{"id":6322,"date":"2019-10-16T11:39:27","date_gmt":"2019-10-16T18:39:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.christofteuscher.com\/aagaa\/?p=6322"},"modified":"2019-10-21T10:51:04","modified_gmt":"2019-10-21T17:51:04","slug":"news-2nd-75mi-steens-traverse-attempt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/christofteuscher.com\/aagaa\/news-2nd-75mi-steens-traverse-attempt\/","title":{"rendered":"News: 2nd 75mi Steens Traverse Attempt"},"content":{"rendered":"

S<\/span>teens Mountain is one of Oregon’s great scenic and geological wonders, a 30mi long fault-block with a spectacular and rugged east face that rises one vertical mile above the equally spectacular Alvord Desert<\/a>. Steens Mountain is the largest fault-block mountain in the northern Great Basin<\/a>. A 59mi (95km) loop road<\/a>, the highest road in Oregon, scales the mountain range and tops out at 9,734ft (2’967m). The Steens also offer some of the most impressive fall colors<\/a> and are home to the toughest 10k<\/a> in Oregon.<\/p>\n

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\r\n The Steens Traverse consists of traversing the entire mountain range between OR-78 and OR-205, the Higher Desert Discovery Scenic Byway<\/a>. The 75mi route entirely follows the fault-block’s rim, offers stunning views, is 100% off-trail, rugged, wild, slow, and unique in every aspect. The traverse can be completed on BLM\/state land only, although that involves a few detours.\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\n

On Fri, Oct 17, 2019 @ 2am, I will make a 2nd<\/sup> self-supported attempt of this traverse. There is now snow in higher elevations and my three water caches are likely frozen. I will thus carry a stove to melt snow. As during my 1st<\/sup> attempt<\/a>, the weather forecast unfortunately does not look good. Yet, I hope to be better prepared with more appropriate gear. I will go south-to-north again so that I can hopefully clear the Steens summit before the worst weather hits.<\/p>\n

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Cold, snow, and high winds. What could possibly go wrong?<\/p><\/div>\n

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The Steens Traverse seen from Alvord Desert. That looks slightly intimidating to me…<\/p><\/div>\n

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Overview map of the Steens Traverse<\/p><\/div>\n

Tracking<\/h4>\n

You can track me in the embedded map below or go here<\/a>. Approximate start coordinates: (42.31616, -118.74916). Approximate finish coordinates: (43.10004, -118.23641).<\/p>\n