Driggs is in the valley. Several trail systems are close by, seems like you can choose what you want to experience on a mountain bike ride. Take this last Friday I rode the way out there the Red creek loop. Drive south to Victor then climb up to Pine Pass, drop down maybe .5 mile to a trail head parking area. This is the wild mountains of the Big Hole. Ride was a lollipop as trail Spooky was the stem, turn right and climb up Corral creek to its divide then drop down a recent reroute for sustainability piece.
The reroute stopped at the Red Creek trail which descends in the creek bottom with several crossings
Trail reminded me much of Deer Creek near Hailey. Trail dead ended into an ATV trail. I was expecting a single track, Trail Forks lacked definition of what the next trail was to be like. Rode the track which was deep talc dust. Single track, heart propelled trail turned left climbing up Corral creek
At a creek crossing this is what I saw peering over the willows:
She and her calf watched me till she had enough then they trotted away up the hill side.
Back country riding experience. I did carry bear spray in an outside pocket. 8.9 miles climbing 1355′ pedaling for 1 1/2 hours.
Spent the night in Pine creek XG.
Sat drove down to Victor to learn about a ride. I had wanted to do something that would have required either highway pedaling or hitch hiking. Shop suggested the Nemo system right at the base of the pass climb. Plan was changed to ride this system. Turns out it is a wonderful pedal trail under deep tree cover except where it crosses a power line. Out and back. The downhills pedal up. The “system” consists of several linked pieces, Rerouting by mix of machine and hand built sections and legacy ridden in pieces. Quite popular, the most riders I have encountered yet. The trails are easy to get to and are good for learning riders, or for sheer enjoyment. 11.9 miles climbing 1325′.
Great sign at far end of trail
Drove back to Driggs. Been hanging at Peaked Sports then over to Royal Wolf for beer and human noise. Spending the nights 10 miles almost straight line from town on Horseshoe creek road on a wide spot right near start of Bovine Bliss. Some road traffic going further up stream to a TH.
Today I rode from camp climbing Bovine Bliss taking the reroute piece I worked on last week. Cleaned up nicely
This is the machine
Today I carried a clip knife that I used to cut down a particular thistle. I stopped many times to cut . May the flowers not mature to throw their offspring.
Pocatello’s forecast called for slightly higher temps that the valley so I stayed , still warm upper 80s.
A mountain bike festival is under way up at Targhee ski area. Tomorrow I will drive up there to check it out and ride the cross country trails there.