Last week we traveled east with a group of new friends to stay at the Nature Conservancy Field Station in Central Washington. It's in an otherworldly place created by the great lava flows and flooding of the early Miocene epoch. Today it's mostly farmland, providing a stunning contrast of bright green fields, breezy plateaus and a deep river gorge that has developed over the past 20 million years. As a result of the erosion, beautifully textured igneous rock canyon walls are abundant and easily accessible by foot. On this trip, we spent most of our time driving down old dirt farm roads in search of abandoned buildings and great views. Hopefully, we can make it back soon to experience the some of the riverside camping and day hikes we found while exploring. Stay tuned!

 

Photos by Travis Gillett and Forest Eckley