If you have not heard of the largest endorheic watershed basin in North America, a basin that has no connection to any ocean, then the Oregon Outback scenic byway will introduce you to this basin, one which is a desert called the Great Basin.

This basin covers most all of Nevada about half of Utah and parts of Oregon, California, Idaho and Wyoming. Some believe that the Great Basis also includes areas of the Mojave desert in southern California as well as part of the Sonoran desert as far south as the state of Baja California in Mexico. Several thousand years ago, immense lakes covered much of the Great Basin region.

The Oregon Outback Scenic Byway will take you on a journey along the edge of the Great Basin. The journey in Oregon traverses 170 miles along the western edge of the Great basin beginning just south of La Pine, Oregon and continuing southeast to Lakeview, Oregon where the route in Oregon will end at Goose Lake State Park on the California state line. Although not a part of this scenic byway, the western edge of the Great Basin follows the California-Nevada border all the way to Death Valley before the edge turns east to form the southern boundary of the Great Basin.

Along the path of the Oregon Outback Scenic Byway, there will be an abundance of volcanic landscapes, remnants of ancients lakes, and abundant signs of the native Americans, the early explorers, and the pioneers settlers.

This entire area is sparsely populated but that only makes good opportunities for times with simplicity, solitude and solace.

Its southern boundary is determined by the highest shoreline of Pleistocene Lake Bonneville, which once inundated the Central Basin.

Goose Lake State Park;

Tumalo State Park

Crane Mountain, 8456 feet; Oregon Butte, 8425 feet;

Drake Peak, 8407 feet; Warner Peak, 8017 feet;

Beatys Butte, 7918 feet; Blue Mountain 7420 feet;

Battle Mountain 6470 feet; Lookout Butte 6170 feet;

Fort Rock Natural Area;

Hunters Hot Springs

Summer Lake Hot Springs

There are numerous others that requires a four-wheel drive vehicle.

Inland Desert Route

One way to catch a glimpse of this basin is to travel the Oregon Outback Scenic byway, which will take you on a remarkable journey, but only along the westernmost edge of the Great Basin, and too, only the northernmost 170 miles of that edge.

This scenic byway will be examined on this portion of the Journey On.

After spending the morning in the letter writing ministry and then the weekend meeting, I then pack out of the w-mart and begin my journey to the Great Basin desert, well, at least the extreme western edge of the desert basin at Goose Lake state park where I hope to us up the three remaining nights of free camping here in Oregon.

When the meeting is over, I pack out, drive south on US 97 out of Bend, continue until La Pine, Oregon where I take SH 31 southeast on the Oregon Outback Scenic Route.

This route takes me first through an old growth forest of Douglas fir trees in mostly flat terrain at an elevation of nearly 4300 feet, an area which I believe is still part of the Lava Plains but it is not long before the the terrain changes to hills with distant mountains in the surrounds.

Next, the trees give way to a more desert like ground cover and the mountain become more prominent with the Fort Rock showing up on the north horizon.

Soon after passing the volcanic rock, I come upon endorheic lakes that are all nearly completely dried up, with little or no water left in them. In these area are also much farm land where the farmers use the lake water for irrigation in the fields.

The elevation throughout this area where I am driving remains at four thousand feet and above.

Upon arriving at the state park, I take up a space, plug in and begin the three days that I have left on my free ten day per month access pass. Hot showers are the order here as is getting to know my neighbors in my endeavor to tell them about the Kingdom of God.

While I am camping here at Goose Lake, I come to find out that this is a migratory bird flyway as well as a nesting location for many including the sandhill crane and on 993 TG, I was able to see two of these large birds in a mating dance.

During my first night here, from several discarded pieces of firewood, I split the wood in preparations for a fire. I also gather several pieces of kindling and few scraps of tender and then stack all of the components for a fire tonight. I even invite some of the neighbors to gather around the campfire.

Then, after dark, when I light the fire, Cory walk over and sits by the fire with me for a short time. This is my second fire this year.

Three days later, I leave the campground, drive north on US 395 along Goose Lake on my way to take SH 140 east further into the Great Basin.

By nine this morning, I have done eating and have put away my kitchen but stay for a while longer to continue pounding keys. Then, at eleven this morning, after having packed out, I drive out of Goose Lake state park. Upon reaching US 395, I turn north and drive back through Lakeview, Oregon, stop to fill up my fuel tank. and then drive past the Hunter Hot Spring to photograph the Geyser.

Then I continue another five miles north to SH 140 where I turn right to begin my crossing of the Great Basin desert, where I first drive through a very green Fremont national forest, then into Warner Canyon, which has Camas Creek flowing through it. Here, the green area is all right along the banks and then the green extends out of the canyon onto the flat farmland below.

Continuing, I next drive into Deep Creek and soon after see Deep Creak waterfall which has cut down through the black colored basalt igneous rock.

After my stop at the falls, I continue downstream and soon exit the canyon and onto the dry lake beds.