Over the weekend, Outhausers took a camping trip to Steens Mountain in Southeast Oregon. We rose before the sun to pack up and hit the road, letting Reed College quickly fade into the 4:30am darkness behind us.
We arrived at our destination and set up camp as tiny flurries of snow swirled in the frigid, clear air. Patches of frozen white persisted in the shadows of the brilliant yellow aspens. The scene embodied the spirit of fall completely: Brisk air so chilly it had its own flavor, glowing golden forests, and a sky that transformed moment to moment from gray and nebulous to crystalline blue.
Well worth the eight hour drive.
After falling hungrily on lunch, we hiked until early evening. We trekked the length of a ridge extending out into a deep, glacial-formed furrow in the mountain. Piles of snow provided ammunition for snowball battles along the way, and clambering onto the many rock formations granted spectacular views of the dramatically sloping autumn-painted walls of the valley.
We had a moment of despair when, even after determined fumbling with frozen fingers, our camp stove would not work. The cold was bitter, and we were loathe to resign ourselves to a dinner of cold bread and peanut butter. Our problem was solved by a trio of grizzled elk hunters who graciously allowed us to cook dinner in their camp. They were also without a stove, but were in possession of space heater, which served just as well to boil a pot of water for pasta.
The next day, we awoke frosted. The entire world glittered. We packed up camp and headed out. We traveled to a natural hot spring and spent a glorious hour soaking, relaxing, and taking in the spectacular mountain views. After stopping in Fields, a town consisting of a liquor store, a gas station, and a restaurant (all owned by the same family) for the “world’s best milkshakes”, we commenced the long drive back to Reed, content with our lovely fall escape.
