We slogged up Steens' rugged eastern scarp, deep within the confines of Wildhorse Canyon, slowly leaving Spring behind; it was late March, we skiers looked out of place, crazy to the local cowboys, carrying our nordic skiis up the deserty lower reaches of Wildhorse's canyon past cows and shaggy sheep.

Around 7,000 ft, we picked up enough continuous snow to ski, and set up our tents at 9,000 ft. in a very alpine setting on the SE shoulder of the main peak of Steens Mountain itself.

Wildhorse Basin Under Winter Conditions. Steens radio tower The The night was surprisingly frigid, and we were very glad to be up and moving the next morning. We ascended to the magnificent but very windy summit of Steens Mountain, and then enjoying the long, enchanting downhill glide toward Frenchglen. Ooops, unfortunately coming up short of our car shuttle as the snow ran out around 6,500 ft, in seas of sticky mud, leaving us with the major character test of several miles of awful mud. It was all a great adventure, to be sure!

Howling Alpine Wind--- Listen to the sound of that howling Alpine wind that accompanies us on so many high mountain experiences....howlngw2.wav .. (just click and wait for the rather large sound file to load)

Visit the well-known Fish Lake area for more Steens winter skiing, click picture!

" What is it about the wind that inspires us? Writers through the years have used it to add a poetic touch. It seems its very mention adds an ethereal power that is universally understood. At the end of a piece I did
on the history of the Santiam Canyon, I used the wind to invoke the haunting presence of pioneers who walked the faded trails of the past; "In the wind is the sound of a forgotten traveler, cresting a ridge of long ago." It ended the story in a thought-provoking manner. The full story can be seen at http://www.oregonphotos.com/Phantom%20Trails.html

"The wind was an ancient entity in the lives of our ancestors. It has been noted as the harbinger of change, the bringer of news good or bad. The wind has a spiritual quality due to its invisibility, yet has tangible power
with sometimes destructive effects. The touch of a breeze can move us emotionally with subtleness. As air travels over the body, millions of nerve endings activate the pleasure centers of the brain. The wind refreshes us physically, removing stagnant carbon dioxide and positively charged ionization that makes us uncomfortable. Ions are atoms of atmospheric gases that have acquired a static charge. Moving water creates negative ions that are refreshing and mentally uplifting. The sea soothes us with this phenomenon. Waterfalls have a synergistic effect with the gentle breeze and ionization created by the falling water. We tend to linger, taking in the view but also responding to this beneficial stimulation. For the indoor environment, there are ion producing air purifiers that create the freshness of a passing thunderstorm."

"When the wind picks up at the beach as it often does, the kite flyers are out in full force. At Lincoln City on the Oregon coast, known as the kite capital of the world, the sky is filled by kites of every imaginable shape and color. There is always a major kite congregation at the D River Wayside. The transparent power of the wind is evident in the grinning people and the photogenic dance of their flying machines. The attraction to kite flying is manifold; it's not just for kids anymore. It combines the fascination with flying with the artistic complexity of the kites themselves. And of course, there is the wind...
It has been used in literature since the first writers penned their soul upon paper. The wind rises from the written page like a melody echoing in the corridors of the mind. It lays spectral hands upon us, running up the spine like the distant howl of a coyote. In tales of the fantastic, the wind slowly buries lost cities of gold. It can represent foreboding menace, or the promise of tomorrow. The smell of spring and fall comes to us on the wind, beckoning to untold romance and mystery. It can be ghostly, as it moans in the night at Yaquina Head lighthouse. It can whip the sea into frothing whitecaps. Grizzled ship captains respect the wind like the sea
itself. It is a force to be reckoned with. But mostly, it moves us gently, like a kite that dances on a summer breeze."