Lava fields in Oregon

Pat and I are just back from our Miata Club event in Bend Oregon.

Bend is in central Oregon just east of the Cascade mountains. The entire area is a huge volcanic caldera (inactive) with lots of volcanic mountains and buttes.

The weather was overcast on the first day but the second day was perfect. We did a run in the morning to the Lava park where we drove up to the peak of a lava cone. In the afternoon we drove up McKenzie pass which goes through an immense lava field. Peculiar lava as it is referred to as Ah Ah lava. This occurred when lava flows out over a flat landscape and as the top cools and solidifies the pressure below breaks it up into rubble. Sort of like ice breaking up on a stream. The result is fields of broken rocks ranging in size from a football to a car.

In the 1860s this was a wagon track on the Oregon trail although I have no idea how you would have built a trail through this landscape at the time.

We only saw a few of the many sites to be seen in this area so will be heading back on our own one day. it is not all lava as there are lush valleys and waterfalls galore but the lava fields were distinctive