Exploring Owyhee's Perjue Canyon

November 24 2018

This Owyhee sagebrush flat and canyon had just a bit of a…. cougar-y feel. Not an imminent we're-going-to-get-jumped-on feeling, but… thick brush along the crick, a single path along the bottom of the high-walled canyon, rock shelters and lairs and mini-caves above, the cool stillness of a fall day, pregnant with the feeling of possibility and opportunity springing forth.

And that was before, about 20 minutes into our ride, Karen said, "Did I tell you last time we came here to hike this trail I saw a cougar print?"

Dudley and I had hitched a ride with Leah and her mustang Bear, and Karen and her former endurance horse Rusty, to explore Perjue Canyon in the Little Jacks Creek Wilderness. Rusty charged eagerly ahead on the trail, unafraid of anything (his only nemesis is cows), and Bear followed, completely unflappable (I expect if he ran into a cougar, he'd Stink-eye it away), followed by Dudley. The Dude wasn't nervous, but one time in the canyon he did stop and whip his head around behind him and he studied the brush along the crick a while. Dudley always sees wildlife before I do so I always wait to see what he's spotted; this time he didn't actually see anything. But Dudley knew that here it didn't hurt to check. 

I wasn't nervous, but I've learned over the years, if it feels like cougar country, it is cougar country. Doesn't hurt to keep your eyes peeled at the brush, the rock outcroppings you're riding under, and glance behind you now and then. Cougars aren't particularly numerous out here, but they are here.

While the canyons in the Owyhee country don't have the flair and grandeur of Utah's red canyon country, ours can still be a little bit spectacular, much less traveled, and intriguing to explore, particularly on foot. If there aren't trails down in all of them, there are usually plenty of old two-track roads to get you cross-country and at least above those canyons.

Closer to the cities, the red rhyolite-walled Sinker Canyon can certainly be called spectacular; it's a popular place for ATVs (so if you're going horseback, you want to go mid-week, and preferably when schools are in session), and a side trip on your way to Silver City.

Perjue is further out - a good hour further out, on a good-but-washboard Mud Flat dirt road that is part of a scenic Owyhee Uplands Backcountry Byway over the Owyhee mountains that eventually dumps you out at Jordan Valley, Oregon.

The canyon is named after Frank Perjue, whose old cabin walls still stand near the approach to the canyon. He probably homesteaded cattle (or sheep?) here in the early 1900's, and it was probably his livestock that originally laid the trail that we rode on. Perjue Canyon follows the West Fork of Shoofly Creek.

The Little Jacks Creek Wilderness (over 50,000 acres) is 1 of the 6 wilderness areas in Owyhee County, designated in 2009. BLM, Idaho Trails Association and other volunteer groups worked on developing this trail in Perjue Canyon. It's an out-and-back trail 4 miles down the West Fork of the Shoofly Crick, where it ends at private property (we were hoping for an obvious loop trail, but nothing obvious appeared, but with more exploring, there might be options), and 4 miles back.

At places, cottonwoods crowd the trail, and thick quail bush clusters along the narrowing canyon. We were past the time of golden autumn leaves, but during the height of color, the cottonwoods along the crick must be stunning yellow, and the quail bush deep maroon. And, at the right time of year, you can see bighorn sheep in and above the canyon.

We had a bit of water in the crick that we crossed several times (ice, actually), but the brush looks thick enough that there may be some water puddles year round.

It's an easy day hike for Owyhee hikers (and a BLM picnic area and vault toilet is about a mile down the road), and an easy exploring ride for trail riders. There was enough up and down, and a bit of scrambling over shale at a few places, and long enough to make Dudley sweat, even in the cold, though as endurance riders we wouldn't have minded another 10 miles or so, for the long trailer ride we took to get there.

But it was another cool new checkmark I can put on my Owyhee country map, and Dudley had a good time and a good workout!

Owyhee Canyonlands Day 3: Can o' WhoopAss

October 14 2016

What I want to know is, who fed Finneas a can of WhoopAss before his 50 mile ride on Day 3 of the Owyhee Canyonlands??

This will not be much of a pictographic account of Day 3, because there were few moments where I could take one hand off the reins to take any pictures. Finneas was a two-hander, tougher-than-snot, total-concentration mount on Day 3, because 1) he hadn't done an endurance ride since June, 2) he was a fired up hot potato in his last couple of conditioning rides, 3) he spent the last 3 days before the ride cooped up in a small pen with the herd, 4) he always has to win, and 5) he's the Grandson of the Black Stallion, and don't you forget it, because he surely does not.

Thinking I'd ride with Sarah and Connie was a mistake… I should have just taken off in a Bubble (LOVE the Bubble - no riders in front and no riders in back for a ways), or waited 15 minutes after the start. But no, I tried to start with Sarah and Connie and that was a wash before I even crossed the starting line. Oh well. We went onward, or should I say, Finneas took charge and pulled me onward and upward.

We had a few little Bubbles on the first loop where I got a bit of a respite, but the rest of the time it was like this:

Finneas: "GO-GO-GO-GO!"

Me: "NO-NO-NO-NO!"

and back and forth we argued negotiated. Finneas already has a heavy winter coat (!!! hopefully this means a long snowy cold winter in store!!!!!!!), and I wasn't about to let him go as fast as he wanted to go (which was winning, like he knew he should be doing).

Finneas is a very rude snarky-barky horse when he passes others; he tries to mow them over, and if he can't do that, tries to cut them off… I came upon several riders in a wash that we passed, and I apologized ahead of time and re-apologize here for his obnoxious grandiose Grandson-of-the-Black-Stallion behavior, though I was successful in not allowing him to blow anybody into the side of the wash. I told Finneas they were all just going to be passing him later, but he didn't care.

Connie said later, "I hope you didn't tell them it was my horse!" and of course I told everybody that Finneas bulled past, "It's not my horse! It's Connie's horse!" :)

After a couple miles when we got to a disappointingly empty water trough, where I got off to lead, and let everybody we passed go back by us. Finneas was not impressed with my decision, but there you go.

Finneas walked the hot and steep uphill Hart Creek ridge, and we had a somewhat nice Bubble on the way back to camp. I was surprised he pulsed down pretty quick, since it was hot, and he's so hairy.

Connie and Sarah weren't too far behind us, but I made sure I left on loop 2 in another nice Bubble. But on loop 2, Finneas wasn't big and bad Grandson of the Black Stallion, he was just a relaxed, fun ride. He took on a steady trot and carried it for miles and miles. We caught and passed a couple of riders (he was either polite about it, or I took him way wide, just in case), and he didn't really care about it this time, just kept up his steady trot. 

The last 12 or so miles were completely solo, relaxed, and delightfully uneventful - just right to evenly balance out the boisterous first loop. 

An entertaining ride on the Grandson of the Black Stallion!

More photos and a recap of the ride at:

http://www.endurance.net/international/USA/2016OwyheeCanyonlands/

Owyhee Canyonlands Day 1: Rockin' the Dude

October 11 2016

Coming off his terrific 50-mile ride in the AERC National Championship in Utah last month, Dudley and The Raven did 55-mile Day 1 of the Owyhee Canyonlands in our back yard.

Here's a pictographic account of the ride.

We headed out with Connie and DWA Saruq, and Sarah and Dezzie across the Owyhee desert toward the Snake River Birds of Prey Conservation Area. Steph and Smokey started out with us too, but they smoked onward after a while.


The Hallelujah Trail


First vet check, lots of yummy food! (Dudley's favorite part of endurance rides)


Headed for the loop around Wild Horse Butte,


along the Snake River,


and on the Oregon Trail. (Dezzie is saying, Stay back, Dude!)


vet check 2, more yummy food!



headed for the Birds of Prey Badlands


almost home!


That makes over 800 miles for Belesemo Dude!
 

You can see more on the ride at:
http://www.endurance.net/international/USA/2016OwyheeCanyonlands/

Prettiest Boy on the Trail

October 14 2015

I'm not making this up. It's true, because photographer Steve Bradley said this, and repeated it, after snapping these shots of Dudley on Day 3's 50-miler of the Owyhee Canyonlands.


We were following Smokey and Jose out on trail and approaching Steve with his camera. Looking into the sun, and seeing something at this spot that she'd never seen before, Smokey couldn't figure out what Steve and his motorcycle were. She froze, so Jose stopped, and Dudley stopped. While Smokey was frozen trying to figure it out, Dudley used the opportunity to gaze with the Look of Eagles at some horses going down the trail in the distance. He wasn't posing on purpose; it just comes naturally.


Such a handsome boy!

Dudley finished the ride, with The Raven, of course. It was his sixth 50-mile completion this year. Go Dude!


And now that he's even slimmer than ever, no matter what veterinarians or equine body scores say, he's just the prettiest boy on the trail!

He's Got Some Buck In Him

Monday September 29 2014

I don't know if he'll ever be an easy horse to ride. So far, I can never just sit back and enjoy the ride, like I do on Jose. I've got to ride Dudley. Always using my legs and hands and seat to communicate, keeping him at a steady pace, staying alert. It's exercise riding Dudley. He can wear me out. I feel like I've run a marathon after I've ridden him 50 miles. And he's got a little buck in him.

It's always somewhere near the start of an endurance ride. Dudley and I rode Day 2 of the Owyhee Canyonlands with Carol and August. It was Dudley's third 50-mile ride this year, and we picked up the pace a bit, keeping up with Carol and August. The start was a single track trail up a steep hill. That's always good for getting a horse's attention right away. All went well until we got off that short steep hill and flattened out onto a two track road, where Dudley could see horses miles ahead of him.


He puffed up, got very big and tense, thinking this was some big important race (it wasn't), and I knew if he got his head down, he'd buck. He's bucked a few people off before, so he's got it in him, and I felt it those first couple of miles, like sitting on a lit stick of dynamite, not sure when it's going to go off. But Carol and August were great escorts, setting a good steady pace, giving us a good working rhythm to fall into.


After a couple of miles the Dude settled down and got to work with his big rolling trot, and all was well until about 8 miles, after we descended the steep hill down to Sinker Reservoir. Once we got to the bottom, he could see horses in the canyon ahead of us, horses above us descending the hill, then, oh no, a 2-legged monster!

Both August and Dudley were suspicious and spooky of photographer Steve Bradley, even though they've seen him countless times, and they could hear him talking so they knew that it was indeed Steve; so Carol and I had our picture taken together so that we would not individually get dumped in front of the camera. Don't the boys look fabulous together in Steve's photo above?


Dudley settled down the rest of the ride and worked well. He got tired the last 7 miles, but I wanted him to get tired. He walked when he needed a breather, trotted after August when he was ready. We ended up finishing 10th - Dudley's first Top Ten finish, thanks to August's excellent pace! Although, since there were only 14 horses, you could just as well say we finished back of mid-pack. It's just a number anyway - Dudley was pretty proud of his effort. He's just a big handsome beast I love to ride (most of the time)!


Dudley's favorite parts of endurance rides are still the eating parts

Good Medicine

Tuesday September 25 2012

If you're feeling blah, or deflated, or out of sorts, and you really can't be motivated to be impassioned because you can't ride your favorite horse because he has an ill-timed allergy attack, the best thing that can happen is that your friend talks you into climbing aboard one of her extra lovely horses, who gets you out on another spectacular Owyhee trail, like 50 miles on Day 1 of the Owyhee Canyonlands.

When your horse takes you up to the mouth of Brown's Creek Canyon

then climbs above it

so you can look down in it

then he takes you to the Spivey Ranch on Castle Creek for lunch

then he takes you further up Castle Creek

then he climbs up out of Castle Creek

and he carries you back toward home across the Brown's Creek drainage

and across and up the steep hill out of Alder Creek 

and across and up the very steep hill out of Hart Creek

and back home,

you know that if it doesn't cure what ails ya, riding in Owyhee is at least good medicine.

Thanks Judy and Milon!

More photos and stories:

http://www.endurance.net/international/USA/2012OwyheeCanyonlands/

A Little Flated

Wednesday September 26 2012

I had allergies so bad when I was little, my mom had to take me to the big city every two weeks for allergy shots. A lot of things would set me off with asthma so bad I could hardly breathe: mowed lawns, laughing too hard (I'd always get in trouble when that happened because an asthma attack would surely happen), pollen, DUST.

Jose's got allergies. Had a hard time breathing just like I used to. He's already more better enough that I almosta-mighta-coulda ridden him, but...

It's better to wait for another time. The 10th anniversary of the Owyhee Canyonlands is off and running, with beautiful trails and NO SMOKE, dust damped down from a slight rain we had the day before the ride.

And, although it's not Jose, I have horses on my Owyhee dance schedule!

deflated

Monday September 24 2012

after a record (for me) 16 endurance rides and 820 miles last year (14 rides and 720 miles on my pal Jose, and a year-end mileage vest!!!), this year's been a bit different. so far: 3 rides early this year (all on Jose) and a bunch of missed opportunities for various reasons. i was soooooo looking forward to our 5-day Owyhee Canyonlands ride on my favorite horse, starting tomorrow. Steph saved him for me to ride even while giving away the rest of her horses for other people to ride.

he's sick with allergies. deep asthmatic-like coughs, rattling breathing. we went on a short ride yesterday and he could barely get enough air. it's been very dusty and smoky this year.

i got mad at myself the year i got my toe broke (because i wore SANDALS around the horses and got STEPPED ON), and i was just too wimpy to bear the pain of putting a shoe on, and sticking my aching foot in a stirrup, and so i missed 2 days of the Almosta Bennett Hills ride in our back yard.

i got really mad at myself the year i fell off a horse and broke a couple of ribs the week before the Owyhee Canyonlands. i thought i could be real careful that week before, and my ribs would heal enough for me to ride… but then the day before the ride started, i tripped while walking, and i about passed out from the rib pain that caused, and i wimped out on trying to ride 250 miles (which, on retrospect, was probably a smart thing).

this year, with Jose allergic to Owyhee here at the Canyonlands in our own back yard - i'm just… deflated. 

but, as Gowestferalwoman says, "Glass half full!"

our Belgian friends Carol & Leonard are here, Canadian friends the Levermans and Balmer-Holmes are here, and many more friends for a week of horses and fun…

and Judy has offered me her horse Milon to ride tomorrow. i reckon a cure for … deflation … is to just get in the saddle and ride.

day 1 is a 50 mile loop to the Spivey Ranch and back, across 2 of our more spectacular Owyhee canyons - Browns Creek and Castle Creek. 

http://www.endurance.net/international/USA/2012OwyheeCanyonlands/

P.S.: Jose is already better, but I know how I felt when I used to have asthma and couldn't breathe. 

Owyhee Spaghetti

Monday September 17 2012

It's that time: time to try to decipher the pile of spaghetti on the trail maps - the red, orange/purple, pink, blue/purple, green, blue, yellow, and orange arrows, and the squiggly lines of roads, trails and cow paths,

and get marking trail for the Owyhee Canyonlands 5-day endurance ride, which starts in 8 days. The spaghetti will become perfectly clear, once you are riding the trails on your horse.

Stormy gets to work, earning his keep, marking a couple of miles of the trails with his friend Taxi. It's a good thing I have Stormy to keep track of the colors: blue/purple out, pink out Pickett Creek; blue/purple out Steph's Trail; orange/purple in, pink in, blue/purple in, and yellow/purple out on Linda's Trail.

Just as we arrive back at the house,

Steph is headed out on the ATV.

About 20 miles of trail marked; about 230 miles to go!

Fun video previews of some of the trails are here:

http://www.endurance.net/international/USA/2012OwyheeCanyonlands/