Macks Canyon to mouth of Deschutes backpack - good or bad idea?

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cmbaker91
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Macks Canyon to mouth of Deschutes backpack - good or bad idea?

Post by cmbaker91 » April 1st, 2023, 3:52 pm

Hi there - I'm new here and am looking for a 3 night backpack to do with my dad in early May. I found the "Spring and Winter backpacks" list here and from there discovered two Deschutes river hikes, one from the mouth of the Deschutes to Harris Canyon and back and the other from Macks Canyon to Harris Canyon and back. Has anyone ever done Macks to the mouth or vice versa? Is this a bad idea? I was thinking of us driving two cars out and parking one at Macks and one at the Deschutes River state rec area at the mouth, or finding a shuttle service. Has anyone done either of those?

Any other recommendations or this route? Or if you think we should find another route altogether for that time of year?

Much appreciated!

leiavoia
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Re: Macks Canyon to mouth of Deschutes backpack - good or bad idea?

Post by leiavoia » April 1st, 2023, 4:31 pm

Can’t comment on the route, but I would be looking at the Wild Rogue Loop hike for that length and that time of year. Much later and it’s too hot. 30 mile loop. I went a few years back around May 1 and had a good time. Saw no one else on the trail except along the river itself.

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Charley
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Re: Macks Canyon to mouth of Deschutes backpack - good or bad idea?

Post by Charley » April 1st, 2023, 10:07 pm

cmbaker91 wrote:
April 1st, 2023, 3:52 pm
Any other recommendations or this route?
I've hiked both ends, though never as a car shuttle. I think your enjoyment would depend on what you're after- if it's a sense of openness and solitude, you might really enjoy it! The scenery doesn't change a whole lot, and walking a road grade can be a little monotonous for some. But I love hearing the river, and I love that my view of hillsides gradually changes as I go further and further. Fishing the Deschutes can also be rewarding.

Going North to South would mean ending at the Columbia, but also ending at I-84, the least awe-inspiring scenery (the canyon walls generally get higher and wilder the farther south you go) and the more crowded part of the trail. Going North to South means ending with the relatively difficult crossings of the creeks where the railroad trestles have been removed, but also means ending with the generally best scenery, fewer people.

These pictures are all from the Macks Canyon section:

Deschutes031-7 (dragged).jpeg
Deschutes029-14 (dragged).jpeg
Deschutes029-6 (dragged).jpeg

If the point is to find a long hike with the absolute best scenery possible for that time of year, well, there are other options (many others are also in the sagebrush steppe east of the Cascade Crest). But if, for instance, you're mainly hoping to just have a great time with your father, then the Deschutes could be perfect.
Believe it or not, I barely ever ride a mountain bike.

cmbaker91
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Re: Macks Canyon to mouth of Deschutes backpack - good or bad idea?

Post by cmbaker91 » April 2nd, 2023, 1:35 pm

leiavoia wrote:
April 1st, 2023, 4:31 pm
Can’t comment on the route, but I would be looking at the Wild Rogue Loop hike for that length and that time of year. Much later and it’s too hot. 30 mile loop. I went a few years back around May 1 and had a good time. Saw no one else on the trail except along the river itself.
leiavoia, thanks for sharing this, as I'd never heard of this loop before (I had encountered the Rogue River trail in my research but decided the car shuttle logistics and cost (super expensive now with Galice road out) not to go for that, but I hadn't heard of this adjacent loop.

I've read up on it, and it seems like there are a few things that make a novice-to-intermediate backpacker (me) and his almost 70-year-old dad a bit nervous:
  • - two creek fords on the west fork of Mule Creek
    - no water source from approx. mile 5 to mile 17 (assumes starting at Tucker Flats)
    - significant elevation gain
    - active and bold bears reported in the last year
How did you find these aspects of your hike? Where any of them particularly difficult to handle? Anything else that was challenging that'd be good to know about?

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drm
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Re: Macks Canyon to mouth of Deschutes backpack - good or bad idea?

Post by drm » April 3rd, 2023, 10:24 am

The option to hike riverside in the northern part of the Deschutes is a nice variation, and makes for easy hiking in many sections. It is actually easier on the feet than the hard road. Miles and miles of gravel makes for very tired feet for me. The river side trail is sometimes a nice soft grass. Potentially worse for ticks though.

What I wonder about the Rogue loop is how long snow will hold out on the upper parts. Wouldn't seem that it would till May, but we are seeing some of the lowest snow for early April that I have seen in years. Even if the snow melts, it can make creek crossing more of a challenge.

Walkin' Fool
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Re: Macks Canyon to mouth of Deschutes backpack - good or bad idea?

Post by Walkin' Fool » April 4th, 2023, 3:54 pm

Chiming in on the Wild Rogue Loop, I agree that it’s a beautiful loop, but I would not recommend it for a beginner. I did it a few years ago closer to the end of May and Mule Creek was fine (although I do believe it was a wet-feet crossing), but I remember thinking that it could be problematic if the water was high. There’s definitely snow up on Panther Ridge now – what it looks like in a month of course is unknown. But given the right conditions, the Mule Creek ford could turn someone back.

What elevation gain counts as significant is relative, but there’s definitely some bigger hills, and areas that may not have seen maintenance lately, so there may be some crawling over/under trees.

The bears are often active on the Rogue River Trail. On a different trip, we had to chase a mom with 2 older cubs out of camp more than once. I don’t recall any stories of aggressive bears, but they definitely are often bold.

Nothing to add about the Deschutes, other than I did it end to end a few months ago, from south to north, and there were a couple of the missing trestle places where I thought it would have been a bit more difficult going the other way (north to south). The steepest ones seemed steeper on the north side, and I always find it easier to grovel up then watch my footing coming down, but that’s just preference.

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retired jerry
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Re: Macks Canyon to mouth of Deschutes backpack - good or bad idea?

Post by retired jerry » April 4th, 2023, 3:57 pm

I've only done Deschutes out and back from both ends. Great hike. The eastern oregon desert landscape is different but nice in it's own way. I've seen a lot of boaters put their boats in at Mack's (or further upstream) and shuttle the truck and boat trailer down to the Columbia. I have not seen any service though.

Deschutes is nice when it's rainy - east of cascades and lower elevation result in much less rain.

In May it may be hot.

I've done the wild Rogue loop. There are two crossings at the beginning near Tucker Flat. Not dangerous but my boots got wet. I've not seen bears but I've had several ticks - use permethrin on your clothes. They say there are bears especially towards the west. No drinking water after those two crossings until the trail loops back to the Rogue.

I've done both of those in May. Or Badger Creek, Mill Creek. or the beach of the Olympic Peninsula.

mayonnaiserat
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Re: Macks Canyon to mouth of Deschutes backpack - good or bad idea?

Post by mayonnaiserat » June 22nd, 2023, 9:23 am

Hey there! Welcome to the group! It sounds like you’re planning a really cool backpacking trip with your Dad! Hikes along the Deschutes sound amazing. I’ve never done either Macks to the mouth or vice versa, but I’m sure there’s plenty of people around here who have.I don’t think it’d be a bad idea to drive two cars and park one at each location and then hike, or to call a shuttle, but it’s probably best to check around and get advice from folks who have already tried it. Good luck!

mayonnaiserat
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Re: Macks Canyon to mouth of Deschutes backpack - good or bad idea?

Post by mayonnaiserat » June 22nd, 2023, 9:55 am

depending on your preferences and weather conditions, exploring alternative routes might also be worth considering.

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