RESTORING GREED – LIBERTY , CAPITALISM AND OPEN TRAILS
MILTON FRIEDMAN ON THE SIGNIFICANCE OF GREED ( SELF INTEREST & CAPITALISM).
ORIGINAL PLANS WERE TO RIDE CUSTER BUT THE HALSTEAD FIRE SHUT DOWN VALLEY CREEK AND THE YANKEE FORK.
IT WAS ANY EASY DECISION TO CHANGE THE LOCATION TO BURGDORF , HOWEVER A FEW WEEKS BEFORE THE RIDE FIRES OUTSIDE NEW MEADOWS AND CENTRAL WASHINGTON SOCKED THE AREA ( AND MUCH OF SOUTHERN IDAHO) IN SMOKE. FORECASTS WERE FOR A BREAK IN THE SMOKE THAT WEEKEND AND A CHANCE OF RAIN THE FOLLOWING WEEK.
DAVID DROVE UP THURSDAY, GAVE ME A CALL FROM SECESH SUMMIT FRIDAY. SAID SMOKE WAS SO BAD HE CONSIDERED LEAVING. I TOLD HIM THE FORECAST AND WAS STILL COMING UP SATURDAY MORNING.
THIS YEAR’S T-SHIRT-
“LIBERTY , CAPITALISM AND OPEN TRAILS “
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I GOT TO RIDE SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. LOGGED ~ 230 MILES.
CAMP WAS AT PETE CREEK CAMPGROUND
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SATURDAY
I WAS ABLE TO HIT THE ROAD AROUND AROUND 7:30 AM. AT HORSE SHOE BEND I WEIGHED THE CAMPER.
FRONT AXLE – 4,900 LBS
REAR AXLE - 8,800
BOTH AXLES - 13,800
TRAILER - 3,200
ROLLED INTO CAMP ~ 11AM .
EVERYONE WAS SUITED UP BUT THEY SAID THEY WOULD WAIT FOR ME TO PARK AND GET READY. A GROUP OF THEM DECIDED TO RIDE UP & DOWN JEANNETTE CREEK WHILE I GOT READY. AFTER THEY RETURNED WE HEADED DOWN THE ROAD TO THE BEAR-PETE TRAILHEAD.
LOOP – 36 MILES
FRENCH CREEK ROAD TO TRAIL HEAD => BEAR-PETE=> WARREN WAGON ROAD => BRUGDORF ROAD
TRIAL BOSS – MURRAY
RIDERS – PAT, GAVIN, BRIAN, DARYL, MARIAH, JOHN
BEAR-PETE TRAILHEAD
DARYL GETTING RESTARTED AFTER MARIAH & I GOT OVER A ROCK IN A TRENCH.
AFTER WE GOT THRU THE TRENCH WE CAUGHT UP WITH THE GROUP. MURRAY SAID HE AHD A FLAT, I GAVE HIM MY SPARE INTER TUBE. NOTICE THE BEST PART OF FIXING A FLAT IS DRINKING A BEER WHILE YOU WATCH !
IT WAS STILL HAZY FROM THE SMOKE. VISIBILITY WAS PROBABLY ONLY A MILE OR TWO. COULDN’T SEE ACROSS THE CANYONS OR THE BOTTOM OF THE DRAINAGES.
STOP A LONG THE RIDGE
ONE OF THE ROCKY STRETCHES DROPPING DOWN TO THE EASTERN TRAILHEAD.
EASTERN TRAILHEAD.
AFTER THE SINGLE TRACK WE MOTORED THE ROADS BACK TO CAMP.
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LOOP ~ 60 MILES
JEANNETTE CREEK=> CALIFORNIA LAKE=> WARREN ATV TRAIL => WARREN => FSR 21=> FSR 335 => CALIFORNIA LAKE => JEANNETTE CREEK
TRAIL BOSS – MURRAY
RIDERS – PAT, BRIAN, GAVIN, SCOTT, KAT, DAVID
DARYL AND MARIAH WERE BUNKING AT THE BURGDORF CABINS SO WE RODE IN TO CHECK THEIR PLANS.
THE OWNER CAME OUT AND ASKED US TO “SEE HOW SLOW “ WE COULD RIDE. AT THE CABINS BRIAN ASKED FOR SOME PLIERS TO WORK ON HIS CLUTCH CABLE ( WHAT’S THAT ?). AFTER CONFIRMING DARYL'S & MARIAH'S PLANS WE ROLLED OUT. THE JEANNETTE TRAIL HEAD WAS AT THE BACK OF THE JEANNETTE CAMPGROUND RIGHT NEXT TO THE BURGDORF CABINS.
I HUNG BACK TO RIDE SWEEP AND WAIT FOR BRIAN. SINCE HE ROAD JEANNETTE THE DAY BEFORE I WAITED AT THE BACK OF THE CAMPGROUND. AFTER FEW MINUTES I THOUGHT I HEARD HIS BIKE BUT IT WAS OBVIOUS THE BIKE WENT PAST THE CAMPGROUND. I WAITED LONGER BUT STILL NO BRIAN. I TOOK OFF AND MET DAVID WHERE THE TRAIL CROSSED THE ROAD. I WAITED ANOTHER 5-10 MINUTES AT THE ROAD AND STILL NO BRIAN.
JEANNETTE IS A SWEET SINGLE TRACK, LOTS OF FUN !
END OF JEANNETTE CREEK. WE WAITED SOME MORE FOR BRIAN. PAT DECIDED TO BACK TRACK AND LOCATE HIM.
SCOTT ALONG THE WAY TO CALIFORNIA LAKE.
CALIFORNIA LAKE, PRETTIER THAN I EXPECTED.
ON THE WAY TO THE LOOKOUT PAT CAUGHT BACK UP WITH US WITHOUT BRIAN ! HE HAD GONE BACK TO CAMP & BURGDORF BUT NO SIGN OF HIM.
WAR EAGLE LOOKOUT . THE GAL IS A SCHOOL TEACHER FROM OHIO. SPENDS HER SUMMERS MANNING LOOKOUTS .
HER DOG IS NAMED JACK.
NEAR THE END OF THE ATV TRAIL INTO WARREN WE CAME ACROSS THESE GUYS TOWING AN AIRPLANE OUT WITH A COUPLE OF FOUR WHEELERS. THE PLANE CRASHED LAST MONTH. ALL THE HELICOPTERS WERE BOOKED ON THE FIRES.
THEY WERE CONTRACTED TO REMOVE THE WRECKAGE.
WHEN WE RODE INTO WARREN SOME HOBBIT COMPLAINED WE WERE RIDING TOO FAST. GAVIN ASKED HIM HOW HE COULD TELL AND HE SAID HE “ HEARD US “ . DECIDED NOT TO SPEND ANY MONEY IN WARREN AND ATE OUR LUNCH OUTSIDE. AFTER LUNCH DAVID AND PAT DECIDED TO RIDE THE MAIN ROADS BACK TO CAMP.
THE REST OF US DECIDED TO TAKE A JEEP ROAD BACK UP TO THE LOOK OUT , THEN JEANNETTE BACK INTO CAMP.
ON THE WAY BACK THE SMOKE GOT WORSE STINGING THE EYES AND CAUSING AN OCCASIONAL COUGH.
WHEN WE GOT BACK TO CAMP PAT & BRIAN HAD LOADED UP AND LEFT. A GOOD SIGN THAT BRIAN WAS OK !
BETWEEN KAREN AND DARYL I THING I PIECED TOGETHER WHAT HAPPENED :
WE TOOK OFF OFF FROM THE CABINS WHILE BRIAN WAS STILL WORKING ON HIS BIKE – OUR MISTAKE 
BRIAN RODE OUT AND DIDN’T SEE ANY DUST, BECAUSE WE RODE SLOW AND A HARD RIGHT AT THE CAMPGROUND ENTRANCE.
DARYL SAID BRIAN RODE BACK TO THE CABINS AND ASKED WHERE WE WENT. DARYL TOLD HIM JEANNETTE AT THE CAMPGROUND WHERE THEY RODE YESTERDAY.
KAREN SAID SHE SAW BRIAN RIDE UP PETE CREEK TRAIL AFTER WE LEFT. LATER SHE TALKED A BIT WITH HIM. HE SAID THE OWNER AT THE HOT SPRINGS FUSSED AT HIM AGAIN AND TOLD HIM TO STAY AWAY !
LATER SUNDAY EVENING WE STARTED TO GET LIGHT SPRINKLES. THE MORMONS ( RANDY, BRENT, JUSTIN & GERALD) WERE DUE IN SOMETIME AFTER 6 PM. EARLIER IN THE WEEK GERALD TOLD ME THEY HAD TO GO TO SUNDAY SCHOOL, I ASKED HIM TO PRAY FOR RAIN . IT MUST OF WORKED 
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MONDAY – THE MORMON MIRACLE EPIC RIDE
LOOP ~ 44 MILES , EPIC RIDE !
FRENCH CREEK ROAD => BEAR-PETE #142 => JACKSON CREEK #116 => #145 => BEAR-PETE=> PETES CREEK #144
RIDERS – RANDY , JUSTIN, GERALD, BRENT, JON, SCOTT, DAVID , JOHN
DEAD FALL , THE GUYS BUILT A RAMP TO GET OVER IT.
BREAK AFTER GETTING EVERYBODY THRU THE TRENCH. SOON AFTER THIS DAVID SAID HE FELT BAD , SHORT OF BREATH AND DECIDED TO GO DOWN PETES CREEK TO CAMP
BEAR-PETE AND #145 INTERSECTION –RANDY & JUSTIN DECIDED TO RIDE BACK TO CAMP WITH DAVID. WE STAYED AT THE INTERSECTION FOR AN HOUR THEN DECIDED TO CONTINUE THE RIDE. BRENT MENTIONED HIS STEERING WAS BINDING FROM TIME TO TIME. AT THE NETHER CREEK INTERSECTION BRENT SAID THE STEERING WAS WORSE AND HE TURNED AROUND TO HEAD BACK.
AT THE END OF THE BEAR-PETE TRAIL RANDY AND JUSTIN CAUGHT UP WITH US. SAID DAVID WAS OK & PETES CREEK WAS GNARLY. DAVID SAD HE WOULDN’T HAVE RODE IT BY HIS SELF IF HE KNEW IT. RANDY SAID IT WAS A BUGGER TO GET BACK UP. THEY RAN INTO BRENT AND TOLD HIM TO RIDE BEAR-PETE BACK TO CAMP.
JACKSON CREEK #116 WAS A NICE CHANGE. IT SNAKED THRU A WET BOTTOMLAND FOREST.
TRAIL #116 & TRAIL #145 INTERSECTION. WE WERE WORRIED WHAT WE WOULD HIT ON THE 3000 FT CLIMB BACK UP THE RIDGE.
NORTH CREEK CROSSING – GERALD BULLDOGGED HIS BIKE DOWN. I THOUGHT I COULD ROLL DOWN IT , BUT PLANTED MY FRONT WHEEL ON A ROCK THEN GOT STUCK. GERALD HAD TO HOLD MY BIKE SO I COULD GET OFF.
AFTER THIS THERE WAS A ROCKY SWITCHBACK I HAD TO WALK THE BIKE THROUGH. THE REST OF THE TRAIL WAS SMOOTH AND EASY.
THE TOP OF PETES CREEK WAS ROCKY AND GNARLY. THERE IS A TIGHT STEEP SWITCHBACK ON TOP THAT I DON’T KNOW HOW RANDY & JUSTIN GOT UP.
BACK IN CAMP DAVID WAS ABOUT LOADED UP. HE SAID HE FELT OK NOW. WOULDN’T HAVE HEADED DOWN THE TRAIL ALONE IF HE KNEW IT WAS SO GNARLY. WAS SURE GLAD RANDY & JUSTIN RODE DOWN WITH HIM.
BRENT WAS WORKING ON HIS BIKE BUT NEEDED A 28-30MM SOCKET TO REMOVE THE STEERING NUT. AS DAVID WAS DRIVING OUT HE STOPPED TO HELP. USING A VICE GRIP AND HAMMER DAVID WAS ABLE TO LOOSEN THE NUT. WHEN WE TOOK THE COLUMN APART WE FOUND THE BOTTOM BEARING CAGE BROKEN. I TOLD BRENT HE COULD RIDE MY 300 THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK. I BROUGHT THE BIKE TO USE AS A SPARE PART DEPOT .
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TUESDAY – THE CLASSIC LAZY BUTT RIDE
LOOP – THE GENTILES DID 59 MILES ,THE MORMONS DID MORE
FOR ME , SCOTT & JON IT WAS A MIX OF EASY SINGLE TRACKS, ATV TRAILS AND ROAD.
FOR SOME REASON RANDY , BRENT , GERALD & JUSTIN WANTED MORE OF A “MAN RIDE”.
JEANETTE=> FSR 325=> FLOYD MEADOWS #130 => WARREN=> FSR 21=> SECESH RIVER TRAIL =>
LOON LAKE=> RUBY MEADOWS => BURGDORF
RIDERS – RANDY , JUSTIN , BRENT , GERALD , SCOTT, JON , JOHN
UPPER JEANNETTE CREEK
TRAIL #130 ‘FLOYD MEADOWS'’ WAS A ANOTHER SWEET TRAIL THAT DROPPED FROM WAR EAGLE LO INTO WARREN
RANDY WANTED TO RIDE INTO WARREN FOR A BURGER. THE BAR WAS CLOSED SO WE ATE OUR LUNCH AT THE TABLES OUTSIDE.
WE TOOK FSR 21 TO CHINOOK CAMPGROUND THEN TRAIL #80 ALONG THE SECESH RIVER.
THE SECESH IS A SENIC RIVER
THE SECESH RIVER TRAIL IS A GROOMED EASY TRAIL WITH BEAUTIFUL VIEWS
WAITING FOR THE CREW TO GET THRU A SERIES OF SWITCHBACKS
LOON LAKE
ALL DAY JUSTIN & RANDY CHATTED ABOUT RIDING VICTORY CREEK BACK. AT THE INTERSECTION I SAID I WAS RIDING THE “GIRLS TRAIL” BACK THRU RUBY MEADOW AND “THE REAL TRAIL” WAS VICTORY CREEK. BRENT & GERALD SAID THEY WOULD RIDE THE REAL TRAIL TOO.
3 HOURS LATER WE SAW THEM BACK IN CAMP AS SCOTT, JON AND I WERE DISCUSSING IF WE SHOULD LOOK FOR THEM.
RANDY AND JUSTIN ROLLED IN FIRST. RANDY SAID IT WAS TOUGH, SO TOUGH HE DECIDED HE WASN’T WALKING OR RIDING DOWN TO HELP BRENT AND GERALD OVER THE SUMMIT.
BRENT AND GERALD ROLLED IN A BIT LATER. NOT SURPRISINGLY BOTH LOOKED HAMMERED. GERALD MIGHT HAVE EVEN SCRATCHED HIS BIKE. BRENT LOVED THE KTM 300 , SAID HE PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE MADE VICTORY ON THE YAMAHA 426 AND KTM MADE RIDING “ FUN AGAIN .
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WEDNESDAY – NETHER CREEK
LOOP – 26 MILES
ROUTE – NETHER CREEK => BEAR-PETE => FRENCH CREEK RD
NETHER CREEK IS A LONG STEEP SIDE HILL.
I THOUGHT I HAD RIDDEN DOWN NETHER CREEK ~ 6-7 YEARS AGO BECAUSE I DIDN'T RECOGNIZE PETES CREEK.
WELL I HADN’T, PETES CREEK MUST HAVE BEEN REROUTED BECAUSE IT DOESN’T FOLLOW THE CREEK ANY MORE.
VIEWS FROM THE SIDE HILL
GERALD CAME DOWN TO GROOM THE TRAIL FOR ME, AS ALWAYS THE TRAIL IS STEEPER THAN IT APPEARS IN THE PHOTO.
AFTER PADDLING AND PUSHING THRU ROCKS I WAS POOPED AT THE TOP. DROPPED THE BIKE ON THE LAST ROOTED SWITCHBACK. JUSTIN PICKED UP MY BIKE AND RODE IT THE LAST 100 FEET.
THE GANG LET ME CATCH MY BREATH ON TOP
THE VISIBILITY AND VIEWS WERE BETTER BUT NOT BACK TO NORMAL. STILL SMOKE IN THE SALMON RIVER CANYON.
WE HAD DISCUSSED RIDING UP THE WILLOW CREEK ATV TRAIL THEN DOWN JEANNETTE. AT THE END OF BEAR-PETE EVERYBODY WAS READY TO RIDE THE ROAD BACK TO CAMP.
IT WAS NICE TO SPEND SOME HANGING AROUND CAMP. BUT IT WAS SHORT LIVED SINCE WE HAD TO START PACKING UP.
MOST OF US WERE OUT OF THERE BY 4 PM.
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GREAT WEEK BUT ALL GOOD TIMES MUST COME TO AN END !