The Owyhee River near Snively Hot Springs.

Do you have what it takes?

The Owyhee Mountains in Southwest Idaho are one of the most beautiful -and challenging- environments for trail running in the lower 48.

It is hot, dry and dusty with temperatures in the high 90s and triple digits in July and August.  Smoke from the summer wildfires raging across the west can make it difficult to breathe. If you can avoid the rattlesnakes, you will have to contend with the weeds and thistle grass. And believe me: you will not be able to avoid that if you dare to venture off trail.

High desert country about 5 miles past Rats Nest Gulch.

But it’s not all heat and sunshine. In the winter, temperatures regularly get down to the teens and lower 20s. And that in some ways is worse than the heat and rattlesnakes. However, with an average yearly snowfall of just 7 inches, running off trail in the Owyhee Front is in other ways even easier in the winter than in the summer. When the desert sand under your feet freezes, it gets compacted, making it easier to grip. You also don’t have to watch for snakes and the weeds aren’t quite as bad.

There are many dirt roads and off road trails that have great scenery and are easy to run on all year long. But for some of us, running on these dirt roads is just not an option. Sure, you can find dirt trails in some places, such as Wilson Creek Trails, but there are often way too many people out on the easy paths. If you’re out there only to be seen, then these paths are fine. Even perfect.

But for those of us who want an adventure, there are other options. There is just something special about finding a deer path and seeing where it leads. To find some of these deer paths, you have to go off trail. Some of the most epic adventures we’ve had started out by running across the open desert, finding a deer path and letting it lead us into the great unknown. We have found rivers, ponds, creeks, canyons, old mines and other structures and miles and miles of dry, open desert.

But this is not an environment you want to venture out in unprepared. We will show you some of the most beautiful and remote country you can run in, but we will also show you the gear we carry. Food, water, first aid and snakebite kits and other emergency and comfort gear.

As I’m sitting here overlooking Succor Creek and the wide open mountains of the Owyhees, I can see miles and miles of mountain ranges. From the highest point in the area, everything looks .ßeso close. But over the past year, I’ve come to know that nothing is as close as it seems. And even with todays technology, danger is always only a slip down this side of the mountain or a rattlesnake bite away. And if you’re not prepared, things can go south in a hurry. So grab your gear, be safe and just look for the guy and the American Bulldog-Pit mix.

We will see you out on the trails. Or the open desert. Or some random mountain top.