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Big Foot Horse Corrals-Succor Creek Leslie Gulch Area

6K views 24 replies 6 participants last post by  admiral 
#1 ·
Ride Invite.

Planning on going camping and riding the TW's this upcoming Saturday afternoon, staying overnight and riding Sunday. Not sure of our exact camp spot as of yet but have 2 thoughts in and around the area we're gonna ride. Succor Creek State Park Campground along Succor Creek or **** Gulch just off Leslie Gulch road.

My plan is to ride down to Big Foot Horse Trap Corrals and hike/find some geocaches I've missed in the past. Also, ride Leslie Gulch road and possibly try to find the Steamboat Ridge Horse Trap Corral and geocache. Succor Creek and Leslie Gulch roads are the only roads I can guarantee are easy. The others are 2 tracks of varying degree of difficulty with some washouts and ruts quite possible. Sand not a big factor, but sometimes loose dirt can be. I also plan on doing some hiking where ever we camp at and at Big Foot Horse Corral.

If anyone is interested in riding or camping let me know and I'll try to decide on a spot. If I don't hear from anyone, then our camp area will be where ever we end up, meaning we'll drive around until we find a place.

Big Foot Horse Trap Corrals




**** Gulch


Succor Creek area
 
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#5 · (Edited)
Wish I lived closer for I would surely be up for this ride. Looks like it will be a lot of fun.
I've learned that Subways travel well and make for good TW trailside rations on those rocky Sierra rides, especially when wrapped as two halves.
I've also learned that their little potato chip bags don't fare nearly as well.:(
 
#6 ·
I'm still thinking about it....you know me, never make a decision until the last minute. If I did come, I would want to camp at Succor Creek so I don't have to drag the Aliner all the way to ****. Or I might bring the Grizzly too and tent camp if Louise wants to come. Latest forecast remains real good, sunny and highs in the 70's.
 
#7 ·
I'm still thinking about it....you know me, never make a decision until the last minute. If I did come, I would want to camp at Succor Creek so I don't have to drag the Aliner all the way to ****. Or I might bring the Grizzly too and tent camp if Louise wants to come. Latest forecast remains real good, sunny and highs in the 70's.
Succor Creek is my first choice. Mainly because I want to do some early morning hiking on the other side of the bridge. You use to be able to ride over there and I was hoping to do that one day, but the it's closed to motorized traffic now, or at least crossing the bridge is. One day I'd like to see how close I can get to Succor Creek coming from the east on this road.

**** is easy to get to, just farther. I'll only go to **** if Succor Creek is over populated. We gotta have our privacy and space.
 
#9 ·
Thanks for the heads up. Now I won't feel too bad if we end up at **** or some other "hard to describe" place we changed too. If you were coming I would've tried real hard to stay at Succor Creek. Who know's we could get luck campground population wise.

Something for you to consider as it's closer to your home turf this summer. This July, we think (before the fires :eek:), we are planning on a ride with Bodi, and because of travel distance for him, we decided the Stanley area as opposed to Elk City again or Burgdorf. My thought is the Cape Horn area because there are some easier ATV trails and the F.S. roads to Pinyon Canyon Lookout to Loon Creek. I've ridden our Mules on some of the motorcycle accessible trails and some of them are beyond my TW riding ability so I'll stick to some of the known easier stuff. Maybe even a loop ride coming out to Sunbeam. It's also possible we could camp north of Custer near 8 Mile Creek Rd (if this is exactly what it's called).

Just planting the seed for you or anyone else which may be interested later this summer.

Have fun with the voles and dead grass! Eeks!
 
#11 ·
#12 ·
But, this group also thought it was ok to ride downstream from Priest Ranch on Wee's Bar along the Snake River (the petroglyph area) west of Swan Falls Dam. I mentioned it to them and I think they altered their plan. I met Foolhardy at Hemingway Butte a few years ago and he's a good guy and wouldn't post a ride in a non-motorized area knowingly but mistakes can happen.

I rode in the burned area east of Succor Creek last fall when they opened it up so been open since the burn. I did read the BLM wanted to close some of it but this doesn't make sense since you stay on the roads and trails already and wouldn't do any damage.

I surely hope you're right and there isn't a no motorized sign but it doesn't look good according to this Oregon State Parks Website. Succor Creek State Natural Area - Oregon State Parks and Recreation

The Succor Creek Bridge in Succor Creek State Natural Area is open to pedestrians. The bridge is not open to vehicles or ATVs.
 
#13 ·
We found Succor Creek C.G. completely full and so was every spot on Succor Creek road from Hwy 201 to the campground. We camped a couple miles past the campground towards but not past Leslie Gulch turn off in a big open field...all to ourselves.

We road the old 2 tracks to Steamboat Ridge Horse Trap & Geocache and 3 Finger Horse Trap, the one we visited. We could see the road to 3 Finger Horse Trap from high up on Steamboat Ridge. Found the geocaches I couldn't when we rode together at the 3 Finger Horse Trap and the one in the cave like structure we took a break at. We also saw wild horses, maybe more wild horses, and lots of cows. Some calves were extremely young. We didn't bet back to our truck until about 6:30 but since you didn't know where we were at we missed.

It was a Great Day for a ride it was. Hope you had fun even though you had to back track a little. Mrs. Admiral did great on Wilbur and said it even sounds better after the engine repair. That was good to hear. She's riding pretty good on the steep 2 tracks with all the ruts, washouts, sand, and loose rocks. No falls!
 
#14 ·
The Ride. Spent a nice spring day riding in Eastern Oregon Leslie Gulch and Succor Creek areas. Logged a few geocaches and saw two old stone corral horse traps. We also saw some wild horses and some maybe wild horses. A large group was very friendly to be wild and had two draft horses with them, but there isn't a ranch in miles. Could be wild horses now but we aren't sure. The other group of 4 was wild horses.

Though we posted this out so folks could join us, we apparently scared everyone off


and it ended up just being the 3 of us.


Where we went...alone...just the 3 of us!


Moving evidence we rode the ride!


Finding Succor Creek Campground overrun with people & machines, and since no one else was joining us, we continued on down the road until we found a nice quite place to camp.

(note: OSHD Control Monument is what Oregon Highway Dept. marked as the roadway right-of-way. In this case Succor Creek rd. circa 1970)

After setting up camp, we rode a seldom used trail leading to a dead end overlooking Succor Creek with views of the canyon


The view on the other side of the canyon.




Succor Creek down yonder.




We then headed south on Succor Creek rd to Leslie Gulch rd and found a geocache I couldn't find the last time riding here a couple years ago with forum member old w/2 many guns & bikes.


Found it this time


Didn't have anything fun in it besides coupons but at least I found it!


As we got closer back to camp we ran across a small herd of wild horses. Nice surprise!


Small group of four horses


They wanted to keep their distance but didn't run away scared or anything


We'll see them tomorrow afternoon in about the same spot on the way back to camp after the day's ride. Adios!


To be continued
 
#15 ·
Succor Creek ride continued

Early the next morning I take my morning camp hike and soak in the views


It was still a little frosty at 0800


I'll let the photo's do the talking










Couldn't help it...we took Georgie!


I think they killed it. Or maybe the sign is just dying a slow death from being shot by those sharp shoot'in hooligans


This benchmark was near one of the OSHD right-of-way Monument Control signs


Early Haloween?




To be continued
 
#16 ·
Succor Creek ride continued.

Oh oh! I've been spotted by the Oregon Air Force. Despite posing as two riders with a dog, camper, and horse trailer, I guess posting my intentions on the forum was intercepted.


Our first destination is to ride out to the end of Steamboat Ridge and see the old horse traps and geocache...I hope!


Looking west towards Owyhee Reservoir from high above


Mrs. Admiral is loving the recently repair Wilbur engine.


Georgie's so glad we brought her. You can tell by the big smile she's wearing


After about a four mile ride we arrive at the horse trap


The builders used the natural rock formations and filled in the spaces with smaller rocks and fencing




A cliff is just to the right of these fence panels laying down.


Later we found the geocache at the horse trap


This one was way better than the one found last night. I took a football bottle opener and left a "Pirate Patch"!


After the picture taking and geocache finding was over, we ate lunch here then backtracked on the ridge to ride down Craig Gulch to the 3 Finger Gulch Horse Trap.

To be continued
 
#17 ·
I know you posted those Geocache's just for me Kris... :D I like those... Thanks. +1+1 ;)
 
#19 ·
As Ray Stephenson's you to say in his song's, "yeah I did"! :p

I don't always post the geocaches in the ride reports, but since you like to see them I'll post them when I remember!
 
#18 ·
Succor Creek ride continue. 3 Finger Gulch.

Spot a neat rock formation on the way down the gulch


Great views of the straight up cliff face at the parking area


After a short hike up the creek bed, we arrive at the 3 Finger Gulch Horse Trap.


I did find the geocache in one of the walls of the horse trap but don't have a photo available


From the picture above, we walked back to the parking area and then down the canyon to scope out a cave. There is also a geocache here but you can't get an even close gps coordinate
as it's hard to receive a signal in these steep, narrow, and tall canyon walls.

Can you see Georgie in the back of the cave? She blends in.


Cave entrance or exit depending on where you're standing.:p


Well, it's late in the day and time to head back. On the way near upper saddle butte reservoir, I spot what I think is a big herd of wild horses.


We're thinking these "wild horses" look pretty good to be wild horses.


Kind of odd to see a "Team" of Draft Horses wild horses isn't it? I figg'ered these guys were a team as they walked side-by-side most of the time. They looked like brothers, or sisters, or whatever.


Beautiful




There are signs it's possible they might not be wild-wild horses


Taking turns for a little petting action


Mrs. Admiral is definitely the horse whisper of us. Georgie don't whisper and I look too big to be friendly I guess as they keep there distance from me.




If these animals belong to someone, there isn't a ranch in mile and miles from here. They's be hard to find but from our encounter not to hard to catch!


I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine!




I think this is the horses "nodding goodbye" to us. Time for us to move on. Thanks for being so nice horses!


And so this ending another weekend ride for us. It was a good day to ride. Until next time!
 
#20 ·
Thanks bro... :icon_salut: I'm so curious, I find them fascinating, no matter what is in them. :D
 
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#25 ·
Funny thing about the tree's or lack thereof out here. Even on this ride, every so often you could see a single tree out in the middle of nowhere. Guess one of the wild horses must have pooped a Juniper seed in that spot once upon a time!
 
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