In the meantime, we have already seen some highlights in Oregon. Crater Lake was one of them. We were looking forward to what awaited us further southeast. That was the direction we would take if we wanted to go to Salt Lake City. And that was the plan.

The route took us through the Ochocco and Malheur Forest. For hours we drove through pine forests where Oregon pine grow straight and up to thirty meters into the sky. And then, all at once, the forest was over, giving way to the prairie that stretched to the horizon. It was as if we were looking at a yellow, rolling sea.

In Burns we made a short break, treated ourselves to a steak and drove then to The Narrows. There is a RV park, which offered us what we urgently needed: a shower and a washing machine. Both were available here. Freshly showered and dressed, we then explored the area, which is characterized by volcanoes and lava fields. In the most beautiful evening light, we drove back to The Narrows and spent a cold night there. (See post: cold, colder, ice cold)

Our destination the next morning was the Steen Mountains. A dirt road leads more than eighty miles through a fascinatingly beautiful landscape. It meanders past small lakes and streams and rises from 1,500 to almost 3,000 meters. Once again we got to see snow that day.

PS. The best came last when we came upon a herd of wild horses that were on their way to the waterhole. Almost like in Africa!

(Written in Salt Lake City, Utah)