Trip 04, Day 10 (Day 37):
MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2007: THE STINKING WATER MOUNTAINS
Up at 6:15 and walking by 7:45 a.m. we were (same as yesterday). It was another cloudless August day in eastern Oregon, although the wind had blown all night and the day was projected to be just over 80 degrees for a high, perfect for our purposes.
After driving the long, straight stretch of highway through the farms east of Burns, we arrived at the base of the mountains and began the day’s walk. Joe was ready to run again, so he was gone before I finished putting on sunscreen.
Starting point: 43.62093 N, 118.65135 W – elevation 4150 feet
Ending point: 43.71383 N, 118.51164 W – elevation 4376 feet
I mentioned near the end of yesterday’s walk that the road began to climb slightly. This was a very slight incline, and it continued for the first 2 miles through a desert valley leading into the mountains. About a mile in, a westbound beat-up-looking red sports car slowed down, and a young gal offered me a ride, but I waved her off, saying I was fine. She drove another hundred yards, turned around, and drove up next to me. She was insistent: “Can’t I give you a ride somewhere? This highway goes a long ways without gas or anything. I’ve been driving all night….just rested awhile up there at milepost 164 or whatever.” I said, “No, thanks. A buddy and I are doing a cross-country thing, and I have a vehicle waiting up ahead. But thanks….I appreciate the offer.” She drove off, and I smiled for the next half-mile like Chevy Chase in “Vacation.”.
At 2 miles I came to Buchanan, where a road takes off to the southwest toward Crane and the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. Buchanan consists of a combination gas station/museum/Indian crafts gift shop set against the base of some basalt palisades on the mountainside. A bit further up the grade was a sign indicating that this location is the northern limit of the Great Basin, which stretches south from here to the southern point of Nevada. This is a desert area between mountain ranges with no drainage to the ocean. Any lakes in the Great Basin are salty and lose water only to evaporation.
Now the road climbed steadily, gaining over 700 feet in elevation to the highest summit. At 3 miles was a rest area. As I got downwind from it, I had an idea about how these mountains might have acquired their name.
At the top, there were good views across scrub forest to distant peaks to the north. Here also there were aluminum barriers lined along above the highway to keep winter snow from drifting onto the roadway.
The last couple of miles were downhill, giving back about 400 feet of the gain before I reached the end of the walk. From where the pick-up was parked, there was a quite spectacular vista across another desert valley to more of the Stinking Water mountain range and some mesas to the south.
Walk rating: 8.2
Money found: Day: $.38 Trip: $1.37 Project: $13.83
Distance: Day: 10.1 miles Trip: 99.2 miles Project: 350.6 miles
Significance: Left the Great Basin. Reached highest elevation of the project so far at 4851 feet.
