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.

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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!

Cinnabar – Part 2 (Yellow Pine)

The intersection of 674 and 412 was a welcome arrival…. trajectory will point east now towards the city center of Yellow Pine.  Combat fisherman now in my mirror … the pace picks up as I travel the 15 miles along the East Fork of the South Fork of the Salmon …. how many forks was that?

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Rd 412

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East Fork of the South Fork of the Salmon

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Yellow Pine

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Yellow Pine was established as a trading and supply point for the many area mines …. today, it acts more as a stopping point for recreationists and adventure travelers with an open restaurant, bar, lodging, etc.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_Pine,_Idaho

One claim to fame each August for Yellow Pine is their annual Harmonica Festival that has gain national recognition.

Moving through the rush hour masses …. I continue North/Northeast along 412 to the Big Creek/Stibnite intersection.

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This part of the route is currently part of the IDBDR. Turning north on 340 through Big Creek then will connect you over Elk Summit, Warren, Burgdorf then either into McCall of down French Creek into Riggins.

Today I continue East on 412 …

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412 from this point is a surprisingly narrow two track given the mine traffic of the past ….

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Fast with flow ….

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9 miles pass and I arrive at the entrance of Stibnite. Cinnabar being my destination … I will make a left onto an ATV/Jeep track.

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Stibnite Mine is not currently being worked other than reclamation and continued exploration. I’ve been told that they have been drilling old tailing piles from the past finding decent amounts of gold …. I carry my spare tube in an OBR ADV Gear Fender Bag. With this bags optional secondary snap system … I have never had it come loose.

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Next up Cinnabar ….