Idaho

 

“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of autumn.” –John Muir, the Mountains of California.

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Today I am sitting at a picnic table under a gas station awning, procrastinating leaving Salmon, Idaho, because it is raining… I seem to have very suddenly entered the north, and here it seems like it is always 48 degrees and raining. I’m getting to know this guy called weather- he’s crazy. He’s an absolute psychopath, you just never know what he’s going to do next. He can do whatever he wants, hurricane if he wants to, strike you dead with lightning. I believe he lives in Canada, and that’s unfortunately the direction I’m headed. Definitely another hurtle to overcome, I am forced to live in harmony with the weather until my job starts in a couple weeks. It’s a little rough- still, I am enjoying myself!


 

5/16 – Mountain Home to Fairfield – 55 miles

I left Mountain Home late in the day but still was able to get pretty far. It was a long way across the plains toward the hills. I knew behind those hills were the Rocky Mountains…. When I came to their edge, there was a spot where the desert plains abruptly rose to the foothills and mountains beyond. The edge of the desert… I started to climb.

Soon they were revealed to me, after spending some time lost among the foothills. I saw green plains, snow covered mountains in the background. Idaho, from here I can tell you are spectacular. The day involved climbing huge hills, getting a good view, then descending down the backside. I saw boulders emerging from the foothills, and I saw groves of aspen trees. The change from desert to Rocky Mountain climate happened very gradually. I saw lonely, barren lakes and saw fields of blue camas blooming on the plains like carpets of purple before the mountains.

At some point I was in a valley of farmlands before Fairfield. One snowy mountain called Soldier Peak was their backdrop. The farms went on and on as the sun was getting lower. I don’t really care for farms actually, they kind of take the natural environment and completely destroy it. They leave NOWHERE for me to camp. But I had to camp somewhere. I found an old abandoned general store. The door was left opened and I peered inside. I didn’t dare enter, it appeared extremely haunted…”Hello?” Besides it was a big tree and I setup camp there under it. A sheltered spot, hidden completely from the road. I was comfortable there, and throughout the night listened to the various noises of ghosts and things coming from the general store. I would occasionally point my flashlight into the window I was camped in font of, just to see if some axe murderer was standing in it.


 

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That purple is the Camas bloom! And the rest of this field is yellow flowers as well.

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Gorgeous riding, I didn’t mind climbing these hills.

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Slept here. Pretty creepy eh? That window? And the back door under the awning was left open, I peered in… didn’t dare enter! didn’t dare camp under that awning either, this is close enough!

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5/17- Sun Valley – 50 miles.

I slept in great comfort there under my tree, protected completely from sprinkling rain. I wound up getting another late start. It was a beautiful spot, but as I packed up relaxed, I was attacked ferociously by ants. Again this happened, it seems for sure that human development drives the ants to madness. Never once have I been ‘attacked’ by ants in the wilderness, but every time I’ve camped by a man made structure it has happened. They tried to fill my backpack but I wouldn’t let them, and I got out of there as fast as possible!

Still crawling with ants, I biked lazily through the farmlands. Eventually I made it the rest of the way to Fairfield, definitely not in love with this area. I decided, let’s just stop and get a burger. I was wasting more time, and by the time I was done with my burger it was nearly noon. But I met some nice people in the restaurant, and the man offered me a ride. Okay, let’s do it! Ahh, so now I’ve just ruined the integrity of my cross country ride, oh well! He drove me about 20 miles through the irritatingly long farming area, and dropped me off at a road junction where I’d go into the mountains. I did not feel bad at all about taking the ride though, because all of a sudden I was not behind in my day anymore! Now I can have a relaxing day! So I wasted more time.

Finally I was biking to Sun Valley. I found a bike path which took me through some urban areas. I was planning to stop for ice cream or something when I did arrive in Sun Valley, unfortunately I biked right through on the bike path and didn’t notice until I was two miles outside of town… Sun Valley was actually one mile east of the town of Ketchum, and not realizing that I didn’t stop in Ketchum either. Oh well, sad to miss the town but I’m not turning back, besides, my bags are super light now for lack of food… The bike path itself was absolutely gorgeous, passing through woodlands, thick forests of only aspen trees.

I followed the Big Wood River and stopped along its banks to gaze into the rushing water. How nice it is to see water and trees now that I’ve truly left the desert behind. I was able to cover 70 miles today, only biking 50 because of my ride in the truck. Due to that I made it to this paradise just north of Sun Valley in the Sawtooth Mountains. I saw my spot, a grove of aspens far through a field, at the base of huge, sharply pointed hills. I left the highway and walked a ways, arriving in the most idyllic spot. That night I camped in absolute peace under those delicate aspens.


 

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5/18 – To Stanley – 55 miles

Today was the most beautiful day of the trip, rivaled only by my days in Death Valley and the Sierras. I woke up to a forest so fresh, drops of dew on the grass hanging in little glasslike orbs of rainbow light. The green glowed, the place was pure and clean. I had to wander through the forest for a while before heading out.

Biking and I saw the Sawtooth Mountains. Large and rocky rising from the valley floor, forests of pines and of aspens decorating their otherwise bare slopes. Amazing how this area still looks like Nevada, just bigger, sharper, Nevada on steroids kind of. The change from one area to next happens so gradually. I climbed.

All day climbing and climbing, soon I was in a thick forest of northern pines. To be among the pine trees feels sublime, like I’m in a true wilderness. Always it makes me think of places like Alaska! The Sawtooth ridge to one side was ever-changing as I moved through it, and as I ascended. Before long I was rising above the pine trees, and the road was becoming steeper. I did switchbacks, this might have been the largest pass I climbed so far, again only comparing to the Sierras. The Rocky Mountains now showed themselves all around me, but especially in one direction where the ridge I had been following all morning was displayed in its entirety.

Then I made the top. The pine forest there was completely snow covered by two feet or more, leaving just enough space for the road between the snowbanks. Such a good feeling, this was called Galena Pass. Down the backside and an entirely new panaorama was revealed, here there were snowy mountains in all directions. Ontop of the world is how it felt, and I made a bunch of friends up there. One guy even gave me a muffin and two cupcakes which I scarfed!

Today might have been the best day of the trip. I should mention how perfect the weather was. I descended at an outrageous speed, and soon was in a perfect, picturesque valley with snowbound, rocky peaks surrounding in jagged points. As I biked north and crossed the valley, the peaks kept changing as new ones would appear and old ones would disappear. I saw one ridge which truly looked like teeth of a saw, giving these mountains an appropriate name. It was all downhill now, and according to my elevation profile, it would be all downhill apparently for nearly 200 miles! Sounds good to me. I saw the Salmon River for the first time, as just a trickling creek flowing pristine and perfect.

The road followed the Salmon River, ah this is why it’s downhill. I’ll be following the Salmon River a long ways, and the river must always flow downhill. I would love to come back to this wilderness area in my truck and live here for some time, there is a lifetimes worth of beauty to see in this area alone. One thing which really affected me were these creeks draining into the river. One had such power! It was loud and furious! It churned and charged with such pure, clean energy. It was icy, pine trees were dead alongside it and the forest looked like chaos. When forests look like that, it makes me think of the great northern wilderness and I love it. So intense. Eagles occasionally screeched overhead today.

I made it to the town of Stanley which had the best backdrop of extreme, jagged mountains. This small town is like the gateway to the wilderness, and I love towns like this one. So I stopped, wound up sitting down at a restaurant accidently. I figured, well, since I’m here, I might as well get a steak! It was a fantastic meal, with chimichurri sauce, asparagus and mashed potatoes, it was exactly what I needed. I also had homemade berry pie and talked to some old ladies for a long time about my trip. This trip is everything I hoped it would be and more, incredible nature, insane exercise, and lots of little towns along the way where I can stop wherever I want and try all the delicious food items they have to offer.

So I rambled on and was sad it was getting late. I could just keep biking all night after that meal! Surely I couldn’t though, because it was too beautiful and I’d miss the scenery. The Salmon River here was in its prime, and I followed it swiftly flying downhill. It carved an enormous canyon filled with pine trees. I couldn’t decide which was more beautiful, the Sawtooth Mountains or the Salmon River. Nestled in these grand, northwestern pines, seems like it could be a very good life here in Idaho.

I biked until the last vestiges of light were leaving the sky. Then I setup camp in one of the best spots of the trip, competing even with the perfect forest of aspens I had woken up to that morning. I climbed my bike up a very steep dirt hill beside the road, and make it to a platform where I had a view looking down on the road and on the river from fairly high above. Towering pine trees surrounded my sheltered camp, and I setup in the soft, clean bed of pine needles. All night I listened to the river booming as it tossed logs or boulders around. Today was the best day.


 

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5/19 – the hardest day – to Salmon 105 miles.

I knew now the sad reality was the weather forecast predicted a week of rain. Or more. Forever of rain. It started at 5AM. I was well rested and ready for it, jumping awake as it showered me through the pine boughs. I packed everything up in order to keep it dry, climbed down the hill, and I was on the side of the wet road by 6AM! It had stopped raining, but the road was still soaked with puddles. In Nevada, and the Southwest, it will rain occasionally but once it stops everything dries right up. Not here, no longer, it only has to rain a little and everything stays wet. The rushing river I followed was evidence of that.

In the damp, cloudy morning, The Salmon River was epic. It carried me along, as though I was rafting down it following this road. I might as well just get my bike in a raft and go that way! The pine wilderness and river canyon reminded me of only one place, Yellowstone. The canyon was dramatic at times, with rocky cliffs falling way into it, the river rushed with rapids. Yellowstone was not far away from here either, this area is probably as close as I will come to it. I can feel its majesty here in the Sawtooth Wilderness.

I found a hot springs on the side of the road! Called Sunbeam Hotsprings, it poured down the slopes and into the river in huge columns of steam. It drained under the road through a big tube, pouring out the other end in a waterfall. It looked like the perfect hot shower! It was just a little too hot. I was very close to stripping down and getting in, but I thought twice about it, knowing I had a long way to go today and a lot to face.

It was 50 miles from there to Challis and the rains came. It rained hard on me as I biked through it. My camping gear stayed dry and protected but I was soaked. Then the system would pass and I’d dry, but then another system would come. I’d get soaking wet again. Just have to keep moving. I was able to stop for a break under a shed where they keep salt for the roads. Right as I stopped it came down in buckets and I was glad to shelter that one out.

I made it to a tiny store in the middle of nowhere where I went inside and it was warm. I was so cold and wretched by now, I’d come about 25 early morning miles in the rain. The guy in there made me a sandwich with grilled chicken breast and pineapple, it was divine! Hot, protein, everything I needed on grilled, fresh bread. I dried off in there, but then procrastinated as it stormed outside again. He let me sit in a little lounge area with a TV and wait out the system. What great hospitality! I left there refreshed and ready to face the rest of the ride to Challis.

I was soaked in Challis 25 miles later, sheltering under a gas station awning eating snacks. It had been lousy in the rain, but so beautiful being along the Salmon River that I was still having a good day. Plus, it’s all downhill. Now I would tackle the challenge of getting 60 miles to Salmon. I wanted to get there and get a hotel room because the comfort sounded so divine.

The rain cleared and I had a good ride, still cold and in my raingear all day as I assume I’ll be dressed every day now. The Salmon River had made it out of the pine trees and had become a huge, lazily flowing river. Now I was at a much lower elevation and the area looked like desert. I biked into the wilderness, and was reminded of Utah. I followed the river passed sandbars and desiccated mountain scenery, green leafy cottonwood trees growing along the riverbanks. This place was absolutely beautiful, but at some point I started to lose my mind with exhaustion.

I went on and on, not sure if I actually could make it but knew the rain would be back and a hotel room would be great tonight. I was in huge canyons with rock walls or canyon-mountains always high above me in all directions. I followed the river faithfully, almost always headed slightly downhill or at least just flat. It wasn’t easy.

25 miles passed Challis and I hit my breaking point as usual. 75 miles is about all my body will be happy with in one day. Today I’d press on, for 30 more miles… All around me was unbelievable beauty. The rocks were all various colors, huge cliffs jutted straight up from the road. One a spindly spire pointing to the sky, surrounded by fins of rock, the color a deep burgundy red and patterned with electric green lichen and a pale sage green mineral as well. The colors and shapes all around me were starting to play tricks on my deteriorating mind as I passed the 80th mile.

I looked ahead, 25 miles to go. There was a massive canyon wall in front of me. There was a tower-like mesa of colorful, unearthly rock formations resembling a cathedral for some magnificent god to my right. I had watched the tower from far away, now I was passing it. Headed for another bend in the canyon, which would reveal another completely different and awe inspiring panorama to me. It seemed like each bend in the canyon would take about 1, grueling, agonizing mile before I’d round the corner. Then I’d see the next landscape. Each landscape so massive… to think… there are TWENTY FIVE more of these landscapes! It’s like, one landscape takes up the entire scope of your imagination, to imagine three of them is an entire world of phenomenal beauty. To imagine ten of them is impossibly vast and unfathomable… There are twenty five more before getting out of the canyon… What a trip the earth is, at least it’s all downhill for me!

Ten miles and I made it to mile marker 285… I had come 85 today. So much more to go. Ten more miles and I was at 295. Now within ten miles and I am officially “close”. Still so much more to go. The more miles you do, the longer each mile gets. To do 5 is a marathon, to do one is agony. At mile marker 300 I left the canyon for the plains between snowcapped mountains nearing the town of Salmon and I gave a little cheer. I’ve come 300 miles away from something, not sure what but, woohoo! Then I biked the last, flat, long straight shot to mile marker 305 where finally I made it into town. I had been to Salmon once before and had driven this road once before, however I was unable to recognize it hardly at all…

The rain had quit for the afternoon and it was about 9PM when I arrived in Salmon, the evening sun still shining as it does in this screwy part of the timezone. It had been 15 hours of biking, and the rain was starting again as I walked in to get the hotel room. Boom! Flash Flash! Lightning raced across the sky and crackled through the storm darkened foothills and mountains. Then as I walked out of the office, ready to collapse from exhaustion, so pathetic I was planning to order my pizza for delivery, an enormous double rainbow erupted through the sky. “There it is, finally!” It was cheering me on, victory!

I felt really accomplished to be there and soon recovered in my room after a couple of hot showers. I slept well as it crashed rain all night and was happy to not be out there. However, in the morning the frigid drizzle was still upon me and I left the room. I was quick to become agitated. I sat and typed this blog entry most of the day, but finally I left at 3PM with a friend I met who was riding a bicycle. Many days later as I finish typing this post, it is still raining, and I has been quite the adventure to get here!

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