OSP 1991, our last year on the mighty Steens Mountain

(don't miss our pictures from our previous years at Steens, 1988, 1989, and 1990)

in 1991 we did not use the dry lake bed
to the SW of Fish Lake, but rather tried a different site due to our larger number of people. That site was
close to Fish Lake also, but more to the north of the lake and a tiny bit higher in elevation

This is the one and only OSP Group Photo where OSP's long-time Group photographer, Bruce Johnson, joined the picture-- he is in the yellow top just to the left of the OSP billboard (held all askew as a disgusted joke--- OSP 1991 was our second year in a row of fighting bad thunderstorms and rain. 1990 was so bad that no group photo was even attempted, thus making 1990 the only year missing a group photo in the OSP's long history (up to and including OSP 2009)...

The site used in 1991 was the highest site ever used for the OSP, at just under 7,600 feet... The glacial U-shape of famous Kiger Gorge is on the skyline center of the picture, and those flattish-appearing bumps up there are about 9,000 feet elevation!.... 80 brave souls grace this, our last Group Photo at Steens Mountain. Chuck and Judy Dethloff are seated on the far left of the picture above..... In the close-up to the left, you'll see Candace P on the right in a red jacket-- she is later to become the OSP's long-time Door Prize Director. Jim Girard in the tan brimmed hat is next to her. Carolyn and Gary Strong (white sweatshirt), have their famous poddle Tycho between them--- the Strongs are the folks who will find our new OSP site in the Ochoco Mountains, where we will hold OSP 1992 (this new site is about 140 miles NW of the Steens and very much closer to the major population centers of the West Coast. (click here for the story of their finding of our Ochocos site).

 

 

 

 

Below is a familiar sight to those of us who went to the Steens during the four years that it was home to OSP. It's the tiny hamlet of FRENCHGLEN, lying in a fertile ranchland 3,000 feet lower than our site near Fish Lake. At Frenchglen we could find the nearest (and only) grocery store, restaurant and gas. However, the road between our site and Frenchglen was horrendously slow and rough, and none of us ever thought lightly about just "running into town" for anything! The move to the Ochoco Mountains in 1992 brought us to an area where roads were much better, and nowadays participants at Indian Trail OSP fairly routinely run into town (either Ochoco Reservoir or all the way into Prineville) when needed..... In the picture, Candace Pratt and myself (Bruce Johnson) sit on the friendly porch of the Frenchglen Store/Post Office. Adjacent to the store is the historic Frenchglen Hotel, an official State Parks Heritage site, ".... a historic 8-room hotel with dining area, open mid-March to mid-November. For reservations call (541)493-2825 or for information call (800) 551-6949."...

 

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