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Guffey Butte
March 28, 2009
When I got word that my wife and sons might be up for a short, early spring hike, the Guffey Butte area immediately sprang to mind. It’s only about a 45-minute drive from Boise to the trailhead at Celebration Park, which is on the northern fringe of the Owyhee Mountains. The hike starts out with a crossing of the Snake River on an old railroad bridge, which the boys loved. We continued along the trail that headed south up a gully, then around to the west behind some neat looking rock pillars. At this point, the kids started tiring out a little, and Dad was getting tired of the bugs, so we decide to turn around at about 2700 feet instead of heading towards the summit.
On the way back, Mom lead us back along a little ridge for some fun scrambling and scree skiing (which my oldest son did on his heiny). Soon we made to the hole in the rock where we took some photos and had a snack break in the shade. After that, we made quick time back down to the main trial and back to the bridge for some rock throwing into the river. All in all, a fun spring day. Although this area wouldn’t be my first choice once the weather warms up.
Map of our hike, about 2.5 miles round trip. We went clockwise.
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The Guffey Railroad Bridge, with Guffey Butte in the background.
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Stopping for a break early on.
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Rock climbing.
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Rounding a bend on the trail.
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Heading up the gully.
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Some neat rock features.
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Crossing a talus field.
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The highpoint of our hike.
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Hiking around the base of some short cliffs.
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The boys peeking through a hole.
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Snack break!
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Heading back down the trail.
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Checking out the river.
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The stretch run.
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