2007-12-22 My second attempt to reach the Owyhee face was a better trip, but still no face. I parked at the lower lot this time, and climbed up to the upper lot, then took the trail to the right. Still some huffing and puffing, but I stopped often and managed to get to the top of the mesa.
Let me back up, when I left my apartment at 10:00, it was 24 degrees out. I estimate the Jump Creek Recreation parking area is about 47 miles from my apartment, and it took 75 minutes to drive there. Elevation at the lot is about 2,600 feet.
I climbed for 34 minutes, and like I stated, stopped often so I did not repeat my first adventure. Just about 1.07 miles from the lot to the top of the Mesa and I arrived there around 11:49. How do you know when you reach what was called the top in the directions? The dirt road leading up to it. The topographical map shows the top at 3,347 feet above sea level. Less than the 3,500 foot Catskill Mountains I climbed back in 1983-1984.
The directions said to follow the road 200 yards and then descend the gentle slope. I hiked another half mile and saw only 60 to 75 degree descents, and did not think that was a gentle slope. Forty five minutes of hiking brought me to a T intersection in the road. I turned upstream, wrong stream, and hiked another 45 minutes. It was now noon and I was back at the road. Along the way I lost my pedometer. I ate some lunch and watched a couple of trucks go by. You need to have the body jacked up high to make it here, and they were sure going slow.
I knew this was the wrong canyon, so I started back. The Sun is low to the south and the clouds were getting heavier. It felt like the temperature was dropping. Likely just my sweat freezing. I took the road back to the top of the Mesa and then the trail back to the lot. From their I then went to the base of the Jump Creek Falls. I was there by 13:30. I snapped some photos and made it back to the lot by 13:49. After starting the car and driving for awhile I saw it was 31 degrees. I was home by 15:30.
| File | Description | KB Size | Bytes | Date - Time | Photographer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DSC_1402.JPG | Looking down S Jump Creek Rd. | 425.8 KB | 436034 | Dec 22, 2007 - 13:14 | Kenneth Tomiak |
| DSC_1403.JPG | That diagonal line going up to the right is the easy way up. | 425.0 KB | 435199 | Dec 22, 2007 - 13:14 | Kenneth Tomiak |
| DSC_1404.JPG | A view along the way. | 478.4 KB | 489931 | Dec 22, 2007 - 13:44 | Kenneth Tomiak |
| DSC_1405.JPG | That outcrop is what I hiked around the last time. | 434.6 KB | 445057 | Dec 22, 2007 - 13:44 | Kenneth Tomiak |
| DSC_1406.JPG | Looking out towards Nampa. | 452.1 KB | 462997 | Dec 22, 2007 - 13:44 | Kenneth Tomiak |
| DSC_1407.JPG | Looking down into the canyon. | 444.5 KB | 455128 | Dec 22, 2007 - 13:44 | Kenneth Tomiak |
| DSC_1408.JPG | Looking down into the canyon. | 451.5 KB | 462292 | Dec 22, 2007 - 13:44 | Kenneth Tomiak |
| DSC_1409.JPG | Looking back from whence I came. | 418.2 KB | 428192 | Dec 22, 2007 - 13:45 | Kenneth Tomiak |
| DSC_1410.JPG | White sagebrush. | 458.4 KB | 469444 | Dec 22, 2007 - 13:54 | Kenneth Tomiak |
| DSC_1411.JPG | Another horizon shot. | 355.4 KB | 363887 | Dec 22, 2007 - 13:54 | Kenneth Tomiak |
| DSC_1412.JPG | Down into the canyon. | 446.3 KB | 456996 | Dec 22, 2007 - 13:54 | Kenneth Tomiak |
| DSC_1413.JPG | Way too far west, hiking into a side canyon. | 443.2 KB | 453837 | Dec 22, 2007 - 14:31 | Kenneth Tomiak |
| DSC_1414.JPG | Way too far west, hiking into a side canyon. | 447.5 KB | 458199 | Dec 22, 2007 - 14:32 | Kenneth Tomiak |
| DSC_1415.JPG | Looking North, those mountains have snow. | 446.7 KB | 457388 | Dec 22, 2007 - 15:12 | Kenneth Tomiak |
| DSC_1416.JPG | Looking back from whence I came. | 424.1 KB | 434261 | Dec 22, 2007 - 15:12 | Kenneth Tomiak |
| DSC_1417.JPG | Looking back from whence I came. | 407.8 KB | 417624 | Dec 22, 2007 - 15:12 | Kenneth Tomiak |
| DSC_1418.JPG | Looking back from whence I came. | 387.0 KB | 396335 | Dec 22, 2007 - 15:12 | Kenneth Tomiak |
| DSC_1419.JPG | Looking over the canyon. | 436.2 KB | 446703 | Dec 22, 2007 - 15:12 | Kenneth Tomiak |
| DSC_1420.JPG | Jump Creek Falls. | 437.0 KB | 447459 | Dec 22, 2007 - 15:43 | Kenneth Tomiak |
| DSC_1421.JPG | Jump Creek Falls. | 445.5 KB | 456215 | Dec 22, 2007 - 15:43 | Kenneth Tomiak |
| DSC_1422.JPG | Jump Creek Falls. | 434.9 KB | 445293 | Dec 22, 2007 - 15:43 | Kenneth Tomiak |
| DSC_1423.JPG | Looking up out of the Falls. | 481.9 KB | 493498 | Dec 22, 2007 - 15:43 | Kenneth Tomiak |
| DSC_1424.JPG | Looking up out of the Falls. | 454.0 KB | 464846 | Dec 22, 2007 - 15:44 | Kenneth Tomiak |
| DSC_1425.JPG | Looking up out of the Falls. | 476.6 KB | 488032 | Dec 22, 2007 - 15:44 | Kenneth Tomiak |
| DSC_1426.JPG | Looking out at the Falls. | 450.9 KB | 461706 | Dec 22, 2007 - 15:48 | Kenneth Tomiak |
| DSC_1427.JPG | That was what I hiked the first time. | 420.7 KB | 430813 | Dec 22, 2007 - 15:48 | Kenneth Tomiak |
| DSC_1428.JPG | That was what I hiked the first time. | 417.8 KB | 427846 | Dec 22, 2007 - 15:48 | Kenneth Tomiak |
| DSC_1429.JPG | Top of the Falls and upstream. | 440.5 KB | 451037 | Dec 22, 2007 - 15:48 | Kenneth Tomiak |
| DSC_1430.JPG | Lots of carved out areas in this location. | 446.3 KB | 456988 | Dec 22, 2007 - 15:48 | Kenneth Tomiak |
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