With sunny afternoons through Sunday, enjoy low-elevation trails like the Wilson-Reynolds Loop in the Owyhees

Entrance to Reynolds Creek canyon from the north. Took this pic in the spring.

Hi all, 

One more week of this unseasonably warm weather in December before winter weather is forecast to descend on Idaho next week.

So you might as well continue to enjoy low-elevation trails in the Boise Foothills or the Owyhee Front.  Please keep tabs on the Ridge to Rivers Facebook page for the latest trail conditions ... trails that are on north slopes or in permanent shade are going to be muddy and should be avoided. 

Trails in the Snake River canyon, such as this recent post detailing trips to an old homestead or Celebration Park to Halverson Lake would work well as would these must-do hikes in the Owyhees - Leslie Gulch and Mary's Creek/Sheep Creek.   

The China Ditch Trail ... Courtesy Idaho Hiking Club

Another sweet hiking loop is the Wilson Creek-Reynolds Creek Loop, which is featured in both my Boise Trail Guide and Owyhee Canyonlands guidebooks. It's 7.5 miles round-trip, travel time about 3.5 hours, vertical gain 750 feet, and it's super scenic. I saw that the Idaho Hike Club hiked it earlier this week. 

Here's a description in All Trails as well. 

My writeup on the hike:  

General remarks: This is a great hike/trail run in the foothills of the Owyhee Mountains, about 45 minutes from Boise. The trail weaves through rock formations on the way over to Reynolds Creek, and then you'll hike along on top of the China Ditch Trail - an old Chinese-built irrigation ditch high above the creek. The red rock canyon is spectacular. Bring your camera, plenty of water and a lunch.

Example of the cool rock formations you'll see going over to Reynolds Creek canyon.

Getting there: From downtown Boise, hook up with I-184 west and head for Nampa. Take the Franklin Road exit (City Center) in Nampa, and turn left. Follow Franklin to the intersection with 11^th Street. Turn right and take 11^th into downtown Nampa. Follow signs for Idaho 45 south. Take ID 45 to Walters Ferry at the Snake River and turn right on ID 78, heading for Marsing. In a couple miles, turn left on Wilson Creek Road. Proceed up the paved road until it turns to dirt and pull into a dirt parking area on the left for BLM Trails #300 and #400. The hike/run starts here.

Directions: To begin, pick up Trail #300 out of the parking lot. Ignore trails branching off to the left in the first mile. At mile .9, you’ll cross a road and continue on the singletrack trail. The trail climbs one last hill and then widens into a two-track and descends to a T-junction at a dirt road (mile 1.8). Go right for a short bit, and turn left on Trail #410, a sandy wash going downhill towards Reynolds Creek. At mile 2.3, go right on Trail #310 and proceed for a half mile to a junction with Trail #600, the "China Ditch” trail. Go right and walk upstream along Reynolds Creek canyon for about a long mile. After walking next to vertical rock walls, the trail opens up on the right at the junction with Trail #510, #601 and #610. Go right on #510 and climb out of the canyon. At mile 4, bear right at a Y junction on #510 and stay on #510 to BLM dirt road #37154. Go right and follow the road to the junction with Trail #400. Go left on #400 at mile 5.28 and head back to the trailhead. At the top of the first hill, you can either stay on Trail #400 or branch off on #300. Both ways head over to the Wilson Creek Road and the trailhead.

Hiking notes: Even though the route is 7+ miles, the elevation gain is pretty minimal, so the hike may be suitable for kids 8 and over. My kids enjoyed the hike, especially throwing rocks into the creek on the China Ditch trail.

Wondering what's going on with the winter storms predicted next week? See my post in opensnow.com for the Idaho Daily Snow for details. 

- SS  

Make sure you bring the kids! This was Quinn and Drew a few years ago!

 

Weather warming up this weekend and next week! Time to head for the Owyhees!

Jim Giuffre, foreground, Steve Schneider and Doug Lawrence just finishing the China Ditch Trail ... 

Sheep Creek Canyon cuts through old rhyolite lava rock 

Stopping to enjoy the grandeur of Reynolds Creek canyon. 

Hi all, 

The forecasts are predicting that we'll get a break from the rain this weekend, and next week the temperatures might hit 70 degrees F! OMG! Time to head out for a spring hike or bike ride in the Owyhees! Maybe take your camping gear and stay overnight? 

I just completed a 3rd printing of The Owyhee Canyonlands - An Outdoor Adventure Guide, so I've got plenty of books on hand if you haven't purchased your copy yet. The books are available on my web site, stevestuebner.com, Boise REI, Idaho Mountain Touring, Owyhee County Museum gift shop in Murphy, and Amazon. 

For this week's outdoor tip, I'll dish up two hikes and one mountain bike ride in the Owyhees. 

John Wheaton, Amy Haak, Wendy and me on
a winter ride on Bingo's Trail. 

First, the bike ride - the Wilson Creek - Northwest Passage Loop. Distance: 16.25 miles; travel time: 3.5-4 hours; vertical gain: 2,075 feet. Rated strenuous. Mountain bikers love this ride. It's almost all singletrack with a couple of short sections of two-track road. The Soda fire did a number on Reynolds Creek canyon, which some people feel has diminished the scenery. But I still think it's a great ride. 

See my blog post with photos, a map and blow-by-blow directions of the ride. 

Now, the hikes: 

1. Wilson Creek-Reynolds Creek Loop - Distance 7.4 miles; travel time: 3.5 hours; vertical gain: 750 feet; Rated moderate to stenuous ... mostly moderate. This is a shorter version of the Northwest Passage loop. Getting there: From downtown Boise, take I-184 west to Nampa. Take the Franklin Road exit (City Center) in Nampa, and turn left. Follow Franklin to the intersection with 11^th Street. Turn right and take 11^th into downtown Nampa. Follow signs for Idaho 45 south. Take ID 45 to Walters Ferry at the Snake River and turn right on ID 78, heading for Marsing. In a couple miles, turn left on Wilson Creek Road. Proceed up the paved road, past the cattle feedlot, until it turns to dirt and pull into a dirt parking area on the left, the trailhead for Trail #300. The hike starts here.

This is a great hike (good for trail-running, too) in the foothills of the Owyhee Mountains, about 45 minutes from Boise. The trail weaves through rock formations on the way over to Reynolds Creek, and then you hike the China Ditch trail along Reynolds Creek. The red rock canyon is spectacular. Bring your camera, plenty of water and a lunch. Even though the route is 7+ miles, the elevation gain is pretty minimal, so the hike may be suitable for kids 8 and over. My kids enjoyed the hike, especially throwing rocks into the creek.

Quinn hangs out on a big rock 

Directions: To begin, pick up Trail #300 out of the parking lot. Ignore trails branching off to the left in the first mile. At mile .9, you’ll cross a road and continue on the singletrack trail. The trail climbs one last hill and then widens into a two-track and descends to a T-junction at a dirt road (mile 1.8). Go right for a short bit, and turn left on Trail #410, a sandy wash going downhill towards Reynolds Creek. At mile 2.3, go right on Trail #310 and proceed for a half mile to a junction with Trail #600, the China “Ditch” trail. Go right and walk upstream along Reynolds Creek canyon for a long mile. After walking next to vertical rock walls, the trail opens up on the right at the junction with Trail #510, #601 and #610. Go right on #510 and climb out of the canyon. At mile 4, bear right at a Y junction on #510 and stay on #510 to BLM dirt road #37154. Go right and follow the road to the junction with Trail #400. Go left on #400 at mile 5.28 and head back to the trailhead. At the top of the first hill, you can either stay on Trail #400 or branch off on #300. Both ways head over to the Wilson Creek Road and the trailhead.

Sheep Creek canyon is deep! 

2. Mary's Creek to Sheep Creek Canyon - Distance: 8.75 miles; travel time: 4-5 hours; Vertical gain: 1,389 feet; Rated moderate to strenuous. This is a neat hike that takes you over to the deep incised canyon of Sheep Creek, where it's possible to camp by the creek or certainly stop and have lunch there before you head back. Mary's Creek also lies inside a BLM wilderness area, so this is a hiking-only experience. 

Road access: Easy, any kind of 2WD vehicle will work to reach this trailhead. 

Getting there: From Boise, take I-84 east to Mountain Home. Take the first exit to downtown Mountain Home. Proceed through town and watch for Idaho 51 to Bruneau. Turn left on Idaho 51 and go to Bruneau. Pick up any last-minute snacks/beverages and head south on Idaho 51. Check your odometer when you leave Bruneau. It's about 40 miles from Bruneau to the signed turnoff for Roland Road on the left, just past the old bar and junk yard in Grasmere. Go left on Roland Road, and take that good-quality gravel road 5.2 miles to the signed Mary's Creek Wilderness Trailhead. The hike starts here.   

General remarks: Mary's Creek is one of the more easy-to-access trailheads in the Sheep Creek/Bruneau Wilderness area. It's a scenic basalt canyon that drains into the much-deeper and spectacular box canyon of Sheep Creek. It's possible to do either a day trip here, or take a backpack and camp overnight at the Mary's Creek/Sheep Creek confluence, do some exploring and enjoy some quiet peace of mind. The day hike features a cross-country walk along the edge of Mary's Creek canyon for 3+ miles to the edge of the canyon rim. Then, there's a nice little singletrack hiking trail, called the Tindall Trail, that drops down to the confluence area, where there are several areas large enough for a campsite. We returned to the Mary's Creek Trailhead via a rough and rocky two-track road, just to make the walking a little easier. The two-track is drivable with a high-clearance 4WD rig, outside the wilderness boundary, if you want to drive directly to the canyon rim. I'd recommend this hike for kids who are 8-10 years old and up.       

Directions: To start, hike through the sagebrush along the left side of Mary's Creek canyon. It will get considerably deeper as you approach Sheep Creek canyon. At mile 3.6, you'll arrive at the canyon rim, where you'll see a singletrack trail winding through the rocks down to the Mary's Creek/Sheep Creek confluence. It's .7 miles and 520 feet of descent from the rim to the confluence. Great spot for lunch or overnight camping. Retrace your steps to the canyon rim, and take the two-track road back to the trailhead. Final mileage is 8.75 miles.

Have fun! Hoping for sunshine all weekend! 

- SS 

No new snow ... might as well try winter hiking in the Owyhee Canyonlands

Moon rise in Leslie Gulch (courtesy todaysphoto.com) 

Leslie Gulch is a paradise for hiking and scenery

The view coming into Succor Creek State Park 

Some of the caves at Succor Creek Park 

View from the upper deck of Succor Creek, looking across at McIntyre Ridge.
That's Steve walking with son Drew a few years ago ...  

My boys Drew and Quinn on the China Ditch Trail in Reynolds Creek 

Hi all,

Winter weather seems to have turned into the "off" mode lately, and it's been getting pretty darn balmy in the afternoon, with temperatures at least in the mid-40s, if not higher. Seems like the higher you go, the warmer it gets. And this is still January?

So if you're sick of skiing the groomers, and you're not heading up to the McCall Winter Carnival, consider taking the family or your friends out to the Owyhee Canyonlands for a little hiking adventure! This week, I'll recommend several hikes close to home. All of them come from my latest guide, The Owyhee Canyonlands: An Outdoor Adventure Guide. 

Please note that the trails in the lower Boise Foothills are extremely muddy and they're getting hammered in a bad way. See the latest trail update. Please stay off muddy trails!

Before we get into the hikes, remember to dress in layers for your hiking adventure. It might be chilly in the morning, but by the afternoon, you'll be peeling layers. Bring a light backpack for extra clothes, food and water. Also remember a hat and mittens.

Just so you know, all of these hikes listed below can be accessed with a Subaru-type vehicle. Venturing off into secondary roads in the Owyhees without a full-on 4WD could be a bad move right now. The ground is pretty soft because of the freezing and thawing and recent rainfall.

The hikes:

• Wilson Creek-Reynold Creek Loop - This is a 7.4-mile hike in the Owyhee Front, south of Nampa, about 45 minutes from Boise. You take ID 45 south of Nampa toward Murphy. Cross the Snake River, turn right and head for Marsing. Watch for Wilson Creek Road on the left. Take Wilson Creek Road to the BLM trailhead for Trail #300 on the left side of the road. Follow Trail #300 over to a junction with a dirt road. Go left on Road #410 and follow that over to the China Ditch Trail #600 in Reynolds Creek canyon. This is the best part of the hike. Go upcanyon on Trail #600 and enjoy the redrock canyon of Reynolds Creek. Good place for lunch. When the canyon opens up, you'll see a junction with Trail #510, which heads back over to the junction with Trail #400. Take that trail back to the parking lot.
  
• Succor Creek State Park - Multiple hikes can be done from Succor Creek State Park, just across the border in Eastern Oregon. It's a great place for kids and families. It has a rest room, and you could camp overnight there if you want. There is hiking to the east behind the camping area, or you can explore caves across the road, or hike above the caves to McIntyre Ridge and get a great view of the whole area. Getting there: Take I-84 west to the ID 55 exit in Nampa. Follow ID 55 west toward Marsing. Turn right on Chicken Dinner Road, and then left on Homedale Road to go to Homedale. Drive through town and go west on Highway 19 and Oregon 201 to a signed turnoff for Succor Creek State Park on the left. It's 16 miles of gravel road to the park.
  
• Leslie Gulch - It should be a nice weekend to explore Leslie Gulch, one of the most scenic parts of the Owyhee Canyonlands, considering it's the end of January. By going now, you can beat the rush of people who normally go there in late March, April and May. You could go there for a day trip or camp overnight, your choice. Getting there: Take I-84 west to the ID 55 exit in Nampa. Follow ID 55 west to Marsing. West of Marsing, turn left on U.S. 95 and go south about 16 miles to a signed turnoff for Leslie Gulch. Follow signs to reach the park. It's 22 miles from the highway. Allow two hours from Boise to get there. In Leslie Gulch, you can hike around on the cool rock honeycombs with the kids, or a do a little more serious hike up Juniper Gulch to the top of Yellow Jacket.  

Have fun!
- SS

Explore the Owyhee Canyonlands - Idaho's newest wilderness and wild rivers area

China Ditch Trail

Hi all,

For this week's Tip of the Week, I intended to recommend hooking up with the Owyhee Canyonlands Coalition on go on a hike in the Owyhee Front. But as things turned out, the hike is already full and closed to additional people, so I'll recommend a hike from the Boise Trail Guide in Reynolds Creek that's super cool. It will still acquaint you with the kind of countryside that has been protected in the new Owyhee Canyonlands wilderness bill. This is a non-motorized hiking area that's also open to mountain biking and horseback riding. The area is managed by the BLM.

It's a moderate 7.5-mile hike from the Wilson Creek trailhead, south of Nampa, that begins with an easy 2.75-mile cruise over to scenic Reynolds Creek (redrock cliffs) and tours the China Ditch trail. Chinese laborers built some elaborate rock ditches on both sides of Reynolds Creek in this area to divert some of the creek water for irrigation. There is a trail (#600) on the embankment of the ditch that is great for hiking, and challenging for mountain biking. Take your time in here because it's really a neat and scenic spot. Great place to take a lunch break.

You'll climb upstream along the ditch trail for 1.5 miles, and then you'll regretably leave the canyon on Trail #510 to loop back to a junction with Trail #400, and cruise back over to the Wilson Creek Trailhead.

It took me 3.5 hours to do the full hike with my two boys aged 9 and 10 at the time. They loved throwing rocks into the creek along the China Ditch trail.

See an earlier blog post for a half dozen spring hikes close to home that are guaranteed to please ...

Here's a link to the Owyhee Canyonlands Coalition to hook up on another adventure in May to tour Idaho's newest wilderness and wild and scenic rivers in Owyhee County.

To get to the Wilson Creek Trailhead, take the freeway to Nampa, take the City Center exit, then go south on Idaho 45 to Walters Ferry at the Snake River. Cross the Snake, turn right on Idaho 78, and then watch for the Wilson Creek road (green sign) in a couple miles on the left. Take the Wilson Creek road to a trailhead on the left side of the road, and you're home free.

- SS