Trip to Fish Lake, Steens Mtns, OR
I've been wanting to do this for some time and all the stars finally aligned but not without some hiccups. Left Boise Monday afternoon and wanted to go thru Fields OR for their world famous cheeseburgers and milkshakes (so I've heard). Gassing up in Jordan Valley OR the guy told me Fields did not have gas but Denio NV did but close at 6. OK, I know a short cut!! A 50 mile gravel road that cuts off 130 miles!!
This road comes out between Denio and Fields. Miles and miles of brutal washboard. Finally get to the blacktop and head south to Denio. Got to Denio, nope, no gas here. The nearest gas is FIELDS 24 miles away and you've got 29 minutes to get there!! Good Grief!!! Made it to Fields with minutes to spare and got my gas. Fields is just a wide spot in the road. The cafe closes the grill at 330. :( Maybe next time.
I head on to The Steens but it's getting late so I stay at a CG called Page Springs and will continue on in the AM. Woke up to Mr Murphy!!! Flat on RR truck tire. What??? This is my 4th set of Toyo MTs and have never had a flat!! Empty a can of fix a flat, top off with compressor and beat feet to Burns OR, 70 miles to Les Schwab. I carry the much smaller stock spare but did not want to use it as I would have had to change it to to the front. Got to LS and told him I had a flat. He said he's never fixed a flat on an MT!! Dunked it in the horse trough and there were the bubbles. Coming from a cracked wheel!! Told you those washboards were brutal.
Got fixed up with a used wheel and on to Fish Lake. The CG at FL is small and a lot of sites are for a single vehicle. I lucked out and got a drive thru that would hold all my junk.
The elevation here is 7500' but disappointed how warm the days/nights were.
Pretty little lake tho.
My fishing partner.
My $100 fish!!! I had really good intentions of doing a lot of fishing in Eastern OR this Spring so sprung for an out of state annual license. $100. But as we all know life sure gets in the way sometimes. So if I don't make it back this year that's the $100 fish!! And I didn't even eat him.
The fishing was slow. Should have been here last week they said. Typical for me. I did do a little sight seeing. Rode up to the Kiger Gorge, pretty massive!!
Then up to the top to the East Rim viewpoint. 9700' here. A little chilly on the quad in a T shirt. Looking to the East over the Alford desert. If it weren't for the smoke you could see clear back to Idaho!!
/
Then Mr Murphy showed up again. All within the next day the house charger, water heater and compressor fridge went haywire. Did I say those washboards were brutal? OK, I have a genny and a stand alone battery charger, heat water on the stove but warm beer is a deal breaker!! Loaded up and came home!!!
s375
This road comes out between Denio and Fields. Miles and miles of brutal washboard. Finally get to the blacktop and head south to Denio. Got to Denio, nope, no gas here. The nearest gas is FIELDS 24 miles away and you've got 29 minutes to get there!! Good Grief!!! Made it to Fields with minutes to spare and got my gas. Fields is just a wide spot in the road. The cafe closes the grill at 330. :( Maybe next time.
I head on to The Steens but it's getting late so I stay at a CG called Page Springs and will continue on in the AM. Woke up to Mr Murphy!!! Flat on RR truck tire. What??? This is my 4th set of Toyo MTs and have never had a flat!! Empty a can of fix a flat, top off with compressor and beat feet to Burns OR, 70 miles to Les Schwab. I carry the much smaller stock spare but did not want to use it as I would have had to change it to to the front. Got to LS and told him I had a flat. He said he's never fixed a flat on an MT!! Dunked it in the horse trough and there were the bubbles. Coming from a cracked wheel!! Told you those washboards were brutal.
Got fixed up with a used wheel and on to Fish Lake. The CG at FL is small and a lot of sites are for a single vehicle. I lucked out and got a drive thru that would hold all my junk.
The elevation here is 7500' but disappointed how warm the days/nights were.
Pretty little lake tho.
My fishing partner.
My $100 fish!!! I had really good intentions of doing a lot of fishing in Eastern OR this Spring so sprung for an out of state annual license. $100. But as we all know life sure gets in the way sometimes. So if I don't make it back this year that's the $100 fish!! And I didn't even eat him.
The fishing was slow. Should have been here last week they said. Typical for me. I did do a little sight seeing. Rode up to the Kiger Gorge, pretty massive!!
Then up to the top to the East Rim viewpoint. 9700' here. A little chilly on the quad in a T shirt. Looking to the East over the Alford desert. If it weren't for the smoke you could see clear back to Idaho!!
/
Then Mr Murphy showed up again. All within the next day the house charger, water heater and compressor fridge went haywire. Did I say those washboards were brutal? OK, I have a genny and a stand alone battery charger, heat water on the stove but warm beer is a deal breaker!! Loaded up and came home!!!
s375
