Miles: 3 miles of hiking trails, 7 miles of biking, together 10+ miles of snowshoeing trails
Elevation Gain/Highest: 450ft/4490ft
Map: State Park Map, Caltopo
Favorite Eats After Hike: I Packed A Cooler but picked up a hearty salad at Hazel’s Good Eats in Clarkston, WA.
Find out current conditions and as always, practice Leave No Trace. Pretty please.
Hike details:
Fields Spring is a remote 832 acre state park that lies on traditional Nez Perce territory and is open year round to outdoor recreation and offers views of the Shumaker Creek and Grande Ronde River Canyon, the Blue Mountains and even as far as the Wallowas in Oregon. Many visit during the spring when its rolling meadows are popping with the hues of wildflowers but winter can mean tranquil snow-covered pines and elegant blue and white panoramas for miles.
The park lists 3 miles of hiking trail and 7 for biking but when cloaked in winter’s white, the snowshoeing and skiing possibilities extend to a network of forest roads that weave through the park and beyond. Overnight options include lodges, cabins, teepees and tent spaces. You can read more about the park and current conditions here.
My trip reports:
I stayed in the Tamarack Cabin on the north end of the park so unless noted, all my trips started there on a .2 mile side trail. The Fields Spring North parking lot is about a quarter mile away and the Fields Spring South lot is about a mile away.
2/17/2021, Puffer Butte from Field Springs South, 1.5 miles RT
This was my last day in the park and the weather promised a clearer view from the summit of Puffer Butte! I drove from the Tamarack Cabin after checking out and parked at the Fields Spring South sno-park lot just before 11am.
From here the trail passed in front of the privy and shortly connected with the trail that comes from the Puffer Butte Lodge. There were old ski tracks and a few trees down to be navigated around.
At .15 miles I crossed the trail/road that comes from the Fields Spring North sno-park lot and continued on a narrower trail that began up the contour of the butte. The forest opened up and blue skies beckoned. I could see glimpses of the slopes of Hell’s Canyon to my right. A snow obscured viewing bench presented itself at .3 miles but I had loftier goals.
There were a few trees down over the trail, including one at the short switchback at about .45 miles in. From here the forest continued to thin and views increased. White fluffy clouds floated in the sky and soon passed where I intersected the trail as mentioned in my second trip report below.
I reached where the trail breaks out of the forest and onto the slope below the warming hut at .57 miles. Blue blaze and a wooden sign were nailed to a tree at 4,360ft. Looking ahead, the angle of the slope looked like a lot of work, so I turned up at the treeline to meet where I had come down from the hut on my first trip.
I was soon at the warming hut at .68 miles and 4,450ft and once again I had it to myself! The panoramic views out into Idaho and Oregon were striations of blue and white topped with puffy clouds like whipped cream on a sundae.
I did not stay at the hut as long as Monday because I had plans to drive through Pullman and do a short hike up Kamiak Butte. I could see from the edge of the butte as I looked down at Puffer Peak, a cairn and post that I guessed marked the official switchback in the trail I could see on GAIA so I headed down the gentle slope to check it out.
The marker did, indeed, show where to turn and head down to where the trail follows into the forest, I could see the blue diamond on the tree. It was not nearly as far as I had imagined when I first arrived so I opted to just cross down from here. If the avalanche risk is high, one would want to be careful on this short section.
My trip out was uneventful and I was down to the car by 12:30pm.
2/17/2021, Larch Loop, 2.1 miles RT
I rose early today so I could get in this short loop before checking out of the cabin. I was hoping with the slightly better weather forecast I might have some views across SR 129 and Rattlesnake Creek towards the ridges and swales at the base of Anatone Butte.
Starting out from the back of the cabin 7:30ish on the short side spur, I met the trail up from the Fields Spring North sno-park lot at .2 miles and made a right on the Grande Ronde, arriving at the junction for the Larch Loop on the right at .4 miles. The trail started out relatively flat and I had my eye out for its namesake tree. I spotted a few in the first 500 feet of the loop and came to what looked like a possible viewpoint at .7 miles into my walk. Leaving the loop, I walked out and peered through the clouds and across to the closer slopes on the other side.
Back on the established trail and continuing on where I thought it would go (based on GPS and the park map), I was surprised to find it not going where it should and in another third of a mile I came out of the forest into a level area that was obviously a pullout in its warmer season life.
The view was not much better here than before and there were still just a few larches to be found so I continued on the main trail, eventually meeting up with the Grand Ronde again at 1.2 miles from the cabin (making the loop itself about .8 miles). Remembering the possible viewpoint to the west a short distance, I turned right. I was not giving up!
In another tenth of a mile, I reached the gate and open meadow area. I could see some lightly cloaked views in between the trees, so I decided to walk down across the snow to see if I could find a viewpoint a little further down the slope. Still not a lot of larches to be found and I didn’t really find much, mostly because the clouds had thickened and seemed to be threatening snow. After a few days in the park, it seemed that this side did not have as dry of weather as the east side. By the time I was walking back up the slope, my jackets was covered with light snow pellets.
Making my way back on the Grande Ronde to the cabin, the snow tapered off and the skies once again had the promise of views. Oh well, I’ll be back on another day for what this side of the park promises. I arrived back at the cabin about 9:15am, this time having come in through the campground and past the tubing hill near the cabin.
2/16/2021, Puffer Butte Loop, 5.1 miles RT
This loop promised to be the “big” day with descriptions (and park staff) saying it would come in at 7 miles. The weather was again not forecasted as great but I didn’t think anything was going to beat yesterday’s views anyway so it was all about enjoying the journey.
Once again starting out from the cabin, I reached the Fields Spring North sno-park lot at 7:30am and .4 miles. I turned in on a narrow path at the trailhead marked for Puffer Butte which soon brought me onto the wider Ponderosa Trail heading towards the Puffer Butte Lodge and Fields Spring South sno-park lot with a left turn. I passed signs for the Butte Climb and archery warnings, eventually intersecting with the Corral trail to Morning Song and beyond that I had been on the last two trips.
It didn’t look like anyone had been out on the trail since I was here yesterday, a light coat of snow blanketed any tracks. In a half mile I was at the Corral viewpoint and took shelter under a ponderosa to take off a layer and snack. The slopes of the Grande Ronde River Canyon were muted and I could barely make out the tip of Puffer Peak. The landscape made me think of polar sand dunes with scrappy grasses jutting out of the snow for air.
Leaving the state park property, I traveled on the wide trail and passed where I had turned onto the meadow for Puffer Peak and around the curve in the southern slope of Puffer Butte. The wind was biting here and I momentarily regretted taking off a layer but overall I was still warm so I pushed on knowing it would fade. Plus, I was breaking trail and trying not to work up a sweat in these conditions.
On my right were distinctive ponderosas with their long needles sheathed in ice and to my left I could see out into the folds of the Grande Ronde canyons and across at Black Butte and Rye Ridge. Tiny patches of blue skies teased and at 2.15 miles in I could see down into at the river snaking along.
From here the trail began its trek north with wide virgin meadows of snow and pockets of trees to navigate. At 2.4 miles there was a fork where the Corral Trail ends and I took the right to keep with the loop and onto Grande Ronde. It was obvious at this point it was not going to be 7 miles in its entirety, so when I arrived at a confusing junction at 2.9 miles I had a decision to make. There was a Y and according to GAIA I was off the main trail to the east so I thought maybe I had missed something I needed to correct to the west.
So I did by heading down and onto what could have been the main trail, but ended up being a nice little .7 mile tangent loop through side roads and waist deep powder before I made my way back to that same junction. It wasn’t all for loss as there was a viewpoint half way through that looked out over SR 129. I was getting my exercise for sure.
Once again on the Grande Ronde Trail, I was in the forest and passing through several gates that marked the return to the state park at 3.8 miles into my trip (here is where you start subtracting .7 miles for just the Puffer Loop). Still breaking trail, it made the short miles I had come so far seem much more.
At 4.6 miles, the trail briefly broke out of the trees to a pullout area and I imagined it must have a view of some kind when there is no cloud cover. I was not far from the cabin and planned to return there tomorrow if the weather was improved.
I passed through another gate and the first intersection with the Larch Loop and Mountain View Trail appeared at 4.7 miles, the second at almost 4.9. I was soon back at my spur trail to the cabin, making for a 5.1 mile trip door to door.
2/15/2021, Puffer Butte and Peak, 6 miles RT
The weather today was forecasted at 90% chance of snow, so I left the cabin at 7:30am with little hopes of views and big hopes of snow to plow through as I headed around the back of the cabin on a spur trail with a plethora of blue diamonds and a sign for the Butte Trail that connected me with the beginning of the Grande Ronde in .2 miles.
From here I crossed the wide trail and continued to another junction with the Mountain View Trail in .4 miles. I turned left and soon came to a sign for the much narrower Puffer Butte Trail on the right (a blue diamond and no horses sign). So far there had been no groomed trail but I imagined the wider ones would see it at some point. Nordic skiers would have to be pretty hardy around here.
The trail gained about 300 feet and at 1 mile in and 4,430 it leveled out somewhat and crossed the wider road twice where it snakes around the butte. The summit was at 4,481ft and 1.3 miles with the trail continuing another .15 miles to reach the warming hut. I was completely socked in but drawn to the empty cabin and the possibility of a wood fired stove.
The warming hut was spacious and stocked with cut logs, most just a bit large for the size of the stove. I managed to find a few smaller ones and with kindling plus an old Clarkston/Lewiston phone book, I soon had a meager fire started. I had the cabin to myself for a short time before a lovely couple on skis joined me. Donning masks, we visited for awhile, they were in a camper van down at the campground and would be the only people overnighting in the park I would see my entire time here.
After about an hour in the hut, taking pictures of the ice crystals on the windows and signing the guest register, I used the privy outside and made my way out on the slope in front of the hut where a sign that pointed for the lodge took off in a different direction than the one I had come. I could see on GAIA that the trail switchbacked and headed down towards the Corral Trail where I had been yesterday so I thought I could cut into the trees and might it part way down.
I was only off trail a short time before I did intersect it about .2 miles from the hut and 2 miles into my trek, turning left and it down. Somewhere around 4,260ft and 2.15 miles in, I could see on GAIA I was directly above the viewpoint off the Corral Trail from yesterday and I once again opted to go off trail here and head through the trees straight down . I could tell I was not the first to do so, there were several pieces of flagging as I wove through the branches and snow covered downed trees 200ft and a tenth of a mile to reach the Corral Trail. If you want to connect with the Corral Trail at the viewpoint without the bushwacking, it is roughly half mile down to the sno-park lot and .3 miles back on the Corral Trail to get to the same spot.
From here, I turned right and in a few feet I was at the junction for the side trail out to the viewpoint. To my wonder, the skies were clearing and I could see across at the terracette steps etched into the folds of the Schumaker Creek Canyon below and on the other side. Looking back and up, I could see Puffer Butte was still in the clouds.
After standing in the beauty of it all, I glanced south and noticed a peak rising out of the forested hillside. Hmmm…
Back out onto the Corral Trail, I turned left and traveled the brief .2 miles to the viewpoint where the state park boundary ends at an actual corral. The landscape continued to open up as the clouds were slowly dispersing. The peak closer now, it looked like it would be easy to obtain.
From here, I crossed through the corral and kept on a road that rose gently as it circumnavigated the base of Puffer Butte. In about .3 miles (3.2 into the trek), the road opened up to a large meadow towards the peak. Leaving the Corral Trail, I made my way diagonally towards the south side and a possible viewpoint below the peak first.
At 3.45 miles, I was gazing across and down into the Grande Ronde Valley with blue skies above and low clouds hovering below. The Wallowas were obscured and I could see the base of the Blue Mountains to my right. I don’t think I have ever seen anything quite like it!
A few more zig zags and I was at the summit of Puffer Peak at 3.7 miles and 4,220ft around noon. From here, I could see 360 degrees to add the Schumaker Creek Valley and a glance back at just now clearing Puffer Butte. The sun was warm and wind minimal which meant the survey marker and some of the rocky summit were exposed. The surrounding hills spread out before me for infinity.
For a brief moment as I was eating a snack and rehydrating, the clouds below parted and I could see down into the winding creek on its way to drain into the Grande Ronde. I could imagine what it might look like on a clearer day.
Leaving, I plotted a more direct course down the side of the peak along the treeline to connect with the corral at 4.25 miles. The drifts were deep but once out of the trees there was a faint road that made for more level navigating.
I reached the Fields Spring South sno-park lot at just under 5 miles and had a decision to make: do I keep in the snow and follow the Ponderosa Trail back towards the north lot and cabin or do I take the snowshoes off and just walk the distance on the road. The road won and I arrived back at the cabin with a total of 6 miles for the day.
2/14/2021, Morning Song and Viewpoint from Fields Spring South Lot, 1.3 miles RT
Arriving at check in time in the afternoon, I had just a little time before sunset so I drove over to the Fields Spring South sno-park lot and headed south on the Corral Trail towards the Morning Song Trail. The trail was wide and had some tracks from earlier skiers and snowshoers. There was just one car in the lot.
The junction for Morning Song was at .15 miles and I took a left at the Y. The trail narrowed briefly but then soon broke out onto an open area overlooking the Schumaker Creek Canyon and surrounding hills at .25 miles. The low clouds obscured most of the view but I could see the yellow grass poking out of the wavy slope below dotted with pine trees.
Noticing the icon for a viewpoint just a little bit further up the Corral Trail, I finished the loop and turned left on the Corral Trail at .5 miles to continue south. There was a piece of pink flagging on a tree at .7 miles and I turned onto virgin snow through the trees to the left.
Navigating through some bramble and a downed tree, I headed out onto ridge that extended further than the viewpoint of Morning Song. Admittedly, I didn’t have a better view because of the weather but it seemed the spot allowed for gazing further south.
I returned back from here to the sno-park lot with the track coming to 1.3 miles total. With it now being almost 4pm, it was perfect for having time to return to my cabin and explore a bit there too before settling down for the night.
Directions: From Clarkston, WA, follow SR 129 S and signs for Asotin/Anatone for 39 miles. Asotin is the last place to fuel up before the park. After Anatone, the entrance to the park is on the left in 4 miles, pay attention as the sign for it is just past the actual turn. Taking the left off 129 onto Park Road, continue for a half mile. You can continue straight to the Fields Spring South parking lot in half a mile or turn right into the main area of the park. Ignoring an immediate right, you will come to a 3-way intersection: a left goes to the campground and Fields Spring north parking lot, straight to the ranger’s office and a right to the cabins and tubing hill. A Discover Pass is needed during the regular season and a Sno-Park Pass in the winter.
992 Park Road
Anatone, WA 99401
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