took her toll in a wilder corner of the Ochocos
during the summer of 2000 as a lightning-struck fire consumed
several thousand acres in the Mill Creek Wilderness, northwest
of the highway. Otherwise, the park-like ponderosa pine woods
are an array of color thanks to yellow balsamroot and purple
lupine decorating the forest floor.
A couple of rustic picnic
areas are at 4,720-foot Ochoco Summit; Bandit Spring and
Ochoco Divide, both with memorable ponderosa pines, campsites
and pit toilets. However, you'll need to inhale that sweet
vanilla aroma for the last time as the route leaves the
pines and enters the vast landscapes of a more pungent aroma;
juniper and sage. One of my favorite highway vistas awaits
just a few miles below the summit. Sweeping views of the
peaceful John Day Country's dry buttes and peaks now complete
the scene. Here is where the land reminds me of central
and northern Arizona, minus the saguaros.
In about 7 miles, you'll want
to see the first of the three John Day Fossil Bend National
Monument units, a six-mile side trip winds through a narrow
irrigated valley to the Painted Hills. My first visit to
the "hills" was during a thundershower in September,
when the desert grasses are as brown as the unpainted dirt.
Luckily for me, I had enough patience to wait for the storm
to clear and produce a faint rainbow over the Hills. As
a result, the colors seemed to be enhanced a thousand-fold,
immediately erasing the first twenty minutes of monotonous
gray. The famous orange, pink, red and purple bands of volcanic
strata were now visible and I along with other camera buffs
came out of our shells and began clicking away. The Painted
Hills are the result of volcanic formations and eruptions.
The ash and debris is mixed with rainwater and heat to form
the clay particles in various hues of color. In order to
protect the uniquely shaped earth, climbing up the hills
is discouraged to help prevent erosion and to protect the
fragile bee flower which grows in the dry ravines on the
hills.
A short 1.5-mile hiking trail
with interpretive signs offers a taste of the unique geology
as well as a chance to stretch the legs and admire nature's
tapestry. A little-known secret lies just down the main
gravel road past the visitors overlook; a private lake in
an unusual desert setting and its own painted hills backdrop!
Three miles past the Painted
Hills turnoff is the tiny "cow town" of Mitchell.
The Blueberry Café is the first business once in
the little burg and is a recommended place to coffee-up
and feast on the muffins, which are out of this world. If
you're in town at the right time of the year, don't be surprised
to be delayed. Cattle drives are sometimes herded right
through town, leaving a taste of the old west in your memoirs
and quite a mess on the road as well. The down-to-earth
hospitality, however, is unparalleled. Mitchell is also
a fork in the road offering the option of either turning
north onto state highway 207 through scenic ranch lands
and rimrock or continuing east along US Highway 26. I suggest
the latter.
After stuffing your face at
the Blueberry Café, head up the steep grade for nine
miles to 4,372-foot Keyes Creek Summit. A surprising little
cluster of young ponderosa pines thrive at the top, reminding
you of the Ochocos. Views unfold behind you of the Ochoco
peaks and, on a clear day, Mt. Hood. A wide-open flat plain
stretches just past the summit, almost a disappointment
after all that climbing. However, rugged landforms to the
east indicate that a roller-coaster-like route lies ahead,
which is exactly what to expect. In another seven miles,
the highway immediately slips into a wild ever-deepening
gorge of basalt. Swift flowing, aptly named Mountain Creek
carves its course, slowing down briefly through ranches
to its terminus, the brawling John Day River itself. The
massive canyon country happens to be on private land but
is nevertheless grand.
This portion of the route
enters a narrow 500-foot deep slot known as Picture Gorge,
named after Indian petroglyphs sketched into the rocks above
the river. Use caution while driving in the gorge as hairpin
turns in the road limit sightseeing opportunities. Cottonwood
and willows add a splash of summer green and autumn gold
to the rust-colored cliffs. You'll soon come to another
fork-in-the-road decision. Turn north (left) onto State
Highway 19 to the Sheep Rock Unit. Sheep Rock's eroded lava-topped
peak rises nearly a thousand feet above the river. Two miles
past the junction is the visitor's center, picturesque James
Cant Ranch House on the right side of the highway in the
orchards. Get a crash course in the Cenozoic Era and the
forty million-year old, tropical plant and animal life that
once flourished in present-day, arid eastern Oregon. Thomas
Condon, a pioneer geologist in the 1870's, was the first
to discover the regions' fossils near Sheep Rock. Many of
the fossils can be found scattered throughout the area.
In fact, not long ago, a young student uncovered a 4-million
year old fossilized banana! Just remember to leave the fossils
and take only pictures. The house itself is on the National
Historic Register named after a Scotish immigrant who raised
sheep along the river.
The highway follows the river
course in more relaxed fashion passing more pastoral ranches
and rock formations rising above the river. One in particular,
Cathedral Rock, makes for a scenic spot to photograph its
chalky cliffs and steeples. Nearby Blue Basin offers another
trail system into a claystone valley. Decorated by eons
of erosion, the bluish hues in the mud are the result of
a volcanic mineralization.
In 11 miles, another intersection
awaits at the small community of Kimberly. Continue along
Highway 19 for 13 miles to Spray. The route follows more
hairpin turns with large ponderosa pines clinging to the
river bank. Cottonwood, sycamore and willows add more color,
especially in the fall. Wildflower shows of red indian paintbrush,
and yellow arnica and the tall stalks of mullen color the
rolling hills in late spring. Another leg stretching excuse
is to carefully prowl the slopes in search of the red blooms
and sharp spines of hedgehog and prickly pear cactus. I
meant it when I said carefully. Once I had been inclined
to photograph the roadside flower bonanza when I experienced
my first Oregon cactus; its piercing needles bayoneted my
foot, right through my shoe!
The 12-mile segment between
Spray and service Creek is a bit wilder and deeper than
the previous portion. A public boat access put-in for rafters
is just south of Service Creek for those willing to experience
the John Day's final 156 wild miles to the Columbia. This
segment is a designated State Scenic Waterway and a federally
designated Wild and Scenic River.
Follow Highway 19 for another
22 scenic miles to Fossil, a good place to gas-up and eat.
The final unit of the national monument, Clarno Palisades,
is another 20 miles west of Fossil. The fortress-like cliffs
and spires are the result of ancient mudflows from the Eocene
Period. Today, a well-graded path contours to the base of
the honeycombed towers. Keen eyes will also find tiny fossilized
animals here as well.
The curious traveler can easily
experience the John Day Country. However, four-wheel drives,
river rafts and mountain bikes will treat you to even more
remote surprises in the vast playground. There are countless
other canyons, caves and hidden pine forests waiting to
be visited for the first time. Just watch out for those
darn cactus spines.
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