Friday, July 26, 2019
A Journey Through Time
Grant County is almost "central" in the state of Oregon, especially the western edge of the county. It's one of the 5 counties through which the "A Journey Through Time" scenic byway runs. This county is the location of the John Day Fossil Beds. We drove from Union County through Baker County to Grant County: Prairie City, on to John Day, Mount Vernon, and Dayville. Ancient geological monuments border a wide valley for most of that distance, and the John Day River runs through it on the way to the Columbia River to the north.
The Strawberry Mountains above Prairie City
I'm a sucker for beautiful exterior murals.
Whoever created this D for Dayville had a climb and a hard task! Zoom to see.
Dayville is a tiny town with a tiny city hall and library.
This "crevice" in the volcanic rock is actually the opening for "Picture Gorge" in the John Day Fossil Beds Monument.
Ever-present, the John Day River takes various forms along its path north.
Sheep Rock is one of the most impressive formations because of its size and shape.
At the base of Sheep Rock is the James Cant Ranch, a busy sheep ranch in the early 1900's. It's an Oregon State Parks site now, and on open days visitors can see the rooms on the first floor and read some of the history. Family portraits are also on display.
Yellowjackets have built a busy nest in the roof of the old truck.
Gauges in the old truck were much simpler than they are now.l
There are various vintage pieces of equipment on display at the Cant Ranch.
In spite of the amazing geology on both sides, there are lush hay fields for miles, all of it well-watered.
The overlook information sign for this formation and the next photo refers to 12-14 million years!
The rimrocks were once the surface of this part of the land.
I just liked this old snag; it fit perfectly in the landscape, although I know it is much, much younger than its surroundings.
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3 comments:
My father and his brother put some white stones on the side of a cliff in Tygh Valley to make a "T" close to a hundred years ago... The rements were still there in the late 50's, but they're gone now. But I remember them.... I like these pictures very much.
Wonderful! I love being able to see the photos large when I click. The natural Dayville area was generally greener this July than last. Someday I'll go through my photos.
This is stunning country; I always enjoy searching out the backroads and the hidden green places. Your photos do this country justice!
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