From the Gorge to the Desert | Solo Backpacking Oregon’s Steens Mountains

I spent several days solo backpacking through one of the most remote and underrated corners of Oregon — the Steens Mountains. Starting at South Steens Campground, I hiked deep into Little Blitzen Gorge, following the creek all the way to the headwall where I camped for the night. The next morning, I climbed to the rim before heading back to base camp. After that, I made my way to the Alvord Desert, one of the most surreal landscapes in the Pacific Northwest, and camped right on the playa under a sky full of stars. Along the way, I shared a few of my camp setups — what I bring, how I pack, and why I set things up the way I do. This trip was also a chance to put my Vivo Barefoot shoes to the test — hiking from alpine rock to desert flats and really feeling the terrain beneath me. The balance, grip, and connection to the ground completely changed the experience of moving through these wild places. 👣 Try Vivobarefoot: Experience nature the way it was meant to be felt. Go to https://www.vivobarefoot.com and use code JONCONTI for 20% off your order. They even offer a 100-day free trial, so you can feel the difference for yourself. 👉 https://www.vivobarefoot.com — Code: JONCONTI ⚙️ GEAR REVIEWS The home base tent:    • The Most Comfortable Camp Tent: REI Wonder...   Zenbivy's sleep system:    • Is Zenbivy's NEW Sleep System the Future o...   My favorite backpacking tents:    • My Favorite Backpacking Tents   My camera gear:    • Minimalist Travel Kit for Professional Vid...   ⛺ REI WONDERLAND 6 TENT Wonderland 6: https://geni.us/Wonderland6 Solar Generator: https://geni.us/RockpalsPower500 Lights: https://geni.us/UnbreakableLights Propane Heater: https://geni.us/MrBuddyHeater Cot: https://geni.us/REILevitateCot 🎒 BACKPACKING LOAD OUT Osprey Atmos AG 65 Backpack: https://geni.us/Atmos65 Nemo Dagger Tent: https://geni.us/NemoDagger Zenbivy Winter Bed: https://geni.us/ZenbivyWinterBed Therm-a-Rest Pad: https://geni.us/thermxtherm Jetboil Zip Stove: https://geni.us/JetBoilZip Exped Widget Pump: https://geni.us/ExpedWidget Sawyer Water Filter: https://geni.us/WaterFilterSystem Garmin In Reach Mini: https://geni.us/GarminMini Black Diamond Headlamp: https://geni.us/BlackDiamondHL Ultralight Med Kit: https://geni.us/ULMedKit Blister Kit: https://geni.us/BlisterKit Culo Clean Bidet: https://geni.us/CuloCleanBidet Tent Pole Splint: https://geni.us/TentPoleSplint Fire Starter: https://geni.us/FireStarterGel Trowel Tool: https://geni.us/TheDeuce2 Utility Cord: https://geni.us/Paracord Spork: https://geni.us/Utensils 👕 CLOTHING Vivobarefoot Shoes: https://geni.us/VivobarefootTracker Patagonia Nano Puff Down Jacket: https://geni.us/PatagoniaNano REI Mid Layer: https://geni.us/reimidlayer REI Sahra Convertible Pants: https://geni.us/SaharaPant REI Sahara T Shirt: https://geni.us/SaharaTShirt Smartwool Intraknit Base Layer Bottoms: https://geni.us/reimidlayer REI Moreno Wool Socks: https://geni.us/REIMorenoSocks REI Everyday Boxer Briefs: https://geni.us/REIeverydayBoxers REI Fleece Beanie: https://geni.us/REIfleecebeanie 🎥 HIRE ME https://www.joncontivisuals.com 📱FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM   / jon_conti   🏕SUPPORT THE CHANNEL WHEN YOU SHOP REI Rei Affiliate Link - https://geni.us/ShopREI 📍 Locations: – South Steens Campground – Little Blitzen Gorge – Alvord Desert, Oregon 🎒 In This Video: – Solo backpacking and wild camping in Oregon – Camp setup and gear breakdowns – Hiking in minimalist footwear – Adventure filmmaking and photography 0:00 Here's the plan 0:41 Home base camp tour 3:53 Where we are. What we are doing. 4:41 Hiking the gorge 7:14 Made it to the headwall 8:02 Wilderness camp tour 11:04 Hiking the headwall 13:59 To the Alvord Desert 14:29 Camping on the playa #SteensMountains #BackpackingOregon #SoloAdventure #AlvordDesert #VivoBarefoot