8/15/2023 0 Comments John day gps tracksMuch of the route through here is on Forest Service gravel roads. One option heads southwest to the Zumwalt Prairie-part of which was designated a National Natural Landmark. There are several alternate routes to choose from once you leave Cemetery Ridge. The Nez Perce Trail is fairly well marked to the top of Cemetary Ridge but can be difficult to follow at times. We were lucky to see a herd of bighorn sheep taking turns drinking water from a spring. The BMT climbs out of Hells Canyon on the Nez Perce Nee-Me-Poo National Historic Trail, with beautiful, vast views. The GHCC identifies known water sources in their databook. Carefully plan your water access points and be prepared for large water carries. The Hells Canyon Rim is one of our favorite sections of the BMT however, water can be scarce on the long rim walk. Pants are a good choice for this section. A word of caution-the Dug Creek trail hasn’t been maintained in a while, and poison ivy and prickly plants make for slow going. Both options cross the Imnaha River at the Cow Creek Bridge. Dug Bar is where the Nez Perce crossed the Snake River in 1877 as they were forced off their homeland in the Wallowa Valley. At Fingerboard Saddle, there is an option to follow Cow Creek down to the Imnaha River, or stay on Summit Ridge to Dug Creek and eventually drop down to the Snake River at Dug Bar. The trail continues along Summit Ridge on the Hells Canyon Rim for miles, with outstanding views of the canyon, using the Western Rim National Recreation Trail for part of the journey. Hells Canyon Overlook at mile 49.3 ( USFS information)Ĭow Creek Trailhead at mile 112.5 ( USFS information)īuckhorn Tower Viewpoint at mile 120.2 ( USFS information) If you can convince a friend to meet and resupply you, there are some places accessible by car: As we note in the resupply section, Troy can be a challenging resupply. The GHCC is working on resupply options however, the first resupply opportunity is in the town of Troy (mile 182). There is no resupply opportunity in this section of the BMT. There is also an alternate route that drops down to the Imnaha River and walks past numerous car-camping campgrounds. Some of the trails have suffered fire and are littered with deadfall and overgrown with brush. The trail connects to Summit Ridge in the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area using lesser-used trails and Forest Service dirt or gravel roads, most of which are low-traffic. After leaving Hawkins Pass, the trail crosses the headwaters of the South Fork Imnaha River-and later crosses the Imnaha River when it’s much bigger! Note that Hawkins Pass is at 8,357’, so snow often lingers there until July. The trail goes past beautiful alpine lakes-Frazier Lake and Little Frazer Lake-through fields of granite. It leaves the Wallowa Lake Trailhead on the West Fork Trail and climbs 3,500’ to Hawkins Pass on well-maintained trails. The BMT starts out in one of the most scenic areas of Oregon-the Eagle Cap Wilderness. Section 1: Wallowa Lake to Hells Canyon Rim Oregon Coast Trail Backpacking and Thru Hiking Guide Oregon Desert Trail Backpacking and Thru Hiking Guide Check with the GHCC (and become a member) for the most current maps and databook. There will continue to be updates and alternative routes added in the future-and this guide has been updated to reflect improvements to the route since our initial hike. However, the route is not complete. However, since we first published this guide, other thru-hikers have walked the trail. Our efforts were intended to “ground-truth” an initial route. Mike and Naomi (two of the authors of this story) have gone back and wrote the Town Guide to the Blue Mountains Trail.īased on our feedback and the feedback from others involved in the route, the Greater Hells Canyon Council has updated the route. Renee Patrick hiked the entire route in two sections in August and October 2020. The authors, Naomi Hudetz, Mike Unger, and Whitney LaRuffa were the first people to thru-hike the BMT. The hiking trail avoids towns and heavily traveled roads, which can complicate resupply but results in a true sense of solitude. The Blue Mountains Trail is a remote ~550 mile long trail providing outstanding views and a true wilderness experience. Distance: 520-565 miles (depending on alternate routes taken)īest season: August-September (some sections have longer hiking season)
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