- to favor machine built trails
- drink cheap beer
- vape low THC content
I understand building trail with a machine. The trail becomes a sport not an adventure. machine built makes for a known tread with lots of moved dirt. Legacy trails tread is varied, maybe very narrow, short sight lines, challenging, ridden with wheels pretty much all the time on the ground. The trails here in Wood River Valley ( Sun Valley) are mostly legacy hiking trails with sustainability issues fixed.
The others are self explanatory.
Which gets to my ride on the 11th. Oregon Gulch, Oregon Fox, Connector, Chocolate, and Saddle, the same ride Steve lead me on last week. Forecast called for precip, I packed my rain shell in preparation. As I was climbing the connector rain started falling, the sky was threatening even more. I stopped and put on the jacket. The rain never amounted to anything but I was still dry. I crossed the divide going down Fox I rode over water rivulets on the trail. Lots of rain fell just over the hill. Tread is woods dirt rolled firm by wheels. The finish on Saddle is fast and playful for a finish. I like riding these trails. Spent night out on Trail Pass with a full view of the N face of the ski hill.
On Thursday, laundry day, I rode a bit of Adams Gulch. Descended Porkchop. Needed a short ride.
Last Monday after swallowing the cbd tincture and the disappearance of my bowel pain I had been giving thought to resupply for treatment. Idaho continues to deny people CBD. For me the nearest store will be just across the Oregon stateline. I can do it. Drove down to Hailey for laundry then lead footed it west. Made it to a very popular dispensary. Bought 2 selections of cbd, neither with high amounts of thc. Score. Still learning its effectiveness.
Boise has riding. I was told to ride Around the Mountain up at Bogus ski area way above Boise. I drove up the twisty climbing baby butt smooth pavement up to the base area and found a spot on a parking lot for the night. Ran the furnace.
The next day I geared up with trailforks turned on to fins the start of deer Point trail to take me to an end of the Around the Mountain trail. Rode thru base area where much construction was underway. Saw sign for trail. Machine built trails in ski area. Smooth tread with much dirt moved. Trail contoured around the mountain per its name.
Trail ends at a downhill flow trail back to the base. banked corners, little kickers, traverse the ski slope. Short ride but I got the goods. More trails in the system I could have added.
Enough for now. I am fading after a wonderful hard charging ride of Fisher Creek. I seek slumber. Rest day tomorrow to further catchup.
Back at it a day later. Now sitting inside the Hailey public library in their controlled environment ( read warm and dry). The insurance agency I use notified me of a carrier change that will require proof of insurance card that would be printed. I do not have a printer so i would save the document to a flash drive then go to a library to use their computer to load the drive to then print. Life on the road. Anyway, no card has been sent. I am comfortable so I accept the bare wood chair bottom.
Oh, I do not have my calendar to orient myself.
Let’s see, Boise is past. from Boise I drove up the Payette River to McCall on the south shore of namesake lake. I had visited here several times. It is a ways away necessitating backwards route driving which I choose not to do, it’s about wearing down the van. I travel pretty much in a straight route in whatever direction I am going. So, McCall was out of the way. I have thought differently now about that extra miles that the experience of getting there, riding there, and being there was the payoff.
I rolled into town seeking a bike shop that I forgot the name of but kinda sorta remembered where it was. Gravity Sports. Found it. New owners. Visited. Learned some local stuff. Owner is chairman of CIMBA. New trail built up on Payette Rim. Drank a local beer at Salmon River brewery. Visited an actual e bike only shop. Saw a full on downhill e bike. Visited local independent book store. Found Toni Morrison’s Pulitzer prize winner Beloved for my next read. Petted the clerks dog loosening shed hair to the breeze. Drove out to Bear basin for the night. The FS had posted info about a potential controlled burn which would effect the Basin. Nothing burning at this time.
Sat I geared up and pedaled away from my sleep spot in search of the Rim trail. Passed the main parking area which was populated with numerous FS fire rigs. Our federal employees going out a burn out operation on a weekend. On a weekend when weekenders are out and about. Why not during tghe conventional work week when recreators would not be here or inside? Was that a thumb in the public’s eye?
To the ride. After my navigational blunders I finally connected to the actual trail. The first part was established: either ridden in or hand built.
The trail used pieces of existing gravel haul roads to drop in on the remaining piece which drops down to Warren Wagon road for a pavement pedal back home.
Pedal back was on freshly black topped road. My pedal stroke felt not fully extended which was robbing ml legs of power. I raised my saddle by about 1/8″ which allowed my legs to more fully extend. Made an enjoyable difference as I pedaled the 5 miles of pavement. Power was still felt as I pedaled uphill on gravel. ENtered FS land which was ablaze and smokey. I asked a FS guy if he pees the bed because he plays with fire. He said he didn’t think so. Too smokey to spend the night again. Drove back to town. Another beer. learned of camp spots along the shore of Little Payette Lake. Drove out and selected an open spot seperated from the road by 10 feet of low brush. Worked for the night.
I wanted to hike up into the mountains beyond where I could bike. Above Lick road was the trail to Blackwell lake up high. I drove the road a ways until the tread was packed railroad ballast size. The trail head per the map was still a bit further but I chose to stop before I might have encountered worsening road that I might have to back down. I walked that piece to the trailhead. Trail turned out to be an ATV abused. Steep climb in old growth.
Not being an ATV rider I was amazed at what the riders were able to get their machines up, over, or down stuff that I would have walked either way. made the lake, 4.7 miles in. Out and back. Going down stresses knees and quads to brake. Made the van before body failure. Almost 9 mile hike.
Stopped in McCall to buy groceries then headed to Fisher Creek near Stanley to meet Steve for a ride the next day. Another scenery displace on twisty road with lots of traffic which required me to abandon my sight seeing. Pumping turns in the van. left hwy for the even more remote twisting road to Couch, and Lowman before Stanley. may acres of past burns. Saw same sign several places that blamed environmentalists for the burn. Sign said Log and graze or burn. Short sighted as the reason for the burns is from greed of the loggers who want the timber saved at public’s expense. Neglected to stop and take pic.
Made the Williams Creek trail head which is the finish of Fisher creek. Steve drove up in his Trademaster (?) van to spend the night for our 9:30 start. I had a rough day of attention grabbing driving.
So, now to yesterday. 3 other riders joined us: Kirk and his brother Tony, and John a newcomer to the group. Chilly. We wore chilly weather gear. Me I added knee socks and knee warmers to a wool top and wind shell. The first part of the ride is pavement pedaling until turning onto the gravel road up Fisher Creek to finally arrive at the top of the climb 8 miles away. Big hump up loose steep resource extraction road. I stalled several places out of breath and stalled on loose rock.
Ah, but then the fun began as the next 8 miles were almost all down hill. Area was burned before I ever rode here.
Was lodgepole forest, regrowth is happening further up stream. The middle section starting behind me was a fast mostly smooth downhill screamer. I hit 27.2 mph, the fastest ever on dirt. I wore the larger shield type glasses which shielded my eyes from tearing which allowed me to go so fast. Very enjoyable ride. 17.1 miles. Saddle height was still spot on for powerful pedaling. 4 out of 5 riders pedaling flats, 3 of the 4 chose catalyst pedals. Just writing.
Drove back to Ketchum. Donated my too big knickers and a pair of unused Formula brakes to local NICA program. Spent night out on Trail Creek.
Today is a rest day. Chilly. Fall weather starting. Now wearing long pants but still wearing Bedrock sandals.