Field Journal: A Great Perk: Sightseeing
Vince Patton, Producer/Reporter
Wednesday, August 22, 2007 — There's a great perk that comes from working for Oregon Field Guide. When the day's videography is done, we sometimes have time for sightseeing. And we're often in the most beautiful parts of the state to start with.
After a day with fossil hunters this summer, we managed to see some of central Oregon at its finest as the sun dropped and cast its golden-hour rays on remarkable rock formations. One you've heard of, one I'll bet you haven't.
Both are part of the John Day Fossil Beds. (Did you know there are three fossil bed locations separated by many miles?)
The less-known spot is a canyon known as Blue Basin. (Click any photo to see more images.)
We hiked the 6/10ths-mile Island in Time Trail up past rock formations unlike any others in the region. The shapes may mirror many other canyons. But their color doesn't. The rock itself carries a distinct blue hue. A creek that runs often looks green. Be sure to look for the replicas of the fossilized tortoise and saber-toothed cat which lived in this area millions of years ago. There's a longer hike up on the Overlook Trail but we didn't have time for a 3-mile walk.
The much more well known spot is The Painted Hills. We made it here in the last hour of sunlight just before shadows began to obscure the mounds of amazing colors.
The Painted Hills stand out mainly for the deep red, orange and yellow stripes in the hills. You're really looking at a time machine; it's a glimpse of Oregon 30 million years ago. While the videographer slept the next morning, I decided to return at 6 a.m. to take some more photos. If you want to see The Painted Hills at their most vibrant come out just after sunrise or just before sunset. The colors will amaze you.
