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North East Oregon - Photo Ops

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2017 9:07 pm
by ChrisRoss
Hi all,

I will be in NE Oregon in August for the eclipse arriving Aug 18 with the eclipse being Aug 21.  I was lucky enough to have a business trip to the US and able to tack the eclipse on the back end.   I'm actually staying at Pendleton, looked at other spots like Bend but rooms were $500+/night.  I'll likely go to somewhere around Madras for the eclipse itself, but my location would allow me to head East as well to the Snake River valley if the weather looked more favourable.

Apart from the eclipse itself I'm looking for photo ops around where I'm staying.  I'll have a hire car so can get out and about, I'll have either my 300mm f4 of 500mm f4 for the eclipse so birds are one possibility.  I'll probably have my Olympus EM-5II along as well with macro lens and 12-40mm for more general shooting and macro.  I found this:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BJG4PAuA5_5/

but unless I can get a more concise location than the Wallowa Mountains of North Eastern Oregon it's probably a needle in a haystack task unless I went there for other opportunities as well.

So I'd welcome suggestions and also if anyone would like to meet up for a shoot or will be around for the eclipse that would be great as well.

Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2017 1:36 pm
by Mike in O
Being an Aussie, you know distances; this is a huge area and Pendleton probably the least interesting town (unless at Round up time).  The Wallowas are a large Alpine area.  Without backpacking or hiring a mule train,  the tram at the base of Wallowa Lake can take you up to above timberline.  The various ski areas are also available to drive into the high country.  This is a wildlife rich area.  If you ever saw the movie "Paint your Wagon", this is the country around Baker City.  The deepest gorge in the US is Hell's Canyon (8000' and dwarfs the Grand Canyon).  There are many designated wildlife areas from low elevation on the Columbia River to high mountain areas.  http://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/vi ... ng_map.asp  If you visit Madras, it is a fun little town with 1/3 Mexican, 1/3 Native American and 1/3 white (a lot of diversity).  You may want to stay on the Warm Springs Reservation at Kah-nee-ta. Madras also sports one of the best aviation museums in the world (all in flying condition) You will be on the dry side of the Cascade Range.  From Madras, I would visit the Painted Hills unit of Fossil Beds National Park.  I live in Bend and there are a lot of inexpensive choices of lodgings.  If you need any info, please feel free to contact me.
edit:  here is another place in the paper today  http://www.oregonlive.com/travel/index. ... river_home

Posted: Wed Mar 08, 2017 7:10 am
by Andrew Mc
You must be in a more peak season, as we stayed at Bend for a few nights early last summer, and it wasn't that much (although it wasn't cheap either)! Won't add to Mikes list (he's the local!), but I can recommend a trip to the Painted Hills. Smith Rock was interesting too. I can certainly suggest you try some of the local Pale Ales - they certainly do their beer well in Oregon.