(March 7, 2019 / Author: Tim Bondy) This is a 3 Nov. 2016 trip report of a cross county hike in the Owyhee Mountains south of both Boise and Grand View, Idaho. It was strenuous yet quite enjoyable. The trailhead is located just off Bureau of Land Management Road 3724 that I call Birch Creek/Pixley Basin. The hike took me up and along some ridgelines just northeast of Doyle Mountain. Beautiful area!
Link to featured image at 42.8361361, -116.3612889 at https://photos.app.goo.gl/WG9z9T1VLDb6yzV37
Why Try The “Chew” Hike
There is no bad reason to attempt this hike but many good reasons to head out into a rarely visited part of southwestern Idaho. The beauty, get-away-from-it-all opportunity and to explore the world we live on are just a few of the reasons I headed down into that area. How about to get some exercise or to see strange new things?
Why “Chew” Hike
I planned this hike in 2013 when rockhounding was a bigger part of my life and there were three mining prospects in the area I wanted to check out and then move into higher terrain to the south and west.
I quickly discovered that my plan was going to be a little too grueling. In other words, I “bit off more than I could chew” and thus, I named this Thursday, November 3, 2016 hike the “Chew” hike.
The alternate name would have to be the “Peak 5,170 Hike” because that is where we topped off in elevation. Every topo map I looked at has a closed contour line of elevation depicted on this peak but no central elevation label.
The Statistics
- Hike miles: 3.87 miles
- Elevation gain/loss: 1,017 feet
- Average / Max slope of hike: 11.5% / 41.6%
- Coordinates of trailhead: 42.836488°, -116.341219° or immediately south of the cattle guard/fence.
- Hike: From the trailhead, look west and start hiking towards any peak, ridge, rock spire or whatever sparks your imagination.
- Property ownership: My research indicates if you park south of the cattle guard and hike west, all lands will be public. There is some private property along “Doyle Road.”
Extra Information: The only wildlife encountered during this adventure were quail and crows. There was very little sign of big game and all of it was old and in the lower elevations.
There are shops to buy supplies and limited equipment in Bruneau & Grand View
Gnats were a problem during this hike. They were ever-present and swarming at times. The bright side about the bugs? They don’t bite and they sure taste good 😉
Related post: http://bondyweb.com/2010/04/11/hiking-peak-4439-in-the-owyhees/
This Owyhee trip report was originally published on November 6, 2016, on the http://www.bondyblogs.com/ website.
Thanks,
~ signed ~
Tim Bondy
Freelance Writer & Citizen Journalist
“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” ~ Neale Donald Walsch