A Steens Mountain summit and backpack into Big Indian Gorge

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Big Indian Gorge in the Steens
My friend Jim Witty invited me to pack along with him, his son Kevin and three real estate developer friends from Orange County California, on a road trip/backpack to the summit of Steens Mountain (9,500' +-) and down into Steens' Big Indian Gorge for flyfishing. Arriving at the Steens after a three hour evening drive from Bend, we camped out at the BLM's Page Springs campground for the night. We had a great breakfast at the historic French Glen Hotel, and drove up the gentle slope of west side of the Steens fault block to the summit overlooks at 9,000 feet. Then we continued around the "Steens Highway" to the BLM's South Steens Campground. We backpacked in about six miles and up about 1,500' to an historic campsite next to the riparian area of Big Indian Creek. Then back to Bend we went, for the Bob Dylan concert!
--Bob Speik

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The Ten Essentials
Leave No Trace