I decided to check out Asotin Creek to see how summer wildfires had affected the area. There are some burned areas, including all the way to the top of the ridge in places, but much of the mature forest appears to have been spared. The good news is the burn is spotty and the trail is cleared to where I hiked, about three miles in. It could be clear beyond this as well but I walked up to the top of the ridge from here to do a loop back to my car which was parked about 1/4 mile from the trailhead where the road is under its scheduled annual closure starting Dec 1st to protect wintering wildlife habitat. No trail up here but the terrain lends itself to easy walking along the mostly broad ridge once on top. Game trails are helpful in steeper areas. 
I could see snow and ice on higher elevations in The Blues but my hike over Bracken Point was dry. 

I spotted several bighorn sheep throughout the hike. 

7 miles and 1500' gain.

Note that the area will be completely closed to human entry after Dec 15 until April 1st, 2022 to aid wildlife which will likely be facing a tough winter due to the burn and consequent loss of food sources. Please assist wildlife officials, wildlife and local farmers by adhering to this closure. 

The article linked below has details.

A friend joined me today to hike this trail as other friends recommended it as a good spring hike. Because hot weather was predicted, we got an early start. The trailhead parking lot was clean and we saw no trash along the trail. There were no other cars at the trailhead and we had the day to ourselves. There was plenty of water flowing downstream in the creek. Snowmelt somewhere!
We were hoping to see bighorn sheep in the area, but instead of sheep, all the snakes seem to be out instead. It’s rattlesnake country, but we just saw very large (I’m assuming) garter snakes. Two were 3-4 feet long and then just a wee foot-long baby. I guess 3 isn’t a lot but we saw them all in the first mile so it seemed like a lot. Previous trip reports also stated there were baseball sized clusters of ladybugs, which we didn’t see either. But in this one damp spot on the trail we passed through a ‘flutter’ of butterflies. Apparently that is what a group of butterflies is called. It was cool to stand there and just be surrounded by them. Blooming wildflowers included lupine, sticky geraniums, Arnica, and balsamroot. The sun was at our backs in both directions and there was a good stiff breeze so it didn’t feel as hot as it was. When we left the car temperature registered at 87. We walked 4 miles in to where the double track ended and the trail began to rise in elevation. It was nice to have a friend along to make the miles faster, and also to enjoy the wildflowers we passed along the way. It was a good day.

A friend and I decided to do the entire lollipop route which totals 22 miles. This hike is perfect for a long early-season outing in beautiful country. Be sure to know how to navigate across the top of Pinkham Butte between the trails because there is no trail or markers across the top.

Beware of ticks!

We hiked from the “end” of the North Fork Asotin Creek Trail off of Forest Road 163. This starting point is at the intersection of this trail and the Pinkum Butte Trail, according to the current Forest map. 

From the intersection on the map, we hiked due south down into the creek bed. The first 1/2 mile was quite challenging, including a 43% grade straight down on a loose trail bed. 

We discovered a junction at about 3/4 of a mile that we learned from some hunters that we encountered on the hike is a better trail back up to Forest Road 163.  

We continued East towards the intersection of the trail with the Pinkum Butte Trail. The Pinkum Butte Trail has been recently cleared and re-routed. 

The Pinkum trail was easy to follow and was an easier way to get out of the floor of the canyon. 

Along the North Fork Asotin Creek Trail, there was quite a bit of bear scar and evidence of bears. While we did not see any, we did encounter two bear hunters who were actively hunting this area and reported to us that they had seen two bears. 

It was an enjoyable hike, short of the first half mile. 

Thankfully we ended up hiking it as a loop hike and didn’t have to go up the same way we came down. 

I went 8 miles up the trail. A bit brushy. Only one tick on me despite the brush. Saw one rattlesnake.