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RichP
here and there
Joined: 13 Jul 2006
Posts: 5036 | TRs
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This is an 8ish mile hike each way from the confluence of the Palouse and Snake Rivers at Lyons Ferry upstream to Palouse Falls. The Ice Age Flood Institute offers this as a guided outing once a year but hasn't in recent times likely due to the pandemic. I decided to give it a try myself.
I parked at the Lyons Ferry Game Management Unit (Lyons Ferry SP proper still closed for winter) and started walking up the road until an old two track appeared below me. This will eventually connect to a trail that leads to Marmes Pond.
 Confluence of The Palouse and Snake Rivers.  A pretty good use trail goes from Lyons Ferry to Marmes Pond.  Basalt on Peak 362.  Layers.  Looking back to the mouth of The Palouse River.  The submerged Marmes Rock Shelter and its failed attempt to wall off the rising water after dams were built downstream on The Snake.
From there I checked out a rock shelter above the pond and started cross country trying to stay near the rim of the canyon.
 A rock shelter above Marmes.  Looking out.  Palouse Buttes.  Staying high. I occasionally had to scramble to higher ground when getting cliffed out.
About 3.5 miles into the hike side canyons began to appear and forced me away from the river. I crossed over the railroad and joined a road which took me to the falls. Along the way I saw another rock shelter and investigated.
 This rock shelter is enormous and is about 15' high inside and goes back 40.'  Circular stone structures inside.  An island ahead.  Side canyons began to appear and forced me away from the river.  The final 1.6 miles is on an old road.
The road goes all the way to the bridge over the railroad tracks at the park entrance where I took a couple of photos and started to retrace my tracks.
 Nearing Palouse Falls.  Bridge over the railroad and park entrance.  After about 8 miles I reach my destination.  Hiking back to Lyons Ferry.  Lots of onlookers.  Random.  I took a shortcut down this canyon back to Marmes Rock Shelter.  Nearing Lyons Ferry.  I walked over Peak 362.
I stopped by the Old Bones Cemetery before getting back to my car.
 Old Bones Cemetery.  Old Bones Cemetery.  Old Bones Cemetery.
An interesting hike which I'd repeat with The Ice Age Flood Institute to learn about the geology of the area.
https://iafi.org
https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/trip-reports/trip_report.2014-04-24.4029668621 |
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fourteen410
Member
Joined: 23 May 2008
Posts: 2114 | TRs
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| I have this same trip planned for the spring. Your pics make me excited to go 🙂 |
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neek
Member
Joined: 12 Sep 2011
Posts: 1500 | TRs
Location: Seattle, WA
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| This looks great! Ticks out yet? |
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RichP
here and there
Joined: 13 Jul 2006
Posts: 5036 | TRs
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| neek wrote: |
| Ticks out yet? |
Haven't found any yet.
| fourteen410 wrote: |
| I have this same trip planned for the spring. Your pics make me excited to go 🙂 |
Should be some flowers out to make it even more scenic. |
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Pyrites
Member
Joined: 16 Sep 2014
Posts: 1461 | TRs
Location: South Sound
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Apparently this route exists clear to outskirts of Cheney.
Did it look as if it could be ridden on a mountain bike? |
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RichP
here and there
Joined: 13 Jul 2006
Posts: 5036 | TRs
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| Pyrites wrote: |
| Did it look as if it could be ridden on a mountain bike? |
You could take the service road toward Marmes Pond and break off toward the railroad tracks to get on the dirt road to Palouse Falls. You wouldn't get to see the neat scenery along the river but it's totally bikeable with the exception of having to push it through a couple areas where rocks have fallen. I thought about the possibility during my hike.
Continuing to Cheney would be a challenge if you are referring to the Columbia Plateau Trail. Much of it is fist-sized rocks on the old rail bed which ain't too bike friendly. I tried hiking on it in Washtucna Coulee and it is difficult. If they can ever get some smaller gravel on top of this it will be a spectacular ride/hike/horsie route. It's already been established as a state park but save for a few sections on the northern end, it's not really usable. |
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Pyrites
Member
Joined: 16 Sep 2014
Posts: 1461 | TRs
Location: South Sound
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Slugman
It’s a Slugfest!
Joined: 27 Mar 2003
Posts: 16604 | TRs
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Looks like a good canoe trip.
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“The jerking motion of a knee does not reflect the operation of a mind” Slugman, January 24th 2020 |
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kite
Member
Joined: 28 Sep 2009
Posts: 1376 | TRs
Location: Olympia
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| Slugman wrote: |
| Looks like a good canoe trip. |
might want to skip the fall's I think they are still looking for the kayaker that went over a few years ago. |
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Slugman
It’s a Slugfest!
Joined: 27 Mar 2003
Posts: 16604 | TRs
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He started at the Snake and hiked upriver to the falls.
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“The jerking motion of a knee does not reflect the operation of a mind” Slugman, January 24th 2020 |
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puzzlr
Mid Fork Rocks
Joined: 13 Feb 2007
Posts: 6835 | TRs
Location: Stuck in the middle
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Fantastic report. This really makes me want to go do some section of this hike. The water impounded burial grounds is a sad story, but at least something was done.
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Mid Fork Rocks • flickr |
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Downhill
Member
Joined: 30 Jul 2018
Posts: 284 | TRs
Location: Leavenworth
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Excellent TR - thank you for the post and photos!
For those who are so inclined, there is excellent fishing in the Snake, Palouse, and the Marmes pond. Just upriver from the Palouse-Snake confluence is the confluence of the Snake and the Tocannon rivers. The Tocannon has excellent fishing all the up to and beyond the tiny town of Starbuck, WA (yup, it exists, without a coffee shop). |
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Gil
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Joined: 29 Sep 2004
Posts: 3843 | TRs
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Great TR. I'd like to do that some day. Maybe hike up to the Palouse campground, spend the night and hike back.
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Friends help the miles go easier.
Klahini |
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bobbi
stillaGUAMish
Joined: 13 Jul 2006
Posts: 7990 | TRs
Location: olympics!
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wow~ what a great hike! so many interesting features! I love the shelters. I'm wondering if there is some written history of these places.
thank you for sharing!
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bobbi ૐ
"Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So…get on your way!" - Oh, the Places You’ll Go! By Dr. Seuss |
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RichP
here and there
Joined: 13 Jul 2006
Posts: 5036 | TRs
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| bobbi wrote: |
| I love the shelters. I'm wondering if there is some written history of these places. |
I haven't found anything other than info on the Marmes Rockshelter since it got some attention from archaeologists prior to the completion of The Lower Monumental Dam.
https://www.historylink.org/File/7970 |
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