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Steens Mountain

Coordinates: 42°38′11″N 118°34′36″W / 42.636418°N 118.576717°W / 42.636418; -118.576717
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Steens Mountain
Steens Mountain near Andrews, Oregon
Highest point
Elevation9,738 ft (2,968 m) NAVD 88[1]
Prominence4,373 ft (1,333 m)[1]
Listing
Coordinates42°38′11″N 118°34′36″W / 42.636418°N 118.576717°W / 42.636418; -118.576717[1]
Geography
Steens Mountain is located in Oregon
Steens Mountain
Steens Mountain
Location in Oregon
LocationHarney County, Oregon, U.S.
Topo mapUSGS Wildhorse Lake
Climbing
Easiest routeShort hike from gravel road

Steens Mountain is in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Oregon, and is a large fault-block mountain.[2][3] Located in Harney County, it stretches some 50 miles (80 km) north to south, and rises from alongside the Alvord Desert at elevation of about 4,200 feet (1,300 m) to a summit elevation of 9,738 feet (2,968 m). It is sometimes confused with a mountain range but is properly a single mountain.

The Steens Mountain Wilderness encompasses 170,166 acres (68,864 ha) of Steens Mountain.[4] 98,859 acres (40,007 ha) of the Wilderness are protected from grazing and free of cattle.[5]

History

The mountain was called the "Snowy Mountains" by John Work, one of the fur traders who were the first Europeans in the area. It was renamed in 1860 for United States Army Major Enoch Steen, who fought and drove members of the Paiute tribe off the mountain.[6][7]

Geology

Steens Mountain, Oregon, July 16, 2017, Sentinel-2 true-color satellite image. Scale: 1:100,000.

The east face of Steens Mountain is composed mainly of basalts stacked one upon another. Lava flows several hundreds of feet thick inundated the region between 17 and 14 million years ago.[8][9][10] Chemical data from magma deposits from the area reveal three distinct stages of volcanism.[11]

Flora and fauna

Wild horses and sagebrush on Steens Mountain

Vegetation in the Steens Mountain Wilderness varies greatly according to elevation. Common plants include sagebrush, juniper, various species of bunchgrass, mountain mahogany, aspen, mountain meadow knotweed, and false hellebore. Other vegetation endemic to Steens Mountain includes Steens paintbrush (Castilleja pilosa var. steenensis), moss gentian (Gentiana fremontii), Steens Mountain penstemon (Penstemon davidsonii var. praeteritus), Steens Mountain thistle (Cirsium peckii), a dwarf blue lupine, and Cusick's buckwheat (Eriogonum cusickii).[12][13][14]

Steens Mountain is distinctive in its absence of conifers, especially Ponderosa Pine and Douglas Fir, at elevations in which they would normally be found – from 5,500–8,000 feet (1,700–2,400 meters) above sea level. Although other mountains of the Great Basin also lack conifers, Steens Mountain is the largest mountain area without conifers. One possible cause of the absence of conifers is the isolation of Steens Mountain, although lack of seed dispersal by bird species such as Clark's Nutcracker may also be a factor. It is also possible that prehistoric fires, including fires used by Native Americans, eradicated the conifer population.[15] Home to a wide variety of animals, the area is primarily known for birding, hunting, and fishing. Birds here include Golden eagles, owls, and the protected sage grouse.[16] Other animals found in the area include rattlesnakes, scorpions, elk, bighorn sheep, pronghorn antelope, and cougars.[17] The area is home to wild horses. Drawing much controversy, the Bureau of Land Management engages in wild horse roundups every few years, employing helicopters to herd the horses.[18][19] Historically, Steens Mountain Wilderness was once home to grizzly bears; a skull was unearthed in nearby Malheur Lake.[20] In the 1970s, a wolverine was trapped and released on Steens Mountain.[21]

Environmental protection

BLM Steens Mountain Wilderness Map

On October 24, 2000, President Bill Clinton approved the Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protective Act. The act was created by local landowners in cooperation with local and national government representatives in response to a proposed National Monument. This act created the Steens Mountain BLM Cooperative Management and Protection Area, a 425,000-acre (1,720 km2) area. This law protects 1,200,000 acres (4,860 km2) from mining, and 100,000 acres (405 km2) from cattle grazing.[22]

Activities

The west slope of Steens Mountain is traversed by a 52-mile (84 km) loop road, which is suitable for passenger vehicles.[4] The road reaches an elevation of 9,700 feet (3,000 m), making it the highest road in Oregon. It is possible to drive almost to the summit of the mountain and to other viewpoints such as Kiger Gorge.[23] Steens Mountain is also host to Steens Mountain High Altitude Running Camp.[24]

Other recreational activities enjoyed on and around Steens Mountain are camping, picknicking, bicycling, hiking, hunting, sightseeing, soaring, and exploring. There are numerous hot springs along the base of Steens Mountain, including Alvord Hot Springs.[25] Far from city lights, stargazing is also popular.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Steens Mountain, Oregon". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved December 27, 2009.
  2. ^ "Steens Loop Tour Route". Travel Oregon. Archived from the original on November 20, 2015. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
  3. ^ "The Steens Loop Tour Route" (PDF). Scenic Byways, Oregon Department of Transportation. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 19, 2015. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
  4. ^ a b "Steens Mountain". Bureau of Land Management. April 10, 2017. Archived from the original on August 25, 2015. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  5. ^ "Steens Mountain Wilderness". Wilderness.net. Archived from the original on September 23, 2016. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
  6. ^ McArthur, Lewis A.; Lewis L. McArthur (2003) [1928]. Oregon Geographic Names (7th ed.). Portland, Oregon: Oregon Historical Society Press. ISBN 0-87595-277-1.
  7. ^ Loy, Willam G.; Stuart Allan; Aileen R. Buckley; James E. Meacham (2001). Atlas of Oregon. University of Oregon Press. p. 25. ISBN 0-87114-101-9.
  8. ^ "Southeast Oregon Basin and Range". SummitPost.org. Retrieved May 7, 2011.
  9. ^ "Andesitic and basaltic rocks on Steens Mountain". United States Geological Survey. Archived from the original on December 26, 2013. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
  10. ^ Camp, Victor E.; Ross, Martin E.; Hanson, William E. (2003), "Genesis of flood basalts and Basin and Range volcanic rocks from Steens Mountain to the Malheur River Gorge, Oregon", Geological Society of America Bulletin, 115 (1): 105–128, Bibcode:2003GSAB..115..105C, doi:10.1130/0016-7606(2003)115<0105:GOFBAB>2.0.CO;2
  11. ^ Moore, N. E.; Grunder, A. L.; Bohrson, W. A.; Carlson, R. W.; Bindeman, I. N. (2020). "Changing Mantle Sources and the Effects of Crustal Passage on the Steens Basalt, SE Oregon: Chemical and Isotopic Constraints". Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems. 21 (8). doi:10.1029/2020GC008910. ISSN 1525-2027. S2CID 225354222. Archived from the original on November 6, 2021. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  12. ^ Sullivan, William L. (2002). Thurman, Paula (ed.). Exploring Oregon's Wild Areas (3rd ed.). The Mountaineers Books. ISBN 978-0-89886-793-0.
  13. ^ St. John, Alan D. (2007). Oregon's Dry Side: Exploring East of the Cascade Crest. Timber Press. ISBN 978-0-88192-829-7.
  14. ^ Mansfield, Donald H. (2000). Flora of Steens Mountain. OSU Press. ISBN 978-0-87071-471-9.
  15. ^ Mansfield, Donald (1995). "The Unique Botany of Steens Mountain: The Rare and Endemic Plants" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
  16. ^ "Steens Mountain". Portland Audubon Society. 2020. Archived from the original on October 17, 2020. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  17. ^ "2017 Oregon Cougar Management Plan" (PDF). Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 20, 2020. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  18. ^ Darling, Dylan J. (July 11, 2015). "Steens Mountain wild horse round up still on, for now". Bend Bulletin. Archived from the original on November 6, 2021. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
  19. ^ "Bureau of Land Management to begin South Steens Herd Management Area wild horse gather". Bureau of Land Management. September 16, 2020. Archived from the original on April 3, 2021. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
  20. ^ Shaw, Ethan (2015). "Oregon as Grizzly Country". Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  21. ^ "Wildlife Viewing: Wolverine". Oregon Department of fish and Wildlife. Archived from the original on November 7, 2020. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  22. ^ Karras, Christy (August 16, 2001). "Politicians dedicate Steens Mountain preserve". Seattle Post Intelligencer. Archived from the original on November 6, 2021. Retrieved April 2, 2008.
  23. ^ "Steens Mountain". Harney County Chamber of Commerce. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
  24. ^ "Steens Mountain High Altitude Running Camp". Archived from the original on May 2, 2016. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
  25. ^ Alt, David D; Hyndman, Donald W (1978). Roadside Geology of Oregon. Missoula: Mountain Press Publishing Company. ISBN 9780878420636.
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