a day / 170 miles / 5 hours 40 minutes
"Outback" refers to land with a natural ruggedness. Though people come here seeking independence, they know each other's first names. Community is paramount. Jonathan Nicholas, publisher of the Oregonian, said it is "a star-spangled landscape of marsh and mountain, of reflection and rim rock, of seamless vistas and sage-scented dreams."
Day 1
9:00 - 35.6 miles / an hour 11 minutes - 10:11
About 27 miles east of US Route 97, the forest abruptly gives
way to vast sagebrush plains reminiscent of the Australian Outback.
Like Australia's Ayer Rock, Oregon's Outback also has a mysterious
rock formation that emerges from out of nowhere. Fort Rock is the
remains of a volcano that looks like a giant citadel rising 325
feet above the plain. Fort Rock was formed by super-heated basalt
magma roaring up through ground water as a boiling mud volcano,
then cooling. It was formed some five to six million years ago. The ring
of material left behind, called a maar, is the remains of this
explosive event. Fort Rock Homestead Village features a living
history museum in the summer. The museum is a showcase of what life
was like for early settlers. Also found here are stories of
courageous men and women who fought the cruel natural elements such
as drought, unseasonable frost, and jackrabbits.10:56 - 6.6 miles / 13 minutes - 11:09
The Summer Lake Wildlife Area offers an abundance of lakes, hiking trails, scenic viewpoints and archaeological finds. You can do some rockhounding, unravel petroglyphs, bird watch, hike, or bike the quiet country roads. If these things don't interest you, kick back and do some fly fishing or tour the beautiful scenery on the back of a horse. In winter you can travel endless miles of cross-country ski trails or cross wild snowmobile trails. There is also a quaint, scenic inn in the vicinity for gathering supplies or spending the night.
14:09 - 128.1 miles / 4 hours 16 minutes - 18:25