Black Canyon

Hikes: D.
Total Distance, D: 3 miles.
Difficulty: Levels I, II.
Season: March 15-June 25.
USGS Maps: Little Lost River Sinks, *Tyler Peak.
BLM 100K Map: Circular Butte.
Dirt Road Miles: 2 gravel, 1 good dirt.
PLSS Location: Section 5, T6N R30E.

Introduction: Ten thousand years ago, as the last Ice Age came to a close, the Eastern Snake River Plain was a vastly different place. Glacial meltwaters, cut off from the Snake by lava flows, created Lake Terreton, which covered a big chunk of the Plain. (Mud Lake, Roberts Lake, and the various Lost River Sinks are the modern-day remnants of Lake Terreton.) Abundant groundwater and snowmelt made today's intermittent streams flow year around. Short, intense summer thaws washed alluvium out of mountains and deposited it in fans. And at the southern end of the Lemhi Range, Man lived.
  One of the major post-glacial settlements was in the Black Canyon Wilderness Study Area near Howe. Several factors combine to make this a major archaeological site. South-facing slopes attracted wildlife in winter, while nearby north slopes fed them in summer. Streams provided reliable water and Lake Terreton provided fish. And above all, limestone caves and hollows provided shelter from wind, rain, and cold. The population at Black Canyon seems to have fluctuated between 50 and 150--a large number for the Northern Rockies. These people left their mark in red ocher paintings which can still be seen on cave walls.
There are several canyons you can hike in this WSA. The main hike takes you up Box Canyon, which offers easy hiking along a very poor road, and the chance of a challenging Level II loop. You should also visit Jacknife Cave.

The Hike: Hike the way that leads up Box Canyon. Conservationists have repeatedly asked the BLM to close this road, but it refuses. Before entering the canyon walls, look back at Howe valley and imagine a vast lake between the alluvial fan at your feet and the black arc of volcanic vents in the distance. Ancient man must have enjoyed many beautiful sunsets from this point.
  After a short hike, the trail bears to the left and the canyon closes in. There are some caves with writing to the left; a short scramble takes you to them. These writings are pictographs, in contrast to the petroglyphs you find elsewhere in this book. The caves here were prime residences, occupied continuously by leaders. Other caves with less shelter, longer climbs from water, and poorer access to the canyon mouth were occupied by persons with lesser status, sometimes only during population expansions.
  From here, you have two options. You can continue up the canyon as far as you like, exploring as many side canyons as you wish. Or, you can push up the canyon past the end of the road and hike a loop that, while climbing 2000 feet above the canyon entrance, still leaves you 4000 feet below Saddle Mountain, queen of the southern Lemhis.
  If you stay in the canyon, you climb through the "Gates of the Lemhis" (nice ring to that, huh?), a manifestation of the contorted geology of the range's southern end. Above here you leave the limestone found at the entrance. Caves become less frequent, and the pictographs stop. But you get a compensating reward: side canyons, mostly to the left, beckon the adventurous. Somehow, in spite of the grazing pressure this area receives, there are areas with relict vegetation and antelope to be explored.
  If you hike the loop, you'll finally reach the end of the road (D1), and find yourself in a steep grassy valley that contrasts strongly with the rock below. Climb to the right up a comparatively gentle side canyon, and you'll eventually reach the ridgeline and Hill 7194 (W1). This is the crest of the lower Lemhis. Follow it downhill to the southeast, until you cross the faint jeep road that heads down Jacknife Canyon. Hike down the road to the right (south), and when you come out of the canyon, hike to the right to your car.
  The Jacknife Cave area (D2) is worth exploring. The main cave was excavated long ago, and has since been utterly abused. Nevertheless, it and the area around it provide inspiring hiking, as you search for secondary nooks and crannies.

Access: Start at the main (the only?) intersection in Howe, where ID-22/33 turns 90 degrees. Drive 2 1/2 miles east on the highway, and turn left on a road that soon becomes paved (W2). Drive north 3 miles and turn right (east). After 1 mile turn left (north). After a long mile the gravel road ends at a junction next to a gravel pit (W3). For Box Canyon, bear right on a good dirt road. The Wilderness Study Area boundary is a short mile up the road (T1). Please don't drive up the canyon! For Jacknife Cave, drive to the gravel pit junction and turn right on a poor dirt road. After 3/4 mile bear left on the road to Jacknife Canyon. Park after 1 1/2 miles (T2).