January Owyhee Hike

Last Updated on Sunday, 17 January 2010 00:49 Written by Tim Bondy Sunday, 17 January 2010 00:38

Getting outside during an Idaho winter isn't as bad as I thought.

Trying to stay active during an Idaho winter is tough for me but the recent warm weather has made it easier. After last weeks "un-fun" attempt at snowshoeing, I decided to do what I know best and head south into the Owyhees for a short hike. The main concern was the snow level and muddy access roads. So off I went on Saturday January 16th, 2010 heading past Grand View and down Mud Flat Road.

My favorite place to hike during the non-snake season are the peaks and washes just south of the Poison Creek Cutoff Road (a.k.a. The Oreana Cutoff Road) so I headed straight to this road. Good news, the road was mostly mud free and the snow level was way above most of the peaks in this area.

Flowering desert plant in the Owyhees during winter

In search of a live Idaho Tumbleweed

My hike was quite enjoyable and lasted about 3 hours as I wandered through some dry washes and climbed some small peaks (really hills) in search of cool rock, great views and some solitude. I found everything I was looking for. It does wonders to get out of the house for a few hours. Just because it's winter, it doesn't mean the hiking season is over. The Owyhee's are are great place to get back into nature during the off-season.

Thanks for visiting and commenting on this story.

Tim Bondy
The Bondyweb.Com webmaster