Little Fox Finds Fortune at Malheur

 I've done my fair share of exploring Oregon but the farther you drive into southeastern Oregon, the fewer people you see. Towns became tiny dots on the map, cell service fades away, and the wide-open high desert stretched to the horizon in every direction.  The first rule about travel in SE Oregon is always have a full tank of gas. 

This is one of the most remote corners of Oregon—a place where sagebrush, mountains, and endless skies replace traffic lights and shopping centers. It felt like the perfect place for a little fox-sized adventure.

Myfirst stop was Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, an oasis in the middle of the desert. It seemed almost magical that such a lush wetland could exist among miles of dry sagebrush.

 As soon as I hopped out of the car, I was greeted by a chorus of birdsong. Everywhere I looked there were birds calling to one another, flitting through the reeds, gliding across ponds, or circling overhead. It was impossible not to stop every few steps just to listen.

This place was awesome, and if you haven't been to Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, you really should! Being a curious little fox, I looked up the history behind the name "Malheur" and found out it means "misfortune" in French. Back in the 1820s, Hudson's Bay Company fur traders led by Peter Skene Ogden were disappointed that the area had very few fur-bearing animals to trap. Ogden named the lake "Malheur" to remember their bad luck. Lucky for us, what was once a disappointment for trappers is now one of Oregon's most amazing places to explore!