Beyond the Boundaries

[AlanLichty]

The John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is a bit of an odd duck in the fact that it consists of scattered parcels in the midst of a lot of privately owned land. The units of the national monument were purchased from private individuals by the State of Oregon and subsequently donated to the National Parks Service. The scattered parcel aspect even extends to within the park units so the area known as the Blue Basin within the Sheep Rock Unit along the John Day River is surrounded almost entirely by private land. While there are several parcels of the park within the Sheep Rock Unit the areas in between them are heavily posted private land making it quite clear that trespassers will be violated.

The feature known as the Blue Basin has a trail that leads up a small drainage to some very interesting fossil bearing formations but also has a loop trail that goes up to the top of the hill surrounding the basin with sweeping views of all the places you can't access on the private land. This is a two shot panorama of one of those views best visited by a long lens from the loop trail.

C&C always welcome.

 

[Jameel Hyder]

Quite vibrant colors. An area I have not visited.

 

[AlanLichty]

Quite vibrant colors. An area I have not visited.

Thanks Jameel - not a great distance from the Painted Hills if you ever in the vicinity.

 

[Jordan Marsh]

I really like this, very painterly. The colors contrasting with the green turned out very well.

 

[AlanLichty]

I really like this, very painterly. The colors contrasting with the green turned out very well.

Thanks Jordan - The trail with this view of the surrounding area is actually ignored by most visitors to the Blue Basin as its a fairly steep climb but the views of these formations lurking just under the drab sage brush and grass is worth it.

 

[Douglas Sherman]

I love this image, Alan. Great job.

 

[AlanLichty]

I love this image, Alan. Great job.

Thanks Doug - it's almost a pity more of the adjacent land couldn't have been incorporated into the monument lands given formations like this. I haven't really seen much of what's under the grass and sage beyond the Blue Basin itself and the Painted Hills. This stuff is a bit different than each of those.