OMT @ viewpoint - Blue Basin trail
Couldn't hide a hiking smile. What a great day to get out and hike and wonderful place to do so. Blue Basin Trail and the short companion Island in Time trail. Not bad hiking weather for the first part of Februay eh?
Friday 3 Feb 2012 fog as thick as potato soup hugged the road over Eastern Oregon from Biggs to Spray, Oregon. Then the sun broke through. Great day for a hike!
There are three units of the John Day Fossil Bed National Monument: Sheep Rock; Clarno; and Painted Hills. My wife and I stopped and hiked at the Painted Hills and Clarno unit in December of 2011.
These photos were taken on hikes in the Sheep Rock Unit: First two short walks in the Foree Area; then a 3 mile loop trail in the Blue Basin and a short up and back hike in the middle of the loop of the Blue Basin hike (called The Island in Time hike).
After the hiking it was a quick trip over to the Thomas Condon Paleontology Center to look around and learn there (I learned a lot).
No other hikers were on any of the trails but at the Foree Area there were two scientists down on hands and knees, looking for, finding, carefully removing, and using GPS and other modern methods, listing where each and every fossil is found and what type of strata.
One of the scientists (who turned out to be Joshua X. Samuels), stopped his field work and walked over for a visit. Joshua is the Museum Curator and head paleontologist at John Day. He got his B.S. in Idaho and PHd in L.A.
What a bright articulate man he was to talk to. He fielded every question I came up with and I felt privileged to be able to learn so much standing right in the middle of the area where some of the current field work is being done.
One side note, is that there was a poster placed at the trail head of the Blue Basin hike alerting hikers to the "active presence" of a cougar. I didn't see any track or other signs of a big cat, but it would have been great to have caught sight of him.
I hope you enjoy the photos from this hike. The winter weather was terrific, and if you haven't yet visited all three units of the John Day Fossil Beds, I encourage you to do so.
Note: I had always thought that the blue green colors of the John Day Fossil Beds formations, was a result of copper content (Cu) BUT a helpful lady ranger at the Thomas Condon Paleontology Center was kind enough to correct me, as she say she has done with MANY other (that made me feel better).
The pleasing aqua marine color of the John Day Fossil Beds formation is not because of any copper content but of "Celadonite" ~ pronounced Sell-a-don-ite (al, si,o,h,k, mg,fe,oh) - a high iron content, blue-green clay mineral. Never too old to learn something new.
Comments and faves
R. Pahre (4 months ago | reply)
Looks like a happy day! Great portrait.
OldDogNewTrick (4 months ago | reply)
Looks like a great day and it sure is a great location. I am surprised to see no trace of snow around you. We still have some snow hanging around in the city, and lots out in our nearby mountain parks.
grlemond (4 months ago | reply)
Lookin' good man!
*wildbio* (4 months ago | reply)
Nice to see you, what a spectacular view!
oldmantravels (4 months ago | reply)
RP; ODNT; grlemond; and "also loves the outdoors" - *wildbio* - - Thanks. Nice that they provide trail benches for us old folks when we are hiking. HA. OMT
Bernie: I have been watching the weather forecast for Dayville, Oregon for weeks before this trip and they had a lot of warm clear winter weather. A ranger said if it hadn't rained or snowed in a few days and the sun came out, that the trails quickly dry. She was right. The only problem was driving there with about 40 miles of very thick fog. I was relieved to find the fog was gone at the Sheep Rock unit of John Day Fossil Beds. Here in Eastern Washington, where I live, there is still quite a bit of snow piled along the sides of our roads, but it is melting fast. OMT
fly flipper (4 months ago | reply)
Always a spirit boost to get out in the sun and stretch the legs, especially this time of year. What a gorgeous couple of weeks we had!
oldmantravels (4 months ago | reply)
Flipper - - We took an impromptu road trip to Lincoln City, Oregon, when I saw the weather forecast for the coast. Enjoyed 60 degree blue sky weather on Monday. What a great feeling. I can now feel that winter will soon be gone and the wildflowers of Spring will be about. We took a hike (I will be posting a few photos later) that I think you two would really enjoy, just north of Lincoln City, Oregon. If you have the William L. Sullivan "Oregan Coast & coast range" hiking guide, check out hike #29 to Cascade Head (Harts Cove Trail access is restricted due to protection for the Oregon Silverspot butterfly (hike # 28). We took the Nature Conservancy trail up from the Salmon River estuary and it was just a great short day hike, with tremendous views. May return in spring to see some of the rare flowers that grow there (Hairy stemmed checkermallow and the Cascade Head catchfly). I know you are doing more traveling, hiking and backpacking along with your fly fishing these days, so here is wishing you a great 2012 of all of the above. OMT
fly flipper (4 months ago | reply)
Thanks for the tip OMT. You know I always value your recommendations, so I'll be sure to add it to my "list". You are right- spring is on its way soon. We're going to hit Tucson-Phoenix for a week of hiking over our 20th anniversary next month. I can't wait to soak up some warmth and sun and explore some brand new areas.
oldmantravels (4 months ago | reply)
Fly Flipper - - Congratulations on your 20th next month (isn't that a silver, gold, or chocolate anniversary?) HA. Keep on keeping your Eagle Scout out of trail trouble and enjoy your trip to Arizona. Good choice. OMT