Mid spring foray into Washington’s Okanogan.

[clikrf8]

Great trip report. Thanks for sharing. I traveled the north central and northeast Washington backcountry a fair amount for work purposes, but have not been back for recreation. You have us thinking about heading back up there. Maybe next spring, as we are planning a west central Utah desert trip for September.

You will have a great time in Central Idaho and southwest Montana. You may want to check on road conditions in the Beartooths after the recent floods. I read some of them may be pretty badly damaged. If you want a very fun experience, you may wish to try the Magruder Trail from Elk City Idaho through to Conner Montana in the Bitterroot Valley. However you journey through central Idaho you will have some fantastic scenery and great camping. Have fun.

Reply: I am thinking about starting another thread in the Trip Planning forum to ask for suggestions. I have a rough plan for our route but can be subject to change due to weather and smoke. It can snow early in Montana.

Yes, you are correct about checking for flood damage. The flooding affected Red Lodge which is a bit of a drive from the damage in Yellowstone. Water does seek its own level. We had devastating floods last November near the Canadian border.

I checked out the Magruder Corridor and the Lolo back way (not 12) and think they may be too narrow and suffered from burns. Maybe I need to check them out again.

Definitely tour the Okanogan in the Spring. It is so green then and the wildflowers are abundant. So many places to see. Happy trails.

 

[clikrf8]

Thanks for taking us along on your adventure! We've made many backpacking trips into the Paysatan Wilderness and love the area. Yes, Winthrop has changed over the years. I greatly enjoyed fly fishing (a hike in) the Lost River that flows into the Methow and have vowed to return. Liberty Bell is always a highlight along highway 20.


You are very welcome. I enjoyed your San Juan trip report and your Nevada travels. Wonderful photos and an engaging narrative. Thankfully, the Pasayten is still wild. My mom and stepdad used to hike there in the 1970s. With over 530,000 acres, there is much to hike.