Freezeout Saddle
- Moderate (to Freezeout Saddle)
- 5.6 miles round trip
- 1950 feet elevation gain
- Open early May through November
- Use: hikers, horses
- Difficult (to Summit Ridge)
- 11.9-mile loop
- 3470 feet elevation gain
The lowest point on the Oregon rim of Hells Canyon, this surprisingly balmy saddle is usually free of snow a month before Hat Point (Hike #45). As a result, equestrians and backpackers prefer the Saddle Creek Trail through Freezeout Saddle as a more reliable, and better graded, route to the Snake River. For a day hike here, climb to the views at Freezeout Saddle or continue on a difficult loop through the wildflower meadows of Summit Ridge.
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This chapter taken from the book 100 Hikes/Travel Guide: Eastern Oregon.