Howdy everyone. Jackie's mom and sisters are headed back to California. Only one week to recover, then off on our camping trip to LaPine, John Day, Wallowa Lake, and The Columbia Gorge.

 

Good afternoon everyone..

 

Good afternoon John and Evan. It's lunch time West of the Blues...

Evan, are you going to visit the John Day Fossil Beds? Painted Hills and the Condon Paleontology Center are pretty interesting. Carno is O.K., but probably too far out of the way and requires quite a side trip off to the North and West, unless you have a couple of days to explore. I would not call Clarno "toddler friendly" as far as the hike up to the cliffs go....

 

Clarno Unit, about 18 miles West of Fossil...

 

The Painted Hills and the Fossil Beds are definite stops. We don't have much time for side trips.

 

Fossil Beds are actually comprised of 3 Units. Painted Hills and Sheep Rock are just off 26 on your way to John Day. Clarno Unit is out of the way and quite a side trip up 19 to Fossil and then another 18 miles west of Fossil.

Are you going to be pulling your dads camp trailer?

You could probably do both Painted Hills and the most exciting / interesting parts of Sheep Rock in one day if you hit Painted Hills first thing in the morning and pushed it. Definitely could get Painted Hills and the Thomas Condin Paleontogy and Visitor Center (Sheep Rock Unit) in, taking 1 very full day. The museum closes at 1700 if I remember correctly.

We spent 3 days the first of June, leaving Don's (Fabmans) on the morning of the 1rst day and hitting the Clarno Unit that day. Did the Clarno Arch Trail, all the way to the top to the Logs and Arch. Then the Trail of Fossils. We parked in the East lot / picnic area so we had to take the 3rd trail, "Geologic Time Trail" to get to the other two. If you are coming down Hwy 26, Clarno Unit will probably add a full day to your travels. I would pass on it for time reasons.

Then we went back to Fossil and South to the Kimberly area, up the John Day to Big Bend Campground for $2.50 not far from Kimberly, and had the entire campground to ourselves. Primitive & small, only a half dozen sites, Pit Toilet and no water. I believe it is Lone Pine that is just a quarter mile from Big Bend. Same size and set up.

Day 2, we hit the Foree area and two trails they had there. (Did I mention that the dogs were starting to get a little unhappy with the hiking bit?) From Foree we went down to the Blue Basin, waiving at Cathedral Rock on the way by, and hiked the trails there. Pressed for time, do the "Islands in Time Trail". Short, sweet, to the point.

From Blue Basin it is just a couple of minutes down the road to the Cant Ranch (Park HQ) and the Thomas Condon Paleontology Museum.
Given time constraints cut out Foree, but hit Blue Basin if you can.
If not, skip both of them and the Cant Ranch but do hit the Paleontology Center if at all possible.

From there we went way on up the road, stopping for a bit in Mitchell and then decided to go up to the USFS Campground on the Ochoco divide. Day 3 we started out early, back tracked to the Painted Hills, and after spending too much time in the Painted Hills, we took off for Prineville Reservoir with a quick detour outside of Mitchell to see if a house was still there that we looked at a number of years ago when I was looking at the Resident Deputy's job out of Mitchell. We were thinking of spending another night on the Ochoco Divide, but decided to press on for Prineville Reservoir.

If you are trying to get from La Pine to John Day in one day and hit any of the JDFB in route, you are going to be in for a very long day. I'm not even sure it is possible to leave La Pine, hit Painted Hills and the Museum, before it closes, and then get into John Day before dark.

If you don't have the camp trailer with you, save up the gallon milk jugs and carry copious amounts of potable water.

Anyway, just some info coming out of what we discovered on our trip the First of June.


We did a lot of site seeing and the Wife had an absolute blast...well, except for the one trail that gave out from underneath her and then she started sliding off the mountain, and I ended up having to do a miniature high angle rescue... Did I mention, not much cell phone coverage in a lot of that area so it's back to the days of old if you First Responders.

 

Man that is some pretty country side, love the pics Jim...

 

It has it's own form of beauty, but alas, I'm not really a Juniper, sagebrush and tumbleweed sort of fellow. But it is really neat to visit on occasion.


Global Warming, we are killing the planet, folks probably don't want to discuss the Painted Hills. The Reds, Yellows and other colors are bands indicating years of global warming climate versus the cooling climate. Looks to me like it has been going on since time immemorial......

 

Big Bend BLM Campground on the John Day River near Kimberly Oregon....















And it's open Range Country......

 

I'll be towing the trailer. LaPine to John Day is about 3 hours. Looks like there's a Painted Hills overlook just outside Mitchell, and the Paleontology Center in Dayville. We plan to leave LaPine pretty early in the morning.

 

Good evening Ford Fans'.

A whole order wasn't entered! I get to the customer with what I did have and get where is the rest of my stuff.

 

Pretty close, 4 hours non stop (187 miles) from my cousins house in La Pine to John Day.


https://www.nps.gov/joda/planyourvis...015-Update.pdf


Painted Hills Overlook is about 9 miles up Burnt Ranch Road which is a junction about 4 miles west of Mitchell.

 

Great pictures Jim......I didn't realise you were that close to me on your vacation. I'm only a couple of minutes off the road to Prineville Reservoir....

 

Good morning Oregon, welcome to Tuesday!

Well, at least you made it right with him. Sucks you had to do that, though.

 

Morning Pat, and all to follow.