Eastern Oregon - Hart Mountain and Sunstones

[PirateMcGee]

Flew out to Oregon for my best friend's wedding/bachelors party. We made a trip from Medford out to Hart Mountain and the Sunstone area (where they have a mining claim) and just explored around. Not a lot of time for a write up as I am also working while out here but figured I would take a moment to post up anyways.

On top of Hart Mountain:

 

[PirateMcGee]

Out at Petroglyph Lake:

 

[PirateMcGee]

More Hart Mountain:

 

[PirateMcGee]

Pics from out at the claim (messing with night shots):

 

[PirateMcGee]

The haul of Sunstones I dug up (pardon the terrible photography a towel and headlamp is all I had haha):

 

[mhiscox]

Thanks for the photos. I appreciate you taking the time to show us what's out that way.

 

[roverrocks]

Really great photos. Thanks

 

[Rot Box]

Great report thank you for sharing. Looks like a really neat area :bike_rider:

 

[Jerry]

Neat pics! And congratulations on your haul of Sunstones. Sunstone is the Oregon State Gem and can be quite colorful. They are also fairly expensive when mounted in jewelry. We stopped by the Sunstone Mining Area a couple of years ago, but we cheated and went to a professional mine where they charge to dig. It was a hot afternoon and after watching other people digging in the hot sun, listening to a speil about the rules and liability exemptions and finally after our wives used a, shall we say, "aromatic" porta-poty we decided to skip the dig and head for civilization.

Anyway, thanks for posting!

 

[Applejack]

How are the "skeeters"? I figure they ought to be in full force!

 

[HenryJ]

Great pictures, thanks for sharing!

How are the "skeeters"? I figure they ought to be in full force!

It has been cool so far this year. Snow is forecast for upper elevations this weekend. Skeeters will likely be a little late this year. I do not know how far they range, but I have seen the Malheur County mosquito abatement helicopters flying the last few weeks. They may be trying to get ahead of them?

 

[Jerry]

Mosquitoes are definitely a problem in some places of SE Oregon. A few years ago we were exploring around Diamond Craters, Frenchglen and Steens on the 4th of July weekend. The girls were wearing pedal pushers, capri's or whatever they call them nowadays, and their exposed skin turned black from a thick layer of mosquitoes. Never saw so many in my life! Lesson learned.

I suppose any place there is water and grass, like around Plush and the sunstone mining area, you will find them in droves. It's good to know about the Malheur County mosquito abatement helicopters. Hope they are effective and hope Harney and Lake Counties as well as BLM are doing the same.

 

[PirateMcGee]

How are the "skeeters"? I figure they ought to be in full force!

Didn't see a single one in our entire party! It was great!

 

[PirateMcGee]

Glad everyone enjoyed the pics! Thanks for the comments

 

[INSAYN]

Excellent shots of the area. Epic views for sure!

My son and I were out there mid/late August last summer and had a blast.
After hearing about all the skeeters we would encounter, we took every skeeter blocker known to man with us.
Saw just a handful of skeeters in two and a half weeks. We must have timed it just right, or got lucky.
Never applied a single drop of bug spray to our skin.