We were there in the spring, but ran out of time for a real visit and really just passed through. This time we’d make it our destination. Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge lies in Oregon’s outback. That is to say, it’s not really near a whole lot. Maybe that’s what makes it so nice. We made our way down highway 31, through Paisley and Plush and were able to arrive as the sun was going down. The wildlife were at home on the range.
Labor day had come and gone. Summer fishing adventures in the high Cascades are winding down and we are moving on to our list of fall destinations. Counting the possible destinations and the number of weekends available until Thanksgiving rolls around, it seems the numbers don’t quite match up. But, we’ll get out to see what we can see and maybe have a list left over for next year. The first stop turned out to be a trip to the high country of the Malheur National Forest, and the headwaters of the Malheur river.
This is familiar country to me but I haven’t visited in a long time. I used to hunt deer and elk here regularly but with how difficult it is to draw a tag now in Oregon and how lousy the hunting is I’ve concentrated more on fishing the last several years. It was good to be back and see the country again. With the days getting shorter we arrived in the dark on Friday night. First up on Saturday was a hike in the Strawberries to High Lake.
As the snowmelt pours off the Oregon mountains each spring it becomes prime time to find yourself on a river or two. We found ourselves on the Wallowa and Grande Ronde in June. The Wallowa was still ice cold and made for an eye opening early morning launch. It was a grey day with a few sprinkles, which didn’t warm us up either. Isn’t the eastern half of Oregon supposed to be dry and warm in June? Ah well. We were off and covering miles, down the Wallowa to the Grande Ronde.
