East to West – Part 5

The Magruder turns to dirt full time a short distance past Nez Perce Pass. Running alongside Deep Creek the road is a loose rock surface that kept the bike feeling a bit unsettled. Steady counter balance and light steering kept the bike tracking true and out of the ditch.

It wasn’t long before we turned south crossing the creek. At this point the road surface transitioned back to a more packed surface and we would start our climb upward out of the current drainage and onto the ridge that we would following for the next a many miles.

The early miles out of the Deep Creek drainage was in and out of a healthy stand of forest. Soon the trees give way to more open views and the trail side hilled along side a prior burn area.

Once up on the ridge we arrived at one of the most notable sites along the Magruder Road…. the Lloyd Magruder site details the tragic incident that took Lloyds life during a robbery. The robbers were eventually tracked down and paid for their crime, but the story does portray the some what lawless nature of the day.

The views along the Magruder Trail are exceptional. At the Lloyd Magruder site we were looking into vast distance of Big Sky Montana Peaks.

The Magruder isn’t overly technical. If you make it to the Magruder Site and are in relative comfortable with the road conditions you will not have any issues … barring any late season weather.

The day is running long and we are chasing the sun with the hopes that we will arrive at Red River Hot Springs before the dinner cut off.

The group spreads out to again preserve air filters and to allow each of us to enjoy our own individual experience along the trail. Stopping periodically to ensure that our group is still whole …. we make Red River HS with time to spare.

You might find some older reports of Red River HS and some bad reviews …. these were previous owners. The current owners are putting in a lot of hard work into the lodge and were a very pleasant couple. The gave us a pad alongside the pools which worked great for our tents. We had the pools to ourselves until they closed, which prepped us for a good nights sleep.

Rising the next morning we made our way into Elk City for fuel. These small communities are largely supported by tourism, so when you pass through make sure to stop for a nice meal and fuel. It will help to make sure that these resources remain in place for the next traveler or your next trip. Without these communities it would be increasingly difficult for us to complete these trips.

For the next few miles we blasted down Hwy 14 and the South Fork of the Clearwater. This section of Hwy was super fun! It’s another one of those two lane highways with endless twist and turns.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Eventually the fun of Hwy 14 came to an end and we turned south to traverse over the mountain, through Florence and eventually dropping down to the Main Salmon River.

Dropping down to the river was a stark reminder of the oppressive valley heat we were returning to. To delay this return we chose to make our way up and over the French Grade Switchbacks, through Burgdorf, and McCall.

The 2 hr ride from McCall to Boise concluded our trip. Approx 840 miles over three long days. This loop was remarkable and I feel blessed to have been invited along with such a good group of people. All bikes finished the trip with no issues and I was also pleased with the performance of my OBR ADV Gear Big Sky Tank Bag, Sherpa Tail Bag, and Crash Bar Bags. Each piece of kit did it’s job, never budged, and never interfered with me as the rider.

………Until our next adventure!

East to West – Part 4

Challis at an elevation of still around 5000 ft had the evening cool off nicely compared to the heat lower in the valley. The previous days ride had us turn in at a respectable hour and awakening the next morning before most. We dropped our tents and packed our gear with breakfast firmly on our minds back in town.

Bikes and bodies fueled we headed north on hwy 93 the 8 or 10 miles until Morgan Creek Road (FR 055). Morgan Creek Rd was another of my favorites with its consistent surface and open views. You would find yourself twisting through trees and then the road would open up in front of you with your obvious direction pointed towards the confluence of distant ridges.

The road at some point after cresting a summit turns into Panther Creek Rd. Panther Creek continues to drop elevation as it continues until the convergence of FR30 and the Salmon river. This elevation drop passes us by previous burn areas and into a more arid sub level with temperatures consistent with the topography. We all regroup at the FR30 intersect and then proceed along the Main Salmon and back onto pavement through Shoup and North Fork. I admit that this section of road into North Fork was quite fun while letting the KTM breath a bit.

It had become obvious to us that we needed to burn a few miles as we still needed to make it over the Magruder Corridor still today. Back on hwy 93 we continued north scrubbing the tires. We crossed into Montana and over Lost Trail Pass finally reaching Connor Cutoff.

With 100 miles still to cover over the Magruder we wasted no time and pressed forward. Red River Hot Springs would be our final destination … hopefully at a reasonable hour.

Pressing on …

The first part of the Magruder has us transitioning off pavement and then back on. This being common until we reach the 6500 ft Nez Perce Pass. From there the Magruder starts to take its own back into a primitive dirt track.

Back in Idaho…

…. to be continued

East to West – Part 3

Dropping down into Loon Creek the Pinyon Peak Loop Road connects into FR 007, Loon Creek Road. Loon Creek Road passes by the Diamond D Ranch and the Loon Creek Guard Station before continuing as a scenic stretch up towards Loon Creek Summit. I enjoy this particular stretch as the colors of the area are a mix of Reddish Orange of the rocks and the Green of the forest …. very contrasting and spectacular!

Our timing was perfect as we worked our way up to Loon Creek Summit. Rain showers had just moved through the area and it was very much like a water truck having just passed through to cut down the dust….. the road was hero!

8686 Ft

We switched backed down the south side as the road ventured down towards Custer and the Custer Motorway. Before turning towards Custer the old Yankee Fork Dredge comes into view.

The Yankee Fork dredge is a restored relic of the mining past that is most prevalent in this area. The dredge is staffed and open for daily tours. We skip the tour and head through Custer via the Custer Motorway.

Custer is a ghost town that has also been preserved and is managed by the USFS. The town is set up with self guided tours and really paints a picture of the life styles and hard ships of another time.

Now on the Custer Motorway we point our bikes east. The previous rain showers are now in front of us and have again showered down just enough to mitigate the dust.

The Custer Motorway was a 35 mile stage route used as primary access to the Custer/Bonanza area mines. It was ultimately broken up into sections with layover points to allow travelers and horse teams to rest.

The motorway flows quickly through the firs and pines as it descends towards the more open country of Challis.

Challis finally comes into view as we drop out from the mountains onto the main drag as weary motorcycle travelers look for a place to throw down a tent and end our first day.

Reconnecting with Jack and Carol who were successful in getting their 790 back on the road and beat us to the Challis Hot Springs. With the group now back together dinner and warm pools would prepare us for day two.

… to be continued

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 3

Turning North onto Rd 563 starts by quickly passing through a thick sweeping corridor of trees before opening up for a spirited run to the Landmark/Stanley Rd. You need to keep on your toes as the line of sight through this section is obscured to any oncoming traffic. 563 is typically in good condition other than the typical Summer dust.

The 579 Landmark/Stanley Rd is a fast dirt freeway that runs East/West spanning Hwy 21 to just north of Deadwood Reservoir. From there the road veers north passing by the old Deadwood City Mine and eventually over 6800′ Deadwood Summit.

Cresting Deadwood Summit the road will finally deliver you into Landmark, consisting of not much more than an air strip and USFS work station. The IBDR will continue north along Johnson Creek into Yellow Pine, but for this unsavory bunch we will head west past Warm Lake and into Cascade.

However, what is a trip without a little drama. Stopping at the pass this side of Warm Lake we discover that John E has graciously picked up a construction screw in the 690. Luckily between the three of us we had all of the required implements to make speedy work of changing his tube. In these situations this is where I do prefer a tubeless system as we would have been on our way in a fraction of the time by using a plug. but today tubes ruled the day and we prevailed.

Once over the pass the road starts to wind it’s way down into Warm Lake. With the day running long we speed past with Cascade in our sights some 26 miles further down the road. Fuel and snacks will greet us before we start our final run home south down Hwy 55 back into Boise.

Today was a fitting send off to the DRZ. After 13 trouble free years of ownership it’s hard to let her go, but sticking with the mantra of always wanting to see whats around the next corner our adventures will continue on the new 1090. Farewell trusty DRZ …

-Pre-flight, Prior trip over Elk Summit

For more info on the luggage I use visit www.obradvgear.com

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

Chased by the frost – Final stretch

Road 159 follows a creek drainage through still green forest before climbing up and over a saddle exposing the remnants of yet another past fire. John takes the lead on a series of forest road switchbacks that drop elevation quickly before depositing us at the Prairie airstrip.

I recall this spot when it was still vibrant forest … now burned and the trees cleared it will be a hot and arid landscape until the forest regrows and decides to reclaim its place.

We pass through the tiny community of Prairie following Blacks Creek Road as our final egress for the day.

Passing by the impressive South Fork Boise River Canyon. This geographic feature alone is worth the short drive out of town to view.  It appears as if the landscape just breaks into two with a river running hundreds of feet below.

A few miles down the road with the sun now in our visors … we look back to find our final view of the day … the sun illuminating the river and surrounding landscape.

A bit over 200 miles for the day and still spared of any pending rainfall. This was a great ride to end the season knowing that Winter is close to setting in with its frigid grip.

Until next season!

Chased by the frost – Part Four

After our brief visit at Rocky Bar we start the climb up Rd 156 towards Trinity Ridge Road. The road surface is starting to dry out and kick up some dust with the traction becoming a bit stingy.

We’ve been lucky … No rain yet

Break time … It’s been a long day covering a few miles to this point, so we felt it time to stretch the legs. As soon as we stopped the sleet started to fall. A few good sized trees within close proximity provided necessary shelter while we enjoyed the view.

One of the lakes as we take the rocky road that passes over Trinity … the road over Trinity is seasonal only to open at the beginning of July through the end of Fall when Winter finally decides to retake its hold.

Trinity Lookout

After we cross the pass we start our decent down Trinity Mountain Road towards Fall Creek… The Fall season has a strong grip at this elevation painting the hillsides in a wide spread of Red.

We descend …

Final glance back …

The road is rocky and loose until we make the intersection of Rd 159, Burnt Creek … a literal definition

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 …..

In search of new roads – Tres

After a burger at the Cougar Mountain Lodge we jumped the Hwy onto FR 626, which is a nice gravel road that climbs up towards Sage Hen Reservoir.

Twists and turns past firs and pines …. FR 626

…. and through a meadow or two

The winter snow of this past season has left this area’s landscape exceptionally green and the roads continue to be dust free. Still on FR 626

We pass Sage Hen Reservoir and 626 continues west to Hancock Road.

Meadows in bloom …

The day running long we point the bikes south and continue with a fast run down the Ola Highway until we hit Montour.

Finding our route to Johnson Creek blocked by water we rerouted through Horseshoe Bend, Pearl Road, and into North Eagle.

The days riding was fantastic … we experienced both rain and sun on some fun roads and we also found a couple of connecting routes that we had not yet ridden fulfilling the essence of dual sport riding … whats over that next hill or around the next corner?

Until next time ….

 

In search of new roads – 2nd Half

Once the bikes are properly fueled, or at least the DRZ since the mighty 690 is a tanker …. we headed north along the river. The days forecast called for potential showers of which thus far we have been spared. Until now ….

With the rain starting to fall one would expect moral to drop, but in this case the opposite was true. The rain seemed to transform a section of road I have only had the privilege to pass in the dustiest of conditions. With proper gear worn and water on the road …. the experience was …. different … and almost refreshing.

Left or Right

Our choice for today would be left. According to the map West Fork Creek Rd will connect over the ridge to Clear Creek Road and/or Hwy 55.

The map indicates a few miles of riding to find West Fork Creek Rd (600), but not before passing a cascading creek as it free falls down a drainage opposing the road.

Rd 600, Junction CJ, West Fork Creek

The rain has stopped leaving behind tacky dirt and clean air. We rail up the road following recent side by side tracks who, by the looks of their roost, are enjoying the day same as us.

 

The road has a few intersections that are not apparent on my map. Each direction recently traveled we flip a coin and choose a direction. We twist and turn making our way back up towards the ridge covering enough ground that we start to second guess the choice of the coin before another intersection comes into view.  Clear Creek Road is right, Hwy 55 is left …. as we descend towards Hwy 55 views of Cascade present before us … the clouds against the blue sky and the Green timber contrasting against the receding snow make for quite a view.

Hwy 55 across the valley

We make our way downward eventually coming to a closed gate. As we cross the gate we notice a No Trespassing sign only visible from the opposite direction. Not sure if the road we came down on was private as there were no visible signs up above … we close the gate behind and proceed.

Now connected with Hwy 55 we decide the best route into Cougar Mountain … time for lunch!