Adventure Ride, Sunday, July 31st: Day 9 (Final Day!)

So here we are...the last day of an epic trip.  What better way to wake up to a nice babbling stream next to your tent...

Palouse 'River'...more like stream

 To my surprise, Fud  beat everyone up...just in time to see Mike crawl out of the prophylactic...

Yessss!  The last night in this tent!

  What wasn't talked about but I'm sure was on everyone's mind were their hunny's back home...

Fud n' da pinky

...well...except for Fud...he pretty much says what's on his mind.  Every time he says something he cracks me up...this day was no exception.  The only problem is that I don't really feel comfortable repeating ANYTHING he said on this blog!  The guy just reminds me of a retired sailor...'nuf said!
  Our campsite was down a small muddy hill, which we had to go up on the way out of camp.  Some did it with a little more style than others...

Scotty Ridin' the rear..almost too fast to capture on film!

The mule takin' er nice n' easy

  We stopped again in St. Maries at the local diner for our last breakfast of the trip.  After breakfast, the scenic loop around Coeur d'Alene Lake brought us to the c-ya later pullout...

C-ya later

 We all checked out the scenery a bit and said our goodbyes...the end of a great trip!  I think Fud had a bit of pent-up anxiety from not being out front since the Magrudor incident...or maybe his hunny was on his mind... either way, he took off first like a bat out of hell!  I didn't see him after the first 2 miles of interstate!  I think it was just tunnel vision...
  Here's the final track of the trip:

Day 9 Track

  I rolled into the driveway, got off the steed, and had a very happy wife waiting for me at the door.  Good to be home!  Absence makes the heart grow fonder....
  So I learned a lot on this trip (this might get a bit sentimental, so grab your hanky)...stuff like: packing lighter, suspension needs on the bike, where not to put tool tubes....but the biggest lesson wasn't about the hardware or how to ride better.  Riding, for me, is %80 about who you ride with.  Really, you could be with a bunch of boneheads on a day-ride and it ruins the day.  But if you have guys to ride with that are really great to be around, that other %20 just becomes that much better...exponentially.  All these guys I would ride and camp with again...which says a lot.  Ask my wife, I don't camp with just anybody.  I took a chance on Fud, who I didn't know, and am glad I did...
  Special thanks to:

Mike: Trail Boss n' head-honcho...master of all terrain

The Fud: Comic relief, owner of infamous 'granola chair', master of all 'Fudisms'

Scotty & Bumblebee: the shredders of dirt road

My poor tired mule

Can't wait for the next trip!  Phildo signing off...

Adventure Ride, Saturday, July 30th: Day 8

I knew it was going to be hot as a cheerleader on prom night as soon as the sun peeked over the mountains, so I was determined to break camp before that happened.  It didn't work out, but we did get on our way before it hit 85 degrees. 
  I've driven the main highway between McCall and Moscow many times while attending U of I (Go Vandals!), but I have never taken the old highway up Whitebird hill.  From the main highway, it looks like a meandering, curvy road.  I finally had the opportunity to climb this old highway, and boy was it a blast!  What better way to do it but on a bike!  Maybe it would be better on a sport- or sport-touring bike...

The old Whitebird grade

At the top of Whitebird

We rode into Grangeville (again) for a quick breakfast at the local diner.  Come to find out, it's the ONLY place to eat other than the Hilltop Cafe, which I believe is a burger-and-shake joint.  After a disappointing search for another breakfast place, we came back to the local diner for a nice lunch...they had great iced tea!
  The plan was to hit old highway 7 north to highway 12 after brunch, but I got lost pretty quick when we missed the old highway 7 turnoff and rolled into Cottonwood.  Mike worked some fancy GPS magic and amazingly got us back on highway 7...maybe it wasn't really that amazing...that fan-dangled GPS could find an honest politician in a brothel...  He said didn't miss the old highway 7 turnoff, he just really wanted to check out Cottonwood.  I don't buy it! 
  Riding north on highway 7, Mike turned right on a road whose sign read 'Greer Grade'.  I had spent two summers traveling from Moscow to Weippe, and had driven up the Greer grade on the NORTH side of the river.  But I didn't know there was a Greer Grade on the SOUTH of the river...and it wasn't paved!  Sweet!

Greer Grade South of river

Scotty on Bumblebee making dust on Greer Grade

Bottom of Greer Grade, on Highway 12...again

  Once on highway 12 again, we decided to check out Dwarshak dam...why not, since we're here?

Mike and Scott in front of Dwarshak Dam

Mike and the Fud in front of Dwarshak Dam

  There's a pretty nice bar at the bridge over the south fork (below Dwarshak), so we stopped for a beer and a game plan.  We were to continue on to Kendrick and up the grade...which was awesome!  Again, climbing twisties...the last time I had been on these roads I was riding a Honda Shadow.  Believe me, it was tons better on this thumper...even though it was as loaded as Mick Jagger on a gig-night.  Trying to keep up with Mike's 950 was also a fun challenge, and I'm sure he was just cruizin'...not even blowin' out da carbon!
  We decided to bed down for the night on the Palouse River, so we made our way north.  I was in the lead and was doing my standard five-minute check on the pack in the rear-view mirror when I noticed there was only one light...and it was Scotty.  A 10-minute wait produced the stragglers with a new situation I'd never thought of before.  Fud was riding with his vents open and sleeves loose for better air-flow (I was too), and a bee had flown up his sleeve!  A sting on the elbow caused Fud to perform 'the fastest stop I've ever seen that purple beemer make!' (Mike's words...he was following the Fud).  I'm sure that stop was one-handed accompanied by an elbow-slapping maneuver...quite talented, that Fud!
     We continued on to the Palouse River and found great little spot right on the stream... 

Day 8 Camp: Palouse River

Fud in the Butterfly Chair sportin' his designer boots...stylish...

Check it out, the granola chair is still intact and un-burned!  At this point the chair has grown on everyone...except Mike...this chair had spilled too many of his drinks (and Fud's) for his liking.  Scott was secretly hoping Fud would get fed up with the thing and give it to him.  No dice this trip!  Fud did mention that since Scotty and I are smart fellers, we should design one "just %15 bigger...that would be just about right!".  He also gave us a great Fudism this night...it went something like: 'Education sprinkled with a little common sense goes a long way...' (Fud, July 30, 2011).  Well-said Fud...I couldn't agree with you more...

Fud sportin' the sting...and some guns...you work out?

  While I was setting up my tent, this camouflaged cozy and un-opened Pabst presented itself to me!  I say 'presented' because it was almost as if it KNEW I needed a beer...how else would a camo-beer be found?  Seriously folks, I don't believe in that fate mumbo-jumbo, bit this was a sign...a sign that said to me, "Phil, I know haven't had a whole lot to drink on this trip since the Lolo Hot Springs incident.  It's time you had a nice cold beer before you eat one of those dehydrated meals...enjoy!".  I HAD to drink it...and I did...and it was delicious!  Back in the saddle?  Yes sir, I do believe some drinkin' is in order...

Scotty hummin' over his tasty Chili-fries

  I think I had the Chili-mac and beef dehydrated meal this night.  For those of you that are thinking, "Poppycock on those things!  I'll never eat THOSE!"...think again folks.  My buddy Pat turned me on to these amazing feasts, and I didn't believe it completely either until I tried them.  They are awesome!  Just add a couple cups of hot water, wait for 15 minutes, and boink!  Bob's your uncle...  I had  lasagne the night before that was as good or better than the slop you get in any Italian restaurant.  If you still don't believe me, try one.  I'd even go out on a limb and say you could make one of these meals for your honey and get props and massages...or at least another date.  For reals...try em'!

Day 8 Track

  The batteries went dead in my GPS, so the pink shows the rest of the track as a route...

Adventure Ride, Friday, July 29th: Day 7

As I was getting ready this morning, I noticed my tool tube looked a little "limp" so I took a closer look...to find that the pipe had melted a hole through it!  The carbon-flushing plug in the exhaust pipe had rattled out and now there was a 1/2" hole torching the plastic tube below.  To make things even better, the tube was also just hanging on by the 'safety' zip-ties I'd installed 'just-in-case'.  It turns out that maybe I hit those bumps the day before juuuuusst a bit too fast!?

  The worst part about this situation is that I had all the tools a guy could ever need...but I had to borrow tools to get the damn thing off!  I couldn't get the lid off cuz the threads had melted...thanks for the tools, Mike!  After the tube was off, it just took a bit o' banging to get the lid off...
  We decided to see Hell's Canyon that day, so we headed east to New Meadows and then north to Riggins again for a BFB: a burger, fries, and beer...no kidding, that was the special!  Mike got a little something 'special' in his burger...the little paper you get between the cheeze slices!  For a guy who doesn't like burgers, he ate damn near half the thing before he noticed the paper.  The cook was real cool about it, apologizing with a healthy smile...she even signed Mike's $15 'Seven Devils' T-shirt.  Mine didn't come with the 'special' paper, but I must say it was a mighty fine burger.  It wasn't a Kamiah 'Hub' burger though...I still have dreams about THAT meal...

Seven Devils Steakhouse

After getting our fill of the tasty BFB and topping off the CamelBaks, we were on our way to Hells' Canyon!

Atop Hell's Canyon

Scotty on the Bumblebee atop Hell's Canyon

I started worrying a bit when the trees disappeared and the temperature seemed to be rising.  This was a really fun road, and it seemed to see minimal traffic. 

The last rest before plunging into the canyon

This is some view!  That squiggly thingy in the middle of the screen is the lower part of the grade to Pittsburgh Landing.  The upper part was FULL of switchbacks on some of the gnarliest washboard we had seen the whole trip.

The Grade down to Pittsburgh Landing

...remember when Fud described the Salmon River canyon as the 'butt crack of mother nature'?  Well, if the Salmon River canyon is the butt-crack, then Hell's Canyon is the fermented toe-jam between her toesies!  It was hot as Hell.....'s canyon!  Once we got down there, the last thing on anybody's mind was picture-taking (except Fud - pic below).  It only took 10 minutes to dry my shirt after soaking it in the river.  Time to get out of here!

Pittsburgh Landing

   Going up the Pittsburgh Landing Grade, we felt every bump of the washboard we cruised over on the way down.  The great thing is the temp dropped by like 10 degrees up the grade...
  We decided to make our way to Whitebird and try to find a campsite that wouldn't cook our nuts too much.  What better way to find a place than to ask a local over a cold beer in the local tavern?  We got no farther than our butts off the chops when a somewhat 'colorful' later-aged woman in a pretty white dress/skirt, old leather cowboy hat, and calf-high army boots asked us what we were up to over her smoldering cigarette.  I was in a bit of shock...I just didn't quite know what do think of the site!  I also think she was eying Fud, but it could have also been Scotty...or both!  Mike somehow managed to find it in him to talk to her and found out the Hammer Creek campsite that we had passed on the way in was a good place to rest the bones.  We ordered a $3 pitcher...I'm pretty sure that's what it was-it was CHEAP!  Scott and I were about ready to dig in when we heard, "Don't pour those little bastard's yet!  I haven't seen their ID's!".  Don't take offense moms, she didn't mean it...she's just looking out for her job.  The spunky old waitress moseyed over to check out the yungsta's ID's.  I was honestly a little scared of her...she seemed like one feisty grammy! 
   After the beer, we were on our way to the night's resting place...Hammer Creek.  It was blowing 25 mph (about a 2-club wind), and I was having one HELL of a time pitching my tent!  After I finally got it up, I noticed Mike sitting on a stump watching all 'us idiots pitching tents in the wind.  He waited an hour, the wind died down, and he pitched the prophylactic in record time.  Smart feller....
 

Coolin' off in the river

Camp for the night

 Fud and I tried a bit of fishing, but after Fud lost a lure he was done!  I only lasted another half-hour before I hung it up too...no fish yet this trip!

Makin' Dinner

The Steeds in the stable

Day 7 Track

Adventure Ride, Thursday, July 28th: Day 6

BBrrrrrrrrrrrroooooooowwww!   What the !%&$ is that $*&^# noise!?  

Plane buzzing the canyon (click on the pic and look close)

  I woke up at like 6:30 to a plane constantly buzzing around the canyon...for like an hour!  I couldn't figure out what they were doing, but the second time it went away and came back I was wide-awake!  I decided to hit the river for some early-morning fishing...

Salmon River early in the morning

  I got two good bites from one deep pool, but couldn't keep them on for much longer than a few seconds...I'm pretty sure they were smallmouth bass.  After floggin' the water a little while longer, I headed back to camp for breakfast to find everyone up and getting ready to go.

Scotty trying his luck with the fly

Scott tried fishing a bit too, with no luck...he makes it look professional though!
  We packed up and headed out, and believe me when I tell you I was already wishing I was in the river!  Jeeze it was hot!  These people had the right idea...

Bridge crossing to south side of river

A happy (and cool) family of rafters

After crossing the bridge on National Forest Road (NFR) 1614, we headed south on French Creek road.  This was a steep and windy dirt road that started out following a great stream chalk full of pretty little waterfalls.  As it climbed higher it turned into REALLY tightly-wound switchback road, which means it was climbing FAST!

Halfway to the top - a view of the switchbacks

A view back on the lower switchbacks

  This was a rough road that bottomed out the over-loaded KLR more than a few times.  Every time it went 'klunk' I had visions of poor Phil broken down in the butt-crack of mother nature...time to take it slow!

French Road

This really was a fun road...I hope I get to come back 50 lbs lighter with a stiffer rear spring!

The top of French Road

Aaaaaahhh!  Back in the trees!  Yay!  It was finally cool again and the scenery looked a little less like scenes from a dry Italian Spaghetti western.  Trips like this really teach you a bit about yourself.  This part of the trip made me realize how much more I like the high country with the pine trees, cool breeze, and breathtaking views.  Kinda reminded me of home....

A view back to the Butt-Crack...c-ya!

On all our maps, there was a tiny dot called 'Burgdorf'.  None of us gave it much thought and didn't expect anything.  Mike was hauling ass (or as he calls it "blowing out the carbon") on what we called a dirt 'interstate'- a really wide and straight dirt road.  When I finally caught up to him, he had stopped at a small turnout that wasn't even marked and he said "look, a hot springs!".  We decided to check it out...

Parked in front of the Burgdorf Hot Springs main building

It's a damn good thing we didn't know anything about this place or it would have been a pretty short day...Fud would have probably insisted on staying!  I don't think any of us would have fought it though, it was a pretty charming place!  Check out the schnazzy squatin' shacks!

Lords and Ladies baby!  Hey!  Why is theirs bigger?

I have to say, I really enjoyed using the shanty...I could keep an eye on my bike while takin' care of bidness!  And the morning's oatmeal was helping the chicken n' steak dinner right along...

What's the dish for?

The main pool

One of the many rustic cabins you can rent: circa 1865!

 The pool was the percolator-type...the hot springs are directly under the pool and come up through a gravel floor.

Main office area.  The owner is pictured on the phone to the right

  Now, I don't know what the owner's name is, but after you read what happened next you'll agree that he deserves, nay, DEMANDS a better name than 'the owner'.  So for future reference, I'll call him Mr. B. (for Mr. Burgdorf).  Meow, Mike, with his amazing gift for gab, had asked Mr. B. if he knew where we could get some ice.  Mr. B. replied that he couldn't make ice due to the lack of power.  This was odd since I saw him on the phone earlier and also had a dish on the top of the building...do you need power for one of these?  Thinking this was odd but not dwelling on it too much, Mike then asked where we might be able to buy a cold one.  Mr. B. then replied, " 'can't sell you any, but I've got 4 key lights for ya' if you want...".  Wow Mike, way to go!
  As we waited for Mr. B. to produce the promised nectar, we took in the view...

Her majesty's throne with scantily snow-covered hills behind

  Mike and I walked up the hill to meet Mr. B. at his house and collect the cold ones, and wow...these were COLD!  We had to ask how he can't make ice but had such cold beer...we looked in his cooler to see it packed with snow.  Turns out he makes a weekly run up to the mountains to collect coolers full of snow to use for ice..."it works better than ice!" he said.  "Sweet" is all I could say...
  We finished up our beers to find him back down with 4 more!  Turns out he was on his way out of 'town' for vacation...boy did we time it right!  Since my wife was 7 months pregnant, the second beer took me a bit longer to down and I was now in that nice little 'happy place' between completely sober and buzzed.  What a pleasant feeling!  Off to McCall now...
  Once we hit blacktop, Mike 'blew out the carbon' and we started looking for a place to camp.  We came across Upper Payette Lake and figured it was as good a place as any.  That, and I knew the closer we got to McCall the more likely we'd run into the local Boise yuppies.  We found ourselves a nice little camp site...

Famished but friendly camp deer

Mike and I rode into McCall for some groceries, and managed to remember everything but the cola!  We even stopped at a 'mini mart', just to find out it was one of those granola 'yuppie' mini-marts.  I didn't go in, but he said they had all sorts of  things in there he'd never heard of...all but a liter o' cola!  No whiskey for me tonight...

Cooling off in the lake

Upper Payette Lake

The boys around the campfire

   I have to say, this campsite was probably one of the the prettiest we stayed at.  We also timed it perfect, because not 30 minutes after we dropped anchor there was non-stop traffic full of camping trailers trying to find a place to park their houses for the night.  Thank god we didn't stay for another beer at Burgdorf... 
   I have to say that Fud is one of the funniest guys I've ever met...he managed to give me a chuckle every day of the trip.  It all started out with the granola chair, but on this day it was his unconventional, yet effective way of eating a sausage.  This picture doesn't do him justice...he was damn-near standing on his head for the first bite...I hope all this doesn't sound too dirty...

Fud wrapping a lip around a sausage...

Sunset on Upper Payette Lake

   There's something about summer sunsets that are just the bomb-diggedey!  For those asking 'What the hell does that mean?', it mean's 'cool'. 

Day 6 Track