3rd Annual Spring Owyhee Outings Series

INFORMATION

• Registration is by phone and opens on March 26—see outing listings for number to call.
• Voluntary donation is requested.
• Participants will be required to sign a liability waiver form.
• Carpooling from central site is encouraged.

Share your photos with us! Share your photos of the scenery and others on the outings with us, and you could win a beautiful Mark Lisk Owyhee Canyonlands book! Turn in a CD or email 3-5 photos to us after your adventure, and you will be entered in a drawing to win a copy of Mark Lisk’s Owyhee Canyonlands Book, donated by The Wilderness Society. [By submitting photos, you are agreeing to make the images available for non-commercial use by the sponsoring organizations.]
Mail or Email: Brenda Bielke |950 W. Bannock St Suite 605 | Boise, ID 83702 or brenda_bielke@tws.org.



Spring Owyhee Outings series coordinated by Idaho Rivers United, Idaho Conservation League, Sierra Club and The Wilderness Society.

OUTINGS

1: Saturday, April 10: Sage Grouse at Sunrise

This hike is full. Please contact the registration person to be put on the waitlist.
To register: 343-7481
Outing Leader: Jeff Cole, IRU, with Michelle Commons-Kemner, IDFG biologist
Carpool at lek (mating ground) to observe the amazing sage grouse at sunrise.
Level of difficulty: No hiking, it’s a car thing.
Meet in Boise, leave at 4 a.m., return to Boise by 1 p.m.
Special instructions to participants: Must be able to quietly observe, ages 12 and up.
Anticipated conditions (weather, mud, driving conditions, etc.): Perhaps difficult driving. Weather may affect location of lek we pick.

2: Saturday April 24: Family hike at North Fork Owyhee River

This hike is full. Please contact the registration person to be put on the waitlist.
To register: 343-8153 ext. 1
Outing Leader: John McCarthy, The Wilderness Society
Hike into proposed North Fork Owyhee Wilderness. Hike is intended to introduce people to the North Fork campground and the hiking options for the surrounding area. Kids over 8 years old who are willing and able to walk a few miles, are welcome (must bring a parent or guardian).
Anticipated conditions: Prepare for windy, varied weather conditions.
Level of difficulty: Easy, all off-trail 2 mile hike. Elevation gain/loss of 500 feet.
Meet in Boise at 8:30 am, back in Boise about 5 pm.
Minimum and maximum number of hikers: max 12; min 4.

3: Saturday May 1: Day Hike to Leslie Gulch

This hike is full. Please contact the registration person to be put on the waitlist.
To register: 384-1023
Outing Leader: Alan Hausrath, Sierra Club
Experience the beautiful colors of the Owyhees in spring—the red rock, the green of the junipers, and the blue sky! Join us for a day hike to this beautiful corner of eastern Oregon.
Meet in Boise at 8:30 am, back in Boise about 5 pm.
Anticipated conditions: Prepare for windy, varied weather conditions, scrambling across rough ground.
Level of difficulty: Strenuous due to hiking up and down loose, sandy soil—traverse a rocky slope and descend a rocky gully, walk on rock and lower selves over some drops, possibly through waterfalls. Distance approx. 2.5 – 3 miles.
Minimum and maximum number of hikers: max 12; min 4.

4: Saturday, May 8: Fish Fossil Hike

This hike is full. Please contact the registration person to be put on the waitlist.
To register: 345-6933 ext 14 or mwestover@idahoconservation.org
Outing Leaders: John Robison (ICL) and Chris Walser (College of Idaho, Biology)
Shoofly Creek Area
Meet in Boise at 8:30 am, return to Boise about 5:00pm
Family friendly (8 years and up)
Level of Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult (no designated trail).

5: Saturday, May 8: Photography at The Bruneau Overlook

Space Still Available
To register: 343-7481
Outing Leader: Jeff Cole, IRU, Albert Dickson.
Carpool to Bruneau Overlook and hike around to get amazing pictures of the Bruneau Canyon and surrounding desert with an expert photographer!
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Meet in Boise, leave at 6am, return by 1pm
Anticipated Conditions: Fun with a high chance of euphoria.
No dogs or small children (under 10).

6: Saturday, May 8: Big Jacks Creek Canyon Scramble

Just added!
To Register: call 343-8153 ext. 1, or send email to: brenda_bielke@tws.org.
Outing Leader: Bo Wilmer, landscape ecologist, The Wilderness Society.
Difficulty: Hard, due to off-trail scrambling across loose rocks, multiple stream crossings, and vertical hike out of canyon.
This challenging hike down into the canyon follows and criss-crosses Big Jacks Creek, a newly designed Wild & Scenic River, and comes out a tributary in the Big Jacks Creek Wilderness. From a big basin sagebrush plateau, descend deep into a scenic canyon to enjoy spectacular hoo-doo rock formations, a beautiful river and diverse plant life. Trek through dense vegetation (including some poison ivy), make multiple creek crossings (including wading at times) and scramble up and down loose rocks before making steep ascent out of the canyon. This hike is difficult for the rocky and trail-less terrain, water crossings and dense vegetation—can be hard on the joints. Hike Distance: 3-5 miles.
Meet in Boise: 8:30 am, return to Boise by 5 pm.
What to bring: Extra socks/boots or shoes that can get wet. Lunch and water, clothing for varied weather conditions.

VOLUNTEER with the BLM
The BLM needs an assistant to help record data on vegetation trend studies this summer. Attention to detail, a positive attitude, and willingness to put in a 10 hr. day, able to walk up to a mile with light pack required, interest in native plants and/or rangeland ecology desired. If interested, please call Kavi Koleini, Ecologist, BLM at (208) 384-3337.
SAVE THE DATE! September 25, National Public Lands Day. We’ll be working the BLM in Big Jacks Creek area, more info to follow.