All right! We are back on for our Big Eddy Trail day hike in Orofino on Saturday, January 22nd. We’ll meet up at the trailhead parking lot at 10:00 AM. For anyone who hasn’t been there before, we can meet at the Orofino City Park at 9:30 AM and carpool to the trailhead.

The weather is looking tolerable between now and then. Accuweather even shows 44 degrees and sunny on the 22nd! (For now.) I don’t expect we’ll need snowshoes, but good, dry boots will be desirable since we do expect some downed trees and snow to hike through. Hats, gloves, and sunglasses may also help. Dress in layers that can be removed as you warm up but added back on when we stop for lunch.

We’ll hike out about 4 miles to a campsite for lunch and then hike back to our vehicles. The trail continues on for another 6 miles to the Dworshak State Park at Freeman Creek, if anyone wants to continue on past our lunch stop. It’s even possible to put a car there, thru hike the trail, and then shuttle people back, but you’ll have to get an early head start to set that up.

The Big Eddy Trail was our first trail as a club, so making tracks there in January is a nice tradition. I look forward to seeing you on the trail!

Third times the charm, right? Let’s get our boots dirty!

This weekend, February 19th-20th, let’s meet up at the Big Eddy Recreation and Launch Area parking lot at 10:00 AM PST. We’ll hike the Big Eddy Trail out to campsite 4.7 where we’ll do lunch. After lunch, feel free to head back to the trailhead or join Jacob and I as we continue on to campsite 5.0 for the night.

Click here for a map of the Dworshak Dam & Reservoir Recreation Areas.

True Idaho weather will likely have the trail all sorts of sloppy. Come prepared for mud, slush, and ice, maybe even patches of snow. Come prepared for the wet so anything dry is a pleasure.

We recommend dressing in layers to accommodate the weather and the hiking. Wear sturdy, waterproof shoes or boots. Hiking poles will come in handy. Pack at least a lunch, or more if you’re staying overnight with us. And bring plenty of water. Of course, we can also filter lake water.

If you are interested in staying over night but have questions, please feel free to reach out. Also, if you can’t make it out on Saturday but can on Sunday, we’d love to cross paths with you!

See you on the trail!

#SeektheClearwater

3/19 Opening season day hike. Meet at 9:00 a.m. at Lewiston Community Center. Car pool to the Ed Corkill memorial trail, along the river from Juliaetta to Kendrick. Stretch those winter legs for the upcoming season. Paved walk/bike trail. Bring water/lunch. 5 miles one way or whatever you wish to do.

Wear sturdy shoes or hiking boots.  Some people find hiking poles are helpful.  Always bring water, lunch, and sunscreen.  We begin by gathering at a meeting point and carpooling from there.  Please also be sure to bring some cash for the driver if you’re carpooling with someone else.

3/26 Hells Gate State Park Walk along the river to the trail closure above Asotin. Flat/rocky terrain. Meet at Lewiston Community Center at 9:00 a.m. Bring water/lunch. Nez Perce pictographs, occasional sheep, amazing basalt formations. 4-5 miles round trip.

Wear sturdy shoes or hiking boots.  Some people find hiking poles are helpful.  Always bring water, lunch, and sunscreen.  We begin by gathering at a meeting point and carpooling from there.  Please also be sure to bring some cash for the driver if you’re carpooling with someone else.

The Merry’s Bay Trail is an easy, 1.25-mile hike that starts in the Bruce’s Eddy Boat Launch parking lot and ends at the Merry’s Bay campground. The trail offers long views of Dworshak Reservoir and a fun amble through the trees. This is a great trail for beginning hikers, those getting out for the first time this season, and for kids, too! (And dogs!)

We’ll stop at Merry’s Bay for a rest and snack/lunch break. From Merry’s Bay, anyone who wants to can head back to Bruce’s Eddy for a 2.5-mile day hike. Those who would like to, can follow us up the road out of Merry’s Bay and up onto the Westridge Trail. We’ll follow the Westridge Trail east toward the old rock pit. Trail 102 cuts in behind the rock pit and drops us back down near the Bruce’s Eddy parking lot. The entire loop is about 4.25 miles.

We can expect snow and mud on the trails. The weather is looking decent for Saturday, March 26th so far, but it’s best to come prepared for cool weather and possible rain. Bring a sack lunch and plenty of water. Hiking poles are handy, too, if you have ’em.

Let’s meet up at the trailhead in the Bruce’s Eddy parking lot at 10:00 AM. We should be back to our vehicles by 2:30 or 3:00 PM if we do the full loop. Those sticking to the Merry’s Bay Trail can expect to be back at the parking lot by 12:30 or 1:00 PM.

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions. See you on the trail!

#SeektheClearwater

Chris Wilkerson is headed out on the Big Eddy Trail this weekend and would love for fellow Trekkers to join him. If you’re looking to stretch your legs on the trail, meet Chris in the Big Eddy Boat Launch parking lot at 10:00 AM on Saturday, April 2nd.

The last time The Trekkers were on Big Eddy, there were quite a few downed trees, so take your time and be careful. Nothing was impassable, though. We all did just fine.

Wear sturdy shoes, trail runners are fine, and layer for warmth. This trail gets your heart going right from the get go, but over all, it’s an easy to moderate hike that follows the hillside along the lake.

4/16 Hike the trestles and tunnels from near Winchester to Rubens. One way. More to follow after April 6th meeting.

The Clearwater Trekkers are joining up with The Palouse Sauntering and Hiking Adventurers and TrailKat for a weekend of trail maintenance on the Snake River Trail over Earth Day weekend, April 22nd through 24th. This will be our first volunteer project as a group, and it’s so exciting to see this finally hit the calendar! I hope you can join us.

The current plan is to meet up at the Pittsburg Landing boat launch (time is to be determined) and take a jet boat to our base camp location across the river. Over the weekend we’ll jet boat or hike to our work location and return to base camp for the night.

We will be working with the Hells Canyon Recreation Collaborative (HCRC), so some information that may be required will include volunteer names, phone numbers and emergency contact, email addresses, and allergies and food restrictions. There will be some safety forms to sign and safety meetings on the trip.

Breakfast and dinners will be provided, but we are looking for a volunteer cook to join us. If that’s you, or if you know someone who may be interested, please let us know!

We don’t normally ask for RSVP’s for Trekker events, but for this one we’re going to need a head count. Please, RSVP through the form on our Calendar page, or mark yourself as Going on our Facebook Event.

This is a great opportunity for us to give back to our community as a group. We look forward to seeing you there!

#SeektheClearwater

Wear sturdy shoes or hiking boots.  Some people find hiking poles are helpful.  Always bring water, lunch, and sunscreen.  We begin by gathering at a meeting point and carpooling from there.  Please also be sure to bring some cash for the driver if you’re carpooling with someone else.

Wear sturdy shoes or hiking boots.  Some people find hiking poles are helpful.  Always bring water, lunch, and sunscreen.  We begin by gathering at a meeting point and carpooling from there.  Please also be sure to bring some cash for the driver if you’re carpooling with someone else.