Owyhee Canyonlands
- Thread starter blazinid
- Start date
ttora4runner
Expedition Leader
Nice photo's.
Makes me wish I had my 4runner up there while going to college instead of my camry.
Makes me wish I had my 4runner up there while going to college instead of my camry.
4Rescue
Expedition Leader
Man those roads are a trip eh. When we were puting in (outside of Rome for the middle stretch there had been a good flock of thuderstorms the day/night before, and the "greasyness" of that soil on the roads about got our loaded rafting trailer stuck even with a good 4x4 pulling it. Once we pulled ov er to let someone by that was it and we about slid off the crown of the road. It was hillarious though, this old guy in a sweet old SFA Toyota pulled over for us and kept telling us to stay on it cause with our trailer we were not gonna get back on the road if we slid off, so our second rig, a fairly well equiped Xterra driven by my less then smart driving friend pulls over and BAM, he's off the road and the old guy has to winch him back to the road. Needless to say I ribbed him for not buying a Toyota and not being a very good driver 
Nothing makes for a better time than being trapped as it were on a river with a load of guy's giving you the gears at all times... When he fliped the boat AND lost a bunch of our food and BBQ it was really on eh.
Great pics man I really want to do that road to Silver City some time.
Cheers
Dave
Nothing makes for a better time than being trapped as it were on a river with a load of guy's giving you the gears at all times... When he fliped the boat AND lost a bunch of our food and BBQ it was really on eh.Great pics man I really want to do that road to Silver City some time.
Cheers
Dave
paulj
Expedition Leader
A year ago in May, the road from Silver City to the ridge was newly graded. I assume it was in good shape on down into the Idaho lowlands. From Jordan Valley, the road was wide gravel as far as the recently closed mine, and much narrower along the stream to Silver City. But there were a bunch of newly installed culverts on this stretch.
On that trip I toyed with making the loop on the BLM Owyhee Uplands Byway, but choose instead to spend more time crossing southern Oregon (Steens Mtn etc).
I wonder if the Silver City area got more snow last winter. The mountains in NE Oregon, and central Idaho were slow to melt out. I didn't look up conditions further south.
On that trip I toyed with making the loop on the BLM Owyhee Uplands Byway, but choose instead to spend more time crossing southern Oregon (Steens Mtn etc).
I wonder if the Silver City area got more snow last winter. The mountains in NE Oregon, and central Idaho were slow to melt out. I didn't look up conditions further south.
4Rescue
Expedition Leader
No, not as much snow down in the SE of Oregon as in Idaho, we had permits for the Selway in the early spring this year and got stumped because of the hanging snow pack and our own fear of a sudden release and flood stage situation. There was definately snow in Oregon as well, but it melted off alot faster than Idaho.paulj said:
Alot of the roads I'm real familiar with around the Owyhee Canyonlands are BLM and service roads in and out of the canyon around Rome and Jordan Valey. I love it out there and then as you drop into California/Nevada it's just amazing.
Cheers
Dave
go4aryd
Adventurer
The Owyhees upper mountains, namely the Silver City area and south including the Mud Flat byway, did get pounded with snow. They normally get quite a bit due to the high altitude and the natural weather break the Owyhee range produces. Last spring was still so wet, in fact, the Owyhee County Sheriff’s office closed nearly all the Owyhee Co non-paved roads in Idaho. This was a first and was a direct result of the snow melt and our wet spring. The closing was widely advertised, but the roads were re-opened abt 6-8 weeks later with little notice or fanfare.
The area near Rome/Jordan Valley also gets snow, but the snowpack rarely lasts or built as it does in the higher elevations of the range. Silver City is kept accessible, I am told, year round - but I have never made a winter trip.
Also the Selway is in the heart of the Idaho/Montana rocky mtns - and yes, the snowpack there was also relatively very high and slow to melt this last year, as was much of the Idaho central mountains.
The area near Rome/Jordan Valley also gets snow, but the snowpack rarely lasts or built as it does in the higher elevations of the range. Silver City is kept accessible, I am told, year round - but I have never made a winter trip.
Also the Selway is in the heart of the Idaho/Montana rocky mtns - and yes, the snowpack there was also relatively very high and slow to melt this last year, as was much of the Idaho central mountains.
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JeepinBear
Explorer
Great pics of Silver City area. Michelle and I have MANY miles under our butts in that area. Our favorite passtime was riding our ATV's to Silver City from Murphy on a HOT summer day. Upon our arrival in Silver City we would immediatley go to the Hotel and get a soft serve ice cream.
We've taken several trips in our Jeep and our old truck as well. I miss it!!
We've taken several trips in our Jeep and our old truck as well. I miss it!!
