Hells Canyon Overlook: Riggins, Idaho
Oh what a view!
June 20, 2007.
We are staying at Canyon
Pines RV Resort in Riggins,
Idaho. $28.08 FHU-cable and free wifi, nice size sites on
the Little Salmon River (208-628-4006)
From Riggins
there are two scenic drives, both on Forest
Service roads, that take you to overlooks of Hells Canyon.
We chose one and headed out toward Hells
Canyon.
If you are interested in taking this scenic drive go less than 1-mile
north of Riggins
on US-95. Turn west on Race Creek Road (NF 241). Continue on this
road following signs to "Iron Phone Junction". The road
is a fairly good (but exciting) gravel road. At Iron Phone Junction
there are a number of signs --- follow the one that points to Saw
Pit and Low Saddle viewpoints ----- it should be NF 2060. From the
viewpoints you have to retrace your path to Iron Phone Junction. At
Iron Phone Junction we took the north loop back to US 95 instead of
returning the way we came in. We followed Cow Creek Road back to US
95 in Lucile some 10-miles north of Riggins.
If you decide to take this scenic drive I would recommend returning
on Cow Creek Road, it is an exciting descent with spectacular views.
Mountains between us and the Hells
Canyon Overlook
Between Riggins
and Hells
Canyon lie several real mountains that have to be crossed.
Riggins,
is at 1,801 foot elevation. These mountains are over 5,000'. Understand
that getting to that overlook is going to require a major climb on
gravel Forest Service Roads.
This is the view as we climb that Forest
Service road to Hells Canyon Overlook.
We get a different view every time we round a bend on that Forest
Service road to Hells Canyon Overlook.
From here we are able to get glimpses of Hells
Canyon. Hells
Canyon is in that chasm between where you see the plateau
on the Oregon side of the
Snake
River some 25 or more miles in the distance. Look closely
through the haze and you see the plateau on the far side of he canyon
as it falls this way creating the Oregon
side of Hells
Canyon. It is harder to see the terrain on this side of the
river as it falls toward the river because it is so steep.
The lighter (tan) colors are on this side of the Snake
River Canyon while the darker colors are on the Oregon
side of the Canyon. Distance is difficult to judge in this region
of shadows and subdued light. The top of the plateau on the Oregon
side of Hells
Canyon is over 25-miles away, and we are probably 8, or more,
miles from the Snake
River. And the river is probably 3,000 feet below where we
are.
It would be an exciting ride..........................in a more suitable
vehicle.
We turned around without getting any closer to the overlook. It just
wasn't worth it. Possibly in a jeep, but the Saturn is not designed
for gravel roads in this condition.
Desert conditions return not far below us. This picture is looking
west across Hells
Canyon. Where you see the the canyon walls rising to the high
plateau is in Oregon. On
this side where the canyon is falling into the Snake
River we are in Idaho.
In this picture the Oregon
side of the canyon is in one color while this side (Idaho-side)
is a completely different shade. Additionally, if you want to understand
distances we are over 10-miles from anything you see on the Oregon
side of the canyon.
Pollution from big cities further west create so much air pollution
that it is very hazy over 200 miles from the source.
Again in this picture the Oregon
side of the canyon is a completely different color.
This is probably our last view of Hells
Canyon as we head east across the mountains on that Forest
Service road to Hells Canyon Overlook that will take us back
to Riggins, Idaho.
Until next time remember how good life is.
Mike & Joyce Hendrix
Mike
& Joyce Hendrix who we are
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