2007 LAZY BUTT

FALL 2007 LAZY BUTT Sunday 9/23- Saturday 9/29

A CELEBRATION OF CARBON BASED RECREATION!!!!!!!!!

“DIRT BIKE RIDING (and beer) IS PROOF GOD LOVES MAN”- Ben Franklin 2007

Stats - total miles – 290 (250 + single track /some double track)

Elevation changes – 16 miles!

Base camp - Pole Creek elevation 7500ft

Riders - John Aiton, Scott Moore, Tim Bossart (Mon- Friday)

Jon Doebler – Friday

Fire Marshal – Scott Moore

Scott left Saturday. He spent the day cleaning up the camp site and giving his chain saw a work out.

He also caught up with the Iron Butt crew at Smiley Creek Lodge.

Sunday morning the Iron Butters dropped by Scott’s camp to repair a flat

I left Boise ~ 9:30 Sunday morning. Tim phoned to say he was leaving later and not to wait for him.

I got to camp ~ 1 PM and started setting up during a light snowfall.

Tim arrived a couple of hrs later in the 6 metre.

 

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Monday 9/24

Monday we woke up to a dusting of snow. We could see the hills got quite a bit.

True to our theme we didn’t start the ride until noon! The plan was to ride Grand Prize & Germania then do a quick loop across the highway.

The top of Grand Prize had 3-4 inches of snow. Side hills sure can look different!

Tim dropping out of the snow line.

We crossed the river then on the way down to road we noticed 3 new cattle guards installed on the trail!

I thought Grand Prize was soon to be non-motorized??????? Someone must have some extra money in the budget.

	Tim having a good time at the hot springs!

Germania trail head. Waiting for the horse & mule to get over the rise

Me on lower Germania.

 

This is where “it” happened. May not look the deep, but when you drop off the shore the water almost hit the head light. I did didn’t carry enough speed and fell over. Should have crossed up stream a bit.

Tim helping with the bike. It took about 20-30 minutes to drain the water and get the bike running again. Luckily the mud hole was almost dry!

Not so lucky -- at the next stream crossing Scott dropped his bike! He says I jinxed him.

Gee, I thought I only did this! At least I had deep water.

By the time we got Scott’s bike running the hunter on the horse with the pack mule had caught up to us.

End of the trail. We still have about 10 miles of road back to camp. I still had some bragging rights. I cleaned the big ledge. Tim and Scott paddled the line to the right.

Time to change the oil

 

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TUESDAY - 9/25

MILES -62 ELEVATION CHANGE - 3.1 MILES ROUTE – CROSSED HWY 75 OLD MINE ROAD OUT OF CHEMEKTAN => WEST FORK BIG SMOKEY è SMILEY CREEK TRAIL=> TOOK A RUN UP VIENNA CREEK EXPLORED SIDE CANYONS ON THE WAY BACK TO CAMP

ME & TIM SCOOTING UP THE OLD MINE ROAD

Tim riding up the ridge

Tim & Scott ~9500 ft ridge above the old mine road. Top of Idaho.

UPPER WEST FORK BIG SMOKEY

Switch back & side hill West Fork Big Smokey L on West Fork Big Smokey

At the intersection of Big Smokey we meet another crew climbing up Smiley Creek. They were camped at Baumgartner and ridden Johnson Creek into Smiley Creek lodge. They were also up for the week.

We took a break at the bottom of Vienna Creek next to the mine. I headed up first. I made a personal best, about half way in one run, but still didn’t make it to the top. There weren’t any tracks at the bottom, or any where ups the hill. I had my concerns about what we were getting into.

While I was on the hill, Tim and Scott met Hal. Hal owns Smiley Creek Lodge and the mine. He told them they had a gold star for not cutting across his mine. He was up there to meet with the Forest Service to convince the feds to improve a couple of trails so people would be less tempted to trespass.

After a while Scott & Tim came up the hill. Scott made it past me and got hung up on root. Tim made it up to my spot. After much discussion Tim and

I convinced Scott we didn’t have enough daylight & know idea what we might be getting into.

We spent the rest of the ride exploring old logging roads and different canyons. Lots of neat places and opportunities for more trails.

Scott’s finger from his fall in Germania Creek

Scott turned his trailer into a dry box.

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Wednesday was our rest day 48 miles ( ~15-18 miles of single track) Elevation change 2.6 miles

Lazy butt 07 –CONT

WED 9/26

ROUTE – GERMANIA CREEK => WASHINGTON CREEK TRAIL=>4^TH JULY LAKE => ROADS AND TWO TRACKS BACK.

Washington Creek Trail- Tim & Scott

WASHINGTON LAKE

4^TH OF JULY LAKE – WE MEET A COUPLE OF OLDER GALS WHO HAD HIKED IN FROM PARKING LOT.

The older one told us about her grandson who rides dirt bikes & that she once walked in & out of 4^th July from Pole Creek !

Sheepherders along Valley Creek

Got back to camp early, ~ 4pm.

Sat in the sun, drank beer with chips, bean dip & salsa. Scott and I shot a few rounds through our hand guns.

Tim- Iron Chef / SIDRA Champion / Rock Star - in the “6 METRE”. Tim is quite the cook : Sunday – grilled Pork Loins, fresh mashed potatoes, fresh broccoli Tuesday – shrimp & sausage gumbo Wednesday – Meat loaf , fresh green beans, sautéed red potatoes Usually had Irish whiskey for an appetizer Key for a good ride is to a good cook and someone to get your bike thru the rough stuff.

Thursday was the classic motorcycle ride.

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LAZY BUTT 07 CONT – THURSDAY 9/27

Thursday was the signature ride for the week. A good mix of climbs, technical single track and easy stretches where you could rest.

75 miles Elevation changes 3.4 miles

Wolf tracks upper Big Smoky ========è

Tim on the way to Chemeketan

Me coming thru “the notch” at the top on Snow Slide. The trail has had a lot of work. It actually fairly easy now.

Snow Slide Summit Me and Tim discussing the virtues of trail tires. Various portraits below at Snow Slide Summit.

Snow Slide Lake & camp site. Looks like an old cabin site. This is just below the summit.

Lunch break along South Fork of Boise

Upper Johnson Creek

Ross Creek

Trying to spot where the trail climbs out of the bowel. You can see from the map that it cross the face of the bowel in front of us.

Me and Tim getting thru a tight spot on top of Johnson Creek.

Looking back down Johnson Creek drainage

We dropped over the ridge to Alturas Creek. You can tell the lower potion was an old road plus it had recently been groomed.

I was cruising in 4^th gear, but still couldn’t keep up with Tim and Scott. Once we got to the Hwy 75, we followed the two tracks along the power lines

back to Smiley Creek Lodge. We stopped and called home, then headed to camp.

When we got to camp Doebler was unloading. Jon made us several vodka tonics that evening.

After dinner we watched Sam Peckinpah’s Ride the High Country , this has to be the best western ever.

It’s about growing old, “right & wrong” and the changing WEST.

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LAZY BUTT Fall 07 cont- Friday 9/27

Loop ~ 75 miles Elevation change 4.5 miles

Route – Rainbow Trail => Grand Prize => East Fork of Salmon Road => Livingston Mine => Frog Lake => Boulder Creek => East Fork of Salmon Road => Grand Prize

Just about ready to leave camp. Doebler looks all buffed out! Look’n good!

It was warmer this morning, ~38-40 deg, but the skies look like rain / snow.

	The week is starting to wear on Tim’s nose. Me looking for a band aid.

Traffic jam on Grand Prize

The week was starting to catch up with me too. My hands are beat upped and starting to swell. My “throttle elbow”(tendentious) kept me up most the night. Next years Lazy Butt we need to arrange for an Medical Officer !

	Fuel Transfer for Jon Boy at Frog Lake Trail head.

I found a broken wire on my happy button. A quick repair with red duct tape made me happy!

The wind was picking up and temps were dropping and it looked cloudy on top so we couldn’t talk each other into riding to the top of Rail Road Ridge.

I think we were all a bit tried from a week of riding.

Looking back toward Rail Road Ridge.

Just before the descent into Frog Lake. Castle Peak in background

Tim & Jon above Frog Lake. Me in front of Castle Peak.

Frog Lake

We had lunch at Frog Lake. It was chilly sitting under the tress.

	Side Hill to Willow lake

Views from Boulder Creek

Some weather was starting to roll in , we were tired, so we opted to skip Germania and take Grand Prize back.

I was starting to fade mentally loosing my concentration and having to ride a gear lower.

Tim being fast.

About an hour after getting to camp the rain started.

I decided I was still ahead for week and was not going to ride on Saturday and started packing up my dirty gear and other odds & ends.

The only decision was when to leave on Saturday.

SS

Saturday morning we woke to another dusting of snow. The snow picked up during the morning and didn’t look like it was going to quit. Tim & Jon also decided to pack it in.

Even though no one got to ride double and squeeze their best buddy, it was still a great ride. Really lucky that I ended up in Idaho and knew guys who would help me learn to ride.

Possible destinations for nest year’s Fall Ride : Elk City – we can dirt bike and dual sport the Magruder to Darby.

Saint Maries – Couer D’Alene

Lemhi’s

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SawMill Canyon 9/1 -9/3 2007

Well Scott hit puberty and acted goofy for ~ 36 hours so we didn’t get out of
Boise until late Saturday morning. After ~ 265 miles we finally got into SawMill
around 3pm.

Being late I wasn’t too picky about camp spots, but ended up with a site to
ourselves along Bull Creek. After we got set up I found that another 200 yards
there was a more scenic spot with one other camp but didn’t think it was worth
moving for just two nights.

The Forest Service employee dropped by and introduced his self. Hank was from
Collage Station Texas, retired from prison system. Told him I was from Dallas,
graduated from UT and I thought A&M always looked like a penal institution.
He went back to his truck to get his ticket book !

Didn’t get much riding in other than some old roads & scouting more camp spots.

Most people were camping on the upper end of the canyon from Quigley Creek to
Timber Creek.
I think I would pick a spot along Iron Creek Road, not crowded and pretty clean.

On top of Bear Basin Road I met a hunter in a Polaris ranger that had a small camp
set up. I forget his name (CRS), but he worked at Gowen Field in the Guard for 20
years. He was original from Mississippi and had been scouting the hill side for elk
the last 3 days.

Still worked out to be a nice trip, a good shake down with the camper and no
problems with the truck. Plus my luck may be changing, when I was backing the
trailer into its spot at the house I heard the left tire hissing when went to unhook
from the truck. Usually this happens on I-84 at 75 mph in the dark !

POLE CREEK / GRAND PRIZE 8/10-8/12/07

 

Took off work around noon Friday and left the house ~ 2pm. We stopped at the Boise Stage for lunch (which may have been a mistake for me.

Saturday morning I had to make several emergency donations to the John Marvel Water Shed Project). I lost count of all the Lear Jet greenies as we drove past the Sun Valley airport. Pulled into the camp spot ~ 6:30 PM. Gerald was just getting his trailer set up. I set up next to the creek again.

Owen arrived ~ 9:30- 10 pm. Scott had to fill in the gaps on THE MAN FROM LARAMIE, had to know who was selling the repeaters to the Indians !

THE ROUTE - RAINBOW TRAIL =>GRAND PRIZE GULCH => EAST FORK OF SALMON RIVER & BACK ~ 38 MILES

“THANK YOU JOHN MARVEL !” ALWAYS DRAWS A SMILE.

JORDON & SCOTT

OWEN, SCOTT & JORDON

SCOTT & JORDON DROPPING INTO THE EAST FORK OF THE SALMON RIVER DRAINAGE

TAKING A BREAK AT THE TURN AROUND POINT

	EAST FORK OF THE SALMON

All the boys did good riding in. Scott got tired and fluster on the way back went over the handle bars once, bobbled on a few rocks and limb pull him off his bike. But he stuck with it and rode all the way back with a little bet of help.

Late Saturday afternoon the rest of crew rode up to the mines. Scott and I tried our luck fishing in Pole Creek, but got skunked.

Sunday morning Scott 7 I did a 4-5 mile bicycle ride to Grand Prize trail head & back. We started back home about 11am.

Jordan Valley / Succor Creek Dual Sport 7/15/07

 

Stats John Aiton - 640adv

Byron Defenbach - Vstrom 650

Miles 230

Rolling time 5:30 hrs /min

Total Time 8:20 hrs/min

Max speed – 75mph (dirt & pavement)

Original plan was to take Whiskey Mt Road out Reynolds to Jordon Creek. It tops out ~7,000-7,500 ft. Every other time I’ve taken the route we see deer and elk and you pass through an alpine meadow on top and head waters of Succor Creek . Saturday evening Byron called and said his battery on the KLR was dead. What to know if I still wanted to go or could he take his Vstrom? Of course I wanted to go we could re-route through Silver City

and stay on maintained roads.

We left my house ~ 7:15. Had to make a pit stop in Kuna, and then spent 10-15 minutes at Dan’s Ferry Service to see if there were any other takers.

We still made it into Jordan Valley by ~10AM. It was great morning overcast, temps in the 70’s and a sprinkle of rain near Silver City.

And the gal at the Chevron in JV was actually pleasant (but I don’t remember if this was the nice one or mean one)!

We breakfast at the JV Café and were back on the road by 11:30. There was 2-3 fire camps set up in town.

We took the Hwy 95 north to the Succor Creek turn off.

This portion of Succor Creek is a maintain road thru wide open vista’s. You can top out in the straights ~ 75mph.

ROCKVILLE SCHOOL HOUSE

We rode about halfway down Leslie Gulch to Dago Gulch

Dago Gulch (doesn’t seem very PC does it?) I need to see how far I can ride down this road.

Just as we turned around to head back to Succor Creek CG we spotted Big Horn Sheep along the road. They were pretty tame, you get right under them.

Just as we exited Leslie Gulch my let boot felt cool and wet and I hadn’t crossed an creeks ! I looked down and saw gas streaming from the tank.

The cross over hose had come loose and I was spilling gas from both sides.

The clip and hose had worked loose, probably a good application for safety wire.

Trail side repair. (Looks like I’m due another haircut)

I wanted to get to Succor Creek camp ground so I could wash off my boot and sock in the creek. It was about 10-15 miles away.

Along the way there was only mucky looking ditch water and after about 10 minutes my left foot started “burning” ( no it wasn’t on fire).

At the campground I took my boot off and soaked my foot, sock and boot in the creek. The creek still had some flow and was clean.

After I washed my foot I could see the skin was blistering and I lost a spot of skin about the size of a half dollar. Byron had a 1st aid kit (made in China ) with some gauze and ointment. We spent a few minutes letting my sock and foot air out And talking to a another rider, Mike, who was at the camp ground, the stinging sub sided . I swapped socks ( right & left) and the 3 of us headed to Homedale. Besides extra underwear, I need to start packing extra socks and first aide kit.

Byron & I missed “got lost” and missed our turn in Homedale and ended up on the out skirts of Parma before we caught Hwy26 to I84.

Who owns that big ranch / horse farm between Homedale & Parma ????

I84 on Bubba was chore, he can do 65-75 mph but doesn’t have any oomph left for high-speed passing like Major Kong does.

Bubba might need to go a tooth bigger on the counter sprocket. I could keep up with Byron. At the Meridian exit my fuel light came on so I pulled off.

I wonder how much fuel I dumped.