Oolite? What the heck is that? It's not a new beer or some kind of new fad diet food. Read on to find out.



The BLM has a “new” interpretive site south of Grand View on Mud Flat Road. This geologic information site is pretty cool and there is a walking trail on site also.

While hiking and enjoying the great Idaho outdoors, sometimes it's nice to actually understand the area to gain a better appreciation of what I'm seeing.

1. The Big Picture


What it says:

• Extending across southwest Idaho between the Owyhee Mountains and Boise Front is the broad valley of the western Snake River Plain. Evidence indicates that the Plain began as a continental rift about 12 million years ago. Here, the earth's crust was pulled apart, northeast to southwest, and was stretched thin like taffy.
• As crustal extension progressed between 11 and 9 million years ago, the Owyhee Mountains and the Boise Front responded by rising to their present height along faults bordering the rift. Now a valley, the Plain became a basin for Lake Idaho. Some 200 miles long and 35 miles wide, Lake Idaho drained south into Nevada.
• Thousands of feet of sediment were deposited on the Lake's bottom over its 6.5 million years of existence, interrupted at times with layers of basalt and volcanic ash (tuff) from eruptions of adjacent volcanoes.
• Geologist think that 2 to 4 million years ago, water from melting glaciers caused Lake Idaho to overflow to the west.. Captured by the Snake River, the waters drained out in a massive flood that gouged Hell's Canyon. The sediments left behind from Lake Idaho are known as the Chalk Hills and Glenns Ferry Formation.

2. Shoofly Oolite


What it says:

• The natural sculpture garden is a section of the Glenns Ferry Formation called the Shoofly Oolite. Oolite is sedimentary limestone composed of tiny ooids, which form when calcium carbonate precipitates in concentric layers around individual grains of sand. The Shoofly Oolite is one of the largest freshwater lakebed oolites known in the world.
• Most other examples of ooid formation and deposition are found in wave-agitated sea waters or on the beds of much saltier lakes. Wave action that varied with the seasons, the weather, and the types of sediment in the water washed the ooids back and forth in the shallows on the southwestern side of Lake Idaho, depositing them from 2 to 40 feet thick on steeper benches near the shore.
• Erosion carried away softer siltstone and volcanic tuffs but left the more resistant oolite to weather above the mudflats. Small, isolated deposits are exposed discontinuously across the 40 miles between this spot and Murphy. In some places, the upper surface of the oolite has been sculpted into hummocks, small arches, and intriguing shapes.
• Beach sands of varying thickness underlie the oolite. Siltstone, deposited by lake waters, forms the stratum above it. Rivers and fans at the base of the adjacent mountain slopes later deposited a veneer of alluvium over the lake deposits.
• The physical and chemical properties of the Shoofly Oolite provide the foundation for the unique set of plants and fossils found here. Few other lands in Idaho support such a rich suite of rare species in such a small area.

3. Vegetation of the Shoofly Oolite


The 5 Rare Plants in the Shoofly Oolite Formation

• Mulford’s Vilkvetch (Astragalus mulfordiae)
• Snake River Milkvetch (Astragalus purshii var. ophiogenes)
• Packard’s Cowpie Buckwheat (Eriogonum shockleyi var. packardiae)
• White-margined Wax Plant (Glyptopleura marginata)
• White Eatonella (Eatonella nivea)

While the information on the sign indicated these plants are rare, in my experience only the White Eatonella seems to be the only “rare plant” in the Owyhee's. Your mileage may vary.

Coordinates for the BLM Oolite Interpretive Site on Mud Flat Road: 42.837189, -116.122149


Thanks,

Getting stalked on a hike in the Owyhee Wilderness is unnerving even if I never saw a thing. Read on for more about this hike.



(January 17th, 2012) This hike was located on the very edge of the The Little Jacks Creek Wilderness in the Owyhee's of Idaho just off Mud Flat Road. I had a longer hike planned but a few things got in the way. Even though it was a short hike, the scenery and solitude was outstanding.

The Kicking a Plott Hound Creek Hike
I parked at the Poison Creek Picnic Area on Mud Flat Road (42.756916, -116.297625) and my Plott Hound Addie and I headed southeast up an unnamed creek bed. My intended route was to take me up and around a minor peak before heading back to the car on the far side of the mountain. It wasn't an overly ambitious plan at around 3 miles.



Heading up the self named “Kicking a Plott Hound Creek” was interesting. There were some cool rocks...white rocks with spots of smoky quartz embedded in them. And the creek bed was rather rough and tumble with plenty of small cliffs to scramble up. I probable kicked my dog Addie about 20 times heading up these cliffs. One moment she was on top of the cliff and the next she was right on my heels where she'd get a boot to the nose. Addie the Plott Hound did not seem to mind though.



On a higher saddle, the creek bed shallowed out as it wandered up to its source on the south side of my first destination peak. This is also where strong southerly winds started howling. Moving out of the creek bed we began our trek up the peak. It certainly did not look all that steep as I headed towards a lone pine tree near the top. But coming down the same area it felt pretty darn cliff-like.

I did not have the lungs nor the will to walk to the exposed peak. The lone pine was quite high enough and brutally cold in what I estimated to be steady 30 mph winds. The sweat I worked up on the uphill leg began chilling me to the bone. But the view from this high vantage point made the effort completely worth it.



I was cold so I suspected my dog was rather chilly too. She doesn't have a very thick coat of fur so I got on the downwind side of the lone pine and sat in a small hollow in direct sunshine. Sure enough it was quite pleasant. Warm enough to take off my jacket and drink some water. I fed the dog some treats and a whole quart of water right there.

While enjoying the break, my ever vigilant dog locked on to something down in the valley we just came up. She stared long and hard down there and issued a series of low growls. Something I've never seen her do.



Stalked or Not Stalked - I'll Never Know
My plan was to head around to the south side of the mountain and head back to the car. The winds were ripping and I did not feel like dealing with it. Plus my dog was spooked about something in the general direction we came up. I wanted to know what it was, so we headed back down the way we came.

I'm not a complete idiot, so figuring my dog would be safer, we kept to the high ground. If it was something like a mountain lion or possibly a stray wolf, at least I might spot the creature by staying high. So we cross-sloped along the side of the peak. And my dog stayed higher than me...obviously still somewhat spooked.

I never saw a darn thing all the way back to the car. And I looked! That doesn't mean whatever was down there didn't see us. But who know, it could have been a badger that spooked Addie.

GPS Track Map of this Owyhee Wilderness Hike

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Hike Stats:
Total Hiking Mileage: 1.75
Elevation Gain/Loss: 719 feet
Average Slope: 14.7% and my thighs are telling me it might have been even steeper.
Road Mileage from Mountain Home: 44.3 miles
Link to More Pictures: https://picasaweb.google.com/tim.bondy/KickingPlottHoundCreekHike?authuser=0&feat=directlink

The Land We Hiked
All land on this hike was part of the Little Jacks Creek Wilderness established in 2009. I don't know when the “wilderness rules” went into effect for this area, but I suspect cattle grazing isn't an acceptable practice here. I'm also not a “scatologist”, but the numerous cow patties I encountered appeared to be “not so old”.

From Kicking Plott Hound Creek Hike

Overall, the land appeared to be fairly healthy but cheat grass was quite abundant in places. While I have mixed emotions on creating more wilderness in Idaho, I figured the Owyhee Wilderness would give me a cow patty free place to hike. As you can see, this wasn't the case. Hopefully in the coming years, this geologically interesting wilderness will eventually return to a more natural state. There's plenty of land in the Owyhees to accommodate hikers and ranching.

The “Call to Action” Section
My call to action is to leave a comment and or question. Gotta be people out there who want more or who could use an answer to a question about this area. Got some answers? I asked a few question in this article...let's hear from you too.

Thanks,

Want to take a nice hike near a relatively unknown canyon less than 30 miles outside of Mountain Home, Idaho. Hiking boots required! See why.



(January 12th, 2012) This hike along the lower portions of Canyon Creek has been a long time coming. I discovered this area on Google Earth a few years ago but my interest waned thinking cattle grazing and private property would make exploring less than enjoyable or even impossible. But neither issue got in the way. My original idea was to hike in the canyon itself but I'm glad I decided to take the lazy route instead.

Lower “Canyon Creek” Hike
This hike starts just off the Strike Dam Cut-Off Road. From where I parked, I saw no signs of a canyon as I gazed over the amber waves of grass to the east. I jumped the fence and headed cross-country with my dog leading the way. It wasn't long before I was on a low bluff overlooking the Canyon Creek canyon.



Once in this shallow and very dry river valley we headed south towards CJ Strike Reservoir. Things started getting a little more interesting pretty fast. The lower or southern part of Canyon Creek carves out a gradually deepening canyon until it reaches CJ Strike. The beginning of the canyon is rather narrow and choked with old tumbleweeds and large boulders.

My plan was to hike “inside the canyon” for a while before heading back to the car. I changed my mind when I saw just how rough and tumble the hike inside the canyon would be...at least initially. So I continued south along the western side of the canyon rim thinking I might eventually find a way down. That chance never came as the canyon got deeper and the sheer cliffs made a scramble down impossible.

From Canyon Creek Near CJ Strike Reservoir

I was content to just take a nice walk along the canyon rim as this wasn't planned to be more than a short easy exploration. But the longer I walked, the cooler the scenery got and the deeper the canyon became. So I continued heading south for a while. Actually I did a stupid thing by hiking outside the planned route I left with my wife. But being outside the canyon, I felt the chances of anything bad happening to me was remote.

Overall, this was a pretty darn cool hike. The views into Canyon Creek were outstanding. I did not actually think it would be quite as deep and dramatic as it was. I'd still love to get inside that canyon but it will take a little more planning, maybe some rope and a hiking stick. The rope would be “just in case”. I would classify this hike as an “easy to moderate hike” only because the off-trail aspect.

I believe the main reason this hike stayed in my hiking queue was the fact that I have done some exploration of Canyon Creek where it comes out of the Danskin Mountains near Mountain Home, Idaho. Who knew Canyon Creek becomes such a formidable canyon just 2 miles before the Snake River?

GSP Track of Lower Canyon Creek Hike

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The Stats on Hiking Canyon Creek near CJ Strike Dam
Mileage of Hike: 2.17 miles
Average Slope of Hike: about 6%
Elevation Gain/Loss: 367 feet
Mileage from Mountain Home: 20.3 road miles with about 2.5 miles on the cushy Strike Dam Cut-Off Road.
Link to Some More Pictures:  https://picasaweb.google.com/tim.bondy/CanyonCreekNearCJStrikeReservoir?authuser=0&feat=directlink

Heath of the Land Along This Hike
As far as I can figure, my hike was done entirely on BLM lands. Most BLM lands are heavily grazed but this area seems to be the exception. While I walked past some cow patties, this area was about as clean as it gets in southern Idaho. But the primary ground cover is cheatgrass and most dog owners know this stuff isn't good for them.



Trash and signs of human activity were almost non-existent. I did see a few recent tire tracks and an old tire down in the canyon itself. Not exactly sure how a truck got down into this area but it had to take some determination and skillful driving.

Comments
Hope you enjoyed this article. Please feel free to leave a comment or question for me.


Thanks,

On Sunday January 8th, 2012 I took a hike in a place I've been meaning to hit for the last few years. The lack of snow, cool temperatures and blue skies came together in a grand fashion for this “Castle Rocks Hike”. Located only about 30 miles northwest of Mountain Home off Highway 20 made for quick easy access to this scenic hike.

The Castle Rocks Hike
With my dog in tow, we parked at a borrow pit off NFS Road 152 or what is more commonly called Castle Rock Road. We headed east-northeast on this snow cover road for about 1 hour.

This is wide open country with an abundance of sagebrush and only scattered tree cover mainly along creek valleys. As the name of the road suggests, the many rock formations are the big draw in this area. It did not take long before we were walking past the first big boulder cluster. As we got further into the hike, rock formations became more frequent and infinitely more interesting.

From Castle Rock Hike Jan 2012

Castle Rock Road slowly gains in overall elevation the further east you hike. But in reality, the road meanders up and down the many shallow draws in this rolling terrain. The land along this hike is a mixture of US Forest Service land and private property although the roadbed is a public thoroughfare. The coolest rock formations on this hike appear to be on private property.

This isn't a remote hike by any stretch of the imagination. Highway 20 is never more than 2 miles away and vehicle traffic/noise can be seen and heard at times. But don't let this fact discourage you from getting out there and enjoying this cool area.



If I was younger and more adventurous, I would have been tempted to try some bouldering on these rock formations. In my younger days I did a fair amount of bouldering (without the crash pads) in Southern California. On this day I left the dangerous stuff to my dog Addie. She is a natural on boulders and fearless too.


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The Hiking Stats
Total Hike Mileage: 3.18 miles
Elevation Gain/Loss: 520 feet
Average Slope: 5.8%
Driving Time from Mountain Home, Idaho: 27 miles or about 35 minutes
Drive Distance on Dirt Roads: 3/5 of a mile
Link to more pictures: https://picasaweb.google.com/tim.bondy/CastleRockHikeJan2012?authuser=0&feat=directlink

Hope you enjoyed the story of my Castle Rock Hike. Check back soon for a video from this area.

I took my dog for a walk on Hot Springs Road just outside of Mountain Home, Idaho on January 5th, 2012. We parked west-southwest of Teapot Dome and began walking southeast on Hot Springs Road. While this road was recently graded, the edges were quite soft and muddy. I clearly saw the track of what I thought was an extremely large dog and cattle prints.


My car keys are there for a comparison of how big the wolf prints really are.

Hunting the Wolves of Idaho's Teapot Dome
After walking about 4/5th of a mile, a quad driven by two gentleman stopped to inform me 3 wolves had been spotted chasing cows along the road and on the evening of January 4th, one cow had been killed by these wolves over in what I suspect is Teapot Basin. Those 2 guys had wolf tags and were ready to bag a couple.



Dogs and Wolves Playing Together?
I was told I should be careful as wolves have been known to harass or even kill dogs out in the wilds of Idaho. So for the rest of the walk on Hot Springs Road, I kept an eye out for movement in the grass and what little sagebrush there is in this area. I never saw the wolves on this walk. I wonder if they saw me and Addie?

From Wolf Track near Mountain Home Idaho amd Teapot Dome area.

Oregon Trail and Bennett Mountain Wolves?
I seem to remember there was and apparently still is a Bennett Mountain wolf pack. Guess badgers aren't the only think I have to think about when I take my crazy and foolish dog out for a walk. I also wonder how the old pioneers coming out west dealt with wolves. Considering this area is smack dab in the middle of the old Oregon Trail, I'm sure they had some unpleasant experiences with wolves.

Wolf Hunt 2011-2012
As of January 5th, 2012 the most current stats for the Idaho Wolf Hunt showed hunters have taken 197 177 wolves during this season that ends March 31, 2012. Read more about this subject on the Idaho Fish and Game website at http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/public/wildlife/wolves/

See a few more pictures of the wolf tracks at:
https://picasaweb.google.com/tim.bondy/WolfTrackNearMountainHomeIdahoAmdTeapotDomeArea?authuser=0&feat=directlink

Got More Information?
Do you have more information about the wolves around Teapot Dome and Mountain Home, Idaho? Leave a comment or e-mail me. I'd like to hear more about this rumored incident.

Thanks,

I took a 4 mile walk on the upper portion of Bennett Mountain Road on December 29th, 2011. It seemed more like March 29th as the weather was rather warm and at times downright sunny and nice. It was nice to get out into the higher elevations this late in the year but it would be better if our mountains were buried in snow instead of almost bare and muddy. I named this hike after the impressive Corker Creek canyon visible along part of the walk.



The Hike
Parking at the 5,325 foot level (43.184111, -115.324555) my dog Addie and I headed uphill on Bennett Mountain Road. Starting off, this gravel road was rather soft and wet after the recent rains. I tried a few off road attempts to get a look into Little Canyon Creek. But mud just caked my boots so I never made it more than a half dozen steps off the road before turning back.



I tried a dirt road down to the creek and found it passable for the most part but there were spots where I sunk deeply into the mud and muck. But at least I got a close-up view of Little Canyon Creek and Addie got a drink.

The higher we hiked on Bennett Mountain Road, the more spectacular the views became. To the north and west was the hoodoo filled Corker Creek canyon. The view up Burns Gulch gave me hopes of hiking that valley when conditions are a little better. And the butte like structure on the south end of Peak 6350 was fascinating to say the least.



At around the 5,660 foot mark, ice started to become the main walking surface on Bennett Mountain Road. And by the 5,690 mark the road was completely ice covered and walking became a lot more difficult for me. However, Addie seemed to enjoy the situation and did a lot of ice skating just for the fun of it. I've never seen a dog run and slide on ice just for fun but that's what this crazy dog did.

From BondyWeb Idaho Photo

We turned around after about 1 hour of walking at the 5,790 foot mark (43.205278, -115.341059) just after a truck passed by on their way down the hill. I know this couple was white knuckling it down the sheet of ice and was glad I was the walking. Amazing enough during almost the entire hike we had a grand view of the Snake River Plains and mountains of Nevada.

Why I Liked This Hike
The Corker Creek area Hike on Bennett Mountain Road was an eye opening experience. I've never been this far up the road and I see many future hiking opportunities in this area. I'll just have to wait until it dries out or becomes snow covered.

The scenery on this portion of the Bennett Mountain area is wonderful. I'd really like to head up the Corker Creek drainage but I'm pretty sure the entire Corker area is private property. But Burns Gulch looks to be BLM land for the most part. I'll likely head back up to this area again real soon.

Map of Hike - Blue line is actual GPS Track

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Hiking Stats
Total Mileage of Hike: 4.0 miles
Elevation Gain/Loss: about 600 feet
Highest Elevation: 5,974 feet
Average Slope Along Hike: 5.1%
Miles from Mountain Home: 48 miles

You can contact me about this hike using my Contact Us form or leave a comment below.

Thanks,