Louse Canyon North Trail
6/10/2014: You will note that I emphasize trail in the title of this hike. That is because it is as much waterway as trail. You are going to get your shoes wet, so be prepared for that. This hike winds along the West Little Owyhee River. This is a difficult hike and requires bushwhacking and keeping an eye out for rattlers in those bushes. But you will be rewarded with towering 300-foot high rhyolite cliffs, songbirds galore, solitude (almost guaranteed), near deafening silence nestled back in the nooks and caves, challenges as hard as you want, cave and rock exploration, and other "adventurous stuff" that, frankly, I love. Again, it is a hard hike, but wow!, so worth it.
Key: Wildflowers | Wildlife | River | Rattlesnakes | Rhyolite Cliffs | Backpack | Desert | Oregon | BLM
Rod’s Ramblings from the Trail: We set off about 11:00 o’clock, crossed the beaver pond and started bushwhacking our way north, down the river. The river here does not run deep, at least this time of year, or perhaps it is that there has been less water. But for the most part, the river is generally low enough to wade at most points or it doesn’t take much time to find a good point around the few deep pools. There are certainly some deep pools (some over our heads) and there were a couple of places where we waded up to our waists and Lola had to swim. She had her backpack on (carrying her own food) so it took her a bit of time to get used to the whole swimming thing. But once she figured it out, she seemed pretty excited about jumping into every pool we came across.
The hiking was tough, what with the bushwhacking, wading and bouldering. Progress was slow. We were cognizant of the chance for rattlesnakes so also took more cautious (and slower) steps. We came to a place where we could go high near the canyon wall or low near the river. Ben and Lola stayed low, and Gary and I went high. I gave my “snake stick” (a stick I have had in the basement for years) to Ben. Of course, with that move, who would be the ones to find a snake? Yep, the guys without the snake stick. Gary and I came across a good-sized rattlesnake basking against the canyon wall. It saw us before we saw it, maybe ten feet away. It buzzed loud and clear. Gary and I both jumped and even Ben, 20 yards away, heard its buzz. It had about ten rattles and used them quite effectively.
Continue reading Monday, June 9: Backpack Anderson Crossing to a Bend in the River.