I did a three-day, 40-mile figure eight loop through the Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness.
Route:
Day 1: Started at Rattlesnake TH. Southeast on Rattlesnake to the intersection with Mount MIsery and Panjab Trails. R on Misery. Southwest on Misery to Teepee TH, with a side trip to Oregon Butte (signed as Weller Butte on the trail). Camped at Teepee TH.
Day 2: Departed Teepee TH north on Turkey Creek Trail to intersection with Panjab Trail. Right (east) on Panjab Trail to the same Mount MIsery/Panjab/Rattlensake intersection from Day 1. Straight (east) on Mount Misery trail. Camped on the ridge east of Sheephead Spring.
Day 3: Continued east on Misery to interesection with Bear Creek Trail. Left (north) on Bear Creek Trail. BC to left turn onto the Tucannon River Trail. Continue northwest to the Tucannon River TH. Road walk on Tucannon Road, then left on FS Road 4711 back to car.
Trip planning:
I stopped in at the Pomeroy Ranger District to discuss the route and get trail conditions. I’m not familiar with the area and there are many trails in the Umatilla NF that are impassable due to previous wildfires. Unfortunately, two of the trails they told me were maintained (Rattlesnake and Bear Creek) were degraded and extremely overgrown for much of their length.
Springs. This area has several improved springs with rubber hoses coming out of the ground and flowing into a hollowed out log. They are charted on Gaia. BUT, many of the charted springs either no longer exist or are impossible to find. Verify the status of the springs that you use in your water planning. I should have asked the rangers about springs but I didn’t. I filtered from the springs but I’m not sure that you have to.
Signage: Incomplete and confusing at times. Check all intersections against your map.
Day 1.
There is no parking at Rattlesnake TH but you can fit a vehicle or two on the side of the road. I parked in a pullout a few hundred yards up the road. The trail passes through the Panjab CG right off the bat but it is not clear where it crosses Panjab Creek. With a bit of picking around you will see where it continues across the creek. There is no easy way to cross so I just waded through. Water was up to mid calf (I’m 5’7”).
Rattlesnake goes up, up, and more up for the first few miles, but the increasing views make it worthwhile. Once you clear the treeline the trail becomes increasingly overgrown with knee-high vegetation and you have to feel for the tread with your feet. It levels out and turns east at 5200’. Along this stretch the trail disappears into a burned area—or, I just lost the trail. Either way I had to use my map and compass skills learned in the Mountaineers to continue in the right direction until I could pick up the trail again. I was planning to refill my water at Red Fir Spring but could not find it, despite extensive bushwhacking. Upon reaching the intersection with the Mount Misery Trail I dropped my pack and continued past my turn to search for Dunlap Spring. Luckily for me, this is one of the functioning springs. Bear right from Misery onto to the Crooked Creek trail, and in a few hundred yards you will see a good-sized campsite tucked away in the woods on the right. There are two springs at Dunlap which can be reached by going behind the camp to the right or the left. I used the one on the right and there is a bootpath to the spring.
From the spring I went back to the intersection and proceeded southwest on Mount Misery Trail. This is the most popular trail in the area and is in very good condition. When I got to the turnoff for Oregon Butte (Gaia’s name, but signed as Weller Butte on the trail) I again dropped my pack and headed the half mile up the butte. There is a lookout but it was locked up that day. Great views!
After returning to the trail I ran into a woman who was camped with her party on the ridge. We chatted about Teepee TH where I was camping and she was nice enough to tell me there was no water there and to fill up at Oregon Butte spring on the way. The spring is right on the trail into a catchment log and flowing nicely. I loaded up on water here for dinner, breakfast, and the first part of the next day’s hike.
I had read TRs where people mentioned camping at Teepee so I was expecting some tent pads but there weren’t any. In fact it was marked as a day use area and set up for equestrians. However, it was just me and a bear across the way knocking rocks down the hill to get at grubs. So I set up my tent on a flat rectangular area next to the feed trough. There are several picnic tables and a toilet.
There is also a charted spring that I couldn’t find, although several lengths of PVC pipe lying around told me someone was trying to get it flowing again.
Day 2: Teepee to east end of Mt. Misery Trail.
I started north from Teepee on the Turkey Creek Trail. There are two trails leading out of camp. The TC trail is the one on the left. It is in better condition than previous TRs indicated. Some blowdowns, but many fewer than there were thanks to a WTA work party the previous weekend (thank you, trail crews!) I felt appreciative every time I passed a fresh cut.
Approaching the intersection with the Panjab Trail, the TC trail makes two creek crossings. I used my water shoes for these. Turning right (east) on the trail begins a seemingly endless ascent through the river valley. This is a burn area so it is very exposed, and since it’s aligned east/west, the sun tracks you all day. This part of the trail is in good condition and easy to follow.
After reaching the same intersection I passed on Day 1, I continued east on the Mount Misery Trail. I took the same path to Dunlap Spring (benefit of the figure 8 loop), refilled, and had lunch. I should note here that this intersection is poorly signed. You bear right to go on Crooked Creek to get to Dunlap Spring, and bear left to stay on Mount Misery. But the Mount Misery path is faint and unsigned.
After lunch I continued east on Mount Misery and obsessed about when/where to refill water and make camp, since I wasn’t sure about spring and camp site status. There are not a lot of prepared tent pads on the ridge, but it is a wide open ridge with many flattish areas to pitch a tent. However, there are many small burn areas and snags are everywhere, so be mindful of this.
Passing Bullfrog Spring on the right, I saw a spur trail but did not look for the spring itself. Status unknown. Clover Spring is obviously located on the left side of the trail, flowing strongly into a log. There is an unnamed spring on the map just before the intersection with the Miners Creek Trail that I did not see. I also could not see the MC Trail intersection itself. Appeared to be very overgrown. The camp site by the Bear Wallow Spring is very established but in the middle of a lot of snags. I wouldn’t stay there. I looked for the spring a bit but couldn’t find it.
South Tucannon Spring, aka S@$%w Spring (Indigenous ethnic slur), is off trail to the left next to an established campsite. I didn’t see the pipe but water is flowing into a man made catchment basin. Still a lot of melting snow and mud here. I filled up water for dinner and the first half of Day 3.
There is an established campsite near Sheephead Spring, and even a sign for the spring—but I didn’t see the spring itself. This camp site is in a shaded saddle and it seemed kind of gloomy to me. It was a beautiful evening so I pressed on to find something more in the sun. I finally settled upon a beautiful dry camp site on top of a ridge about 1/4 mile past Sheephead Spring.
Day 3: Mt Misery Trail to TH.
I set out from my ridge top campsite to the signed intersection with Bear Creek Trail. BC is fairly open for the first half. There are few times where the trail disappears in a meadow and some elementary route finding/trail awareness is needed. I didn’t see Jelly Spring, but there is water flowing in the gully where the spring is. This was the first water I saw since South Tucannon Spring.
After Jelly Spring, the BC trail switches back down to the Tucannon River. About halfway down the switchbacks, the trail alternates between mostly and entirely overgrown. The trail is very narrow and you have to feel with feet and poles for long stretches, as the vegetation obscures, rocks, holes, and small washouts on the steep slope. This is not a trail for kids or beginners.
At the bottom of the switchbacks the trail is still overgrown as it crosses the Tucannon River and continues westbound on the far side. I don’t recall details of the crossing itself. After about a half mile, the BC trail continues uphill to the right. Turn downhill to the left onto the Tucannon River Trail. As the trail approaches the river it turns right and stays on the north side of the river. There is an established spur trail that crosses the river to a nice camp site on the far side. I wasn’t paying attention so I did this crossing, thinking it was the main trail. If you’re surefooted you can cross it on a narrow log, or if you’re not (like me) you can do a ford just over your knees. The water was flowing slowly so it was easy.
At this point the Tucannon River Trail is very easy to follow with good tread and minor vegetation encroachment. On reaching the TH I road walked to the Ladybug CG, dropped my pack, and walked back to my truck. Then I drove back to Ladybug and slept in the back of my truck under the stars.
All in all a great trip and I had the trail to myself most of the time. The only unexpected challenges were the varying status of the springs (my fault for assuming they were all easily found and flowing) and the very overgrown Rattlesnake and Bear Creek trails that were advertised as maintained by the land manager.
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