shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileOregon

on the north shoulder of Steens Mountain, Harney County

Steens Mountain Kiger Gorge

Name: Steens Mountain Kiger Gorge — on ceramic tile, by WenderVista
Brand: WenderVista

— — a valley carved clean by ice.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.

— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand

— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines

— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall

— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround

— a note from the studio

“A U-shaped glacial gorge cut straight into the north flank of Steens Mountain, with walls that drop more than 2,000 feet from a viewpoint at roughly 9,000 feet. The gorge is named for the Kiger Mustangs that still run the country to the north, one of the last herds carrying old Spanish bloodlines. From the rim the green floor reads as a long pale ribbon between two ridges. The road in closes with the first heavy snow. From the studio.

from the studio

— bring it home

Steens Mountain Kiger Gorge, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?

One tile — square or rectangle.

How big?

the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand

6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb

Surface finish

A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.

How it sits

A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.

$58

Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.

— size

6 × 6 in

15 cm

— weighs

1.6 lb

solid in the hand

— surface

ceramic, hand-finished

art rests beneath a thin glossy finish

— from

Knoxville, TN

our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies

— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Steens Mountain Kiger Gorge

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.

— the place

Kiger Gorge is a U-shaped glacial valley carved into the north flank of Steens Mountain in Harney County, southeast Oregon. The Kiger Gorge Overlook sits at roughly 9,000 feet along the Steens Mountain Loop Road, with walls dropping over 2,000 feet to the valley floor. The gorge was scoured by Pleistocene-era alpine glaciers and is one of the cleanest examples of glacial U-shape in the American West. It lies inside the 170,000-acre Steens Mountain Wilderness, managed by the Bureau of Land Management.

— informed by Wikipedia — Steens Mountain, BLM — Steens Mountain Wilderness

— the silence

The gorge is named for the Kiger Mustang herd that ranges the country north of the mountain, one of the few remaining herds with strong Spanish bloodlines traceable to the Colonial Spanish horses brought to the Americas in the 1500s. The herd is managed by BLM on the Kiger and Riddle Mountain Herd Management Areas. The country is high, dry, and almost entirely empty of permanent settlement. The nearest town, Frenchglen, sits at the foot of the west slope and counts a population in single digits.

— informed by BLM — Kiger Mustang HMA

— the visit

The Kiger Gorge Overlook is reached on the Steens Mountain Loop Road, a 66-mile gravel byway that climbs from Frenchglen and is typically open July through October. The overlook is a short walk from the parking area at roughly 9,000 feet. Late June can still hold snow on the upper road; the gate closes with the first heavy storm each fall. There is no developed trail down into the gorge from this side and weather turns fast at elevation.

— informed by BLM — Steens Mountain Backcountry Byway

— where

United States · Harney County, Oregon

— within

Steens Mountain Wilderness

— elevation

2,743 m · 9,000 ft

— position

42.6919° N · 118.6072° W

— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.

12 km S

East Escarpment

fault scarp

20 km SE

Alvord Desert

salt playa

55 km W

Frenchglen

village

Steens Mountain Kiger Gorge

East Escarpment

Alvord Desert

Frenchglen

— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Steens Mountain Kiger Gorge — and about bringing the piece home.

— about the place

On the north flank of Steens Mountain in Harney County, southeast Oregon. The overlook sits at roughly 9,000 feet on the Steens Mountain Loop Road, about 60 miles south of Burns.

By Pleistocene-era alpine glaciers that scoured a U-shaped valley into the basalt of Steens Mountain's north flank. The walls drop more than 2,000 feet to the floor.

A wild horse herd ranging the country north of the gorge, with strong Spanish bloodlines traceable to Colonial Spanish horses. BLM manages the herd on dedicated Herd Management Areas.

Via the Steens Mountain Loop Road, a 66-mile gravel byway from Frenchglen. The overlook is a short walk from a parking pullout near the road's high point.

Typically July through October. The loop road is closed in winter and most of spring under snow, and reopens once BLM crews clear the upper grade.

The Bureau of Land Management. Kiger Gorge sits inside the 170,000-acre Steens Mountain Wilderness, established by Congress in 2000.

— about the piece in your home

Yes. Kiger Gorge is one of the high desert's most distinctive landforms. A Medium or Large with a handwritten note from the studio reads well for someone with ties to the country.

The basalt darks, valley greens, and pale sky sit comfortably in desert-modern, southwest-modern, and earthy minimalist rooms. It pairs cleanly with leather, wool, and warm wood.

Yes. Desert-modern leans on dramatic landforms and dry-earth palettes, and a clean glacial U-valley is the kind of subject that anchors the style.

The composition reads strongest at width. A single Large works above a sofa; a 4-tile Mural or 9-tile Mural carries a wider wall and lets the gorge open up.

Yes. Order it in Dura Satin or Matte for showers, backsplashes, or any vertical wet install. The colour is set into the ceramic surface, not coated on top.

A soft microfibre cloth and warm water. No abrasive pads, no solvents. The thin glossy finish wipes clean in seconds.

Yes. Every WenderVista tile is made in our Knoxville studio. No outside licensing or resale.

— if this one stayed with you