Former high desert rancher Ellen Waterston will discuss the making of her most recent title Walking the High Desert, Encounters with Rural America Along the Oregon Desert Trail, University of Washington Press 2020. Accompanied by jaw-dropping images of high desert vistas, this experience will introduce you to a wild, essentially roadless, starkly beautiful and little known part of the American West.
Waterson will lead you through the recently created 750- mile thru-hike in the Oregon Desert Trail from the Oregon Badlands Wilderness outside of Bend, Oregon to the grand Owyhee Canyonlands in the southeastern corner of the state. You'll hear about the development of the trail and the practical considerations to take into account before embarking on either sections or the entire thru-hike yourself. You'll also see how the trail invites contemplation, meditation and reflection, as deserts are famous for doing.
As you plan your next adventure, Waterston will make sure you add the Oregon Desert Trail to your list, as her trek along the trail offers an insightful search for how we might all get along, here and elsewhere, in a perilously shifting world.
On Zoom!
High desert writer Ellen Waterston has published four poetry and three literary nonfiction titles, including, most recently, Walking the High Desert: Encounters with Rural America Along the Oregon Desert Trail, University of Washington Press, 2020. Hotel Domilocos, Moonglade Press, 2017 is her most recent collection of poetry. She is founder of the Writing Ranch, which conducts retreats for writers, and the annual Waterston Desert Writing Prize. She lives in central Oregon.
Visit www.writingranch.com and www.waterstondesertwritingprize.org to learn more.
Once registered, you can access the Zoom room for this experience through your confirmation email or Eventbrite account.
This online experience is part of Atlas Obscura’s Wonder From Home initiative. At Atlas Obscura, our mission has always been to inspire wonder and curiosity about the incredible world we all share. Now, more than ever, there’s a need to stay connected—not only to our sense of wonder, but to each other. Follow and share the hashtag #wonderfromhome for inspiring stories, more incredible online experiences, and live streams with the Atlas Obscura community.
