Now that spring has sprung, we have our eye out for any weather windows to get out on the trails with a backpack (or hook the boat up and go fishing, or …well you get the idea). One such window opened at the end of March and we jumped right on it and packed for a couple nights in Hells Canyon. Besides being the deepest gorge in North America it is also intolerably hot in the summer, so it made for a good first overnight hike of 2026 before things get too hot there. We headed to Pittsburg Landing and headed up the Snake River from there.
It was a sunny first day on the trail, and the spring flowers were blooming.
Although the trail is named the “Snake River Trail”, for most of it’s length it is high above the river. There are more ups and downs on this trail than a lot of trails that lead to high mountain lakes, even though at the end of the day your net elevation gain is just a few hundred feet.
Our overnight destination was a bit unique for a backpacking trip. Kirkwood Ranch is about 6 miles up the trail from the Pittsburgh Landing trailhead. First settled in the 1850’s, it was owned by a variety of individuals including a sheep rancher that bought it during the Great Depression and then went on to become Governor of Idaho as well as a U.S. Senator. I guess things were pretty tough as a sheep rancher if he had to resort to a life of politics. The ranch is now managed as a historic site by the U.S. Forest Service and is staffed by a rotating group of volunteers that spend a month each living off grid at the ranch. The volunteers there in March had been coming back each March for a decade. There is camping in the old hay field and there are even picnic tables at 6 sites. Not our usual type of spot for backpacking, but it was situated about the right distance up the trail, and there really aren’t a lot of other options for flat ground between the ranch and the trailhead.
Another first for us, we dehydrated all the food we had along on this trip. No store bought freeze dry stuff for us. The stroganoff was particularly good.
After a night at the ranch we were back on the trail the next morning for a day hike and made our way another couple miles up the trail to Suicide Point. As you might guess it is a point with a precipitous drop to the river. A good spot for lunch and to take in the immensity of Hells Canyon.
The trail coming and going is pretty impressive as well.
A trail leading to another dimension, or just further up the river?
After lunch we were on our way back to Kirkwood Ranch to have a look around at the museum.
In addition to old photos and homesteading memorabilia inside the museum, there is a lot of farm equipment from days gone by (and maybe with current fuel prices, days to come).
There appears to be mail delivery by jet boat available at the ranch as well. Just drop your item and raise the flag. I’m not sure if you should expect same day pickup though.
Before we knew it, day 2 was coming to a close, and the overcast skies of the day gave way to a colorful sunset.
By morning the overcast skies were back and kept us cool for our hike back to Pittsburgh Landing.
And just like that, the first backpack of 2026 is in the books. Where to next?
