Spud Run 2002 - Part 4

Saturday morning. Bagels and peanut butter for breakfast. Yum. Rick, the designated caretaker, cook and bottlewasher has plans while we're in Snake country. He'd asked if there was anything he could do, so he was assigned the task of applying weed killler to about 1/4 acre of weeds surrounding the immediate vicinity of the house. And BBQ a roast, half a salmon and entertain Ozzie and the Girls. Whatta guy that Mr. B.

Mike, Duncan, Eric and I ride 21 south to I84 and made it down to the Birds of Prey area in no time. Unlike our previous shivering rides, Idaho is warm and sunny. Hot even. We traverse a gravel road of probably two miles or so, sucked up more dust than we'd planned to and finally get to the viewing area. We walk about an eighth mile down to the canyon overlook and take off our gear. The canyon is clear and the rock strata layers of the canyon are amazing to behold. The Snake River is aptly named as it takes many bends and twists below us. We see a couple falcons flitting about, but no sign of the big ones - the bald and golden eagles. Enjoying the warm sun for a change, we take a few pictures and cajole another tourist into taking a group shot.

Thank you anonymous person, whoever you are. We head back home, and Mike splits off to meet up with an old Idaho buddy. The three of us are back to the Ranch in no time, meeting up with our friend, the CO. Not only has Rick applied Round up to the weeds, he's even pulled a few around the concrete driveway. And dinner will be ready in no time. Whatta guy. Before and after dinner I lead the guys up individually to the top of our mountain, about 1500 feet above our 3400' level. The quads are well suited for the trip to the top, with me on the Yammy 400 and the guys each taking a turn on the Honda 250. And I get to take the trip three times. Fun, fun, fun. The last trip, after dinner, Duncan and I do the 6 mile loop making it home by the light of a full Idaho moon. Shweet.

Unshweet was the fight that Marta and Murph got into while we were gone. Rick, Eric and Mike attempted to pull the two 120 lb dogs apart, and Murph took the biggest hits, with gashes across her nose. Bitchfight in the truest sense. Ok, a couple of scars and nobody else got hurt. Could have been a lot worse.

OK, so what about tomorrow's run? I originally planned on doing a U-turn on 21 at Stanley, which works out to about 220 miles. But Eric and Duncan want to do the loop: Take 21 to Stanley, 75 through Sun Valley all the way to 20, across the high desert on highway 20 to I84, and back home. Works out to around 350 miles. Aggressive guys, these. And Eric just got off a 570 mile ride. Who am I to argue? And as a good host, I must accompany them. Sunday morning - all but Rick gear up for the trip. Mike decides to follow us us to Idaho City for an outdoor breakfast and follows us up to Lowman, Idaho through some of the most aggressive, tight and well maintained roads you will ever find. I set up a quick pace and Eric and Mike drop behind...but there's Duncan, right there with me - straddling Elaine, big 'ol legs hangin' out and grinning right through the smoked face shield on his silver helmet. The switchbacks feel like 270 degrees...perfectly cambered and surfaced. Yea, baby YEA! Our bikes are set up almost the same, with WP shocks on the rear, Progressive springs and Superbraces on the front. He's got 10 weight oil, I have 15. They turn good :-) When we got to Lowman, after some high fives and a quick pic-shoot Mike turned around to enjoy those twisties from the other direction (even better). Lucky guy....we still have 250 miles to go.... through the middle of central Idaho's snow-covered Sawtooth range on Highway 75......Galena Summit at over 8000 feet and back down the mountains to the wild-flower covered high desert of southern Idaho. Lucky us, lets GO!

Eric, Duncan and I head north, through the burned remains of the incredible 1989 Lowman Fire (started by over 350 direct lightning strikes over the space of two weeks) past the fire zone and up in elevation. After 45 minutes or so of long sweepers and vast stretches of perfect road paralleling the beginning of the Sawtooth Range, we stop for a few photos and warm up. The temperature has decreased markedly, and little spots of rain occasionally hit the visors. A quick snack of mixed nuts (appropriate) and fruit juice (not appropriate! :-) we motor into Stanley and fill the VXes up for the ride south on Hwy 75 that will commense immediately.

OK, here we go. We take a right on 75 - straight roads, mild sweepers and snow-covered craggy mountains to the left and right of us. Occasionally the highway passes through vast lakes of multi-colored wild flowers and cattails, but those Sawteeth are all around us, all the while. Small streams and rivers to either side of us and we go past the turnoff to Redfish Lake - spectacular, but no time for stopping, we gotta make some time here.....The CO will have dinner ready and we can't be late! We finally pass across the headwaters of the mighty Salmon River....just a large stream right now, but downstream a ways is one of Idaho's finest raging wilderness rivers. Up we climb towards Galena Summit....but time for a few more photos about 500 feet above the Salmon River Valley. Those VXes sure look nice with those snow-covered mountains behind them! ..