Northwest Explorer - wta.org

Northwest Explorer

Ken Mondal Ken Mondal

Left: Hiker at the boundary of Hell's Canyon Wilderness. Right: Approaching Horse Heaven, elevation 8,100 feet on the Seven Devils Loop Trail in Hell's Canyon Wilderness. June and July are good times to explore Washington's southeast corner in the Wenaha-Tucannon area and in the nearby Hells Canyon area of Oregon and Idaho.

Heaven in Hell's Canyon

Hiking two wilderness areas near Washington's southeast corner

By Ken Mondal

Seven Devils Loop in Hell's Canyon is Heavenly

There is no question that the Grand Canyon is one of the natural wonders of the world. However, if one measures from the Snake River to the summit of 9,393 foot He Devil Peak in the Seven Devils Mountains, this makes Hells Canyon the deepest canyon in North America. Hells Canyon National Recreation Area covers an area of 653,000 acres on the Oregon and Idaho sides. Better known for its class V rapids, this rugged area also has world class hiking.

Two excellent early or late season hikes are the 10-mile round trip Imnaha River Canyon Trail near the town of Joseph, Oregon and the 10-mile round trip Snake River-Kirkwood Ranch Trail off U.S. Highway 95 near Whitebird Junction, Idaho. Both of these hikes can be extended to overnight trips. I always enjoy

finding places to backpack when the high country is snowed in. The Imnaha River is hikable virtually year round.

On the Idaho side of the recreation area is a 215,000-acre wilderness area, which includes the Seven Devils Mountains. The premier hike within this wilderness is the Seven Devils Loop, a rugged 29-mile round trip offering magnificent views into Hells Canyon many thousands of feet below and equally incredible views of snow capped peaks of the Wallowas and the Eagle Cap Wilderness to the west. Just the drive to the trailhead from Riggins, Idaho is awesome--climbing 5,400 feet in 17 miles to the lofty 7,600-foot Windy Saddle. I would recommend a high clearance vehicle and perhaps four wheel drive for the last seven miles. The hike itself stays between 7,000 and 8,000 feet the entire route. There have been multiple forest fires throughout the years in this area, but this does not detract from the

jaw-dropping views. This hike can be done comfortably in 3-4 days.

An excellent description of hiking the Seven Devils Loop can be found in Hiking Idaho by Maughan and Maughan, published by Falcon. For the other hikes I would recommend Rich Landers' 100 Hikes in the Inland Northwest.

Choose Forgotten WenahaTucannon for Solitude

The Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness covers an area of 177,000 acres, two thirds of which is in southeastern Washington with the remainder in Oregon. This area is part of the Blue Mountains, a range of high, subtle mountains extending from Washington and Oregon into western Idaho. What this wilderness lacks in jagged peaks and high alpine lakes it makes up for in solitude. Except during elk hunting season, one is almost guaranteed to find plenty of elbow room.

June 2007

WASHINGTON TRAILS

Ken Mondal Ken Mondal

Northwest Explorer

I recall several multi-day trips where I did not see another hiker.

Trail elevations range between 2,000 and 6,000 feet. Ponderosa pine dominate the lower elevations, with lodgepole pine, larch, fir and spruce above 4,500 feet. Large herds of Rocky Mountain elk thrive in this area, which subsequently attracts more hunters than hikers. Rattlesnakes are also plentiful, and you may also see mule deer, white-tailed deer, black bears, coyotes, cougars and bobcats. This wilderness is named for the two rivers that drain its peaks and subsequently flow into the Snake.

The Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness has an excellent variety of hiking trails ranging from lowland trails that follow the river drainages to ridgetop hikes with expansive views. The hiking season is also fairly long. For those Seattleites itching to get out into the woods after a long winter, the river trails are generally snow-free in May. A favorite early season hike (although fairly popular) is the Wenaha River Trail, which is accessed from the tiny town of Troy, Oregon. One can follow the river for a total of 22 miles one way, thus making for a superb early season backpacking fix. Beware of rattle-

snakes, however. My

wife nearly sat on one

when we went off trail

to eat lunch beneath an

inviting shade tree.

By late June, the

high country opens

up, allowing access to

wide open ridge hik-

ing. One can reach

several trailheads from

Pomeroy and Day-

ton, Washington. You'll

find day hikes, such as

the 6-mile round trip

to 6,387-foot Oregon The author outside Oregon Butte lookout, reached by a

Butte with a Forest 6-mile round trip trail in the Wenaha-Tucannon Wil-

Service lookout at the derness of southeast Washington. If you're looking for

summit that is still solitude in June, the Wenaha-Tucannon is the place to go.

staffed by volunteers in the summer. Or one can do the difficult 40-mile Diamond Peak-Weller Butte Loop hike with 4,000 feet of elevation gain. On the third day of this solo trip I broke my ring finger while crossing a wet log. Being alone I had no choice but to set the finger and splint it and continue hiking. I saw no one until returning to my car.

One final word of caution. Summer

temperatures can get in the 100s and water sources (by way of springs) can be miles apart. So it is wise to carry an extra liter just in case. For further details on these as well as hikes in the outstanding Eagle Cap Wilderness and Hells Canyon areas I would recommend Rich Landers' 100 Hikes in the Inland Northwest.

Ken Mondal is a WTA board member from Spokane.

Trip Essentials

Seven Devils Loop

Hikable: mid July?late September Loop trip: 29 miles Elevation gain: 900 feet to Horse Heaven, elevation 8,100 feet More info: Riggins office, Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, (208) 628-3916, fs.fed. us/hellscanyon.

A view into Hell's Canyon, North America's deepest gorge. The Snake River flows more than a mile below Oregon's west rim and more than 8,000 feet from the summit of Idaho's He Devil Peak on the east rim.

WASHINGTON TRAILS

June 2007

Oregon Butte Lookout

Hikable: early June?October Round trip: 6 miles Elevation gain: 700 feet

More info: Pomeroy Ranger station, Umatilla National Forest, (509) 843-1891, fs.fed. us/r6/uma.

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