At least once we paused while Buzz Chandler, our fearless leader who had made this trek several times in years past, reconnoitered the correct route in the unmarked wilderness. Due to the GPS documentation on the route and Chandler's knowledge of the area, we never strayed far from course.
It was during the second day that we encountered our only head-scratcher mechanical trouble of the run. The Land Rover Series IIA owned by Barry Kop had a fuel pump failure with no repair kit in sight. Using standard off-pavement ingenuity, Barry and friends lashed a 3-gallon fuel can on the rig's hood with a rubber line, siphoning gas to the carburetor via gravity-feed. It wasn't pretty, although Barry's rig is a handsome classic vehicle, but the fix allowed him to get out under his own power.
As the day grew long, we drove through The Lost Forest, an interesting region of seemingly misplaced pine trees amid the sand dunes east of Christmas Valley. The route led us to the dunes next, a normally uncrowded play area popular with the 4x4, dune buggy, and ATV crowd. The dunes gave the participants a chance to frolic on the sand, blast up and down a few hills and finally, line up for a group vehicle photo in the light of the late sun. We then hightailed it for the Christmas Valley general store and gas station. Some of the rigs had smaller fuel tanks and were drawing a bit down on gas, so the station was a welcome sight.
Our next campground was at Green Mountain, a scenic spot a few miles due north of Christmas Valley. From a few steps behind our tent, we absorbed the sweeping dramatic view into the valley and to the mountains beyond. Our camp setup was distracted by our enjoyment of the shifting sunset colors and the look of the fog settling into some lowland pockets in the fields. The nearly full moon later on created a surreal scene from our hilltop hideaway as we enjoyed another terrific group campfire with a really fun bunch of people.
The next morning, we continued northwest towards Derrick Ice Cave, a fascinating lava tube cave on private property but open to the public. The hike into the cave starts across a sandy floor but deteriorates as rockfall has created shaky footing. Regardless of the temperature up above, a coat is welcome, as the air turns much colder deep in the cave. Although not a difficult exploration, standard safety equipment is a must when wandering into the cave, as is courtesy for the landowner's property.
Our central Oregon adventure with the Land Rover club was a fun, relaxing journey amid some of the many wild and scenic places this state has to offer. The group makes an annual trip over roughly the same route, so contact the club for more information. You won't be sorry.