Steens Mountain

Infobox Mountain
Name = Steens Mountain
Photo = SteensMtnOR.jpg
Caption = Steens Mountain, looking northwest from the Alvord Desert.
Elevation = convert|9733|ft|m| [ cite web
url = http://nwdata.geol.pdx.edu/OR-GIS/PlaceNames/S.html
title = Northwest GeoData Clearinghouse
publisher = Department of Geology: Portland State University
accessdate = 2008-04-02 ]
Location = Harney County, Oregon, USA
Range =
Prominence = convert|4373|ft|m [ cite web
url = http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=3338
title = Steens Mountain, Oregon
publisher = Peakbagger.com
accessdate = 2008-04-02 ]
Coordinates = coord|42.6832214|-118.5510209|format=dms|region:US_type:mountain [GNIS|1127571accessdate|2008-04-02]
Topographic
USGS Wildhorse Lake
Type =
Age =
First ascent =
Easiest route = from road: hike

Steens Mountain is a large fault-block mountain in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Oregon. Located in Harney County, it stretches some convert|50|mi|km|0 and rises from an elevation of about convert|4200|ft|m|0 above the Alvord Desert to its peak at convert|9733|ft|m|0. It is sometimes confused with a mountain range, but is properly a single mountain.

It was called the "Snowy Mountains" during early fur trade, but in 1860 was renamed for U.S. Army Major Enoch Steen, who fought and drove off members of the Paiute tribe on the mountain. [cite book
last = McArthur
first = Lewis A.
authorlink =
coauthors = Lewis L. McArthur
title = Oregon Geographic Names
origyear = 1928
edition = Seventh Edition
year = 2003
publisher = Oregon Historical Society Press
location = Portland, Oregon
id = ISBN 0-87595-277-1 (trade paperback), ISBN 0-87595-278-X (hardcover) ] [ cite book
last = Loy
first = Willam G.
coauthors = Stuart Allan, Aileen R. Buckley, James E. Meecham
title = Atlas of Oregon
publisher = University of Oregon Press
date = 2001
pages = 25
id = ISBN 0-87114-102-7 ]

Several plant species are endemic to Steens Mountain, including Steens paintbrush, moss gentian, Steens Mountain penstemon, Steens Mountain Thistle, a dwarf blue lupine, and Cusick's buckwheat. [cite book| last =Sullivan| first =William L.| editor =Thurman, Paula (Ed.)| title =Exploring Oregon's Wild Areas (3rd ed.)| publisher =The Mountaineers Books| year =2002] [cite book| last =St. John| first =Alan D.| editor =| title =Oregon's Dry Side: Exploring East of the Cascade Crest| publisher =Timber Press| year =2007]

On October 24, 2000, president Bill Clinton created the Steens Mountain BLM Cooperative Management and Protection Area, a convert|425000|acre|km2 area. This law protects convert|1200000|acre|km2 from mining, and convert|100000|acre|km2 from cattle grazing. [ cite web
last = Karras
first = Christy
title = Politicians dedicate Steens Mountain preserve
publisher = Seattle Post Intelligencer
date = 2001-08-16
url = http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/getaways/35297_steens16.shtml
accessdate = 2008-04-02 ]

Steens Mountain is also host to Steens Mountain Running Camp, a nationally known [ cite web
url = http://www.trailrunnermag.com/news_detail.php?page=news&id=20
title = Upcoming Oregon running camps give young runners a new outlook
publisher = TrailRunner Magazine
accessdate = 2008-04-01 ] cross country training camp that has been held on the mountain since 1975. [ cite web
url = http://www.steensmountainrunningcamp.net
title = Home page
publisher = Steens Mountain Running Camp
accessdate = 2008-04-02 ] [ cite web
url = http://www.youthrunner.com/content/view/742/38
title = Steens Mountain Running Camp
publisher = YouthRunner Magazine
accessdate = 2008-04-02 ]

See also

* Steens Mountain Wilderness

References

External links

* cite web
url = http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/ds_mark.prl?PidBox=NX0261
title = NGS Data Sheet for STEENS
publisher = U.S. National Geodetic Survey
accessdate = 2008-04-02 Not at highest point.
* cite web
url = http://www.wilderness.net/index.cfm?fuse=NWPS&sec=WildView&WID=576&tab=Images
title = Steens Mountain Wilderness
publisher = Wilderness.net
accessdate = 2008-04-02
* cite web
url = http://geogdata.csun.edu/or_panorama_atlas/page6/files/page6-1082-full.html
title = Virtual aerial image looking south across Steens Mountain and the Alvord Desert
publisher = California Geographical Survey
accessdate = 2008-04-02

Gallery