OLD MAN OF THE OWYHEE

ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO TESS TOOK ME OUT TO JUMP CREEK AND AFTER RETURNING WE STARTED RESEARCHING WHAT ELSE WAS OUT IN THE AREA AND ABOVE THE FIRST FALLS. WELL AFTER 3 YEARS OF WAITING TESS GOT SENT SOME FANTASTIC DIRECTIONS FROM A MAN SHE IS DETERMINED TO MARRY, WE FINALLY GOT TO SEE WHAT WE DISCOVERED. 

                                                        MEET MR. OLD MAN OF THE OWYHEES

GOT A TEXT FROM TESS LATE ONE NIGHT SAYING OLD MAN TOMORROW. EXCITED I STARTED GETTING READY FOR OUR MORNING ADVENTURE. WITH EVERYTHING PACKED AND READY WE ALL HEADED OUT IN SEARCH.

TEAM COUSIN AT IT AGAIN

 

SHORTLY AFTER STARTING OUR HIKE WE CAME ACROSS THIS LITTLE GUY.

FINALLY REACHING THE TOP AFTER WHAT SEEMED LIKE STRAIGHT UP...I LATER FOUND OUT WAS NOTHING AT ALL TO CLIMB

KNOW FINALLY AT THE TOP WE ALL NEED A LITTLE BREATHER...

TESS DOING WHAT SHE DOES BEST...STOP AND TOOK SOME PICTURES.

RIGHT ABOVE THE LOWER JUMP CREEK WATER FALL

OUR JOURNEY AWAITS US 

TESS LOOKING OVER THE CANYON

 SO WITH DIRECTIONS FROM MATT IN HAND WE WHERE IN SEARCH FOR AND OLD DIRT ROAD...

MY ONE OF A KIND COUSIN FINDING HER DIRT ROAD... 

AND THE CAIRN TO OUR TRAIL 

NOW SINCE WE FOUND OUR TAIL, UPPER JUMP CREEK IS JUST OUT OF REACH.

WE SOON FOUND OUT THAT OUR TRAIL WAS SOMETHING TO BE DESIRED... IT WAS STRAIGHT DOWN! 

BUT THE THREE OF US TRUDGED DOWN  

 SORRY TESS IT DOESN'T GET MUCH BETTER... 

 JOSH MAKING HIS WAY DOWN 

 HALF WAY THERE

 JUST OUT OF REACH

HOW JOSH AND TESS GO DOWN THE SUPER STEEP PARTS...

AND HOW I DO IT....ON MY BUTT

  ONCE DOWN TO THE BOTTOM TESS FINDS A NEW HAIR-DO

 FIRST FLOWER WE SEE...SPRING IS HERE!!

ONCE DOWN TO THE CREEK BOTTOM HIKING SEEMS LIKE A BREEZE. WITH MORE LANDMARKS TO FIND WE HIKED DEEPER INTO THE CANYON...

 A BIG ROUND IDAHO BOLDER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CREEK... WE ARE ALMOST SOOO CLOSE!!

 ONE OF MANY ODD THINGS I FOUND...AND KEPT!

 THE START OF SOME PRETTY AND SMALL WATER FALLS WE CAM ACROSS

TWO TEETH AND YES WE WALKED RIGHT PAST THESE AND UNDER THE OLD MAN WITH OUT REALIZING IT!!

AND THERE HE IS... FIRST VIEW OF OUR OLD MAN!!

I DON'T THINK I HAVE EVER SEEM TESS SO EXTREMELY HAPPY!

THE LEDGE WHERE YOU CAN VIEW THE OLD MAN IS A GREAT GRASSY PLACE TO HAVE LUNCH AND WOULDN'T YOU KNOW IT...AS SOON AS WE GOT THERE THE SUN CAME OUT :)

 JOSH TAKING A PICTURE OF MR.OWYHEE

ONCE LUNCH WAS OVER WE HEADED BACK DOWN TO VIEW WHAT WAS BEYOND.

WE HAD DECIDED TO HIKE FURTHER INTO THE CANYON BUT FOUND OUT VERY QUICKLY THAT THE IDEA WASN'T GOOD...

JOSH TRIED TO STEP OVER THE WATER FALL AND FELL IN NOT ONCE BUT THREE TIMES 

               AND SO DID TESS

SO NOW THAT WE HAD MADE IT TO SEE THE OLD MAN WE DECIDED TO HIKE BACK TO THE BEGINNING AND SEE WHAT THE LOWER FALLS LOOKED LIKE FROM THE TOP. 

 ONE SPECIAL THING WE FIND ON JUST ABOUT EVERY SINGLE ADVENTURE...A LADYBUG!!

 MINI CAVES HIDDEN IN THE CANYON WALLS 

 THE "POP-BELLY-STOVE ROCK" AS JOSH CALLED IT

 LITTLE TUNNEL UNDER POISON IVY... THANK GOD ITS IS STILL EARLY SPRING

FINALLY YOU COULD HERE THE FAINT RAIN OF THE FALLS..WE HAD MADE IT!!

LOWER JUMP CREEK FALLS.

THERE IS TWO WAYS OUT THE THE CANYON ONE IS TO CLIMB DOWN DEVILS LADDER, WHICH IS NOT RECOMMENDED AND TWO TO GO BACK UP. WE WENT WITH UP AND FOUND THE WRONG TRAIL...IT WAS STRAIGHT UP! 

AFTER SORE LEGS, WET PANTS AND FOUR TICKS (ONLY FOUND ON ME) WE HAD HIKED A LONG AWAITED HIKE AND COULDN'T HAVE FELT MORE ACCOMPLISHED!!