2nd Annual Eastern Oregon May Tour

[oldmonkeybut]

Moar here.......

http://oldmonkeybut.smugmug.com/Othe...9508&k=9z7kfLQ

[Used2BeFast2]

Fuggers!

[oremike]

Looks like an awesome time.

Just to the east of Adel is Greaser Reservoir, just up the reservoir rd. is this guy:

[RideAbout]

Started a Sanchez Bro's RR... http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=794054

feel free to add your comments, photo's etc...

[Rainshadow]

Originally Posted by oremike

Looks like you guys had a blast for sure, as you wander out and about stay away from the south end of Alkali Lake, it's where the Army dumped a huge stock pile of the chemicals they made Agent Orange out of.

http://earthfix.opb.org/land/article...rts-toxic-leg/

To really see some whacked out shit watch the archival video in the above link.

Close, but it wasn't the military. It was orginally set up under a permit by the Oregon Dept of Agriculture in the late 1960s. The state eventually realized that having 25,000 drums of waste sitting in the middle of the alkali lake wasn't such a great idea. They told the company with the permit to do something about, the company said nope, gave them the ADV salute and abandoned the site. 10 acres of alkali lake is worth roughly $0.01 and the cleanup was going to cost a bajillion.

The newly forming Oregon DEQ came up with the great idea of digging a series of shallow holes in the ground (couldn't go too deep because of the groundwater at 2 feet), taking those 25,000 drums and chucking the drums in the holes. Apparently they couldn't make it look pretty enough when they covered it with dirt so they decided to run dozers back and forth across to squash the drums. It had the added bonus of to making sure that those drums full of the worst stuff going blew their load straight into the groundwater.

Anybody that does something a thousand times less significant goes to jail for a long, long time. Funny thing is very few people know about it cause the state keeps it quiet as they can.

Here's their link:
http://www.deq.state.or.us/lq/ecsi/e...r=291#siteinfo

Anywho, great ride report! Sorry for the hijack.

[Miguel Sanchez]

After a morning soak in the hot springs, we packed up and headed south from Hart Mountain toward the Guano Valley and Shirk Lake. Hearing rumors of locked gates, we had stopped at the Refuge Headquarters the night before and been reassured by PFW (Piss Fir Willy) that the roads were now all open and smooth sailing. Our plan was to cross-country for the top of Doherty Slide, then angle back NE for Funnel Canyon and ultimately to Fields for lunch.

Sure enough, we hit a locked gate before we got off the refuge..! Argg - fuckin' government employees locking up my land and then not knowing enough about their own backyard to tell their ass from a hole in the ground.... Anyway, we backtracked to Rock Creek Rd and headed for the Catlow Valley the easy way:



After a huge burger, fries, and a strawberry shake in Fields, we gassed up and waddled our way toward Nevada



Topped with gas again in Denio Junction (never pass up a fuel pump in the desert), we head for our next destination



Our search for the crashed B-24 Liberator in the Pueblo Mountains is cut short when Oeste's Honda begins to sound like a KTM. Not being a KTM, this is not good... We cut the search short, planning to return someday. We were very close and know exactly where it is (directly on top of Paxton's head in this photo).



Next we set up camp



At Bog Hot Springs



Booze, food, fire, more booze, fireworks, locals locking themselves out (and their dog in) their car, more fire, more booze, and a few lies occupy our time for the rest of the night... Off to bed, as tomorrow we head further south!

[peterman]

Sorry that superpacman didn't have any fun,,guess he is done posting, you guys treated him so badly!
Ya bastids!

[Superpacman13]

I am just so distraught that I am still not on the journey, oh and work is a little crazy right now as you would imagine.

[taranaki]

How much of the Alvord playa is dry now? It was mostly lake this time last year but I'm hearing it's been a dry winter o'er there.

[trailrider383]

Originally Posted by taranaki

How much of the Alvord playa is dry now? It was mostly lake this time last year but I'm hearing it's been a dry winter o'er there.

It was almost totally dry the last week of April when I was there. See this ride report:
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=787839

[Miguel Sanchez]

After a morning soak and bidding farewell to the JV-bound gang, the Sanchez trio loaded up and headed out. While our initial plan had been to head for Soldier Meadows, Oeste's clattering Honda and Laredo's broken rack tempered the enthusiasm a bit. We hopped on 140 and headed west for a little while. A lonely windmill with the Pueblos in the background:



It soon became apparent that we weren't the only jackasses out here



After a few miles of pavement, gravel and dirt called our name again. Turning south took us to the hot springs (and showers) of Virgin Valley. Other than me, no actual virgins were sighted.





On the way south toward the Royal Peacock opal mines, more jackasses greeted us.



We turned up some nasty, rocky little two-tracks that would take us west toward Catnip Reservoir. Beautiful views!



With all of the rocks, Brother Oeste was worried about getting a front pinch flat. His decision to ride the entire stretch on the back wheel seemed like a long shot, but he pulled it off...



Route planning - on the fly



Wild horses, one of which seemed a little too happy to see us



"Submarine Sanchez", taken a micro-second before the tsunami actually washed completely over his bike


A few more miles of dirt and we popped back into Oregon at the hanglider jumpoff point on top of Doherty Slide



After a quick splash of gas and a cheeseburger in Adel, we headed north to Plush and took the cutoff road up into the Warner Mountains




At 7000 feet it started cooling off a bit



So much so that funky white shit started appearing along the road



Not to worry - we soon had camp set up and a fire going. After a few beers and mixed drinks, things were just fine...



Tomorrow we head for home!

[Apple Jam]

Pretty good RR for a good weather Desert trip!

[RideAbout]

Originally Posted by Miguel Sanchez

"Submarine Sanchez", taken a micro-second before the tsunami actually washed completely over his bike

That stream water tasted kinda funky, you think there was any Bovine waste in it?!

[Miguel Sanchez]

Originally Posted by RideAbout

That stream water tasted kinda funky, you think there was any Bovine waste in it?!

Note that Laredo and I had already crossed and had been waiting for awhile when you got there. There was Sanchez waste in there!!

[V-Duck]

Ewww. Well, keep it in the family, boys!