frankeieio Loc: Bend, Oregon

Good way to spend New Years Day, exploring Central Oregon :)

Four Image Panorama


Last of the Splendid Light

peteaaa Loc: weiser, Idaho

Hi
what area do you live in I live in Weiser I have been wanting to check out the John Day area just have not made it up there yet. There is also some beautiful area's up around Interprise, Josph and Umha Oregon also. I can see from your photo's I am going to have to make it a point to go to John Day and also want to go to Sumpter, Oregon.

peteaaa Loc: weiser, Idaho

Hi
what area do you live in I live in Weiser I have been wanting to check out the John Day area just have not made it up there yet. There is also some beautiful area's up around Interprise, Josph and Umha Oregon also. I can see from your photo's I am going to have to make it a point to go to John Day and also want to go to Sumpter, Oregon.

OddJobber Loc: Portland, OR

Very nice, John. The golden hour is super out there.

RE Loc: California

Well now I have another spot to put on my list of places to go...these are wonderful!

magicunicorn Loc: Melbourne Australia

wow that looks awesome makes me want to come and visit

ebrunner Loc: New Jersey Shore

I would really love to visit that part of Oregon one day. Every time I see pictures from there, I'm amazed.

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

Easy decision, I voted for numbers 1 and 2!

dmeyer Loc: Marion, NC

I'll be in NE Oregon in May and have been looking at routes which might take us by the John Day Painted Hills area. My question to you, frankeieio, is whether you can clearly see the painted hill from Hwy. 218 from Antelope to Fossil and Service Creek, then onto Hwy. 19 and east?

frankeieio Loc: Bend, Oregon

We toured to here from Antelope following dirt roads past a place called Horse Heaven Mine and its mountain of the same name, which then wound down through both private ranch BLM lands until reaching the John Day River north of Twickenham. It was quite an adventure really, first because of the incredible scenery on a lovely day (we witnessed a newborn calf take it first steps in a field next to the John Day) and because we had the road to ourselves, and although there has been a two week respite from winter here in Oregon, some of those dirt roads were still quite muddy from melting snow, and probably will be until late spring.

Your tour through Antelope and Fossil would be just as amazing, take the time to do the John Day Fossil Bed National Monument Clarno Unit trail as well (I have pics posted from our hike there here on UHH).
I timed our journey yesterday to arrive at these painted hills at around sunset. I highly recommend doing the same. It is little over an hour from here to Prineville the next decent sized town on a modern paved two lane highway for accommodations, or just a few miles to the small town of Mitchell just up the creek. The light as you can see was magical. You may want to get there even a little earlier to scout out this and other potential photographic opportunities and do the raised trail below.
Every landscape photographer from this area has some version of the first image I posted, and to me the best ones feature a dramatic sky. We didn't have that animal going for us this evening, but really the light was exquisite, and the weather just so, so pleasant (if not perfect) for a New Year's Day... :)



:D

frankeieio Loc: Bend, Oregon

I've got to add. May should be a fantastic month to visit this part of our state. I'm thinking of heading back to this same area then to find the 'Hedgehog Cactus' in bloom. Native cactus being fairly rare at this latitude. Also, I would suggest getting an Oregon Road Atlas, every road should be easily passable then, even in a passenger car. Along with new foliage on the deciduous brush and trees and wildflowers, where will be wildlife like deer and antelope and possibly raptors to see... we saw an immense Golden Eagle take flight and then skirt some cliffs in front of us as we rounded a bend yesterday. Truly a thrill.

Typical way, wife, I and dog leave our vehicle when jumping out to get a photograph :)

Harvey Loc: Pioneer, CA

Great photos.
Many years ago I travel Hwy 395 down the east side of Oregon and found it a fantastic journey. Sure need to come back up there with my camera.

frankeieio Loc: Bend, Oregon

I'm in Bend. About two hours from this location. My wife and I love exploring and camping this part of our State, we also love the western half as well, but Bend makes a good jumping off point for all places east, and it is sunny almost all the time. I think being separated from our beloved Southern Cal beaches we have now become pseudo desert rats :)
We visited Sumpter up in the Elkhorns a couple of summer ago as we made our way to the Wallowas as well. Fun trip. Great, great opportunities for photography.

Sumpter Dredge


Lostine Cnyn Rd, Wallowa Mtns.


Phillips Reservoir (Near Sumpter)

dmeyer Loc: Marion, NC

Keep posting your images from Oregon, frankeieio--these visuals are very insightful for my trip planning!

jeanbug35 Loc: Jonesboro AR

Nice shots.