Steens
Mountain
Fish Lake area
in winter. And winter camping at the head of Kiger Gorge.
Steens Mountain has some
of the best snow and most extensive high elevation terrain for
cross country skiing in the Northwest. Here's Jim skiing in March
at 7,600 feet a little above Fish Lake. Note the extensive aspen
forests nearby, their white bark and twisted shapes beautiful
to ski through at this season, and even more fantastic to revisit
in their gold glory in October!
*These images compliments
of my good friend Jim Whinston, who got them from Joe Warfel.
Jim appears in both images. Jim was a talented guy who loved to
design and make his own gear; he was very handy with a sewing
machine; maybe having sisters was the source of his sewing skills?
************************************************************************
Joe Warfel's
own words about the group's 1974 West-to-East traverse of Steens
Mountain under winter conditions:
"We
traveled west to east or however one might describe the direction.
Started from French Glen [4200 ft] up the summit road till too
muddy to drive. We had several people in the group van (Outdoor
Program Van) who were to drop us off for the ski, then meet us
about a week later on the east side of the Steens at the edge
of Alvord desert.'
"Our
ski group had to walk on the muddy road for awhile until enough
snow allowed skiing. I have a photo of myself all geared up with
good old Kelty external frame pack with skis on top walking in
mud! We more or less followed the road to Fish Lake [7400 ft]
and made camp. Played around on the ridges above the lake (one
member broke a ski on a ski "jump" we made. Epoxied
the broken tail (pheonolic base) and continued.
"Next
camp I remember was at head of Kiger Gorge [8940 ft.. see picture
above]. What a view! Then onto the summit, dropping down to cirque
just below summit but above Wildhorse Lake [8500 ft] (down in
Wildhorse Canyon). We spent a two or three days climbing/skiing
around the camp till finally skiing down Wildhorse low enough
till we again couldn't ski anymore. Walked out over what I remember
as Strawhat Pass to the east side of Steens eventually to the
edge of playa [4000 ft] meeting the van with the rest of our party.
Drove north up Alvord to Mosquito creek canyon, made camp for
a night then drove back to Eugene the next day."
Here's Jim ski-jumping above the hard-frozen
Fish Lake (7400 ft.), site of the group's first camp during their
1974 West-to-East traverse of Steens Mountain.
Page
last revised 10/04/2020