In mid September I returned to Southeast Oregon with the intent to summit Beatys Butte after being turned back by a flat tire in early July and to hike several Steens Mountain summits after being turned back by wildfires in mid July. I had purchased new tires for my car and the wildfires near Frenchglen had died down, so I was hopeful my plans would succeed this time.
I began by driving to Frenchglen, then onto the Steens Mountain Loop Road. The sky was smoky from fires in the Cascades if not from others elsewhere as well. I scouted out Page Springs, Fish Lake, and Jackman Park campgrounds for reference, then drove to the Kiger Gorge Overlook to see the summits lying on the ridge to my right between Kiger Gorge below and Mann Lake to the east. I then drove to the Wildhorse Lake Trailhead and hiked the 1/4 mile on a gated road to the Steens Mountain Summit.
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