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Bigger than it looks

I enjoy getting away from home and visiting places I’ve never had the chance to experience before. With the best weather we’ve had all year, it was time to get out for the first campout of 2010. I live in Boise, Idaho where camping is as close as 20 miles away. As with most places in Idaho, you can be in the middle of nowhere in about an hour. I was ready to camp somewhere close, yet unlike anywhere I had been before. My next choice was Leslie Gulch, near Adrian, OR.

Alien Landscape

As with much of the desert here in the Northwest, there are plenty of canyons with volcanic formations.  Leslie Gulch is especially filled with these  volcanic rock formations, and is in fact very beautiful.  The best time to visit would have to be right now, in the Spring, so you can enjoy wild flowers, mild temperatures and generally very few people.  There are several official hiking paths in the park, however you can park in any of several turnoffs and take off to create your own hike.

Wildflowers in bloom

I chose two official trails (and several unofficial ones) during my stay.  The first was at the Leslie Gulch campground.  If you head South, you can hike for several miles in a dry streambed.  I took the opportunity to blaze a trail up one of the hills and walk along the ridge overlooking some grand formations and the campground far below.

Honeycomb Canyon

Located within the park at Leslie Gulch, Juniper Gulch treats you to unique, scenic geological honeycomb structures along most of this hike. I took a short loop which was about 3 miles. My next visit to the area will have me summiting “Yellow Jacket Peak” Maps of my journey will be made available in the Maps section soon.

It should be said as you plan your trip, watch out for snakes, and observe good judgement when it comes to visits in early Spring.  A sign warns you as you enter the park that there are chances of flash floods.  There is so much rock here that even a short downpour can lead to your scrambling to higher ground.  The campgrounds have vault toilets and covered picnic tables, but you are responsible for bringing drinking water.  Keeping this area beautiful is up to all of us.  I am pleased to report that there was virtually no litter on or off trail during my stay.

I took quite a few pictures and movies along the way.  Below you will find links to the finished video shorts, on YouTube.com

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