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.

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