After spending the night in Burns it was time for the featured hike that had brought us here. Threemile Canyon was a recent edition as a featured hike after switching editions on our quest to finish the 100 featured hikes in each of William L. Sullivans guidebooks (post). We got a little later start than typical for us opting to stick around long enough to take advantage of the 6am full breakfast at our motel. After eating we made the hour and a half drive South on Highway 205 (County Road 202) to the Threemile Creek Trailhead.
We’d driven through a couple of rain showers but we had a bit of blue sky overhead at the trailhead (for now).
Beatys Butte to the SW.
Rain to the SW as well.
We followed the Threemile Creek Trail into the Steens Mountain Wilderness and Threemile Canyon.
Earlier rains had left the vegetation that crowded the trail rather damp which quickly left our pant legs wet.
Threemile Creek could be heard but not seen through the thick brush.
Lupine
At the 3/4-mile mark we arrived at a junction with Huffman Trail.
There was a post but no sign at the junction.
Our plan was to take the Huffman Trail uphill to its end on a plateau. If the weather was decent we would then take the Threemile Creek Trail further up Threemile Canyon before returning to the car. We turned left at the junction and began a steep climb, nearly 1100′ in 1.7-miles.
Wickerstem buckwheat
The Pueblo Mountains (post) in the distance including the domed Pueblo Mountain.
Clouds and rain showers to the SW.
Threemile Canyon
The faint Huffman Trail.
Alvord Peak in the center distance with Pueblo Mountain to the far right.
Closer look at Alvord Peak in the center.
Still a little blue sky to the NW.
Not sure where the fog below came from but it was on a mission to beat us up to the plateau.
Here comes the fog and some rain.
Just moments later.
And here is the fog.
We put our rain covers on at a switchback and continued uphill with a light rain falling through the fog.
The fog had moved on by the time we arrived at the plateau, but the rain lingered.
The final pitch to the plateau.
Cairn at the end of the trail.
Exploring is possible as long as you remember where you came up.
Looking West.
Looking toward Threemile Canyon.
The rain let up around the time we started back down and the clouds soon began to break up.
Beatys Butte at center with the long fault block of Hart Mountain (post) to the right partly behind the clouds.
This frog seemed to enjoy the damp weather.
Cliffs across Threemile Canyon
Arriving back at the junction with the Threemile Creek Trail.
With the weather improving and the Threemile Creek Trail continuing less than a mile beyond the junction we decided to give it a go. Heather told me to go on ahead and to turn around when I was ready and she would just turn around when she felt like it or we met up again. The Huffman Trail had been faint in places and a bit rough, but the remainder of the Threemile Trail took these to a different level.
It started out nicely passing a hillside covered in sunflowers, a few aster, and some curlycup gumweed.
Curlycup gumweed
The trail crossed and at times used dry creek beds and also crossed Threemile Creek several times.
The easiest crossing of Threemile Creek. Several of the others were not obvious until I pushed through the brush and then the footing was often tricky due to large, slick rocks needing to be navigated (at least in order to stay out of the creek).
On the trail, I think.
Elderberry
Hard to tell by the photo but this puffball was a little bigger than a softball.
The trail was described as ending in a meadow just under a mile from the junction with the Huffman Trail. I lost the trail at what appeared to be a post, but it also may just have been a snag.
I wouldn’t really describe the area as a meadow but I was 0.9 miles from the junction.
Since I was uncertain if this was the “meadow” I scrambled over a few rocks looking to see if I could find a continuation of the trail. I couldn’t but I did spot a lone red paintbrush.
Looking down at the meadow and post/snag (lower right) from the rocks.
I turned around here and headed back. I met Heather on the far side of the first really tricky creek crossing where she had decided to stop. We hiked out together as the clouds continued to break up overhead.
Sometimes the trail was really only identifiable by which junipers had had limbs cut.
The drop to the creek here was approximately 2′ and the pool in Threemile Creek was fairly deep making this crossing a bit of a challenge not to slip and fall in.
Aster
Sullivan’s map showed a “Bart Simpson Rock” which we believe was this one.
Nearing the sunflower hillside and trail junction.
Dragonfly
Skipper
Big bumblebee
On our way out of the canyon we spotted some horses on the hillside to the south. We don’t know if these were part of the South Steens HMA herd or if they belonged to the ranch but they were pretty.
The hike to the ends of both trails came to 6.7 miles with approximately 1900′ of elevation gain.
With our featured hike complete we headed back for Burns. It was just after 12:30pm so we had plenty of day left and couldn’t pass up the chance to once again drive the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge’s auto tour route. We’d last driven the route in 2021 (post) and both times we’d visited we’d seen abundant wildlife. In addition to the auto tour there are numerous short trails and hiking opportunities along the way. We hiked several of the trails before but had yet to visit the historic P Ranch near Frenchglen or Krumbo Reservoir which is just under 4 miles from the auto tour route.
Just before reaching Frenchglen we turned off Highway 205 onto Steens Mountain Loop Road and followed it 1.5 miles to Central Patrol Road where we turned left. A third of a mile later we turned left again into the P Ranch and in a large gravel parking area.
We hadn’t seen anyone else all day until now. A couple was just returning from the River Trail. Amazingly Heather knew them so we had a nice chat before we set off on the same trail. They also let us know to look for an owl in the long barn when we got there later.
Sign for the River Trail.
The River Trail is 2-miles long and can be connected to several other trails to make a decent sized loop. We weren’t up for that kind of distance today so we simply followed the Donner und Blitzen River for 0.3 miles before turning back.
The long barn where we’d be heading next.
We turned around here where the tread became rougher.
Interpretive signs were scattered along the trails at the P Ranch.
Lorquin’s admiral and a grasshopper.
Skipper on aster.
Once we were back at the parking area we took the left trail down to the Long Barn Trail (another service road).
History of the P Ranch which at one time covered 140,000 acres.
The owl inside the barn.
Other structures from the ranch.
We covered a mile between the two trails and then continued on the auto tour keeping watch for any wildlife as we headed north toward Krumbo Reservoir Road which was just over 10 miles away.
The gravel road is in good shape but you don’t want to drive any faster than about 10mph so you don’t miss any wildlife.
Fawns
Common nighthawk
So many red-winged blackbirds.
Hawk (northern harrier?) in a field.
More fawns and birds.
Finch?
As we neared Knox Pond we spotted something coming up Central Patrol Road. Just a bit earlier Heather had mentioned that the area we were in looked like where my parents had seen a badger on a visit last year.
It turned out that this was indeed a badger. Only the second we’ve seen.
It disappeared in the grass moments later.
Another hawk
Sandhill cranes in the field.
Sandhill cranes
We turned right onto Krumbo Reservoir Road and parked at the Krumbo Reservoir Dam Trailhead.
We followed a trail across the dam then hiked through the sagebrush a bit further to get a good view of the reservoir.
Crossing the dam.
Kiger Gorge (post) in the distance.
Kiger Gorge
Blurry due to distance but there were several deer at the far end of the reservoir.
Another long shot, a western grebe.
Not certain what this bird was but it dove into the water a couple of times.
The deer, some ducks, the western grebe and a cormorant were all that direction.
It’s possible to bushwack around the reservoir but again we weren’t up for anything that long, so we turned back after just a quarter mile.
It also appeared that some rain was on the way.
Recrossing the dam.
We returned to Central Patrol Road and continued the auto tour and the wildlife sightings.
Pheasant family
There were at least 5 deer out there.
Two
Three more
White faced ibis
California quail
Pheasant
A few of at least 10 turkey vultures in the trees above the Refuge Headquarters.
Malheur Lake from the end of the auto tour.
After completing the auto tour we returned to Burns for another night. It had been a great day for wildlife and nice to once again have all of the featured hikes in SE Oregon completed. We’re now down to 16 Eastern Oregon featured hikes. If things work out we could be finished with those by the end of next year. Happy Trails!
Flickr: Threemile Canyon and Malheur National Wildlife Refuge
Seals in Nehalem Bay
Tree frog – Patterson Mountain
Garter snake on Patterson Mountain
Crab spider – Lookout Creek Trail
Beetle – Carpenter Mountain
Pale crescent near Macks Canyon
Gopher snake near Macks Canyon
Beetles on thistle near Mack’s Canyon
Caterpillar along the Black Butte Trail
Green tailed towhee on Black Butte
Rock pigeon – Deschutes River
Merganser family – Deschutes River
Dragon Fly – Deschutes River
Sagebrush Lizard – Deschutes River
Pronghorn – Malheur Wildlife Refuge
Yellow headed blackbird – Malheur Wildlife Refuge
Horned grebes – Malheur Wildlife Refuge
Great horned owl – Malheur Wildlife Refuge
Lewis’s woodpecker – Malheur Wildlife Refuge
White faced ibis – Malheur Wildlife Refuge
Yellow warbler – Malheur Wildlife Refuge
Western meadowlark – Malheur Wildlife Refuge
Bullock’s oriole – Malheur Wildlife Refuge
Rabbit – Jordan Craters
Marmot – Jordan Craters
Chukar – Leslie Gulch
Cricket – Leslie Gulch
Viceroy- Leslie Gulch
Swallow tail – Leslie Gulch
Cicada – Leslie Gulch
Burrowing owl near Leslie Gulch
Dragon fly – Three Forks
Fritillary butterfly – Three Forks
Pheasant – Pillars of Rome
Side blotched lizard – Chalk Basin
Collard lizard – Chalk Basin
Sandhill Cranes near Steens Mountain
jack rabbit – Borax Hot Springs
Desert horned lizard – Alvord Desert
Long nosed leopard lizard – Alvord Desert
Western Fence Lizard – Pike Creek
Swallow tail – Myrtle Creek
Sheridan’s hairstreak – Myrtle Creek
Orange-tip butterfly – Myrtle Creek
Western kingbird – Cove Palisades State Park
Cascade toad – Browder Ridge
Gray jay – Browder Ridge
Rufous hummingbird – Horsepasture Mountain
Grouse – Horsepasture Mountain
Wren – French Creek Ridge
Checkerspot butterfly – French Creek Ridge
Chipmunk near Hidden Forest Cave
Pygmy short horned lizard near Pictograph Cave
Caterpillars – Strawberry Mountain Wilderness
Trout – Little Strawberry Lake
Doe – Slide Lake
Megarhyssa nortoni
Great blue heron – Newport Bay
Sharp-tailed snake – Newport Bay
Osprey – South Beach
Pika – Mt. Jefferson Wilderness
Northern goshawk – Elkhorns
Red tailed hawk – Elkhorns
Mountain goats – Elkhorns
Mountain Goat – Elkhorns
Golden mantled ground squirrel – Elkhorns
Mourning cloak – Elkhorns
Beetle – Summit Lake
Bumble bee – Crawfish Lake
Finch – Crawfish Lake
Bald Eagle – Waldo Lake
Hairy woodpecker – Rigdon Lakes
Blue copper – Rockpile Lake
Tortoiseshell butterfly – Carl Lake
Varied thrush – Carl Lake
Frogs – Table Lake
Clarks nutcracker – Mt. Jefferson Wilderness
Ouzel – Pamelia Lake
Junco – Pamelia Lake
Frog – Taylor Lake
Sanderlings – John Dellenback Beach
Douglas squirrel – John Dellenback Dunes Trail
Great egret – Mud Lake
Wilson’s snipe – Mud Lake
Elk on the way to Barklow Mt.
Starfish – Bandon, Oregon
Crab – Bandon, Oregon
Anemones – Bandon, Oregon
Turkey Vulture – Bandon, Oregon
Seagull and a marbled godwit in the Coquile River
Black turnstones – North Jetty, Bandon, Oregon
Brown pelicans – Bullards Beach State Park
Mink – Sprague River
White pelicans – Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Snowy egret – Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Stellar’s jay – Fish Lake
Muskrat – Lake of the Woods
Dragon fly – Lake of the Woods
Canada geese – Lake of the Woods
Caterpillar – Lake of the Woods
Cormorants – Link River
American coots – Link River
Mallards – Pond near Lake Ewauna
Northern shoveler – Pond near Lake Ewauna
Northern flicker – Link River Trail
Scrub jay – Link River Trail
Western grebe – Link River
Hooded mergansers – Link River
Buffleheads – Siltcoos Lake
Rough skinned newt – Jessie M. Honeyman State Park
Sparrow – Jessie M. Honeyman State Park
Anna’s hummingbird – Jessie M. Honeyman State Park
Ring-necked ducks – Jessie M. Honeyman State Park
Spotted towhee – Jessie M. Honeyman State Park
Rabbit behind the plants
Stop 2 – Sod House Ranch
American Coot
Cormorants
wanderingyuncks 