Season that is. Mix in a smattering of golden and reddish aspens amid the deep greens of the conifers contrasted w/ the straw colored dried grasses w/ jagged mtn peaks w/ riding comfort temps and nobody to compete w/ and this is tops. Beats New England fall. I like the west the best and Idaho has a big mamoo on fall season.
Spent last weekend and Monday on the Stanley side of Galena Summit.
On my way over I stopped @ Galena Summit lodge to say Hello to Don S., one of the original Hugh Ass race team from Harrisonburg, VA. Team mates included Tim from Shenandoah Bike company. The previous weekend Steve and Morgan from IMBA trail care crew visited for trail school.
Mark Driver laid out an over the top ride that would be too much for me. However his gang was camping up on Fourth of July road this side of Stanley but close enough for me to share a camp with on Sat night. My breathing is bothering me making the ride just too big. I hung around listening to the big boy riders talking. Catch this: 4th of July creek rd leaves rt 55 @ 6841′ and goes for 10 miles to TH @ 8786′. On the way down Sunday I timed the descent in my van @ 40 mins. I stopped 2x to take pics but the time still captures how rough the rd was.
Our camp was just beyond the TH parking lot. Almost as soon as we arrived it started raining. I opened up my awning creating shelter. The last 2 times I have been w/ Mark it rained and my awning sheltered us. The skies would clear momentarily then close in for light rain. We were treated w/ a rainbow. We could see to the west down creek that the clouds were not heavy, the rain clouds were stacking up against the peaks above us a spilling their load. One last dump then the rest of the evening was clear. Chip brought Samores makings. I broke the handle for my awning leaving it fully extended. Oh crap! How to crank it closed? I gripped the handle w/ my leatherman pliers and proceeded to turn to the left almost the proverbial 100 times to finally crank it closed. I was soo woosie from spinning but the awning was closed.
Sun AM was foggy and chilly. My plan was to ride Potato mtn above Stanley. I left those guys getting ready for their ride. The further down the road I drove the drier the ground was.
I stopped in Stanley @ the bakery for a treat b4 my ride. I drove a short distance up Basin creek b4 I found a spot to park. Only person around. Geared up then pedaled up rd to Kelley Creek junction, my first water crossing. My feet were dry, the creek looked like it was below my bearings; I pedaled in. The h20 was deeper than my bearings so I bailed off, not bailing out my soaked shoes, that’s what the mesh material is for. A series of logging roads both open and deserted lead me to start of ST up Stanley creek. I broke out into massive meadows in fall array. I became a leaf peeper and mtn bike rider secondarily:
Trail crossed meadow and picked up Little Basin creek going w/ the flow I arrived @ junction of Basin Creek that I crossed several more times knee deep washing out my shoes. Nice more easy ride of 20 miles w/ 1900′ climbing.
Mark told me of a hot spring right outside of Stanley that I found. I soaked for 20 mins long enough for beads of sweat to drip down my brow. I cooled off in the Salmon river right next to the pool. I visited the “town”(?) of Stanley. Tourist season is over for the masses.
I then drove up river to Decker flats primitive camping area almost across the Salmon from 4th of July rd. All by myself.
Monday i drove a short distance to Williams Creek TH, the start of Fisher creek ride. The skies were threatening as supported by a weather forecast I caught in Stanley. Dark cumulus appeared to be dropping black veils that I perceived as rain but none hit the ground. I added a spare wool long underwear top and rain coat to my Wingnut pack and headed up hill against a strengthening breeze. 2.3 miles of pavement riding around brown splatters of old west cattle round up using modern highway as their cattle trail. Aspens were turning from green to golden and orange as per the first picture. 8 miles of climbing gravel road brought me to the start of the ST. This area was burned several years ago.
The trail tread is decomposed granite that is loose. The first part of the trail was new to me then it joined the trail piece I rode last year w/ Mark & Chip on the Ants Basin ride. Most of the ride was in the old burn.
Made it back b4 rain. Drove down to Redfish Lake lodge for a shower then drove back over Galena summit to Prairie creek for camp. I found a deserted but well used spot almost on the creek. The clouds were threatening rain. I washed my bike and greased the bushings then covered the bikes in anticipation of pending rain. I was not disappointed as several shower lines moved thru. My roof vent still leaked in a different place from my Sat patching.
Which brings me to a wet Tuesday in Hailey. I Hung @ Chip’s shop visiting, he told me of his Sunday ride and I shared my rides. Between us my Chris King Bottom bracket was greased.
The UPS driver, father of the only POW in Afghanistan, delivered the new issue of Bike Mag. I thumbed thru an issue and found an article about Dean w/ pictures taken in Sedona. Dean is a living character. On my first ride in Sedona we finished up a hot ride. We were both running out of h2o. Dean said riding in the desert you need to know where your h2o sources and he was going to show me one. I thought we were going to drop into a wash to a hidden spring, how cool would that be? Instead we rode to a building that had an outside drinking fountain. You gotta know where your h2o sources are.
Today was a rest day. Clouds cleared while I was @ Chip’s. He said I should be out riding because the rain has wetted the trails and riding would be primo. I stayed to my rest. Sucker hole as rain fell off and on during riding light. Tomorrow I will seek a bigger sucker hole. Forecast is for precip till Fri sunshine. I will weather the rain here looking forward to this weekend’s riding.
I applied more sealant to the roof vent during a dry spell today. So far no leaks.
Off to Democrat gulch for the night. No clay in the dirt here to turn to muck.
