One last ride here in Wood River Valley before early winter hits tonight. A bit of snow and below freezing at night and not much above during the day. The makings of freeze thaw mud.

Tattered exacerbated by the drought some plants went into fall foliage color before the chill normally would turn their colors. Colors are there. Friday rain fell knocking off weak hangers.

Yesterday Steve and brothers Kirk and Tony and I rode out at Croy Canyon on machine purpose built trails. Picked there because of dirt being wetted but not muddy. We rode on very firm dirt making for confidence that tires would hold on the turns because of rain wetted dirt. We carved the trails. Hailey is at the like mouth of the river valley, trees have been replaced by sage brush desert. Big open skies.

We both ride Revel bikes,  Steve rides a Rascal 29er” and  I ride a 27 1/2 Rail, both now have I9 Hydra hubs. We have had coast offs over the years on various bikes. Today we staged another one down Bullion rd. Crazy, I won the coast, I hit 29 mph as did Steve.

Forecast has been calling for a snow storm here and elsewhere of course. I figure that riding is over here for awhile or maybe for the season. I have been thinking about my travel plans which are dependent upon weather. Tomorrow depending upon the realization of the weather conditions will determine my departure. I provisioned myself for being snow bound in Steve’s driveway tomorrow waiting for better weather on Tuesday to leave. I might be able to ride Indian Springs down outside Kimberly then head into Utah. Thinking Heber City, stay at state park at $45 per night. Then maybe The wedge aka Goodwater rim then to Fruita.

But first I rode out of Greenhorn Gulch on a loop Steve takes me on, today I was on my own as he is wrestling with home improvement. Greenhorn parking lot was plugged with hardly any people milling around. I pedaled up Greenhorn passing several hikers, I turned onto Mahoney and from the ret of the ride I was all by myself. Climb up Mahoney, climb up Cow Creek until a high point then it was all downhill for miles of firm dirt. Colors. 8.13 miles climbing 1096′ pedaling for 1 hr 14 mins, a shorter ride. Loop gives good beat down on the climbs and rewarded with gravity engine assisted down. Drop the seat, stand up, weight on the pedals, then move the bike underneath me. What a bike.

Today I gave effort to enjoyment of being outside in these mtns. I stopped quite a few times to gawk sometimes taking pics. Realization is I will be out of tree cover as I will be in desert land shortly. Several years ago this place was my first stop for being in the trees and seeing flowing water and no cactus. Tomorrow or Tues desert bound.

I have owned my Revel Rail for 105 days, I have ridden it 77 times for 1210 miles. That’s 73% of available days riding 5 days a week.

Out of Montana. Away from big mountains and sort of way out there rides on mostly old legacy hiking trails. I would go back and reride everything except Spencer mtn.

So I walked the main drag in Salmon looking at original buildings’ architecture, many with artistic touches that cost extra to doing business. When I check out downtown sections of old towns I wonder what life was like when the buildings were being put up. There had to be strong economic engines generating revenue for business to spend $ building up. Then think about the decline of prosperity that elevated the towns.  Resource extraction of some kind that played out or productivity gains displaced bodies and families.

While in Salmon I studied the local trail info book searching for a ride. I picked one that I might be permitted to spend the night and ride the next day. I drove to TH which was posted no camping. That didn’t work. The ride appeared to be on sagebrush desert. Back into town for more research. I picked Twelve Mile Creek ride which is south of town in my travel direction plus land manager was USFS and as I drove up Salmon River drainage I could see trees. A gravel road left the pavement heading up stream with private property on each side until I crossed into the Salmon NF as noted by a USFS sign. I parked at a wide spot on the shoulder that I had to work leveling blocks for level. The spot would work but perhaps a more suitable spot might be just up the road. Hope springs eternal from the human breast. I walked uphill over 1/4 mile to a pullout where I would be off the road and maore level. I drove up to it. I was parked on grazed down dead public property littered with numerous dried cow patties. rancher allowed cows to strip mine the vegetation. Just before dark a sheriff’s deputy truck with emergency lights flashing scooted up the road. Shortly afterwards an EMT van, an ambulance, and 2 wreckers, all with their emergency lights flashing. My spot was out of the way. Hours later those rigs passed by without lights except the ambulance inside light was lit suggesting a patient. An additional rig was in the mix that might have been the problem as the wreckers were empty.

I researched a ride in this drainage which would entail a 7 mile road rode climbing 2,xxx’ to the start of the dirt. I deemed the road to be hard on the van so I would have to pedal to the goods. Arm chair planning. I geared up and threw over my right leg and put power to the first pedal stroke. OK, it’s just a work out and a work out and a work out. Time went by faster than my progress to dirt. I passed a FS pumper truck parked on side of road. I kept an eye out for an accident scene. Coming down was a white truck perhaps a FS truck. I motioned for stopping which it did. I asked about what happened, the 2 women in the FS truck heard just bits about incident. Seems a rog pulling a horse trailer left the road that was rescued. I spoke with high emotion about how grazed out the land was. Turns out the 2 women work in range management and they had been dispatched to here because of a public complaint about over grazing. I learned a bit about FS range management rules. The grazing lease holder has defined rules to follow to be in compliance. This rancher was grazing cows to the detriment of the land in violation of his lease. Just tragic that the rancher continued grazing his cows beyond the health of the land that they are to be good stewards of. I was about 5 miles up, I asked them how close I was to TH. One looked at a laptop display and said hopefully that I just a couple of miles away.

I chose to keep pushing down on the pedals. I arrived at the TH and a gated road. I looked at Trailforks route. I decided that doing an out and back on the road would be just fine. I had pedaled 7.69 miles in 1 hour 36 mins climbing 2057′. I put my glasses on and studied TF closer. How about that? I was at the top of a black trail named Crevice dropping down said creek. Cool. Description read the trail was the FS’s first go to here. The trail has not been maintained as an established tread but a faint path and prolly ” maintained” by volunteers. TF showed hte trail paralleling the road but down in the creek. The trail is backcountry single track riding going mostly downhill. Numerous stream crossing that down lower were over lashed together with barbed wire logs.

Trail went by the site of an old mining camp active prior to 1927. Its ;location was marked by large piles of rusted cans, prolly all food cans. The trail ended onto the road. 4.51 miles dropping 1079′ took 41 mins per EDGE. Data was skewed because of all the stopping I did to route find and cross the creek. Wild setting while I was never more than maybe 300′ straight up below the road I knew that I was out back. I would like to be driven to the top and ride the planned route then ride the creek back down.

Back at the van I made ready for driving destination Stanley, ID. still up the Salmon River. Climbing twisty highway tight against the river. Mountainous scenery that was only slightly enjoyed as I focused on driving the van keeping all 4 wheels adhering to the pavement.

I arrived in Stanley. I planned on a store prepared dinner as my reward for the ride. Pickings were 2 restaurants. I paid for a meal that I cook myself as that was the best I could do. They did the dishes.

I coordinated with friend Steve from Bellevue for a Fisher Creek ride yesterday. We met at 11 at the TH. Great to be in Steve’s company again. He is wearing a new helmet because of his sudden stop on Alpine trail previous July. Fall season is on. Empty TH. We pedaled away, the first part is several miles of RT 75 highway pedaling. Turn on to FS gravel road for more miles with climbing culminating in a beyond gut buster very steep jeep road paved with baseball sized loose rocks. Steve in is earlier years had pedaled non stop, I watched him do it years ago. Today he said those days are over. My success was less than his. Topped out at 8,070′ which is why my breathing didn’t keep up. Back in 2005 this area was burned. In the burn area the dirt was loose kitty litter because the heat burned the organic out.

Here is what is becoming the norm.

Those 2 pieces of burned log on the trail caused some riders to ride off tread to the left and right widening the trail. I rode between then then stopped to clear the trail. Why should I stop to clear the trail when there are “people” to clean the trail. Trail Fairies are a pipe dream. We as riders have responsibility for the trails we ride on. All those riders widened the trail when the first one could have stopped and kicked the logs off and then following riders would have kept the trail narrow.

Steve and I had the entire ride to ourselves, 17.1 miles pedaling for 2 hrs 22 mins climbing 1834′, msot of the climbing was the to the start of the single track. Among other things this trail stands out because of its monstrous long gentle downhills. I haven’t extolled the virtue of my bike lately. What a bike.

I finished my drive up the Salmo river going over Galena Summit to descend the drought affected Wood River down to Steve’s place south of Bellevue. Quite the mountain transition from the Salmon River to the Wood which is more gentle as the land falls away to sage desert.

Slept in Steve’s driveway. Before sunrise sprinkles fell which intensified to gentle rain for maybe an hour. Much needed moisture. Steve showed me a pic of the rive where he walks his dogs. White bellies of dead fish in a small puddle everything else was dry riverbed rock. Another case of over consuming public resource.

This weekend is the celebration of Trailing the Sheep as they are herded out of the summer pastures using highway as driveway. Locals have made a celebration out of it. Come to Ketchum, spend money on trinkets and step in sheep shit to glorify a nasty resource extraction lifestyle. Sheep shit sticks and stinks. Dirty Finger won’t depoo your bike.

Laundry done in Hailey. Reader boards at city limits of both Hailey and Ketchum read Masks required for inside. Sloppy compliance. Red Idaho with a spot of blue here diluted by reds.

I buy and eat a lot of honey locally gathered. Many of the containers are in the shape of a bear which is known to raid bee hives. Seems the robber is being rewarded and not the providers.

Yesterday I was in Montana out at Lake Como volunteering with the Bitterroot Backcountry Cyclist to build 2 berms on their new trail Waddell. I anchored at a spot near their meeting place. I didn’t remember if the meet time was 9 or 9:30. I was ready to go on either. I looked in the rearview mirrors seeking uphill traffic. I finally saw 1 rig just before 9:30 presenting me with a signal to walk up to meeting place. Several guys were there, I joined them, several of them were officers in the club, one is named for Kern’s turns trail that I had ridden 2X. Nice hand built for mtn bikers. I rode up to work site with the youngest of the group. We parked where a piece of the trail crossed the road then loaded up with tools and walked short distance to where we would construct berms on the new trail. I learned that the club wrote and received a grant for machine building this piece of trail. Mini-ex created the tread with our work to finish off the build. The first berm was built solely out of dirt as no rocks could be found, we were working in rock free location. A borrow pit was dug and dirt was transported in 5 gallon buckets. I was the hauler. My arms are trashed this morning. The second berm nearby was built with several ferried in boulders. They have a rock sling. Dry dirt. They did have a tree sprayer and several 5 gallon jugs of water, the water was sprayed on the fresh dirt then packed repeatedly to sculpt the berm. They used a string line to assure the radius remained constant. Nicely done as much as I do not know how nor really want to ride berms.

While we were working a string of horseback riders directed their mounts on the freshly built trail until they were asked to not ride on tread. I really don’t have anything nice to say about horseback riders out trail riding. They ride on soft dirt post holing and leaving cast in hoof prints. They are not cordial, to me it seems like social stratification they have because they are buying their recreation while others serve their needs. because they are not on the ground building what they are riding on we are treated as subservient to them. Their fun items cost more than our bikes and certainly if we are hands in the dirt workers. My dissatisfaction with this user group. We worked for 4 hours then walked back to the rigs for provided nourishment, none of what is on my diet. No harm as I did not prepare them for my needs. I caught an early ride back to my van as I needed to get moving for Lost Trail Pass.

I complimented the club members for their club name choice of Backcountry that to me means building mountain bike trails not bike park sport trails. If you have to pedal it, that weeds out much of the new riders who are pay to play sport riders.

I drove back down to Hamilton for groceries. In town for several blocks anti abortion protesters lined the street with hand written signs. Freedom of speech and assembly. Seems more antis protest over the wants of more but the more are less public.

I stopped at Red Barn for water. A woman who lives nearby and is mixed in with freinds of in laws whatever that confuse me. She said that she learned to knit and only knows one stitch, she makes simple things I asked about hot dish pot holders, she said let me check. She returned and gave me 2 new holders. I thanked her warmly then retired the 2 hand made ones i bought in Oakridge years ago. I prefer to support individuals when I can find their work.

Then came the big climb up to Lost trail Pass where Lewis and Clark were lost on their way to the ocean. Big hump drive. I am a worrier about my van’s health and performance. I don’t abuse it and I spend $ on service and preventive maintenance but still I worry. Been that way since it was brand new, not the 276,000 miles and almost 15 years old condition. Made the pass. Big empty base area lacking any indication of no parking. I remembered a logging road that climbed out of the area as I pedaled up this road years ago to a trail. Today I rode in the van up a single wide dirt road. Steep, a logging operation was underway near where I found a crash spot. Freshly decked logs waiting for a ride downhill. No work on Sunday but I suspected today would resume hauling and I did not want to encounter a logging truck on the narrow road so I bailed back down to ski base. I found a person to ask permission to camp, he said help myself and told of a secluded spot which I took. Over past years I skied here. Great big area so far away from a population. Quite chilly night. Pass is at 7,xxx”

The guide book was signed in 2015 which was when I attempted a ride out of the pass. I parked at the base then pealed up the same road I drove. What a pedal struggle. When I arrived at the trailhead I was beat and concerned about the remoteness of the location. I bailed on the ride. Yesterday I drove what I pedaled that year. I did not want to repeat that pedal.

This morning I descended down to Salmon, ID where I am parked at a weigh station with internet signal. I will find rides here from a guide book written by 3 locals. I was given the book by 1 of the writers when I was here back in 2015.

I am in wild mountain country. Enough noisy people convinced the state government to delist protection for wolves to declare all outright extermination of them. Claim is wolves kill big game. Science says that top tier predators are necessary for the health of the entire ecosystem. people should really be up in arms about invasive knapweed which crowds out forage for the big game that want to be hung over the fireplace. Ultimately knapweed will be the scourge. I see knapweed where I ride where it was transported by prolly horses who ate the seeds then deposited the seeds. But, at the trail work site we were building a new trail and I saw lots of knapweed that were not sourced by horses. Knapweed takes over and crowds out native forage, nothing eats it, it just takes over.

Back in 1978 I attempted a thru hike on the Pacific Crest Trail starting at CA Mex border planning on finishing at WA CA border like 5 months later. Up in Washington I heard about the Snow Brothers who were also thru hiking. I shared a night with them at the Dana Yelverton shelter in the Goat Rocks wilderness. The shelter was stacked rock with no mortar but had a roof. Greg and I were solo but hiked together for WA. 4 of us crowded in the shelter out of the rain. The next day we all continued northward. Greg and I elected to hike to the top lift shack at White Pass ski area while the Snows hiked the trail. A sign at the shack read hit the red button and wait for an attendant to arrive and load us on a chair. We stood in the rain waiting. Finally a guy arrived, he was Dave Mahre, resort manager. I was shivering from the wet while he told his his story of the shelter built in recognition of that woman who died of exposure there years ago. He finally put us on chairs and we rode down to the base, He let us sleep in a bunkhouse on beds and hot showers. The brothers arrived later and were also treated to his comfort. We hung out at a convenience store, Cracker barrel, across the highway for 2 days of steady rain. I was given a birthday escape from the trail then returned further north. Greg and  dropped off the trail 1 day north of Stevens Pass after 2 solid days of rain holed up in my tent.  The trail was a muddy mess from horses, Greg’s boots needed a cobbler and we both needed to get out of the wet. Maybe a week later Greg and Jeff, another hiker we shared trail with, and I drove over Rainy Pass in my ’72 VW van on the North Cascade highway crossing the trail. We spied 2 hikers trudging in the rain: it was the Snow Brothers. I never heard from any of those people until last week when one of the Snows emailed me. Blast from the past so to write. I am recalling memories like they were yesterday.

Dave was part of the legendary Whitaker group that climbed Everest and father to the Mahre twins ski racers.

It’s not that I am older and wiser than you, I just have had more places to fall.