Visiting Oregon's Wilderness Areas: November 2016

[VanMarmot]

In late 2015, it dawned on us that we had yet to visit all of Oregon’s 47 established federal wilderness areas (less the two - Oregon Islands and Three Arch Rocks - that are closed to public entry). This seemed like a sad oversight, given how prominent wilderness has been in our lives for years and years. So, with 18 unvisited wilderness areas facing us at the start of 2016, we got going with our visitations...

Coastal Wilderness Areas (January 2016)

Drift Creek, Cummins Creek, Rock Creek, Copper-Salmon, and Grassy Knob

OH trip report

Oregon coast near Brookings

Eastern Wilderness Areas (May 2016)

Spring Basin, Bridge Creek, Black Canyon, Monument Rock, Oregon Badlands

OH trip report / VM website

View from the Spring Basin Wilderness

Central Cascades Wilderness Areas (July 2016)

Diamond Peak, Waldo Lake

OH trip report / VM website

Waldo Lake

Northeast Wilderness Areas (August 2016)

Hells Canyon

VM website

The Snake River in Hells Canyon

North Fork Umatilla River, Oregon side of the Wenaha-Tucannon

VM website

Historic Timothy Springs Guard Station

For wilderness bonus points in August, we also hiked Tenas Peak in the northern part of the proposed Crater Lake Wilderness.

VM website

Warrior Creek on Tenas Peak

Northern Cascades Wilderness Area (November 2016)

By August, when it looked like we were on track to visit all of the 18 unvisited, we lost focus to other hiking and travel opportunities (So weak! ). But, in November, we had a shot at partial redemption when personal business brought us within range of the Lower White River.

VM website

Lower White River

Serious snow is coming to the Cascades soon, so it looks like we won’t get a chance to visit our remining two wilderness area – the Menagerie and the Middle Fork Santiam – until 2017. It would have been good to get them all in 2016 but, then again, it’s equally as good to have some more wilderness visits in our future!

[Koda]

well done and gorgeous photos, I would love to be able to say Ive visited all of Oregon's designated wilderness areas. There is a wealth of reading and great photography in this report here to visit them all virtually until someday I can set out on my own adventures. Im honored with your reference to my TR in the White River in your personal blog. I'll catch up to you, someday....

[VanMarmot]

well done and gorgeous photos, I would love to be able to say Ive visited all of Oregon's designated wilderness areas. There is a wealth of reading and great photography in this report here to visit them all virtually until someday I can set out on my own adventures. Im honored with your reference to my TR in the White River in your personal blog. I'll catch up to you, someday....

Thanks! And thanks for your TR on your XC travels through the Lower White River Wilderness. Your TR and one by wanderingyuncks were the only ones I could find about this wilderness when I was planning our visit.

[derwoodynck]

We're behind too but have plans to have visited them all in the next 5 years. Your TRs have been very helpful for some of the more obscure areas like Bridge Creek.

[rainrunner]

Thanks for sharing.
You have documented that we live in a very beautiful state.

[Splintercat]

Thanks, Bruce -- love these photos! Terrific vicarious tour... thanks!

Tom

[justpeachy]

Very nice! I hope to visit all the wilderness areas someday.

[Sean Thomas]

Great photos and reports Van. You sure have covered a lot of amazing terrain in your lifetime!

[VanMarmot]

Great photos and reports Van. You sure have covered a lot of amazing terrain in your lifetime!

Thanks! I may have to put in a request for another lifetime just to get to all the amazing stuff I know is still out there...

[bobcat]

Congratulations on (almost) achieving the grail! I look forward to the report(s) on those two empty slots. I have similar aspirations but, less ambitiously, hope to potter through them all by, let's say, 2026.

As for the two we can't visit, well we can easily photograph them and, with a telephoto, capture some of their residents. I think that counts!