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Strawberry Mountain Wilderness
The Strawberry Mountain
Wilderness is located east of
John Day, Oregon, in the Malheur
National Forest .
The area includes approximately
68,700 acres and encompasses the
headwaters of Pine, Indian,
Strawberry, Canyon, Bear, Lake,
Wall, Roberts, and Big Creek.
The area is dominated by the
Strawberry Mountain Range with
the highest point being
Strawberry Mountain. This area
has extremely diverse ecological
makeup. Five of the seven major
life zones in North America can
be found here. It also supports
native population of Rocky
Mountain Elk and other wildlife.
The additions including the
Canyon Creek Research Natural
Area have improved both the
quantity and the quality of the
wilderness experience.
Exploring:
When you go to the Strawberry
Mountain Wilderness, be prepared
for hiking in the high country.
The land is rugged, and
elevations range from 4,000 to
the 9,038 foot summit of
Strawberry Mountain. Over a
hundred miles of trails cross
the wilderness, offering vista
after vista to the enterprising
hiker. And be prepared for more
wilderness to roam. In 1984, the
Oregon wilderness Act more than
doubled the original area of the
Strawberry Mountain wilderness
to its current total of 68,700
acres.
If you are patient, lucky, and
observant, you may see many
kinds of wildlife in the
wilderness. The list includes:
elk, mule deer, antelope, black
bear, cougar, California bighorn
sheep, ruffed and blue grouse,
pileated woodpecker,
sharp-shinned hawk, bald eagle,
pine marten, mink, beaver, and
many more birds, fur-bearing
animals, and other creatures. In
fact, 378 kinds of animals and
22 fish species can be found in
the area.
Water from springs, lakes,
ponds, and streams should have
proper treatment before you
drink it. No matter how pure it
may look, surface water should
be considered unsafe to drink
until properly treated. The most
common disease associated with
surface water is giardiasis,
caused by ingesting the
microscopic parasite Giardia
lamblia. To be safe, boil or
treat the water before drinking.
The recommended treatment is to
bring water to a rolling boil
for five minutes.
Geology:
The complex geological story of
this landscape began millions of
years ago with the buckling of
an ancient sea floor beneath the
area where the western part of
the Strawberry Range now rises.
Much later, volcanic ash and
lava formed the eastern part of
the range. Most recently, the
business-like knife of glacial
ice carved its classic
signature-U-shaped valleys-into
the mountains. The ice also
hollowed out the rock beds that
today hold the seven alpine
lakes of the Strawberry Mountain
Wilderness-rare pleasures in the
arid wilderness experience.
In a normal year, most people
use the Wilderness between July
and November. Snow may be
encountered at higher elevations
any time of the year. The
climate from September is mostly
mild, with clear skies.
Summertime thunderstorms may
occur, usually in cycles lasting
several days. Daytime
temperatures normally range
between 30 and 80 degrees
Fahrenheit; nights are cool.
Freezing temperatures can occur
any time of the year.
Native Plants:
Many plants and vegetation are
found in the Strawberry Mountain
Wilderness. Some of the more
common plants you might see are:
Buttercups, Mariposa Lily,
Shooting Star, Paint Brush, Wild
Onion, Yarrow, and Western
Jacob's Ladder. Vegetation such
as: Grouseberry, Thinleaf
Huckleberry, Creeping Oregon
Grape, Swamp Gooseberry, Thimble
Berry, and Sitka Alder are
abundant throughout the
wilderness area.
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