In mid September 2024 by bride and I made a 5-day road-trip from Willamette Valley to Eastern Oregon. For two nights we camped at Steens Mountain Wilderness Resort ( https://steensmountainresort.com ). While there we traveled the Steens Mountain Loop Road, the highest road in the state of Oregon. Steens Mountain stretches some 50 miles north to south, and rises from the west side at the Alvord Desert (4,200 ft) to a summit elevation of 9,738 feet. Steens Mountain is not part of a mountain range but is properly a single mountain, the largest of Oregon's fault-block mountains. Near the summit of Steens Mountain we hiked the Wildhorse Lake Trail from Steens Summit Road. Wildhorse lake fills the bottom of a deep cirque with high surrounding walls on three sides that give way on one side to an open view of the horizon beyond. This out and back trail of 2.5 miles has an elevation gain of 1,053 ft. Once at the lake we took a plunge into the COLD wild horse lake (elevation 8,420 ft) before trekking back to our vehicle.

We drove from Steens Mountain Wilderness Resort to the Alvord Desert by way of Frenchglen, Or ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frenchglen,_... ) and Fields, Or ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fields,_Oregon ), where we stopped for the famous "doesn't suck" milkshake at Fields Station ( https://www.thefieldsstation.com ).

Once at the Alvord Desert we gained access to the desert by way of Alvord Hot Springs ( https://www.alvordhotsprings.com ) for a small fee. We camped on the desert playa for one night where we witnessed a dust storm. The next morning we hiked the Pike Creek Canyon Trail in the Steens Wilderness and not too far from Alvord Hot Springs. Pike Creek Trail is 7 miles out and back with an elevation gain or 1,994 ft with spectacular views or Steens Mountain ridgeline to the west and the Alvord Desert to the east.

We then drove to Crystal Crane Hot Springs ( https://www.cranehotsprings.com) near Burns, Or where camped for the night and very much enjoyed the soak in chlorine-free hot spring pond and soaking tubs.