Went for a Sunday drive

[Dave]

So yesterday after church and lunch I just was sitting around. I did a few chores but it was about 40 out and drizzling. About 4:00 I asked the wife if she want to go for a Sunday drive. She did so off we went. We went to the Southeast to the Farewell Bend area where the Oregon Trail left the Snake River. At the river I knew there was a road that followed the river North. I had never been on that road. It turned out to be mostly gravel, fairly narrow, plenty of curves, straight up on one side, straight down on the other, and no guard rail. Lots of beautiful scenery but I had to keep both eyes on the road. It is the beginning of He77's Canyon. Rock formations, cliffs, the river, and cows out grazing on hills too steep to walk on in my estimation. If I remember correctly it was 48 miles to Richland. Most of it at about 25 MPH. From Richland we turned West up the Powder River to Baker City another 40+ miles. At Baker we turned back Southeast to get home. Took us a little over 4 hours of driving. Basically a triangle that is between 45 and 50 miles to each side. And there is no short cut through that area. Just a few two rut ranch roads that would still be impassable for a month or two.

 

[jltrent]

A good way to kill a long Sunday evening as it sound like a nice ride.

 

[ChrisB]

Dave, next time get your wife to take plenty of pictures and share them with us please. I love going for drives too, but the scenery can't compare to yours.

 

[Bestoutwest]

I've been over to Huntington, spent the night at Farewell Bend. It's beautiful over there. Did you do the road by the railroad tracks?

 

[Dave]

I've been over to Huntington, spent the night at Farewell Bend. It's beautiful over there. Did you do the road by the railroad tracks?

We didn't actually go to Farewell Bend park. Just the road from Huntington that follows the Burnt River out to the Snake. The one and only road that way. Then the only road North along the river. I have been told there is a lot of wildlife along that road in the winter. But I sure wouldn't want to drive that road in the winter. If I were to drive it in the summer when there is more traffic I would come down from Richland. That way I am against the mountain rather than being on the cliff side.

Dave, next time get your wife to take plenty of pictures and share them with us please. I love going for drives too, but the scenery can't compare to yours.

The wife says that from now on we need to always bring the camera. And if we forget it we are going back to get it. She wants the binoculars too. Sharing pictures..... well that is another issue. If I am ever able to do that I certainly will.

 

[Nesikep]

We have a similar drive in this area.. it's about 45 miles upriver from town, then a small reaction ferry across the Fraser, then another 30 miles of single lane road.. stunning scenery, deafening silence in that canyon.. really feel like you went back in time a couple hundred years
Here are a bunch of pics from my drive, I uploaded them in full resolution so you should be able to click and see them full size



You see the road down there? you lose all that elevation in the course of about 2 miles of driving.. Empty truck, 1st gear and I was still using the exhaust brake!
You can also see the road by the cut block on the other side of the river, that's how you get back

 

[Nesikep]

Here's a google map of it.. I'm right by the highway 12 sign at the bottom, Gang ranch is just to the north of my outlined trip, G creek is off to the northwest a little ways


https://www.google.com/maps/dir/50.8095815,-121.8496026/50.8132903,-121.8507041/@50.8823137,-122.0829574,9.63z/data=!4m9!4m8!1m5!3m4!1m2!1d-122.080205!2d51.0980889!3s0x547fd06b3ecefe39:0x5d6f54aab721b0d2!1m0!3e0

 

[backhoeboogie]

That is pretty intimidating.

Lots of roads from years ago are now gone or rerouted/rebuilt. We used to love an old cable suspended bridge that was still around back in the 70's You can walk to what's left of it but the road is so grown up you cannot drive to it.

Many peers have bought Harleys. The go on rides in the back country but those roads you speak of are not suited for that.

 

[Silver]

We have a similar drive in this area.. it's about 45 miles upriver from town, then a small reaction ferry across the Fraser, then another 30 miles of single lane road.. stunning scenery, deafening silence in that canyon.. really feel like you went back in time a couple hundred years

I poked around west of Clinton one time looking for California Bighorn sheep. Took the reaction ferry at Big Bar. It was like being on a different planet compared to here, and like you say it was a step back in time.

 

[Nesikep]

That is pretty intimidating.

Lots of roads from years ago are now gone or rerouted/rebuilt. We used to love an old cable suspended bridge that was still around back in the 70's You can walk to what's left of it but the road is so grown up you cannot drive to it.

Many peers have bought Harleys. The go on rides in the back country but those roads you speak of are not suited for that.

no, but if you have a big dual purpose bike like the KTM's, Honda XR 650's and such it's a great ride!

We have a similar drive in this area.. it's about 45 miles upriver from town, then a small reaction ferry across the Fraser, then another 30 miles of single lane road.. stunning scenery, deafening silence in that canyon.. really feel like you went back in time a couple hundred years

I poked around west of Clinton one time looking for California Bighorn sheep. Took the reaction ferry at Big Bar. It was like being on a different planet compared to here, and like you say it was a step back in time.

you don't need to go that far out to find sheep, lots and lots of them between lillooet and lytton. I like having a dirt bike on the back of the truck when I go out there, it's pretty remote and you easily have a days worth of walking to find help if anything happens

 

[Son of Butch]

30 miles of single lane road.. stunning scenery, deafening silence in that canyon...
really feel like you went back in time a couple hundred years.



You see the road down there? you lose all that elevation in the course of about 2 miles of driving...
Empty truck, 1st gear and I was still using the exhaust brake!
You can also see the road by the cut block on the other side of the river, that's how you get back

23% grade sign on a rainy night would be a great opening scene for a horror film.

 

[ga.prime]

23% grade would be unmanageable in an 18 wheeler. I drove an 18 wheeler for 12 years, 48 states + Quebec and Ontario and the worst I remember was a seemingly unending series of short 8% grades with switchbacks in Eastern Kentucky past the end of the Daniel Boone Parkway trying to get to Roanoke Virginia. I was meeting 18 wheeler dump trucks and there was a passel of them lined up behind me and this was in the middle of the night. Wondering why in the dickens I didn't take the West Virginia Turnpike. Folks there talk like Loretta Lynne, so that was cool.

 

[Nesikep]

Yeah, you won't even have room for an 18 wheeler there!... though we have a number of passes around here around 12% grade that semi trucks have to take... slow going!