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the Degree Confluence Project
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United States : Oregon

3.2 miles (5.1 km) ENE of Dale (Grant), Umatilla, OR, USA
Approx. altitude: 1077 m (3533 ft)
([?] maps: Google MapQuest OpenStreetMap topo aerial ConfluenceNavigator)
Antipode: 45°S 61°E

Accuracy: 3 m (9 ft)
Quality: good

Click on any of the images for the full-sized picture.

#2: View East (down the slope, towards the John Day River below) #3: View South (along the slope) #4: View West (up the steep slope, towards the ridge top - 450 feet above) #5: The confluence point lies on a very steep hillside #6: All zeros! #7: Looking down towards the Degree Confluence point and the John Day River from the ridge top #8: Road sign next to the John Day River, below the point

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  45°N 119°W (visit #2)  

#1: View North (along the slope)

(visited by Ross Finlayson)

24-May-2016 -- One of the fun things about participating in this project is that sometimes a Degree Confluence point happens to exceed my expectations. I was not particularly enthusiastic about visiting this point, because I knew that it would involve a lot of scrambling up a steep hillside. But fortunately this was not as bad as I’d feared. And the point itself (and its surroundings) turned out to be spectacular; this is one point that I’ll remember for a long time to come.

There are two possible ways to approach this point. First, you could start from the John Day River (across a small bridge from highway 395) at 2750’ elevation. This would require 800 feet of climbing (and then descending), at a distance of 0.5 miles each way. Alternatively, you could drive to the top of the rim (on a narrow 4WD doubletrack) at 4000’ elevation, and then hike down the slope to reach the point. This would require 450 feet of descending (and then climbing), at a distance of only 0.2 miles each way. That is, starting from the top involves traversing a shorter, but steeper slope (and also requires driving up to the top of the rim, which requires a 4WD vehicle).

I chose to start from the top, both because I had a 4WD vehicle, and because I wanted to get a video from the top of the rim, using my remote-controlled quadcopter.

The point lies in an open, grassy section of the hillside. Unfortunately trees below block a view of the John Day River from the point (although it is visible from farther up).

Here is a remote-controlled aerial video of this confluence point.


 All pictures
#1: View North (along the slope)
#2: View East (down the slope, towards the John Day River below)
#3: View South (along the slope)
#4: View West (up the steep slope, towards the ridge top - 450 feet above)
#5: The confluence point lies on a very steep hillside
#6: All zeros!
#7: Looking down towards the Degree Confluence point and the John Day River from the ridge top
#8: Road sign next to the John Day River, below the point
ALL: All pictures on one page