Hells Canyon Trip

[Railvan]

Hi all,

We are back from six days exploring the Hells Canyon area. Photos are posted on our Pbase site:

http://www.pbase.com/railbat/june_07_hells_canyon_trip

We had a great trip. Good weather, with only one really hot day (which wouldn't have been hot if we were up on the mountain ridges and not at the bottom of the canyon at Dug Bar). We tried to stay away from busy campgrounds and did pretty well, as most places we stayed were not crowded or noisy at all. I drove 1,400 miles total. I need to fill up the fuel again to get the final number, but as of the last fill up on the road we were averaging 14.27 MPG in the Sportsmobile for the trip. Gotta love turbo diesels to get that number with a full-size 9,000 pound 4x4 van. We spent some time in 4-low too which burns more fuel, but I'm happy with the numbers.

Enjoy!

Brian Rutherford

 

[spressomon]

Looks like a great trip! Did you go through Joseph OR? I was there a couple years ago during a bc ski trip into the Wallowa's...cool little town.

Anyway thanks for sharing you pics!

 

[paulj]

Good photos.

Lots of overlap between your trip and mine a few weeks earlier. I may have put pictures on my pbase gallery after you left on your trip (12th).

Like you, we took a look down Devils Canyon, followed by a stop a Palouse Falls. We stopped at Fields Spring SP, but just for a midday hike. We stuck with the paved highway down to Enterprise, though I had considered the gravel road that you took.

Your photo of Saddle Ck campground looks familiar. We might have used the same table. We only drove part way down the Dug Bar road. My terrier would have enjoyed the heat at the Snake river just as much as yours

After McGraw Lookout our routes diverge. We spent a night near Halfway, and then headed south to Ontario and Jordan Valley.

paulj

 

[Railvan]

Looks like a great trip! Did you go through Joseph OR? I was there a couple years ago during a bc ski trip into the Wallowa's...cool little town.

Anyway thanks for sharing you pics!

Yep, we passed through Joseph to get fuel about midway through the trip. Nice little town. Seems to be doing well on tourists but it wasn't too tacky! Paid the most for fuel there on the whole trip. Diesel was $3.05 a gallon. Most elsewhere it was $2.99.

Regards,

Brian Rutherford

 

[Railvan]

Good photos.

Lots of overlap between your trip and mine a few weeks earlier. I may have put pictures on my pbase gallery after you left on your trip (12th).

Like you, we took a look down Devils Canyon, followed by a stop a Palouse Falls. We stopped at Fields Spring SP, but just for a midday hike. We stuck with the paved highway down to Enterprise, though I had considered the gravel road that you took.

Your photo of Saddle Ck campground looks familiar. We might have used the same table. We only drove part way down the Dug Bar road. My terrier would have enjoyed the heat at the Snake river just as much as yours

After McGraw Lookout our routes diverge. We spent a night near Halfway, and then headed south to Ontario and Jordan Valley.

paulj

I did see your photos before we left. Very similar route up until you headed south. They helped me to picture the scenery better, as I hadn't seen many photos of the area beyond ones showing Hells Canyon itself.

I think you would have been fine on the dirt and gravel road from Grande Ronde to Enterprise. It was actually much better than the road to Dug Bar. A lot less potholes anyway!

And yes, our Cairn Terrier didn't like the heat! Scotland, where the breed is from, is much cooler!!

Regards,

Brian Rutherford

 

[Railvan]

4x4 Sportsmobile fuel mileage

We are back from six days exploring the Hells Canyon area. Photos are posted on our Pbase site:

http://www.pbase.com/railbat/june_07_hells_canyon_trip

I drove 1,400 miles total. I need to fill up the fuel again to get the final number, but as of the last fill up on the road we were averaging 14.27 MPG in the Sportsmobile for the trip. Gotta love turbo diesels to get that number with a full-size 9,000 pound 4x4 van. We spent some time in 4-low too which burns more fuel, but I'm happy with the numbers.

I filled the van up again after we got home, and with 1,828.2 miles since I started this round of tracking the mileage, it is now at 15.8 miles per gallon average. The previous lower number of 14.27 was figured after we had spent quite a bit of time on mountain roads and in low range. Adding in the freeway miles home and some other driving around town, it now stands at 15.8.

 

[Darren]

Really nice set of pictures, Brian! With so many, they virtually tell the story by themselves. Super spot at the Saddle Creek campground. What a spot for a picnic table! SWEET!

Nice work, and glad you had a great trip.

9,000 pounds?! Wow! Great mileage, for sure.

 

[pismo62]

Looked like a great trip, Thanks for sharing the Picts.

 

[Willman]

Nice trip...miss my home state of Washington

Great photos!


:jumping:

 

[paulj]

Forest fire in the Imnaha area
Battle Creek Complex Wildland Fire
http://www.inciweb.org/incident/818/
The area that is affected is south of the Hat Point Rd, and east of the Upper Imnaha Canyon
According to this map there is also fire next to the lower Imnaha road
http://199.134.225.50/nwcc/t1_pnw2/...loads/20070722-battle-creek-complex-trans.pdf
The area around the Saddle Creek campground, where both of us camped, had been burned several years ago.

 

[GaryMc]

Angus is the bomb-diggity! :luxhello: What breed/mix is he?

 

[Railvan]

Angus

"Angus is the bomb-diggity!"

Yeah, he'd agree too! He's Cairn Terrier. The most famous of the breed was Toto from the Wizard of Ox. Terrier's are (in)famous for having attitude. At 15 years old he still thinks he rules the world. Best little dog ever... ;^)

Brian

 

[GaryMc]

"Angus is the bomb-diggity!"

Yeah, he'd agree too! He's Cairn Terrier. The most famous of the breed was Toto from the Wizard of Ox. Terrier's are (in)famous for having attitude. At 15 years old he still thinks he rules the world. Best little dog ever... ;^)

Brian

Sorry to veer off topic.... How is the breed endurance wise?

 

[Railvan]

Sorry to veer off topic.... How is the breed endurance wise?

Not sure what you mean regarding endurance? Terriers are tough little dogs and and very strong for their size.

Brian

 

[4Rescue]

Nice trip, makes me sad to be stuck in Portland...

Gotta love Hells Canyon... I've run the Snake River from HC Dam about 10 times, and I never get sick of being in that canyon.

Joseph OR... Next ime you're through, look up Frank Conneley, best damn shuttle driver on the west coast, and may very well be D.B. Cooper himself LOL