5 DAYS SUNDAY 8/3 – THURSDAY 8/8 , ~ 275 MILES
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SUNDAY 8/3 BIG SMOKY LOOP
FSR227 > SKELETON > LITTLE SKELETON > CONANT > JONES GULCH > FSR 79 >FSR 63> CALF CREEK > BIG SMOKY> WF BIG SMOKY> SNOW SLIDE > PARADISE > FSR 227
RIDERS – JOHN , BRIAN D, PAT , BRIAN K
LOOP ~ 80 MILES
Pat , Brian K & Brian D drove in for a day ride from Idaho City and Boise
SF BOISE DRAINAGE FROM CONANT CREEK TRAIL
JONES GULCH TRAIL AT SOUTH FORK OF BOISE RIVER. FOREST SERVICE HAS REMOVED THE BRIDGE AND TRASHED THE CROSSING.
HAD TO EXPLORE BY FOOT TO FIND A PATH TO THE RIVER AND POINT WHERE WE COULD CROSS.
THE WATER WAS LOW SO THE CROSSING DIDN’T PROVE MUCH OF AN ISSUE.
WE THEN FOLLOWED THE ROADS OVER TO CALF CREEK TRAIL TO BIG SMOKY.
BIG SMOKEY
BIG PEAK INTERSECTION.
I NOTICED I DIDN'T RETIE THE CARB VENT LINES UNDER THE FRAME. HAD TO REMOVE THE SEAT AND TANK TO TAKE CARE OF IT.
ONE OF THE BOULDER FIELDS ON BIG SMOKY. OH THANK GOD FOR REKULSE !
Views from the top of Snow Slide. We’re about 60 miles into the ride at this point and I was feeling it !
I struggled down Paradise. It was dry , loose and I was tired. Whenever I sat down I would go off the trail.
I caught up at the Big Smoky Guard Station, told them stay to the right & the road would take us to camp, but I forgot it was a 3 way junction. Brian K and Pat took the hard right back to the church camp !
Dahl & I waited at Big Smoky Junction until Pat and Klinger returned. Klinger said they rode all back to Sunk Creek until they figured it out. He said he saw the Featherville sign , but thought it was pointing on the turn he took.
We ran Klinger out of gas. Dahl had to milk his 300. I managed to do 80 miles without hitting reserve.
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MONDAY – SMOKY DOME
LOOP ~ 60 MILES
RIDERS – DAVID, DENNIS , JOHN T, JOHN A
SMOKY DOME WOULD BE AN EASY LOOP AFTER BIG SMOKEY. ITS AN MIX OF EASY SINGLE TRACK , TWO TRACKS , ATV TRIALS AND ROAD.
IRON MOUNTAIN FROM DEER PARK.
DENNIS PUMPED UP HIS TIRES WHILE WE WAITED. WE ALL DISCUSSED HOW MUCH AIR WE RAN. DENNIS HAD HIS TIRES LOW, ~8 PSI FOR THE OREGON MUD.
ON THE SINGLE TRACK UP TO SMOKY DOME MY BIKE WANTED TO GO SIDEWAYS. I HAD A REAR FLAT.
TURNED OUT TO BE A LARGE PINCH FLAT. I HAD TO PUT IN MY SPARE 21” TUBE.
TOOK A LITTLE WHILE , BUT DENNIS AND I DIDN’T USE ANY CURSE WORDS.
WE CAUGHT UP WITH JOHN AND DAVID. HAD OUR LUNCH AND REFRESHMENTS.
THEN TOOK SOLDIER/MILLER CREEK DOWN TO THE SOUTH FORK BOISE ROAD.
BOTTOM OF MILLER CREEK. THE TRAIL WAS MUCH LOOSER THAN IN JUNE.
BACK AT CAMP I PUT AN 18” TUBE IN THE REAR. WHILE I HAD THE TIRE OFF, I DECIDED TO PUT A NEW TIRE AND REAR BRAKE PADS ON.
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TUESDAY – REST DAY
SKELETON / LITTLE WATER
LOOP ~ 30 MILES
RIDERS – DAVID, DENNIS, JOHN T , JOHN A
DECIDED TO MAKE TUESDAY MY “REST DAY”. JUST DO A SHORT LOOP AND BE BACK IN CAMP FOR LUNCH.
DENNIS AND JOHN AT LITTLE SKELETON JUNCTION
DAVID AND DENNIS
DAVID, DENNIS AND JOHN AT A LOOK OUT POINT ALONG THE BEAR CREEK JEEP ROAD.
LITTLE WATER GULCH REROUTE . NICE TRAIL , STILL A LITTLE LOOSE.
DENNIS NEAR THE BOTTOM
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WEDNESDAY – LIME CREEK LOOP
LOOP ~ 48 MILES
VIRGINIA GULCH > NF LIME CREEK > PRESIDENT > SF LIME CREEK > ROANHIDE > BREMNER > KELLY CREEK
RIDERS – JOHN T, JOHN A , DENNIS
DENNIS AFTER HELPING ME UP A STEP ON VIRGINIA GULCH.
DENNIS AT THE BOTTOM OF PRESIDENT.
JOHN TOOK THE 1ST RUN AT THE ROOT. IT’S BEEN 6-8 WEEKS AND NO ONE HAS CUT THE ROOT OUT OF THE WAY.
HARD TO GET A RUN WITH ENOUGH MO. WE ALL GOT OUR FRONT WHEEL OVER THEN HAD TO PUSH & PULL TO THE BIKES ALL THE WAY UP.
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THURSDAY
SKELETON> BEAR CREEK> PARADISE> FSR 227 > CONANT CREEK > LITTLE SKELETON > SKELETON > FSR227
LAST RIDE OF SPODEFEST FOR ME.
LOOP ~ 60 MILES
RIDERS – DAVID, DENNIS, JOHN, MURRAY, KAT
TOP OF SKELETON AGAIN.
I DID BETTER ON THIS RUN. FELL OVER ONCE WHEN I SAT DOWN AND BOUNCED OFF THE TRAIL RIGHT BELOW THE ROAD.
DENNIS ON BEAR CREEK SIDE HILL.
YOU CAN SEE THE HAZE AND SMOKE FROM THE BEAVER CREEK FIRE ( BETWEEN FAIRFIELD AND HAILEY).
DENNIS AND DAVID AT THE BOTTOM OF PARADISE.
KAT AND MURRAY AT THE BOTTOM OF THE TRAIL.
ON THE WAY BACK DENNIS AND I PEELED OFF ON CONANT CREEK TO GET TO 10 MORE MILES OF SINGLE TRACK.
THURSDAY NIGHT THE WIND HOWLED. I ROLLED UP THE AWNINGS BECAUSE THE FLAPPING KEPT ME AWAKE.
IT FINALLY COOLED DOWN AROUND 3AM.
IN THE MORNING THE CAMP WAS COVERED WITH A LIGHT ASH. I PACKED UP AND HEAD OUT TO HAILEY FOR A BIKE CLINIC WITH JIMMY LEWIS ON SATURDAY. I WAS WORRIED ABOUT THE BIG SMOKY ROAD BEING CLOSED INTO FAIRFIELD SO I HEADED BACK OUT THROUGH FEATHERVILLE AND PINE.
HOWEVER ON THE WAY OUT THE RADIO WAS REPORTING HWY 20 WAS CLOSED BETWEEN MOUNTAIN HOME AND FAIRFIELD. I GOT “LUCKY” THE ROAD INTO FAIRFIELD WAS OPEN.
THE PONY-ELK COMPLEX FIRE IN THE TRINITIES FRIDAY ON THE WAY OUT OF PINE.
WE DODGED THE FIRES THIS YEAR BUT I DIDN’T FOLLOW DAVID'S ADVICE AND REST EVERY COUPLE OF DAYS.
ENDED THE WEEK WITH PULLED / STRAINED MUSCLES IN MY RIGHT CALF AND BUTT.