Starting from Twin Buttes Trailhead- which has a bathroom and ample parking. the Grizzly Bear trail is mostly clear and open with a few cairns when it is harder to follow. Then the trail starts gradually downhill and at about 4.5 miles in becomes hard to follow in the burned area between down trees and brush. After about 1.5 miles of peekaboo with the trail I lost it completely and just followed my instincts, until I could see where the tread started to switchback down the side of the hill below. Just because the trail is easy to determine where it is because it is cut into the hill, that doesn’t make it easy going. There is grass and bushes growing up in the middle of the tread, with several logs to crawl over as well. This gets more challenging the closer you get to the creek and the last switchback is the worst. The bottom of the canyon is slow going until the trail eventually pops out onto the Wenaha River Trail. This trail is at least more travelled although still brushy in places and a few logs to crawl over. Lots of bear scat. Several nice camping spots along the river, especially closer to the Slick Ear Trail. Follow the river for 4 miles.
Ford Slick Ear Creek and the junction for the Slick Ear trail is soon afterwards. This trail crosses the creek 5 times on the ascent, you will get wet. Brushy at the bottom but easy to follow. There is a large blowdown between the 2nd and 3rd crossing or else this trail would be doable for stock. When the trail breaks out of the brush there are great views as it runs along the spine of the ridge. Nearer to the top, the trail splits…left goes to the Slick Ear Trailhead, but right goes right back to the Twin Buttes Trailhead so you can complete the loop. This is different than what the trail description says, but you no longer have to walk the road.
A pretty nice trip except for the lower half of Grizzly Bear. A 19.1 mile loop per my GPS.
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