May is the perfect time of year to go on a long hike in Hells Canyon. Here's a description of the trip I'm thinking about. (Sorry for the funky link--there's not lots of info online. Description starts on page 219; it's trip number 90.) The loop is 75 miles, and it's rated hard (so please be ready). I'm thinking it'll probably take 7-8 days. You can follow the trail on this map. Ideally I'll leave Wednesday or Thursday this week (May 14 or 15).

Are you interested? Do you have advice/suggestions? Let's get this party started.

I covered about 35 miles of trails last Elk Hunting season.  Very beautiful area.  I didn't spend much time on the river trails, mostly on the high trail and on the finger canyon trails.

I'm planning on heading out there a week or two later. I don't know how long of a loop I will do - there are so many trails connecting the bench trail with the river trail that I figure that I will just see how it goes. With the fires last year, the trails haven't been getting much maintenance, so I don't really know how fast it will go. I'm thinking of 6 days or so.

I did a 5-day one way backpack in Hells Canyon a couple of years ago. Make sure you have good maps and the skill to navigate with map/compass - on my route the trail disappeared frequently. The weather was tricky and we had several very close encounters with coiled rattling rattlesnakes.

Lots of solitude though. Have fun.