DENNIS INITIATED THIS YEARS RIDE WITH A POSTING ON RMD THAT HE HAD VACATION TIME SET UP FOR THE 1ST WEEK OF AUGUST. DAVID PULLED HIS TRAILER UP THURSDAY TO SECURE A DECENT CAMP SPOT. HE WAS ABLE TO PARK AT THE SAME SPOT AS LAST YEAR. SAID KELLY FLATS WAS PACKED WHEN HE PULLED IN.
SATURDAY 7/30
I DROVE UP SATURDAY AND PARKED AT MY SAME SPOT AS LAST YEAR, NOT THE BEST SHADE PUT WAS OK. MY RV BATTERIES SEEM TO BE GIVING UP THE GHOST, SO IT WAS NICE TO HAVE SUN ON THE SOLAR PANEL TO KEEP THEM TOPPED OFF.
AFTER DINNER WHEN I WENT TO WASH THE DISHES THE WATER PUMP STOPPED WORKING. I HAD A “SPARE” BUT IT WAS THE WRONG MODEL, THE CONNECTIONS WOULDN'T FIT WHAT WAS PLUMBED. AFTER A BIT A TINKERING I FIGURED OUT THE PRESSURE SWITCH ON THE PUMP WAS BAD AND I COULD JUMPER THE SWITCH AND THE PUMP WOULD RUN. SO I HAD RUNNING WATER, JUST HAD TO BE CO-ORDINATED WHEN TURNING THE PUMP & VALVE ON & OFF.
AFTER I SORTED THE WATER, OUT I DECIDED TO WALK DOWN TO THE PHONE TO CALL MARILYN. AS I HEADED OUT THE WIND PICKED UP WITH THUNDER & LIGHTNING. I ASSUMED IT WOULD BE A “MAGIC VALLEY” STORM – ALL WIND & A COUPLE OF DROPS OF WATER. DAKOTA WANTED TO STAY AT THE CAMPER.
THE PHONE WASN’T WORKING ,VERY LOW VOLUME. AS SOON AS I HUNG UP THE BOTTOM FELL OUT. I GOT SOAKED.
ON TOP OF THAT I HAD THE ROOF VENTS, WINDOWS AND SKYLIGHT OPEN. DAVID SHUT THE WINDOWS AND ROOF VENTS, BUT COULDN’T TELL THE SKYLIGHT WAS OPEN. MY BED GOT WET, SO I PULLED OFF THE SHEETS AND COVERS & HUNG THEM UP IN THE CAMPER. THEN SET THE TABLE UP TO SLEEP ON. DIDN’T SLEEP THAT WELL . I GOT UP AND THE MATTRESS HAD DRIED SO I MOVED BACK TO THE BUNK.
SUNDAY – 7/31
DENNIS FINALLY PULLED IN AROUND 4-5 AM SUNDAY MORNING.
SMOKEY DOME LOOP
LOOP ~62 MILES
RIDERS – MURRAY , KAT, DAVID , DENNIS , JOHN
MURRAY & KAT LEFT ABOUT 15-20 MINUTES BEFORE THE REST OF US.
AS I NEARED DEER PARK I THOUGHT IT WAS DENNIS ON MY TAIL , BUT IT WAS JOE WITT FROM SALT LAKE CITY.
DENNIS TALKING TO JOE WITT FROM SLAT LAKE CITY.
I WAS ABLE TO GET SIGNAL ON MY PHONE AT DEER PARK. CHECKED VOICE MAIL, GOT A TEXT AND CALLED HOME.
WE CAUGHT UP TO MURRAY AND KAT ON THE SOLDIER CREEK TRAIL.
SMOKEY DOME
LUNCH AT SADDLE
DENNIS MADE A FRIEND .
MONDAY 8/1
BIG PEAK EXPEDITION
BIG PEAK WAS THE OLD “IN & OUT” RIDE. BESIDES FROM MAKING FOR A LONG DAY WE WERE WORRIED ABOUT THE CREEK CROSSING AT THE BLUFF CREEK INTERSECTION WITH BIG SMOKEY.
LOOP – 61 MILES ( 6 MILES THAT FELT LIKE 15-20)
RIDERS – DAVID , DENNIS , JOHN
DAVID THOUGHT WE SHOULD PACK SOME GAS AS A PRECAUTION , SO I MOUNTED MY JACKET ON THE TRIPLE CLAMPS.
THERE WAS A 40% CHANCE OF RAIN FORECASTED FOR SUN VALLEY / HAILEY.
WE TOPPED OFF THE TANKS RIGHT BEFORE THE LICK CREEK TRAIL HEAD ( ~ 16 MILES).
VIEW FROM LICK CREEK.
SNOW DRIFT 1ST DAY OF AUGUST
DAVID SCOUTING FOR TRAIL. BOOTS FROM A LONG LOST SNOW BOARDER WHO MUST STILL BE UNDER THE DRIFT.
VIEW OF BIG PEAK
LUNCH AT SADDLE BELOW BIG PEAK. DAVID WAS ABLE TO GET SIGNAL ON HIS ATT SERVICE. I USED HIS PHONE TO CHECK IN WITH MARILYN.
JUST AS WE FINISHED LUNCH , THUNDER AND RAIN STARTED TO ROLL IN. DENNIS AND DAVID PUT ON THEIR JACKETS. I COULDN’T DECIDED AND LEFT IT OFF.
BIG PEAK FROM LICK CREEK TRAIL ON THE WAY BACK OUT
TUESDAY 8/2 – REST DAY
WEDNESDAY 8/3
HE-MAN WOMEN-HATERS RIDE /BEAVER CREEK
EARLY WEDNESDAY MORING I WOKE UP WHEN MY BLINDS RATTLED. I LOOKED OUT THE BUNK WINDOW AND SAW TRASH SCATTERED ON THE GROUND. I SCOUTED AROUND WITH THE FLASH LIGHT AND BROUGHT MY BACKPACK INSIDE. LATTER THAT MORNING I FOUND OUT THAT DENNIS HAD THE SAME VISITOR.
THE BEAR TORE UP THE SEAT ON HIS 250 . KNOCKED THE BIKE AND GAS CAN OVER.
IT CLIMBED UP ON HIS PROPANE TANKS AND PAWED AT FRONT OF HIS TRAILER.
LOOP – 28 MILES
RIDERS – MURRAY, DAVID, DENNIS, JOHN
DAVID SAID HE WANTED AN ADVENTURE RIDE : BEAVER CREEK – DEADWOOD CREEK – BOARDMAN PASS.
RIGHT OFF THE MARK WE HIT SWITCH BACKS & CREEK WE HAD TO WALK ACROSS. THE 1ST THOUGHT IS I HOPE WE ARE RIDING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION !
WE MISSED THE TURN FOR DEADWOOD, WHICH WAS OK IN THE END.
THE ROUTE WE TOOK WAS GRADED AS “AA” BY BILL DART . I HAVE TO AGREE. RODE SOME NARROW ,STEEP, HIGH SIDE HILLS. UNFORTUNATELY MY HELMET CAM WASN’T STAYING FASTEN TO THE HELMET SO I MISSED SOME AWESOME YOUTUBE CLIPS.
RESTING ABOUT HALF WAY UP FROM BEAVER CREEK.
MURRAY REMARKED “ I WALKED MY BIKE DOWN THAT ROCK ( OFF CAMBER ON THE SIDE HILL ) YALL ROLLED OFF OF…”
SADDLE BELOW IRON MT. WE HAD ANOTHER DOUBLE BLACK DIAMOND CLIMB RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER.
WHILE WE WERE RIDING KAT WENT HIKING ON WILLOW CREEK. BY 6 PM SHE WASN’T BACK SO MURRAY GEARED UP AND RODE HIS BIKE DOWN TO WILL CREEK. BY 7:30 STILL NO WORD FROM MURRAY OR KAT. DAVID GEARED UP AND HEADED OUT TO LOOK. ~ 8PM DENNIS RODE UP TO DEER PARK TO CALL HIS WIFE.
KAT ROLLED IN ~ 8:50pm. DENNIS GOT BACK BY 9:30 PM.
THURSDAY 8/4
DAVID AND MURRAY PACKED UP CAMP THURSDAY MORNING. DENNIS AND I SETTLED FOR A QUICK EASY RIDE ON LIME CREEK : MIDDLE FORK / ROANHIDE. FUN RIDE , BUT AFTER BEAVER CREEK IT LEFT ME WANTING MORE.
LOOP ~ 36 MILES
ROANHIDE x BREMNIER
DENNIS PUT HIS JACKET ON SO I WOULDN’T GET RAINED ON 
Don't think I can keep up with you any more Jaiton!
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