A Summer of Two Wheels

This was to be a summer of big plans and big rides.  So far its working out just fine.

June...an trip through the back roads of west central Idaho with my son.  Its good to have a second bike.  I trucked the two KLRs over to Spokane where we started what was to be a fishing/camping trip, but turned out to be less fishing, good camping, and lotsa riding.  Part of the trip was to hit Enterprise, OR for the Hell's Canyon ADV Rally. 

By the time we hit the Rally, we had already put on 800 miles of back roads, snow bank turn-arounds, rain, sleet, mud, wrong turns and fast-slab-work-arounds.  In all, it was 1,100 mile by the time we hit home again (my son's home in Spokane).

July...another good reason for a second adventure bike.  Been telling an old work partner from our years in Florida whom I  had shared a couple of diving/camping/canoing trips to try his hand at ADV riding. 

He had never been to Montana, but did have some past history of riding in the deserts of California when a lot younger.  Needless to say, after another 1,100 miles, he now has an inside view and experience of Montana.  I set up a Ghost Town Tour and we hit a lot of ghost towns...of course by dirt...the hard way.  Garnet, Marysville, Elkhorn, Pony, Virginia City, Nevada City, Bannack, Coolidge, and a lot of old mining interests in between. 

No snow this time, but some really tough trails did turn us around and we had some incredible experiences both riding and just enjoying the scenery.

And not to forget the Beemer.  Immediately after returning from the Ghost Town Tour, I loaded up the K100LT BMW for camping, including my Granddaughter Shelby for her first long distance motorcycle ride/camping excursion.  No dirt this time, but three days of riding and two nights camping over in the back highways of eastern Idaho.  We had a great time.  Another 500+ miles.

Tim also greatly increased his skill and expectations of Montana adventure style motorcycling.  I'm sure he is still day dreaming of the night watching the rain squalls, sunset, and clear view of the Milky Way lounging around the dwindling campfire near a pristine high mountain lake up in the Gravelly range. 

I wasn't easy on him and he held up to his Marine pilot mystique.

Looking forward to my big group ride of the summer next week.  I've been collaborating with a co-adventure rider from the Seattle area to semi-duplicate what is becoming and annual event to ride some of the best that Montana and Eastern Idaho has to offer.  The Best of Montana 2013 will be another epic event.  Added a new plastic tank to my KLR, new back tire, new rear brake pads, sort through the camping gear and I'm ready to go again!!!  Ride report here.

So far, three full on adventure rides on back roads well in excess of 3,000 miles.

Then there comes the September Legend of the Fall ride of similar proportions...

Well, Now its late October and the back roads travel season in Montana has come to a close. I rode up to Twin Lakes on the Lost Horse Road Saturday with a weather forecast of snow and wind for Sunday.  22 degrees when I left home and met three other intrepid riders for a 100 mile loop.  The sky was crystal clear and the temperatures climbed into the 50s by the time we returned to civilization.

But backing up a month to September I road the Legend of the Fall (LOF) with a bunch who started from Jackson Hole, WY.  Rather than deadhead from home to Jacks Hole, I opted to solo for two days down through the back roads of Idaho. From Darby I traveled up past Painted Rocks Lake and over Horse Pass. 

A slight side trip up on top took me to Horse Hot Springs, a place I had been trying to get to for the last three years, but had been turned back the previous two years by fires.


Nice warm plunge and I was off to Shoup Idaho.  Shoup is a small remote "village" on the Salmon River known for its unique gas pumps.  I needed no gas, but did partake of a burger and shake.



From there I traveled a bit farther turning south on Panther Creek Road and another 50 miles to camp for the night up in the hills south of Salmon, Id.


The next morning I het the road for Salmon, gassed up and took off for Lemhi pass with another stop for a hot springs - Starkey Hot Springs.  Starkey HS is maintained by the BLM and is a very nice setup with two cement pools, changing rooms, etc.  Very nice and another chance to soak off some road dust.


From the hot springs my trusty steed and I traveled up over Lemhi Pass stopping long enough to check out the Sacagawea Memorial where I had the opportunity to change the tube in my rear tire.  A fold in the tube had worn. 

45 minutes later, I was on the road east heading for the Bloody Dick drainage and Reservoir Lake Campground where I would meet up with the full group.

Timing was great.  I was still sitting on the KLR when the rest of group came trickling in over the hour.

The full report for the LOF 2013 ride is located HERE. I road with this great bunch north up through the Sapphires, east over through Anaconda and Butte to Delmoe Lake then south past Pony.  Next was Ennis and entry to the Gravelly range.  My third time this summer for me.  A fast run up at 9,500 feet  as thunder storms were threatening and riding the top country above the tree line is nowhere to be when thunder storms threaten.

Next stop was Island Park, ID. where the ride leader had a cabin.  Plenty of adventure, but now it was time to head home. 

The next day I headed back towards home and the rest on back to Jackson Hole.  Many of the riders had trucked their bikes up from Texas.  One rider road the whole ride with a broken leg/ankle he acquired on the first day.  Tough old buzzard.  Took two of us every morning to help him get up on his bike.

I continued on past Henry's Lake and the Red Rock Road on over to Monida on Interstate 15.  A quick run up to Lima and Dell then onto the Medicine Lodge Road north.  I spent that night at Bannack which had just re-opened from a flood back in July.  The last day was all pavement as I was eager to get home.  In all another 1300 miles. 


























This easily put me over 5,000 miles of back country touring in four months mostly in just 4 major rides.  I couldn't believe I had done this much riding in one summer and it just makes one want to travel even more. I saw new country, but more important I saw even more empty stretches that need to be explored in the future.  Now I'm waiting patiently (?)for next summer.