Frenchman Coulee — Sunday, Apr. 23, 2023

Today a couple of friends and I went out to the climbing area in Echo Basin just south of the Frenchman Coulee. We parked in the second lot (past the Feathers), where there are two privies and, this spring weekend, tons of cars. We then hiked on the climber’s trail up over the hill and down through the walkthrough, a twisting crack that leads to Sunshine Wall and several other climbing areas. This walkthrough is not safe if you don’t have some basic climbing skill.  Getting off it where it ends onto the ground level below is a few moves of down climbing. This is familiar ground for me, as I spent literally hundreds of days climbing here between 1995 and 2015. We walked west along the climber’s trail past lots of climbers, esp on Sunshine, and kept going to where the trail leads down to Riverview Park. These trails are rough, very rough in places and you have to pay attention because there are places you are right along the edge of 20-50 foot drop offs to levels below. Anyway, we hiked the way down past Riverview and took the trail down to the road that lead in from the lower parking. Again, lots of cars there and many climbers, although not like Sunshine. Then we took the dirt road in the  valley back east almost to the dry Fugs Falls at the east end of the basin. We scrambled from there back up to the walkthrough and over top then back to the car. Again, much of this “hiking” has a scrambling feel to it. There is loose talus and other nonstandard “trail” experiences. It’s not really hard, just pay attention and use caution. I have hiked all this many many times, with climbing packs and gear, etc. We were hiking around for 2+ hours.  Now, the good part. T-shirts and shorts weather, fantastic desert environs, phlox, death camas, serviceberry, and others. Much sage aroma. The feel of an ancient geological landscape featuring basalt from the flows millions of years ago.  Oh, and possible rattlesnakes. I saw them maybe 10 or 15 times in 20 years. We had a fun hike today in warmth and companionship. Discover Pass required.