try to get a hold of Will Day. he has done the entire run top to bottom (in a canoe nonetheless).

:) Loved canoeing the Owyhee self support.  If it is the last week of March let me know if you want company.  

there is lots to know about, but you don't need to know a lot to get on the lower owyhee. I have driven my 2x tacoma out of Brich Creek several times but not when wet. I have driven my 2x tacoma out of 3 forks when wet like a bat out of hell surfing through mud bogs. I have driven into pipeline in a 4x without chains when wet and it took over 10 hours to go 40 miles.

People "paddle" out to Leslie Gulch (but only once!) with that being said, if you take out a Birch, still drive down to Leslie Gulch and camp on the way home, it is an amazing place.

Always order the "dinner" at the Old Basque Inn in Jordan Valley.

I have used Eva Matteri to do shuttles on the lowr many times with no issue. Camping at the BLM putin is fairly undesirable but there is water and a toilet.

Rome station has ice and beer and good grill food fair

Start in the morning from putin, not in the afternoon (wind)

If it gets real windy, wait till latter

BLM Maps
http://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/prog/recreation/what_do_you_want_to/rivers/owyhee_river.html

Left at Lowr Artillery
Whistling bird is the obvious hard left ferry
Montgomery far left to hard right or far left to slot between boulders/domers
Nuicance rapid is kind of a beotch at flows below about 1200 and a real beotch say in the 900 cfs or less range in larger boats like a 14'raft (quick right then left ferry around huge boulder on right tryig to avoid pins) or the left slots contending with smaller sticky boulders
Many "paddle" out to Leslie Gulch (but only once!)
Don't foreget an Oregon invasive species sticker if you are from out of state.
If you are from WA, don't forget we didn't pass the new law and certain substances are still illegal, and there are the ocasional plain closed fuzz floating the lower owyhee some how justifying spending our increasingly diminishing publics funds to write tickets for minor offenses.
Go on a cross country hike just about anywhere you aren't cliffed out and find something cool.

Spend at least 4 nights on the river for boating and hiking enjoyment.

this is a pretty cool book:
http://owyheemedia.com/about-the-book.html

About the only other rule other than the standard fire pan/groover rules, is no collecting firewod on the lower Owyhee, not that there is much wood anyway.

Make sure to have a sturdy tent and tie up boats well, even kayaks on the bank, the wind can be fierce.

if the wind gets real stout, find a camp and wait till latter.

When I used to live in western WA, I still went the I-5 to PDX, through sandy and over mt hood to Prineville, down GeoMillican road to highway to Burns then south to Rome, instead of going down I-84 down through Marsing. Also if you go through burns you can stop by the alvord desert area (east side of steens mountains) and take an extra day or two and hit up the Alvord hot springs and visit the attractions in the Alvord.

The owyhee sucks, I hate taking trips there :)





Edited by shap - 12 Mar 2013 at 8:38am

I know some commercial groups do it at 500cfs with big gear boats and somehow make it downriver. Not saying it's optimal, just possible I guess. If you keep your gear boat lite and are mentally prepared for low water it's still a great camping and hiking trip. Fabulous scenery!

pete