Dual Sport Idaho – Obrianmcc Adventures

East to West – Part 2

With bodies and bikes refueled we remount and continue up Hwy 21. Hwy 21 (the Ponderosa Scenic Byway) is a one of those super fun roads that you can ride over and over. It’s a paved strip that encourages aggressive lean angles as it winds along rivers edge and between steep and jagged ridge lines.

Passing through a section known as “Avalanche Alley” … duly named by the frequent avalanches that occur after winter storms, we crest Banner Summit and drop into the west side of Stanley Valley. We wont be making our way through Stanley this day, instead we will turn off Hwy 21 and onto Seafoam Rd (FR 008). This leads to Beaver Creek Rd (FR 172) in a few short miles. Beaver Creek Rd is primitive and rough … perfect for ADV bikes.

Seafoam Road

Turn off for Beaver Creek Rd

FR 172, Beaver Creek Road is a narrow 300ft easement through the southern section of the Frank Church Wilderness. It is narrow, sandy, rocky, runs tight ridge lines and has miles of views.

Following Beaver Creek the road eventually starts to climb out of the drainage and up to the eastern ridge.

Once out of the drainage and up on the saddle we are overlooking the eastern drainage down into Loon Creek. Weather has been chasing us in and it’s apparent now that the darkened skies might have little more in store for us as the distant thunder creeps closer and closer.

Frank Church Corridor

This starts our ridge run towards Pinyon Peak where the road will aptly transition to the Pinyon Peak Loop or Rd 117. You are kept high on the ridge with amazing views in all directions of the surrounding ranges.

We stop and regroup at the turn off for Pinyon Peak Lookout. We contemplate a run up to the lookout, but the active thunder that is closing in diverts that decision instead for a direct descent down into Loon Creek.

From the summit the road winds it’s way down the valley into Loon Creek. Right at the top there is a switchback that can maintain a snow drift over the road well into August on heavy snow years.

Lucky for us the drift has has almost completely melted off allowing us to pass.

…. to be continued

East to West

“Travel is not really about leaving our homes, but leaving our habits.”

– Pico Iyer

As every Summer starts to take hold, longer days start offering up extended hrs to ride whilst teasing us with seasonally pleasant weather…. or at least my mind starts to wander on potential directions that I can point my front tire. In this particular case my minds wandering was made easy by a text received by my friend Sean. Sean and a group were planning a loop around the central portion of our state (Idaho) in a few short weeks, to depart the first weekend of August. Sean and the group graciously made room for one more and extended me an invite, which I graciously excepted. The Summer heat would most likely be settling in by that time, but our route was planned to take us over some elevation and hopefully offer a reprieve to the expected valley temps.

The planned group would consist of Sean and his wife Kris riding two up on their KTM 1190, Jack and his wife Carol riding two up on their KTM 790, Steve on his KTM 1190, Larry on his KTM 1090, Brian on his 1k V-Strom (to keep the KTM’s in line), and myself also on a 1090. (Circumstances at the final hour would unfortunately have Sean and Kris have to step back from the trip, but I’m equally sure they are motivated to complete the planned loop at the next opportunity)

With the group now minus two, the rest of us maintained the original plan to meet bright and early on a cool Friday morning at a fuel stop just outside of Boise heading north. With expected daytime highs to be creeping close to triple digits we were excited to get the air flowing and town distant in our rear view mirrors. We would warm up the tires on a few miles of Hwy 55 into Horseshoe Bend where we would meet up with Larry, who was riding down from the McCall/Donnelly area on his 1090.

Friday morning … the 1090 and OBR ADV Gear bags loaded and ready!

Our first planned exit off the pavement would be onto FR 307 (Harris Creek Road). Each of us spacing out appropriately to avoid each others dust as we proceeded east over Harris Creek Summit meeting up at the junction of Placerville Road and then proceeding to New Centerville. Placerville Road is a 6-8 mile paved section that is connected by dirt on either end and is always a nice reprieve from the dust as it runs parallel alongside Granite Creek.

Arriving in New Centerville we turn the bikes north on FR 382 (Grimes Pass Rd). This portion of road is a multi layer of loose rock and sections of sand requiring us to kick up the pace through Placerville only stopping at the base of Grimes Pass. Our spacing being well maintained and controlled by the residual dust that lingers in the air as a signal to throttle back slightly. This “ying and yang” proves effective in guaranteeing each an appreciable level of clean air as we ride through soil that is otherwise devoid of moisture.

A quick trail break at the intersection of Grimes Pass Rd and Summit Road (FR 397) reveals the Jack and Carrol are experiencing a rear brake gremlin on their 790. The brake seemed to to have pressure at the pedal, but no reaction at the caliper. Tool kits came out and wrenches put into action, but with no resolve. It was decided that Jack and Carrol would loop back into Boise to see if they can get the issue resolved whereas they can meet back up with us at Challis Hot Springs, our intended destination for night one.

The group now minus another two (temporarily), we turn east and head up Summit Rd towards Pilot Peak. I didn’t know what to expect in this section as the 200k acre Pioneer Fire of 2016 had extensively burned this area. However I was pleasantly surprised to find this section of road otherwise unaffected by the fire. The road narrowed and the surface cleaned up making the next few files a complete pleasure. The elevation increased and the dust seemed to decrease as we carved our way up through the trees and towards Pilot Peak.

A few in our group had not visited Pilot Peak in the dry months (Pilot Peak is a popular Winter destination by Snowmobile and back country skiers), so we diverted the 1 mile extension to the top.

Pilot Peak is an old decommissioned fire lookout that sits at approx 8128 ft and has long since been reassigned as a communications platform. Views still note worthy on reasonably clear days.

A few hrs on the clock and our second stop for the day we remount and head down the hill towards Moores Creek Summit where we will again reconnect with the pavement and ride the twisty Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway, a notable section as referred by Butler Maps, to our next stop at the Sourdough Lodge along Hwy 21 for food and fuel. This section of pavement is always a treat as it allows us to scrub the tires and blow some of the dust off the bikes.

… to be continued

Farewell to the tried and true …. pt 2

After the acquisition of the new 1090 I felt it was due to get the DRZ out for one final ride before sending off to a fresh new owner …. and timing would have it that an email was received from John E and his might 690 putting together a loop also with Mike S on his 500.

A meet up time was decided for us to connect on the east side of Boise for a run up Hwy 21, along the Ponderosa Scenic Byway through the historic Idaho city to Lowman.

Hwy 21 runs North East out of Boise following the Moores Creek drainage, over Moores Summit, and Beaver Summit before dropping into Lowman. This particular stretch rates high in my book due to the “high curve count” per mile. Super fun and rated a G2 and G3 on the Butler Motorcycle Map.

A twisty two lane path of pavement wraps around the geographic curves of the Boise Mountains and in some sections through the impact of the 2016 Pioneer Fire. The Pioneer Fire today still resides under speculation of arm chair criticism that early decisions allowing the fire to burn as being beneficial to the landscape until it ultimately burned out of control and over 200,000 acres. Still scenic non the less.

Cresting Beaver Creek Summit we then drop into Lowman. Out of Lowman we follow Bear Valley Road (582) north over Clear Creek Summit. This section being part of the IBDR. We will follow the IBDR to Landmark where we will peel off and head into Cascade Idaho for fuel.

Bear Valley Road is well maintained with a semi loose gravel surface. The road flows nicely along Clear Creek before veering off and climbing over Clear Creek Summit. Once dropping into Bear Valley the views open up with the road now skirting along the meadows edge. We only pass through the first portion of the meadow before we turn off and head north on 563 towards the Landmark/Stanley Rd and ultimately Warm Lake and Cascade.

-Prior 2014 trip into Bear Valley

Left onto 563, and to be continued ….

Farewell to the tried and true …. pt 1

“Plunge boldly into the thick of life, and seize it where you will, it is always interesting.”

– Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

My Suzuki DRZ 400E, purchased new in 2006, has by far been the best bike I’ve ever owned. It has taken me far and wide, always getting me home. In 13 yrs I have not had a single mechanical breakdown. The motor runs just as strong today as they day it was purchased with the motor only opened up for routine valve checks, which again have remained consistent.

Some will criticize the spec of the DRZ stating lack of power or excessive weight, but I’ll counter that criticism by stating that the DRZ “E” is a trail bike pushing out HP in the high 40’s and dry weight within the range of most bikes in it’s class (I will admit it carries the weight a bit high).

The DRZ suspension in stock trim is valved a bit soft, but nothing that can’t be tailored to your needs. I’ve ridden the DRZ in the desert, in the woods, on tight single track, on forest roads, and highways. The only area I would say the DRZ struggled was in the desert sand whoops. However, the weight balance of the DRZ always inspired confidence in the sense of stability. The DRZ is a very predictable bike in its straight line tracking making it a very easy bike to ride.

At the end of the day I would agree that the DRZ is not a master in any one specific area, but a jack of all trades. Either way the DRZ has proven to be a staple of reliability, which always rings high in my order of importance.

Even with all the prior praises the day has finally come that I start to consider a replacement for the trusted DRZ. Two years ago I sold a Yamaha Super Tenere’. My relationship with the Yamaha was five years long and the S10 always scratched my ADV itch when extended road mileage was in the plan. Selling the S10 created a void … I was again getting the urge for a bike that would still carve up the forest roads, but would also be well suited for extended mileage riding two up with luggage. My mind started to wander considering the available mid -point platforms spec’d with a 21/18 wheel set up. Three bikes populated my list as the Honda AT, BMW 850, and KTM’s 1090.

At the end of some long deliberation I decided to replace the Z with a KTM 1090. Best choice … IDK? … time will tell. Off the show room floor I was impressed with the fit and finish of the mid sized KTM. On the road the “Katoom” screams. Handling is a bit dirt bike’ish with the 21/18, however it handles well off the pavement, and equally as well when two up and/or with luggage. So far it checks the boxes. If it proves to be reliable we’ll have a long and wondrous relationship.

….. to be continued

Two Track into Loon Creek – Part 2 …. Beaver Creek

Over the hill and around the next corner … that is what drives adventure!

Continuing up Rd 172 … it’s almost like a new road. Creeks that I’ve passed by a few times in the opposite direction present themselves in a different light.

Cliff Creek …. who’s Cliff?

I pass by a number of over grown tracks that I decide explore…. they all eventually conclude as old hunting camps …. (I’m making mental notes of potential camp spots for future trips and the fact that they all have accessible water)

Over the bridge and up the next hill ….

No name lake …

NW Overlook …

I stop at the first saddle … the overlook is to the East. The valley is vast as are all the burned trees… Oh what this must have been with Green timber.

Pano … and were not even to the top yet!

(One of these days I’ll purchase the software that will allow me to stitch photos, but for now I’m too cheap)

Continue the climb … so far the road is relatively easy, but do take into account I’m on a light bike. A fully loaded ADV bike will require a bit more skill and attention.

Finally reaching the ridge… the road snakes its way along a precipitous edge.

Now into the wilderness … Rd 172 runs along a 100 yd easement into Loon Creek.

… to be continued

April Extreme – Following the Pioneers

There are many paths through the Ring of Life. They are a constant movement toward self-fulfillment through growth of your mind.”

– Frosty Wooldridge, Golden, Colorado

With a mild Spring and the urge to ride becoming more persistent, my friend John E sent out a txt …. “weather looks good, we should ride Immigrant Rd and Prairie“. The route we had in mind was attempted about a month prior, but rains helped to maintain the roads in a slimy muddy condition that forced a postponement. However with sun in our forecast … this weekend we shall not be denied!

The first part of our days route will actually be following a section of the old Oregon Trail otherwise known today as the Oregon Trail Back Country Byway. As the Oregon Trail extended northwest from the Snake River plain, it followed along the foothills of the Danskin Mountains on what we know today as Foothills Rd passing through old stage stops and Mayfield pointing towards Boise.

While our equipment is not quite as primitive as from the day …. the remoteness of the route still reflects the solitude that must have been felt along this section of trail.

Fueled up I point the DRZ towards John E’s house. The air is cool and perfect allowing the Z to properly atomize the on board fuel translating into flawless forward propulsion. I connect with John E and we head onto another staging point where we meet up with another friend of Johns … Mike who will also be joining us on this loop. John E and Mike typically ride mid week taking advantage of less congested roads, but they make an exception this weekend to accommodate my 9-5 schedule. We’ll refer to Mike as Honda Mike in this write up due to the 650 XR that Mike was saddled up on this day!

John E and the Mighty 690!

We start our journey down Hubbard Lane …. a snake like country road that consists of nice flow. John E and Honda Mike, both being on 600 plus cc fire breathers wick up the pace leaving my mortal 400 to play catch up!

After Hubbard we point our fenders east along Kuna/Mora Rd with Backs Creek positioned right along the tip of our visors.

More flow-

John E and Honda Mike stop to let their beasts take a breather. They’ve been twisting it hard enough on the last stretch that we need to let some of the atomized air molecules catch up! … We reconnect along the Blacks Creek turnoff. At this point we are officially on the byway beginning as Slater Flat Rd, Foothills Rd, eventually connecting with Immigrant Rd.

Fresh knobbies were indeed harmed in the making of this ride!

Redneck target practice-

Mileage for this day is a little bit unknown. My DRZ will reliably get 160-175 miles out of my Clarke 3.6. I can extend another 50 miles with my Rotopax that is carried on my rear rack, and about another 20-25 miles from a couple of fuel bottles carried over my tank in my OBR ADV Gear Fuel Bottle Wraps. A 250 mile range should be good for today.

Foothills Rd flows smooth and fast over dragons backs and around hidden curves. The surface consists of hard dry pack with sections of loose gravel (that can turn to impassable mud if it is raining). Attention is a must if one is to avoid overshooting a turn.

Foothills Green with prehistoric stone-

Big Sky- John E and Honda Mike

Over yonder-

The Byway-

Foothills Rd continues it’s south easterly path skirting the sage brush edge and the transition up into the Danskin Mountains first passing by the old ruins of Mayfield.

Old Homestead-

Creek side-

First point of interest would be Inscription Rock. Travelers of the Oregon Tail would lay over in the immediate draw. When boredom would win over few would write their initials on the rock using wagon grease.

Pioneer graffito-

Moving on-

Dust monkeys-

Foothills Rd eventually bumps into Rd 167 (seen extending up into the hills in this shot) which climbs up towards Danskin Peak Lookout and connects to a few trailheads.

Over the horizon-

Yonder getting closer-

Speeds naturally pick up through this section spreading out the group a bit, which is good as it allows a few moments for the drifting dust to clear out.

As the road continues its meandering path we crest over a rise only to quickly drop into a little creek side oasis known as Canyon Creek. This was another known lay over point for wary trail travelers with an actual stage stop being built sometime around the latter 1800’s.

Just past Canyon Creek the road splits and we jump onto Immigrant Rd to the east.

Over the pass-

The valley from which we came-

Over the hill to Hwy 20, our next stop-

Once on Hwy 20, we make a 5-6 mile run to Prairie Rd otherwise known as Cow Creek Rd. Cow Creek Rd is subject to winter closures, but with our recent stretch of good weather it should be open.

Bennett Mountain-

Cow Creek is a nice transition road that eventually drops you down into the South Fork of the Boise River, but not before displaying still green mountain tops with a contrast of snow.

Cow Creek Bridge-

We point our bikes north and run along the river for a few miles before Rd 131 starts it’s ascent away from the waters edge and out of the canyon.

This stretch of the South Fork of the Boise below the Anderson Ranch Dam is a very popular stretch if you are keen on fly fishing. It is for the most part a catch and release section with monster trout if your so lucky to hook into one.

That’s a view-

Out of the canyon, we are now running over the Prairie Plateau.

Next stop Y Stop-

Our next planned rally point is to be the Y Stop, a local store/cafe’. From there we will grab some lunch and seek out local intel on snow conditions and whether or not we might be able to make it over Long Gulch to the Middle Fork.

Reports or in our favor …

Long Gulch runs about 20 miles to the North out of Prairie. The road winds over a couple of passes (hence the snow intel) and through a few valleys. There is a mixture of open range land and recovering timber corridors from past fires. This particular stretch of road is really nice in the Fall once the Aspen trees change color.

-Re-group

-Pressing on through one of those valleys

-Honda Mike

-John E

Honda Mike takes point as John E and I leap frog each other on our way to the Middle Fork ….

-John E stunting it up across the Long Gulch/Middle Fork Bridge

From here we continue our run west towards Arrowrock Reservoir passing by what ends up being the hords of lake sheep clustered together like cattle at a feed trough. BLM patrols … Boats and Jet Ski’s racing in every which direction as a simple reminder of why we enjoy dual sporting like we do … to escape such chaos!

The day is running long. We make Hwy 21 and promptly point our rides towards Boise. My mileage registers approx. 170 miles … I make note of this as my bike sputters to a stop before I can activate my reserve. No worries though … my 1 gal Rotopax sits in reserve on my rear rack.

-Top side of Arrowrock

-Bottom side image from a previous ride

…. and so comes the time at the conclusion of each ride where we split off on our own separate ways until the next ride!