News: 2nd 75mi Steens Traverse Attempt

Christof Teuscher

Steens Mountain is one of Oregon’s great scenic and geological wonders, a 30mi long fault-block with a spectacular and rugged east face that rises one vertical mile above the equally spectacular Alvord Desert. Steens Mountain is the largest fault-block mountain in the northern Great Basin. A 59mi (95km) loop road, the highest road in Oregon, scales the mountain range and tops out at 9,734ft (2’967m). The Steens also offer some of the most impressive fall colors and are home to the toughest 10k in Oregon.

The Steens Traverse consists of traversing the entire mountain range between OR-78 and OR-205, the Higher Desert Discovery Scenic Byway. The 75mi route entirely follows the fault-block’s rim, offers stunning views, is 100% off-trail, rugged, wild, slow, and unique in every aspect. The traverse can be completed on BLM/state land only, although that involves a few detours.

On Fri, Oct 17, 2019 @ 2am, I will make a 2nd self-supported attempt of this traverse. There is now snow in higher elevations and my three water caches are likely frozen. I will thus carry a stove to melt snow. As during my 1st attempt, the weather forecast unfortunately does not look good. Yet, I hope to be better prepared with more appropriate gear. I will go south-to-north again so that I can hopefully clear the Steens summit before the worst weather hits.

Cold, snow, and high winds. What could possibly go wrong?

The Steens Traverse seen from Alvord Desert. That looks slightly intimidating to me…

Overview map of the Steens Traverse

Tracking

You can track me in the embedded map below or go here. Approximate start coordinates: (42.31616, -118.74916). Approximate finish coordinates: (43.10004, -118.23641).