Pine Mountain Exploration

Leader: Tom Wainwright

Location: Pine Mountain Campground, Deschutes National Forest

Pine Mountain is a forested montane island at the NW corner of the Basin and Range Ecoregion. We will explore the scabland bald just south of Pine Mountain Observatory, and hike to the crest of the mountain if time permits. Hope to see bitterroot (Lewisia rediviva), various scabland shrubs, paintbrush (Castilleja; maybe 4 species!), buckwheats (Eriogonum), and lots else. The hike will be about 3-4 miles, with moderate slopes and some uneven rocky ground. As a bonus, the observatory is open for visitors both Friday and Saturday nights if you want to come Friday and camp, or stay late Saturday; see the observatory website ( https://pmo.uoregon.edu/) for visitor information.

We will gather at 10:00 a.m. at the Pine Mountain Campground (across the road from the observatory) and walk from there. This is about 1 hour from Bend, with the last half on a gravel forest road, usually well maintained. For carpooling for those in or coming through Bend, let's meet at 8:30 a.m., east edge of the Barnes and Noble parking lot (Forum Shopping Center, 27th St. & Hwy 20), and depart by 8:45 a.m.

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