Beauty in Solitude: Alvord Desert, Oregon

[Music] [Music] hidden away in the southeast corner of oregon is the albert desert this desert is a dry lake bed that spans about six by 11 miles it is the driest place in oregon getting about seven inches of rain a year steen's mountain sits right next to alvard to the northwest at 9 700 feet the summit is about 5000 feet above alvard the desert's name comes from an oregon-based civil war general named benjamin alvard [Music] the alvar desert area is currently managed by the blm [Music] our journey started in the small town of fields to the south you can also reach the desert from burns to the north there are a couple ways in along the west side of alvard on fields denio road being so remote alvar desert is one of oregon's darkest places this makes for a great stargazing spot however on this day the fast-moving clouds covered the skies sunrise at albert desert amazing views and tranquility this is a great spot for photographers with such a huge and unique foreground to use alfred is very quiet and peaceful other than the high winds we didn't see any other groups until late morning the adjacent steens mountain provides a good background subject above the desert in addition to the coastal and cascade mountain ranges steen's mountain forms a rain shadow over alvard from the west air coming to the steens mountain rises and cools the vapor condenses clouds form then it rains and snows on the west side of steens after the air then travels down the east side of the mountain warms and dries out when it gets to albert this is why alvaro desert is oregon's driest place with such a big and open area driving is the most common activity enjoyed at albert in fact this place is so good for fast driving that many land speed record attempts are made here the woman's world land speed record of 512 miles per hour was reached here by kitty o'neal in 1976 even though it is so big and open it is still important to be careful when driving here other people and vehicles are present and the flat playa can still have some uneven ground many people have also gotten stuck here when the cracked ground turns to mud it is best to be careful when the desert ground starts to get darker which indicates moisture with such a vast and open space you can travel for a while here without feeling like you have really gone anywhere [Music] a long time ago this area was a big 200 foot deep lake scientists estimate that about 13 000 years ago a glacial outburst emptied most of albert lake to the east a glacial outburst is a flood caused when a glacial lakes dam fails [Applause] the remaining water must have evaporated faster than the area could be filled if you look at the hills on either side of alvard you can see different levels of wave-carved shorelines [Music] after exploring by car it is also worth trying more close-up exploring on foot [Music] instead of your classic sandy desert alvard is an alkaline flat rainwater and streams feed the alvard basin with water with no drainage the water evaporates leaving behind the salt minerals the cracks in the ground are also caused by the sun a strain is caused by the top ground layer drying and shrinking faster than the material below it when the strain becomes large enough the ground cracks to relieve the strain [Music] sagebrush surrounds the edge of alvar desert plant life can't survive in the middle of the playa due to soil conditions and dryness wildlife also sticks to the edge of the desert though we didn't really see any [Music] the brighter green plant life seemed to only be able to survive in the shade of other larger plants the edge of alvert is recommended for camping the plants provide cover from wind it is also safer to be away from the fast moving vehicles just in case the desert becomes too wet it would be easier to exit from the edge [Music] also at the edge of albert are a few different hot springs there are many natural ones along the desert edge and also a more established one that you can stay the night at during this trip a storm was in the forecast that made us a little nervous as cars can get stuck when the desert is wet [Music] instead of waiting for a storm we decided to explore the northern part of albert which is known to get more moisture [Music] driving until the ground started getting more wet we got out to have a look while this is oregon's driest place we still managed to find some water the desert ground here was a wet and sticky surface i could see how this could cause cars to get stuck while the wet area was at the north end of the desert it has been known to quickly move to other parts so it is best to be careful when you are visiting during the more wet months on our way to find a camp spot a storm did start just a small mixture of snow and rain [Music] [Music] it didn't last long but storms here can come and go very fast in the dry months you do not usually need to worry about storms here but this was in late winter which accumulates most of albert's annual precipitation [Music] [Applause] [Music] we settled somewhere on the edge of the west side to camp camp was set up just in time to see this sunset similar to the sunrise we saw [Music] earlier [Music] this kind of desert terrain is unique to oregon so it provides some interesting landscapes we could only see one other group camping on the desert from our spot while the clouds moved in fast we got a quick glimpse of the amazing dark skies of albert desert [Music] the alvar desert is a one-of-a-kind unique place in oregon if you do visit be prepared as the nature here can be extra harsh but it is rewarding as places like this offer such beauty and solitude [Music] you

Channel: Matt.Cook.Oregon

Views: 14,753

Keywords: mattcookoregon, Oregon, PNW, explore, hiking, YouTubeOutdoors, alvord desert, avlord, alvord desert playa, alvord hot springs, oregon high desert, steens mountain, timelapse, landscape, oregon desert, eastern oregon, southern oregon, steen mountains, alvord lake

Id: nWhZviQYiag

Length: 12min 34sec (754 seconds)

Published: Fri Apr 24 2020