5 minute read
STEENS MOUNTAIN NORDIC BACKPACK: SKIING ON TOP OF THE WORLD
by Barbara Schulz
Late in the 2024 ski season, from May 16–19, three of us—Jen Travers, Lindsey Addison, and myself— embarked on a new type of Nordic adventure: backpacking into the Steens with our cross-country skis.
Lindsey and I took off from Portland on Thursday, May 16, at noon and drove out to Burns in Lindsey’s bus (which has a comfy mattress in the back!). We met up with Jen at Crane Hot Springs, a few miles east of Burns, in the evening. A hot soak was an excellent way to start our adventure!
The next morning we drove to the Bureau of Land Management office south of Burns and picked up the key to the gate that blocks the road up Steens Mountain. Before this trip, I did not know that there was a way to drive beyond the gate. As we drove toward the mountain we could see that the snowline had receded quite a bit, but the top of the mountain was still white. We got as far as Lilly Lake Campground comfortably, but hit more snow there and decided to park our cars.
The first few miles were a mix of skiing and hiking. Big patches of snow alternated with stretches of gravel where the snow had melted. It took us about three hours to get to Jackman Park Campground, our camping destination. The weather was splendid: blue skies and balmy temperatures. We could bask in the sun! The snow was surprisingly good—quite soft and easy to ski on. We spent the afternoon setting up camp and exploring the area a little. Unfortunately, there were no level, bare spots in the campground, so we pitched our tents on the snow. But we did have a toilet with toilet paper!
While the day had been sunny and warm, the temperature dropped at night. The water in our bottles was frozen in the morning, and the cold seeped through our sleeping pads, even though we had doubled up. Snow camping takes extra gear and experience!
We woke up to beautiful blue skies, the sun warming our tents. We got ready for our big day: up the mountain! The angle of Steens Mountain is ideal for Nordic skiing:
You never need skins, and the uphills are gentle. We made it up the mountain in less than three hours. Not having a big pack helps a lot! We explored around the east side of the mountain and took a nice long lunch break on the south side, lolling in the sun. When we got up to ski again, the wind had picked up a lot. It was very strong as we headed back, so we decided not to explore the west side of the mountain but to head south instead. We skied down a ways and then went up another small mountain on the south side.
Skiing on Steens Mountain feels like skiing on top of the world. The mountain is so vast, and you have a 360-degree view. The skies are so open in eastern Oregon, and we were the only people on the mountain! The only living beings we saw were coyotes—there were lots of coyote tracks everywhere.
After exploring a bit on the south side, we decided to ski down to camp and head out instead of camping in the snow another night. Skiing down Steens Mountain is a dream. The downhills are very gentle but have enough incline to give you some speed. Fabulous!
We made it down in no time, broke camp, and headed out. We overnighted on an open spot further down on the mountain, surrounded by a herd of curious cows. On our way back to Burns, we saw several Pronghorn antelopes running through the sagebrush. We dropped off the key at the BLM office in Burns and headed back to Portland.
Skiing on Steens Mountain is a fabulous adventure: solitude, great views, good snow, and gentle slopes. We are already making plans to go up there again next spring. We lucked out in our timing—the alternation of snow and gravel on the road up seemed to be a deterrent for snowmobilers; when we got up there, they were all gone! Snow camping takes a bit of extra preparation. One definitely needs some extra insulation from underneath; I brought two sleeping pads and the cold still got through. Next time, I will try three pads instead of two. But the cold at night is really the only problem, as long as you pick some days with blue skies and balmy spring temperatures. And the days are longer in May, so the nights in the tent are not so long.
Editors note: Jen and Lindsey plan to lead this trip again in late April/early May 2025.
