Welcome to The Trailhead, where the first stop should be the kiosk with important information that affects recreationists in our area! This new column, replacing the long-running “Hike of the Month” column, will serve as a round-up of interesting projects and plans for trails in the Inland Northwest.

Here’s what trail and recreation related news we have for his spring and early summer, along with a recommended hike!

Steptoe Butte State Park Closure

Park will be closed for road and parking lot repairs for up to 16 weeks this spring. The exact closure window is dependent upon weather conditions, so be sure to check the state parks website before a spring visit.

Great American Outdoors Act Funds Local Projects

Funding for the Great American Outdoors Act was signed into law August 2020 and will begin to address deferred maintenance needs on United States Forest Service (USFS) lands beginning this summer. Search the US Department of Agriculture website for a deeper dive into how this legislation will be enabling projects across the country. Some of the local projects slated to begin in 2021 include:

• Funding for 1,500 miles of deferred maintenance on backcountry trails across both Washington and Oregon through “shared stewardship” partnerships with USFS partner organizations.
• Trail maintenance on 110 miles of recreational trails within Hells Canyon National Recreation Area and the Eagle Cap Wilderness, along with the replacement of two 60′ bridges on the Snake River National Recreation Trail.
• A combination project on South Fork Boulder Creek Road north of Highway 20 on the Colville National Forest, including relocation of the current road and conversion of the former roadbed to a year-round multi-use trail (snowmobile in winter; non-motorized access to Taylor Ridge Trail in summer).
• Trail maintenance on 50 miles of trails near Bonners Ferry, Idaho.
• A trail resurfacing project and tunnel improvements on the Route of the Hiawatha Trail near Lookout Pass.
• Trail maintenance in the Mallard-Larkins and Upper St. Joe River areas.
• Improvements to both vehicle access and trails within the Ross Creek Ancient Cedar Grove, including a boardwalk to help protect tree roots from soil compaction while granting better accessibility for all visitors.

New Trailhead for Antoine Peak Conservation Area

Spokane County Parks will be building a new trailhead for Antoine Peak Conservation Area’s Etter Ranch addition over the course of the summer. The new access point will be located less than 1/4-mile from Trent Ave. in the Spokane Valley. Until the new trailhead is complete, access to this portion of Antoine Peak is only available under special permit for the trail construction crews who are busy building the new connecting trail to the existing trail system. Check the Washington Trails Association and Evergreen East Mountain Bike Alliance websites for volunteer opportunities that will grant a sneak peek!

Northeast Washington Trails Website

Northeast Washington Trails has a new page devoted to ways non-motorized trail users can get involved with trail maintenance projects stretching from the Okanogan Highlands to the Idaho Panhandle. Lend a hand to one of several nonprofits offering volunteer opportunities across northeast Washington, or share a conditions report about a trail issue you discovered while exploring an area. Learn more at Newashingtontrails.com/volunteer.

Hike of the Month for the May-June 2021 issue:

Holly Weiler is a long-time contributor to Out There Venture. If you know where to look, you’ll find her deep in a morel patch this spring.

[Feature photo: Mountain wildflowers in northeast Washington overlooking the Pend Oreille River valley. // Courtesy of Kalispell Tribe.]

The post The Trailhead: Trail Projects & Plans for May-June 2021 appeared first on Out There Venture.

The Blue Mountains Trail, a work in progress for decades, has evolved into a 566-mile point-to-point long-distance trail with a spiral shape connecting its two ends, Wallowa Lake State Park near Joseph and John Day.

Like most thru-hikes, this one is still a work in progress. The trail traverses some challenging terrain, including canyons choked with debris following recent burns, unmaintained trails overgrown with salmonberry, Ceanothus, blackberry, and poison ivy, and a section that was flooded out in early 2020. It may take years to solve these challenges, so alternate routes provide safe walking passage for hikers wishing to avoid these pitfalls.

Greater Hells Canyon Council

The trail also has a new champion that is helping make an improved route more accessible. The Greater Hells Canyon Council (GHCC) has announced that the conservation organization is prioritizing the development of the Blue Mountains Trail in order to change how the recreation infrastructure of the region is maintained and to engage more people to utilize and appreciate the beauty of these landscapes. The group also hopes that more hikers using the trail will translate into more people getting involved in conservation efforts in the incredibly beautiful and unique landscapes and ecosystems of the greater Hells Canyon region.

GHCC is picking back up where the Blue Mountains Heritage Trail left off, a monumental lift by longtime conservationist and Hells Canyon Preservation Council (GHCC’s former name) board member Loren Hughes, who began working on the idea in the late 1970s.

Current Trail Route

The current route covers seven wilderness areas of northeast Oregon, including the Eagle Cap Wilderness, the Elkhorn Crest section of the North Fork John Day Wilderness, and the Strawberry Mountain Wilderness. It crosses the summit ridges of the subranges composing the Blues: the Wallowas, Elkhorns, Greenhorns and Strawberries. It descends to the Snake River in the heart of the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area. And it requires no new trails to be built and limits both road walks and bushwhacks. And it connects hikers to some of northeast Oregon’s most inviting and recreation-minded communities.

Also referred to as the Greater Hells Canyon Region, the Blue Mountains are a unique region composed of multiple eco-regions. The mountains and valleys of the Blues connect the Rockies, Cascades, and Great Basin, and with a small human population density, they serve as a critical wildlife corridor.  This poorly-understood corner of Oregon has pockets of overwhelmed recreation destinations, while many true wilderness trails are now neglected.

First Successful Thru-Hiking Group

Last October, volunteer hikers Whitney “Allgood” La Ruffa from Portland-based Six Moon Designs, Naomi “The Punisher” Hudetz from Treeline Review and Mike “Iron Mike” Unger, were the first thru hikers to successfully complete a 588-mile version of the new trail route and provide valuable feedback to GHCC. Learn more about their journey and findings at the Oregon Adventure Lab YouTube channel (video below).

“As one of the first thru hikers of the new Blue Mountains Trail, I am thrilled that Six Moon Designs is the first business partner with GHCC to move things forward for future hikers on this amazing trail, said Whitney La Ruffa, Six Moon Designs VP of Marketing and Sales. “Our love of exploring wild places and our company’s deep ties to Oregon make this the perfect project for us to support, and we’re looking forward to doing more trail work with GHCC this summer.”

More Information

Sign up for trail news and updates, visit Hellscanyon.org/blue-mountains-trail. More resources, including maps and trail guides, will be published to the GHCC website in the coming months.

The post Remapping a Lost Thru-Hike in Northeast Oregon appeared first on Out There Venture.