Backpack - Ancient Lakes and the Columbia River

This is a beauty desert area with great scenery.  There are a few trees along the waterways, but other than that it is open sagebrush and rock countryside.   Both camps are located on the Columbia River and are quite scenic.  The key will be securing good weather for the trip.  High temperature average in the 50s this time of year and lows in the 30s.  It could be warmer or colder.  If the weather is uncomfortably cold during the day or raining  a lot the trip will be canceled or changed to another location if possible. Bring extra warms clothes, long underwear, gloves and hats in layer for the cold evenings and mornings.  We will be making fires both to stay warmer and to seek to stay up an hour or two after dark to shorten the long nights in the tent.  Sunrise will be about   7:04 AM and sunset about  7:14 PM.  We will plan to get up at first light, about 6:45 AM, each day and stay up by a fire as late as folks want--likely between 8-8:30 PM.  Bring reading material, music, podcasts, movies for your time in the tent if desired.   Please bring earbuds for the sound.

Here is the approximate route:  https://www.gaiagps.com/public/NuSKUq8nWNFsbrxruQsg2ptn/

This is a Leader's Permission Only trip.  Please answer these four questions/concerns.

1)  Are you are okay and comfortable with easier off-trail travel through open sagebrush countryside?  

2) There are two steep sections of trail on day one.  There are not dangerous, but not easy.  Are you comfortable with traversing steeper rocky slopes?

3)  If I haven't backpacked with you before. Please tell me about your experience that shows me you can do this trip--28 miles, 4,200' of total gain.  

4)  Please tell me what activities you have been doing over the winter that would demonstrate that you are in good conditioning to do this very early season trip.

Thanks.  Rob