Idaho/Montana 2014
Day 6
August 29th, 2014

Day 6 would take us Burgdorf Hot Springs to our cabin in Lowell, Idaho.

 

This day was highly anticipated for me -----as I knew we were going to at least 2 places I knew were going to be spectacular.
One is the switch backs you see below---just North of Burgdorf Hot Springs and they go right down to the Salmon River.

 

 

 

Yeh---that's what they looked like on the gps. I had a waypoint named "Awesome Switchbacks"----------and yes they were.

 

 

 

 

 

Right down to the Salmon river on a dirt road.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And right down the road towards Riggins, Idaho I knew there was a neat old suspension bridge over the Salmon river----and there it is.

 

 

It's called the "Manning" bridge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I found 2 more down the road a bit----------both privately built and owned ----to a private residence.
What pisses me off about this is-------------- it's not mine.

 

 

We were low on gas and breakfast-----and had a late breakfast in Riggins which was a few miles off the way I wanted to go---but it had to be done.

 

 

 

 

Next up was to find the old ghost town of Florence---and I was worried about finding it---and for good reason.
This was all that was left---and the little dirt roads getting there were so small and in lush forest I couldn't see them on google earth
and wondered if they existed at all ?????????.
But we found our way thru with no problem.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These dirt roads went everywhere in here---but I picked thru them like I knew them with the back of my hand.
My buddies probably thought I was good--------------but lord knows I ain't know Dingweeds.

 

 

We went straight North from Florence and yes--------it was awesome.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We gassed up and ate in Elk City and I plotted a way to Selway Falls.
Locals and the forest service told me I couldn't get there. Forest fires and closed roads everywhere.
Thing is-------several people from the forest service had different opinions on the whole situation---and we just finally left and went for it.
I was told about this gate--one person said it was closed only to vehicles wider than 50"-------great !!!!
Another said he barely made it thru with his 2-wheeled pick up truck and we'd never make it. He had no clue our bikes would be much
easier--------they tried to help-----------but jeez---give me a break.
One guy even told us nothing had been thru there in at least 8 years.
Me and Dingweeds laughed at that one------we had been thru here 4 years ago on our Mex/Can run !!!

On the way---look who we ran into---what the Heck !!!!!!!
A Damsel in distress held captive by a biker gang----we had to help her !!!!!

 

 

 

As we got closer we didn't know what to think----and I pulled these bad boys over.

 

 

 

I had them blocked in and they couldn't get away--besides I had 2 more horsepower than their 60's model Honda CT90's.
I had smelled burnt oil for 5 minutes before I caught up to them---what oil they weren't leaking was going out the exhaust pipe.

 

 

Seems they weren't so bad after all. They were packed for some serious traveling and had everything they needed for camping.
2 of them worked for the forest service----we had a hoot talking with these guys---they were having more fun than we were.

I was embarassed for my lack of packing skills after looking over these guys machines.

 

Said they didn't need any helmets or fancy riding gear----and when I asked them if they had rain suits they said .........."If it
starts raining we have enough beer that we won't care".
Ok-------never tried that---well maybe I did-----1972.
They each were packing a case of beer.
Oh---the simple life of being young------after leaving these guys we had smiles on our faces the rest of the day.

 

 

 

Your taxpayer dollars at work. This gate was not here 4 years ago.
There was a go around for vehicles less than 50" wide---and we went on waiting for something really bad down the road.

 

 

The 2 little bad spots---were no big deal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We crossed the Selway river on this bridge and headed West to Lowell on a dirt road.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We hadn't had a bath in a while and ended up at this neat place in Lowell----I think it's called "3 Rivers".
It may have been here I started getting pretty sick.

 

 

 

Here is what your face looks like when aren't the leader--------------it is a happy face tho.

 

 

 

And when your the leader.

 

 

Now these guys here were a hoot----I could go on and on about them--they were riding real "Dirt Bikes" on the Tour Of Idaho and told us
stories of tough trails and misery that had us cringing. They had just spent one night sleeping on the ground in the rain without a tent.
There were other stories and I knew there was no way I could hang with these guys.
They asked if they could sleep on our porch and they did.

 

A rough map of our ride today----about 201 miles.

 

Day 6 Video

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 7 August 30th, 2014

Todays ride would take us from our cabin in Lowell, Idaho to Wallace, Idaho where BobBob would meet up with us on his WR250R.

We took paved (sometimes) Hwy. 12 West out of Lowell.

 

 

 

Then North towards "Mex" mountain.

 

 

 

 

 

We would go thru a lot of burned areas today----I've ridden in Idaho a lot and this is very common.

 

 

 

We crossed Dworshak River on "Grandad" Bridge.
Turns out this was Dingweeds old stomping grounds---and he has run his family up and down this lake in their boat when
he lived in Lewiston, Idaho.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The navigation North of there got very problematic---roads not there---roads removed---roads blocked---road moved.
We winged it each time and it never held us up a bit------I just used my sense of direction and it worked out.

 

 

 

Well------Yah-------just what I was thinkin'.

 

 

 

 

 

This deep canyon was very long and deep and blocked our gps's signal a lot---but I smelled my way North.

 

 

 

 

 

Got lost in here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Obviously this was an old railroad grade just South of Wallace, Idaho.

 

 

 

In Wallace, Idaho we went back to our old hangout-----the "Redlight GasStation"
Good times, good food and good friends.
Seems the waitress has Dingweeds in an arm lock !!!
And BobBob has joined us---he caught up to us riding is WR from Ketchum, Idaho all the way to Wallace----he's on the left-----great guy
me and Dingweeds met and rode with on one of the Mobius rides.

 

 

 

I'm a lite drinker---about an average of none to 3 beers a year for me. Got pretty weird in the Redlight Gas Station.

 

 

 

 

A rough map of our ride today----about 217 miles.

Day 7 Video

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 9
September 1st, 2014

 

Today would take us from Wallace, Idaho to Troy, Idaho.
From Wallace we went back over Moon Pass and the Northeast in Montana on a nice twisty dirt road.
There is no Day 8 as took a rest day which worked out very well for a friend to catch up to us and ride with us.
It rained all day that day too-----what luck !!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Lot's of bicycle trails up in here that go thru some of the train tunnels-----some are no-motorized only.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well who's that in the white helmet ?????
That's BobBob---who caught up to us in Wallace as we stayed there for a rest day---and that conicided with a rain day what luck.
Bob's name is Bob------and his name on AdvRider is Bob----------so I have called him BobBob for a few years and it has stuck.
Great guy on a WR250R and he was the oldes of all of us-----but in great shape.
He used to ride a KTM640--but prefers the WR now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm not sure I mentioned it---but I've been pretty sick the last couple of days----I would get by during the day--but at night would
cough all nite long and not get any sleep. It was getting tough for me to continue on and I was afraid I was going to end
up in the emergency room-----------but enough of that for now---but it would halt our plans the next day.

 

 

 

 

 

This was Sylvan Lake---no houses or anything on it.

 

 

 

A deer getting a head bath.
It was here I took us down a road where a sign said it was closed 5 miles down the road.
I never even slowed down and continued on.

 

 

 

 

Found out from a local that the guy on the other side of the gate had overtaken the road and said it was his.
And we were told not to go thru or else. So I found another way around which was nice and
we soldiered on in to Troy where I had to make a decision whether to continue on or not.
It was a hard one--and even if I quit riding----I was at least 2 days from my truck---and another 3 days to drive home.

 

 

 

A rough map of our ride today---about 188 miles.

 

 

 

Day 10 and 11
September 2nd, 2014

 

Well-----my sore throat, fever and really bad cough had gotten the best of me in Troy.
I sadly made the decision to head back to the truck in 3 forks I daho in fear of ending up in the ER.
It wasn't a horrible ride back---which took us 2 days.
As we took paved and un-paved bacroads---and even got on the CDR trail a bit.

 

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