Tag: Snake River

Granny View Overlook and Hat Pont Lookout – 07/21/2024

Post author By derwoodynck
Post date July 28, 2024
2 Comments on Granny View Overlook and Hat Pont Lookout – 07/21/2024

With just twelve hikes remaining for us to complete our long-term goal of hiking, or at least attempting to hike, 500 featured hikes from William L. Sullivan’s “100 Hikes” guidebook series we spent a week of vacation based in Enterprise, OR to try and cut that number in half. All twelve remaining hikes were from Sullivan’s “100 Hikes Eastern Oregon” guidebook with eleven located in the Wallow Mountains, and the other being at Hat Point above Hells Canyon.

There were some question marks heading into the week. First a massive thunderstorm passed over much of Oregon on July 17th resulting in over 1000 lightning strikes, many of which were dry meaning that little to no rain was falling to the ground. While the storm had missed the Wallowas and Hat Point, dozens of fires were ignited across the state adding to several large human (idiot) caused fires that were already burning. The second issue was that I had been dealing with a tight left calf that developed after a bad step on our July 4th hike to Horsepasture Mountain (post). The calf itself wasn’t hurting, but it seemed to be aggravating my peroneal tendon. On top of that issue a few days before vacation I turned awkwardly while standing and irritated something in my left knee. I wasn’t sure how much hiking I would actually be able to do.

Fortunately the first hike that we had planned for the week was Hat Point which Sullivan lists three options for. The easiest option is two short loops gaining just 100′ of elevation. The other options are a 10.2-mile hike from Hat Point to a viewpoint 2600′ below the trailhead and a 15.4-mile hike to the Snake River that loses 5600′. Originally the plan was to try the 10.2-mile option, but with my leg issues and an excessive heat warning in effect we agreed the two short loops were the way to go. We started by parking at the Granny View Overlook where, despite it being before 6:30am the temperature was already close to 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
It was warm and smokey at the viewpoint.

We set off on the mostly paved loop in a counterclockwise direction.

Most of the flowers were past bloom which we expected knowing that late June/early July would be better here, but too early for most of the other hikes we had planned for this vacation. There was still enough blooming though to make it interesting and there was still a little view despite the smoke.

Yarrow

White mariposa lily

Aster

Sulphur buckwheat

Scarlet gilia

Bee visiting some penstemon

Imnaha River canyon

A small section of the loop was lost in a 2022 wildfire.

The other end of the missing trail.

One of several interpretive signs along the loop.

Nettle-leaf giant hyssop

This appeared to be the last of the elkhorn clarkia in bloom.

Looking down wasn’t bad, but we couldn’t really make out any of the mountain peaks in the distance.

Taper-tip onions

A smokey Sun was heating things up fast.

After the short loop here we continued on Hat Point Road to the Hat Point Lookout, stopping along the way to take some photos of a couple of birds.
Grouse

One of a pair of hawks.

The Hat Point Lookout from the parking area.

We followed a paved trail uphill to the start of a loop and turned left (counterclockwise).

Paintbrush

The start of the loop.

Fireweed

The loop took us around the lookout to a ramp where we detoured to the base of the tower.

The lookout staffer?

Sunlight reflecting off of the Snake River in Hells Canyon.

Hidden in the haze are the Seven Devils mountains in Idaho.

Penstemon

The tower was closed to the public due to safety concerns.

Hells Canyon is deeper than the Grand Canyon from its highest point, 9,393′ He Devil in Idaho at 8,043′ from the river. The depth from Hat Point to the river is 5,632′.

After visiting the lookout we continued on the loop which passed an outhouse where there was an option for a shorter return loop.

Mountain coyote mint

Lewis flax

We opted for the slightly longer loop and stayed left to a viewing platform.

Continuing on the loop brought us to another interpretive sign near a bench.

Near this sign we located the trail that led down to the Snake River. There was a level ridge end a short distance below, so we decided to hike down to it.

The tread was faint in spots amid the patches of wildflowers.

There was a small rock outcrop at the ridge end.

This is where we turned around not wanting to lose anymore elevation and have to climb back up on what was already an uncomfortably warm day. As it turns out we were just about at the boundary of the Hells Canyon Wilderness.

The lookout from our turn around point.

We started back up toward the loop but veered left on a dirt trail that led past the unoccupied lookout staff quarters.

Hat Point Trail sign near the quarters.

This trailhead sign was in a large parking area near the quarters, but there were “No Parking” signs along the road here.

We then followed a path uphill past a gate near the quarters to the paved loop where we turned left to return to our car.

Lupine

The two hikes came to just under 1.5-miles. While it was an unusually short day for us it was the right call, and we felt good about the decision to keep it short and sweet.

On the drive down we did stop at a small pullout with an interpretive sign called the Five Mile Overlook.

Imnaha River canyon

Imnaha from the Five Mile Overlook.

These were nice hikes despite the conditions, but we would definitely like to come back either earlier in the Summer at peak bloom or in Autumn when it might not be so hot and smokey. For now we had one more featured hike we could cross off our list and officially be done with every area in the State save for the Wallowas. We drove back to Enterprise and after getting cleaned up headed to Jospeh for an early dinner at the Flying Pig Bar. Happy Trails!

Flickr: Granny View Overlook and Hat Point

Tags Five Mile Overlook, Granny View Overlook, Hat Point, Hat Point Road, Hells Canyon, Hells Canyon Wilderness, hiking, Imnaha River Canyon, Oregon, Snake River

Hells Canyon Hiking Oregon Trip report

Hells Canyon Reservoir and Dam – 06/16/2023

Post author By derwoodynck
Post date June 24, 2023
7 Comments on Hells Canyon Reservoir and Dam – 06/16/2023

For the final day of hiking on our vacation we had two of Sullivan’s featured hikes on tap, Hells Canyon Reservoir and Hells Canyon Dam. We left our motel in Enterprise and drove the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway to Oxbow. Our first stop was at Copper Creek where a short hike would take us into the Hells Canyon Wilderness.
The smoke that had moved in the day before was still around.

A small post directed us to the trail.

The next post read “Trail Not Maintained Hazards May Exist”

We weren’t sure what to expect, but we hoped it wouldn’t be another poison ivy filled hike like Wednesday’s hike at Eureka Bar (post) and that we would at least be able to make it to McGraw Creek which was 1.8 miles away.

Toadflax

A short distance from the trailhead we entered a signed wilderness study area.

Fleabane

There were lots of fish visible in the reservoir.

The tread on the trail wasn’t great but poison ivy wasn’t an issue which was nice.

Penstemon

Showy milkweed

After approximately three quarters of a mile we entered the Hells Canyon Wilderness.

At the 0.9-mile mark we crossed Nelson Creek.
Approaching Nelson Creek.

Nelson Creek

Red-eyed vireo

Looking up Nelson Creek.

More fish.

Lazuli bunting

We made it to the outwash plain of McGraw Creek where the trail turned inland.

We made it another 100 yards before coming to a missing section of trail.

We weren’t comfortable with trying to continue. There was a faint path climbing uphill that might have taken us past the missing section but we didn’t feel the need to push it and turned around.
McGraw Creek

Lizard

Common wood nymph

Moth

Cabbage whites

Lorquin’s admiral

Copper Creek Trailhead from the trail.

After completing our hike here we drove back to Oxbow and crossed the Snake River into Idaho and headed north to the Hells Canyon Dam. Sullivan’s featured hike here includes two separate options, a 2.4 mile hike to a beach just beyond Stud Creek on the Oregon side of the river and a shorter hike on the Idaho side on the Deep Creek Stairway Trail. This is the only featured hike located in the state of Idaho and we had planned to do this hike first, but the trailhead parking lot was busy with fishermen heading toward the trail. The trail consists of a series of metal stairs and catwalks leading down to the bottom of the dam near Deep Creek and we weren’t too keen on being in a crowd so we drove on across the dam to the Hells Canyon Creek Visitor Center.

The trail here starts near the boat ramp where an interpretive sign announces the former site of a prehistoric pit house.

The start of the trail.

This trail was in better shape than the one along Hells Canyon Reservoir, but it was a wild mix of wooden stairs, rocky cliffs, and scenic viewpoints.

Penstemon

Western clematis

We watched an osprey dive for a fish in the river.

It pulled a small fish out of the water.

Threadleaf phacelia

Rafters that had set off from the dam.

Ant in a sagebrush mariposa lily.

Monkeyflower and heart-leaved bittercress

View near Stud Creek.

We didn’t see any water in Stud Creek’s outwash plain but there were a number of differently colored mariposa lilies.

Our turnaround point was a white cobble beach where fish occasionally jumped.
Cobble Beach near Stud Creek

Jet boat passing by.

After a short break we returned to the visitor center which we checked out before driving back across the dam.

Interpretive sign near the visitors center.

Hells Canyon Creek

View from the visitors center.

We were still hoping to stop a the Deep Creek Stairway Trail and as luck would have it all but one of the cars that had been at the trailhead when we drove by earlier were gone.
The empty trailhead parking area.

A short road walk led us to the start of the trail.
The structure on the right is an old fish trap.

This was only our second hike in Idaho (Jump Creek Falls was the first), and the first in one of Idaho’s National Forests.

The Payette National Forest manages this trail.

The trail began by heading briefly down a staircase and then climbing another set of stairs.

Going up.

Snake River from the trail.

Going back down.

There were a couple of dirt/rock sections, but the trail was mostly metal stairs and catwalks.

We passed the owner of the remaining car, Ahmed, heading up with a pair of good-sized fish.

Ahmed’s fishing pole was still out, and you might notice a little red to the left of the structure ahead.

Heather decided not to go all the way down to Deep Creek but I wanted to see it so I followed the trail to its bank.
There was a very short scramble to get up to the continuation of the trail above the structure along the creek.

A few patches of snow in the Payette National Forest.

Deep Creek

I was greeted at the creek by a rock covered with different butterflies.

It was a hot, tiring climb back up to the car where we changed, grabbed some drinks and snacks, and got ready to drive to Pendleton where we would spend the night before driving back home.

These three hikes came in at 3.7, 2.6, and 1.0 mile respectively. Hells Canyon Reservoir had over 500′ of elevation gain while the final two were under 200′ although the staircase felt like more.

We were thankful that poison ivy was a non-issue on these hikes. They were all enjoyable but given the rough condition of the Hells Canyon Reservoir Trail we wouldn’t recommend that one for kids or inexperienced hikers.

With the vacation hikes now over, we had made just a little progress on finishing 100 featured hikes from one of Sullivan’s Eastern Oregon guidebook editions (post). We had been at 79/100 heading into the vacation whith plans on completing six more but our decision to skip Dug Bar and change the edition that we were focused on meant adding five featured hikes that we hadn’t done and losing a couple that we had. Instead of sitting at 85/100 at the end of the vacation we are currently at 80/100. We’ve already worked the five new featured hikes into our plans over the next 18 months so we are still on track to be finished by the end of 2024. Happy Trails!

Flickr: Hells Canyon Reservoir and Dam

Tags Copper Creek, Deep Creek, Deep Creek Stairway Trail, Hells Can Reservoir, Hells Canyon Dam, Hells Canyon Visitors Center, Idaho, McGraw Creek, Nelson Creek, Oregon, Payette National Forest, Snake River, Stud Creek

Hells Canyon Hiking Oregon Trip report

Eureka Bar – 06/14/2023

When I first planned out our trip to Enterprise it included five featured hikes that we’d yet to do: Buckhorn Lookout, Eureka Bar, Dug Bar, Hat Point, and Imnaha Falls. During the weeks leading up to this trip we removed Hat Point due to conflicting information on the status of Hat Point Road. Sullivan’s trail updates listed the road as closed until Summer 2023 and the Forest Service pages listed the Day Use Area as closed but the trailhead as open. I tried reaching out to the USFS for clarification, but they never responded so we swapped that hike with a planned 2024 visit to Hells Creek Reservoir and Dam (two featured hikes).

The next change came when we decided to try and combine Eureka Bar and Dug Bar into a single day versus an overnight stay at Dug Bar. The original plan was to do a 10-mile hike at Eureka Bar then drive to Dug Bar where we could tent camp and do an 8.6-mile hike to Deep Creek the next day before driving back to Enterprise. This was due to the reportedly poor road conditions between Imnaha and the Cow Creek Trailhead (Eureka Bar hike) and even worse road between the Cow Creek Trailhead to Dug Bar. These 15-mile and 11.4-mile stretches of road were said to take a full hour each to drive so why drive the first stretch twice if we didn’t have to. Re-reading the description of the Dug Bar hike in preperation for the trip caused me to rethink this plan since Sullivan’s description of the Dug Bar hike included a one-mile stretch of trail wading through patches of poison ivy. He listed a shorter 1.2-mile option stopping at a viewpoint after only 0.6 miles which sounded much more appealing. This would also be short enough to add to the 10ish miles at Eureka Bar and still be a manageable distance for a single day.

With the new plan in place we left Enterprise and headed for the Cow Creek Trailhead. The road was pretty much as advertised taking an hour to get between Imnaha and the trailhead. The first mile was by far the worst section, but the entire 15-miles were tedious.
Cow Creek Bridge at the Cow Creek Trailhead.

Garbage can at the trailhead.

Before we even set out we were having doubts about Dug Bar. When we arrived there was a herd of cows being driven down Dug Bar Road and a van with bicycles on the far side of the Imnaha River. Driving that road already wasn’t appealing and the idea of encountering cattle or cyclists didn’t make it any better. That was a problem for later though and we set off on a faint trail heading for a trail sign in the distance.

At the sign we turned right on the Imnaha Trail.

We followed this trail 4.2 miles to the Snake River at Eureka Bar. Sullivan mentioned stepping around poison ivy that, along with blackberry bushes, often crowded the trail. As it turned out the brush didn’t just crowd the trail, it had taken over the trail in places. We hacked our way through the non-poison ivy vegetation and relied on our long pants to keep the sea of poison ivy at bay.
Penstemon along the trail.

Geese on the river.

Cliff swallows

Moth mullein

Hawk

Showy milkweed

Prickly pear cactus

Heading into a brushy area.

Rose

Lorquin’s admiral

We were on the lookout for rattlesnakes but didn’t see any (until one crossed the road on the drive back to Enterprise), but I did see three of what I believe were rubber boas.
Can you spot the snake?

The snake heading off the rocks into the brush.

While we fortunately didn’t encounter too many snakes there were hundreds of large crickets.

I cleared this section of trail.

Sumac along the trail.

The only marker that Sullivan mentioned along the trail was this pillar on the right at the 2.8-mile mark.

Painted lady

St. John’s wort and poison ivy.

Skullcap

Becker’s white

Our first view of the Snake River.

One of several reminders of the mining town at Eureka Bar in the early 1900’s.

The Mountain Chief Mine across the Imnaha River.

The Snake River

Chuckar in the brush across the Imnaha River.

Eureka Bar

We followed the trail along the Snake River to a trail post near Eureka Creek. At one time 2000 people lived in this area but after a sternwheeler carrying machinery for a gold processing mill crashed and sank, investors pulled out and the town disappeared.
Skipper on common bugloss.

Imnaha River emptying into the Snake.

Blanketflower

Bindweed

Sagebrush mariposa lily

Another sagebrush mariposa lily

Fleabane

Stones where the gold processing mill was going to be.

Long-leaved ground-cherry (Physalis longifolia)

Orange globe-mallow

Our turnaround point.

Another mariposa lily

Ruins at Eureka Bar.

Common merganser

We returned the way we’d come. It felt like there was somehow more poison ivy on the way back.
A prickly pear cactus near Eureka Bar.

Green cricket on poison ivy.

Lazuli bunting

Mourning cloak

We missed all of these prickly pear cacti on the first pass.

Arriving back at Dug Bar Road.

This hike ended up being 10.8 miles with 350′ of elevation gain.

On the way back to the trailhead we decided that we would not be doing Dug Bar on this day. It was already hot and we’d had enough of the poison ivy. It was also later than we’d expected due to slower hiking caused by the brushy trail. Sullivan had also removed Dug Bar from the featured hikes in his most recent “100 Hikes Eastern Oregon” guidebook so we could switch editions and not have to make it back in order to complete our 100 hike goal. Making that switch did mean that there were several other hikes that we’d done that were now no longer featured hikes and we’d have to add some new ones to our plans over the next year and a half to still be on track to finish by the end of 2024.

We wiped off our poles and clothes as best as we could and hoped that we had managed to avoid any exposure to the poison ivy. As of Monday the 19th we both seem to be in the clear. Happy Trails!

Flickr: Eureka Bar

Tags Cow Creek Trailhead, Eureka Bar, Hells Canyon, hiking, Imnaha River, Imnaha River Trail, Mountain Chief Mind, Oregon, Prickly Pear Cactus, Snake River