Month: July 2018

Chased by the frost … Part three

Connected now with the Middle Fork Rd #268 …. we turn east and make our way towards Atlanta. But first I need to check out an old foundation left over from another era … however the nature of the slab leads me to believe that it is a structure from the recent past.

Middle Fork of the Boise …

John jumps ahead as I play on the concrete slab and I follow the single strip of kicked up gravel left behind by the 690.

We reconvene at the junction of the Middle Fork Rd and James Creek Rd.  James Creek climbs up to and then follows a ridge over Bald Mountain before dropping back in at the old mining ghost town of Rocky Bar.

The views from up top in both directions are fantastic!

The 690 in hill climb mode ….

All alone …

Weather in the distance …. but so far we’ve seen hardly a drop

The fantastic views I was talking about earlier ….

Right where the road crosses what I think to be Elk Creek a nice cascade appears …

Rocky Bar Ghost Town is starting to show it’s age … the building on the left has since lost half of it’s roof. The town is private and the owners discourage exploration of the buildings, so best to enjoy from the saddle.

Next up … over Trinity!

Chased by the frost …. Part Two

Topping off with fuel in Idaho City is a necessary stop for the Z as we have a few more miles to consider as we plan the next leg of our ride over Trinity Ridge and back to Boise. The mighty 690 Super Tanker is good to go …. no splashing  needed.

A quick run up Hwy 21 and we jump of on Rd 327, Rabbit Creek Road. To let the dust settle John and I separate with a plan to meet at Rabbit Creek Summit. I recall a single track short cut from my Enduro days and decide to see if I can beat John to the top ….

The lower half was flowy and fun … the upper half was nothing but cupped out braking/acceleration bumps and sucked, just as I remembered.

John beat me …

We took this opportunity to stretch the legs and eat a quick snack.

Refreshed and refueled we point the bikes towards Barber Flat.

Rd 327 drops down the East side of Rabbit Creek Summit and follows a drainage down towards the North Fork of the Boise River.

The North Fork of the Boise River originates within the western edge of the Sawtooth Wilderness. A popular stretch for fishing and in some case floating, the N Fork Boise deposits into the Middle Fork of the Boise before dropping into Arrowrock Reservoir.

376 going right …

50″ …. (word on the street is that the bridge has since been repaired and reopened to full size traffic)

There is an unmaintained track that runs over the ridge from Barber Flat to Alexander Flat. Rd 376 has deteriorated to a large extent over the last few years with large ruts and washouts.

Looking east towards Atlanta and the beginnings of the Sawtooth Wilderness…

Down river ….

We drop down into Alexander Flat and the Middle Fork Road 268.

The Middle Fork drainage has been impacted quite heavily the last ten years with devastating wildfires as evidence of remaining burned timber is visible in all directions. A necessary natural process of rejuvenation, but sad none the less as we will never see it back to it’s past glory within our life time.

Now headed up stream without a paddle, just a twist of a throttle …..

Chased by the frost … Part one

“It is only in adventure that some people succeed in knowing themselves”

                                                                                                                     – Andre Gide

With another riding season nearing an end and the weekend forecast calling for favorable Fall weather I decide to wake up the Z and reach out to my buddy John and his Mighty 690 …. “Hey John, good day for a ride!”

We meet at the bottom of Bogus Basin Road to once again make our way over the ridge into the Boise Mountains ….

Following 374 along the Ridge Road …

Piney flow ….

The morning is still cool …. John running heated gear off the mighty 690

Once again passing the Ponderosa giants!

Hill-N-Dale

We ride to the end of 374 to Harris Creek Summit and hang a hard right onto Ranch Road, or 307 passing by an old homestead of a harder… and in some ways simpler times.

Moving on towards Idaho City, which for me will be a stopping point for fuel … since the Z is not the super tanker, such as the might 690.

The road is nicely paved for a few miles as we ride along side what I think to be Granite Creek.

A bit more dirt before making Idaho City … I fuel up the Z as we plot our next leg.

Next …..