2.2 miles of hiking • 500' elevation gain •
Forgive me while I document all of the hikes from my vacation last week.
I had been wanting to visit Owyhee, the lure of its isolation and remoteness intrigued me from the first moment I heard about it. However, being cursed with a Prius as my only vehicle, I had doubts I could make it out there. After a bit of research I found that the Leslie Gulch area is accessible by passenger vehicle, and so our planning began. The gravel road was well graded and pothole free, but certain areas did have a fair amount of washboarding.
We left Portland in the am and headed on the road, getting to the trailhead in the late afternoon. Dodging various animal crossings through open range, we chose a short hike with our remaining daylight, and we weren't disappointed. The hiking was relatively easy, multiple routes were found through the gulch, many looking like they could lead to some exciting off trail adventuring. Gain on this was minimal, but it did bring us to a nice view of the surrounding area. We could have gone further - but needed to get camp set up for the night.
We headed for what was the only campground at the end of the road, but we were caught off guard finding that it was filled with RV's, ATV's, and what looked like a big party. No tent spots left, we turned back and found an established camp spot in Dago Gulch, and enjoyed a windy but clear sky with an amazing light show of stars. It was only on the way out that I read the sign that camping was only allowed in the campground. Unfortunately at the late hour we arrived, we would have had a hard time getting to another area where camping was allowed. Lesson learned, but the spot we camped was obviously frequently used.
Though our stay was just a quick jaunt on our way to National Parks in southern Utah, I can't wait to come back and explore again. Just not in a Prius.
Jen
May 23, 2018
Gorgeous!!!