This was a fantastic hike. We enjoyed good weather and the lookout was a buzz with tons of hummingbirds and butterflies. Definitely want to take a multi day trip.

Our original goal was to hike the 40-50 mile loop in five days. But the snow, cold, rain and ticks got to us - so we decided to enjoy three days and then explore other parts of SE Washington! We selected this trail because WTA had worked on it the year before (thank you volunteers!)

The first challenge was to cross the creek from the Panjab trailhead.  We finally found the superb flattened log that makes for a great bridge.  It is located behind the big boulder just uphill from the campground.  Follow a boot track about 25 feet and you will find the log.

The first part of the trail was in excellent shape - up to around 5000' but at the ridge, the blowdowns began in earnest and it was difficult/impossible to follow the trail.  We found a fine route anyway - and eventually ended at Indian Corral - five miles from the TH.  We decided to make this our camp for the next two days and it was a great spot.  On our second day, we saw a beautiful bear in the meadow below!

Day two included our trip to Oregon Butte and West Butte via the Mt. Misery trail.  Although snow made some of the travel challenging, the views were spectacular at both buttes and we enjoyed searching for the water sources immensely!

Day three was our hike out with wet gear but happy campers!

A bit of a wonky memorial day weekend ramble in the Tucannon-Wenaha where my goals were to see the upper Wenaha River and hike the central portion of the Crooked Creek trail. The roads to the high trail-heads are still snow covered which made for a bit of road walking from Godman Camp.

Road conditions:

Skyline road: Snow free from the North to within a couple hundred yards of Godman camp. Patchy snow from Godman to NF-300 intersection. Friday I high-centered myself trying to take the road around Bluewood ski area but with adventurous memorial day weekend traffic it may now be passable.

NF-4608 (to Teepee TH): ~1-3 feet deep continuous snow from the Skyline road to Teepee TH.

NF-300 (to Twin Buttes/Slick ear TH): ~1-3 feet deep mostly continuous snow for about a mile from the Skyline road. Upper portion of road near TH is melted out.

Trail conditions (There are two Grizzly Bear Ridge trails in the Tucannon-Wenaha called by different names ... confusing ... I use the NF trail #'s below):

Mt. Misery trail: Mostly covered in 0-3' deep snow from Teepee TH to Oregon Butte.

Grizzly Bear Ridge (#3121): A primitive ridge line route from Oregon Butte to Crooked Creek. There is no sign for this trail Jct at either end and I saw only a few patches of tread.

Crooked Creek trail: I met Crooked Creek Trail at 3600' after heading downhill from a saddle on Grizzly Bear Ridge. From this point the trail is somewhat overgrown and brushy to where it crosses Crooked Creek at about 3200'. From here the trail is sparse and badly overgrown for about a mile. It gets better as it climbs the hillside but has plenty of downed trees to hop over. The trail crosses the creek twice then Melton Creek. All knee deep fords. Trail is well maintained from Melton Creek to the Wenaha River.

Wenaha River trail: From Crooked Creek to Butte Creek the trail is over grown but easy to follow through burned terrain. Crooked Creek can be crossed on logs. From Butte Creek to the Jct with Grizzly Bear Ridge trail (#3103) the trail is faint, brushy, and disappears at times. You leave the burn and enter lovely forest about a mile west of Butte Creek (which was a mid-thigh ford). From Grizzly Bear Ridge trail (#3103) Jct to Slick Ear Jct the tread is good and easy to follow with only a few downed trees. Rock Creek at the Grizzly Bear Ridge Jct was a knee deep ford. I met a lot of rattlesnakes along the Wenaha and accidentally stepped on one in an overgrown part of the trail. Both parties were surprised and alarmed.

Slick ear trail: Upper portion is in good condition. Through the forest there are frequent small blowdown. Near the Jct with the Wenaha River Trail there is a large difficult section of blow-down that you have to work around for about 100 yards. The trail fords Slick Ear Creek six times, all were wet feet today.

Grizzly Bear Ridge trail (#3103): Up high the trail follows an old road bed that is well maintained. The road ends in meadows at which point you follow trail that becomes faint but followable as you move in and out of burned forest. The trail then drops to the Wenaha River on well graded switchbacks that were overgrown along Rock Creek.