WHITE MAN’S GUILT–LIME CREEK 5/22/11

 

RIDERS – DAVID , JOHN

LOOP- 67 MILES

DAVID AND I DECIDED WE WANTED TO DO SOME SCOUTING AT LIME CREEK. THE SUNDAY WEATHER FORECAST WAS FOR THUNDER STORMS, BUT AFTER CHECKING RADAR AND THE PINE TURNOFF WEBCAM WE DECIDED IT WAS A GO.

AS WE DROVE DOWN I84 THE CLOUDS LOOKED THREATING , BUT WHEN HWY20 CLIMBED THRU THE HILLS IT LOOKED MORE PROMISING.

THE ROAD FROM THE CORRALS TO THE TRAIL HEADS IS WASHED OUT.

HUNTER CREEK RECON

HIT HUNTER CREEK 1ST.  AFTER INSPECTING THE CROSSING WE RODE THE SIDE TRAIL TO GET SOME SINGLE TRACK UNDER OUR BELT.

LIME CREEK WAS DEEP AND RIPPING, COULDN’T SEE ANY TRACKS IN OR OUT.  WE DIDN’T WANT TO BE THE FIRST.

HOLE IN THE WALL

LOOKED LIKE WE PUT THE 1ST TRACKS ON HOLE IN THE WALL. OF COURSE THE CROSSING WAS TOO DEEP FOR US.

WE DECIDED TO MAKE OUR WAY TOWARD EAR CREEK MAYBE FINDING SOME ATV TRAILS ALONG THE WAY. HAD TO SIDE HILL AROUND SEVERAL SNOW DRIFTS. EAR CREEK SEEMED FARTHER AWAY THAN WE EXPECTED. WE TURNED AROUND WHEN IT MAY HAVE BEEN JUST AROUND THE CORNER. STILL TONS OF SNOW ON IRON MOUNTAIN.

LUNCH STOP ON WAY BACK FROM EAR CREEK. WE RODE THE SNOWMOBILE TRAILS BACK TOWARD THE TRUCK.

FINALLY RODE SHEEP DRIVE ON THE WAY BACK. SAW TRACKS HEADING UP SLICK EAR. WE MADE ABOUT 5 MILES UP TRAIL UNTIL WE FINALLY HIT MORE SNOW THAN WE WANTED TO TACKLE. ON THE WAY BACK OUT WE SPOTTED A TRAIL DOWN TO LIME CREEK WE HAVE NEVER NOTICED BEFORE. NEXT OUTING WE WILL HAVE TO RIDE IT.

I THINK IT WILL BE AT LEAST ANOTHER 4-6 WEEKS BEFORE THE SNOW MELTS AND OPEN UP SOME HIGHER TRAILS.

HUNTER CREEK RECON

 

The weather didn't cooperate.

After watching radar & highway cams I decided to head out. As I left the house back toward Ontario looked dark, but east looked OK.

As I got down Mayfield to the Danskin Road it was more obvious there was a pretty good rain on Old Emigrant Road so I back tracked to Simco toward Grandview . Owyhee's looked clear now.

Plan B was to loop thur Grand View and ride Missile Base / Oreana. However the winds must have been 40+ mph, as I got to Highway 67 I decided I didn't want to buck the winds on Highway 78.

Plan C quickly developed. I took the power line road back to Swan Falls, with the head wind it sucked. Thought I might get a break from the wind down by the dam, but it was a wind tunnel in the canyon.

Followed the power line between Swan Falls Road and Pleasant Valley, best part of the ride.

150 unremarkable miles.

WORKING HARD TO SAVE THE PLANET - BLACKS CREEK 5 12 11

 

– JON ( 1ST TRAIL RIDE ON THE HUSABERG) , JOHN (LEADING FROM BEHIND)

LOOP ~ 52 MILES /  MY AVG SPEED ~ 16 MPH

1ST RIDE WITH TRIALS TIRE ON THE 250. MAKES YOU FEEL IT WILL BILLY GOAT UP ANYTHING, ANYWHERE.

RODE SOME RIDGES I HAVEN’T BEEN ON IN OVER A YEAR OR LONGER . FUN STUFF.

 

OOPS ON HILL CLIMB. DIDN’T SEEM THAT HARD OF A LANDING, BUT THE HAND GUARD BENT INTO THE CLUTCH LEVER.

LUNCH

 

 

RIDGELINE BACK DOWN TO TRAIL 317.

CINCO DE MAYO - BLACKS CREEK 5/5/11

TEXICANS – JOHN, DAVID

LOOP ~ 40 MILES

BEST CINCO DE MAYO I EVER HAD.  ONLY REGRET IS THE “KILLING MACHINE OBAMA” DIDN'T TAKE ANYBODY OUT WHILE I WAS CELEBRATING.

DECIDED TO RIDE W/O MY KNEE BRACES , MY RIGHT HAMSTRING HAD BEEN CRAMPING THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS. MUCH BETTER ! MY KNEE WAS A LITTLE SORE. I’LL HAVE TO SEE HOW IT DOES ON A COUPLE MORE RIDES.

ONE OF THE NICE REMAINING SINGLE TRACKS THAT FOLLOWS A TRIBUTARY OF WILLOW CREEK.

SCOUTING OUT THE TRAIL THAT BYPASS’S THE BIG BEAVER PONDS ON WILLOW.

WILLOW CREEK WATER CROSSINGS

LOTS OF WATER. BESIDES THE RISK OF DROWNING YOUR BIKE, WATER VAPOR IS THE MOST POWERFUL GREEN HOUSE GAS.  AFTER RIDING THE DESERT FOR MONTHS WE WERE A LITTLE SHY OF THE WATER CROSSINGS.

WATCH FOR THE SAGE HEN @ MINUTE 6:49.

CINCO DE MAYO CELEBRATION BY THE WATERFALL.

THE RIDE OUT OF THE WATERFALL.

INTO FIDDLER

RIDING UP DEVILS HOLE. THE NARROW SPOT WAS A BIT DIFFERENT GOING UP.

THE START OF THE RIDE DOWN TRAIL 316.

PRAIRIE–950 SHAKE DOWN 5/1/11

 

 

DECIDED TO TAKE THE 950 ON SHAKE DOWN RUN, HADN’T RIDDEN IT SINCE SEPTEMBER !

STILL A BIT COOL IN THE HILLS. I GRABBED MY JACKET LINER AT THE LAST MINUTE SURE GLAD I DID.

LOOP –134 MILES   AVG SPEED ~45MPH

LOTS OF WATER

I REALLY WANTED TO RIDE THE “LOWER BENCH” ACROSS FROM FIDDLER, BUT COULD NOT FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET TO THE ROAD I COULD SEE CUT IN THE HILL. LOOKS LIKE YOU MIGHT HAVE TO BOONDOCK AND CROSS SMITH CREEK  PROBABLY NEED TO DO IT ON THE 400EXC.

WAS GOING  TO GRAB A CUP OF COFFEE AT THE Y STOP BUT THEY DIDN’T HAVE ANY MADE.

DANSKIN PEAK ACROSS THE SOUTH FORK CANYON.

TOOK COW CREEK TO HWY 20 ,SAW FOREST SERVICE ROADS AND TWO TRACKS I WOULD LIKE TO EXPLORE.

ON THE WAY I PASSED THE MOUNTAIN HOME BOYS COMING OFF THE HILL.