BigDog, Dingweeds, Hairlip Dog
Mason and Paul
Idaho July 2019

And the riders were.
BigDog Left (Mark Sampson) Honda 250 Rally
HairLipDog (Mark Boesch) WR250R

 

 

 

Mason-----16 years old with a learners permit riding a DRZ400S
His first ride like this ever----------how would he do ?????
What could possibly go wrong ????

 

 

 

 

Dingweeds (Scott Stevenson) Riding a WR250R
He brought his blow up Ducky.

 

 

 

Paul--------this is Mason's Dad. Riding a WR250R.
He was our official "Fire Starter" and............"Fire Put'er Out'er"
Paul is a fulltime fire fighter, fighting forest fires----------not house fires.
An Amazing guy. The stories he told me were awesome.

 

 

 

We all hauled our bikes to Pocatello, Idaho and left our tow vehicles at a motel.
So bright and early July 4th----kickstands come up.

 

 

 

We rode across a big dam at American Falls reservoir.
It's an active hydro electric plant.

 

 

 

 

I've never seem more irrigation taking place anywhere as in Idaho.

 

 

 

And a dirty dirt biker can get a cool bath if he likes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pickles in Arco, Idaho for lunch. I've ate here many times---stop by and give them some business if passing thru.

 

 

 

 

16 year old Mason wasn't buying my tale of a submarine buried here.
He wasn't born yesterday.
He smelled an inconsistency in my story.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Still riding on the Trans America Trail

 

 

 

 

 

We passed a sign that said "Water Over Road Ahead"
We could tell at one time it was much worse and probably impassable.
But easy enough today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I "think" that is Hairlip Dog.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When I think of Idaho---------this is what I see in my head.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Camp for the nite.
And before I could get my helmet off, Paul had a fire going.
We always found a great campsite---with firewood already there---it was amazing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A rough map of our route.
All of today's ride was following Sam Correro's Idaho Trans America Trail
which I just had gotten from him while visiting him just about 3 weeks before this ride.
I did a favor for him while at his place and he gave me all his tracks.
Most I had ridden---------but not all.

A Short Video of Our Ride Today

 

 

 

Day 2
Camp To Camp

 

Last year me and Hairlip Dog had ridden our big bikes (Africa Twin and Tenere) West toward
Ketchum Idaho and I assumed it would be the same route we took----------I was wrong.
Sam Correro's route was even better.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We stopped to pee----------and Hairlip dog couldn't find his camera-----it was gone.
Or was it ?????
It rode there for maybe 20 miles-----all beat up but still worked.
It was hung on a bolt inside the frame-------how did that happen ?????

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had to find a route around this and did.
We didn't go to the slide----------but wanted to see it.
Locals said it was so bad it may never get fixed.

 

 

 

 

We has lunch in Featherville I think???
This was "TRUMP" country.

 

 

 

 

"Lock er' up the dog growled"

 

 

 

 

 

And Poof !!!
We had a fire.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dangdest think.
There was a hole full of snow and Paul put the fire out with it.
No fire was left smoldering with Paul around.
Dingweed's carried a poop shovel (required for camping in the backcountry) and it came in handy.
You poop in the shovel ----------------then sling it as far as you can !!!!!!!!!!!!
(Not really---but it was funny when I said it)

 

A short video of our ride today

 

 

 

A rough map of our route today

 

 

 

Day 3
Camp to another camp.

 

From camp we headed kinda North---mostly on what is now the Idaho Backcountry Discovery Route.
3 of us have been on a lot of it before they laid it out------but not all of it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My pretty new Honda 250 Rally gave me no trouble at all on the ride.
It had over 8,000 miles on it when we finished this ride.
The Yamaha's were flawless too---------not so much with the Suzuki--------later.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We didn't test this road------it was an easy re-route.

 

 

Idaho and all the surrounding states have to continually deal with fires.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We camped that nite right on Johnson Creek just 2 miles South out of Yellow Pine.

A short video of our ride today.

 

 

 

 

 

A rough map of our ride today.

 

Day 4

Camp to Burgdorf HotSprings

 

 

We had a fire at camp of course but broke camp early to go to Yellow Pine for breakfast.
This store had sadly fell on hard times I guess---it used to be the best place to eat.
Other places in town had completely run out of food after the 4th celebration I guess.

 

 

 

But across the street the nice people there found us some breakfast food and coffee as long as
you weren't in a hurry----we certainly were not--------I don't allow it.
No matter we always had coffee at camp before tearing down as Dingweed's Jet-Boil was always
perculating in the morning--------always.

 

 

West on the Idaho BDR we went---another perfect day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The bikes were running perfect. Well.............until they weren't.
The DRZ400 was running badly and the battery was going dead. We all thought it needed a new
battery---but the really nice guy at the NAPA confirmed it was fine--------and it was.
The problem would emerge again later.

 

 

The guy was so nice and we got a sponsor--which consisted of new hats.
Well-----------not a new sponsor...........just a sponsor---our only sponsor.
Wiley's black licorice had dropped us.
We were speechless.

 

 

 

 

We couldn't wait to dip in the hot spring at the itsy bitsy town of Burgdorf--------populationd 12 in summer.
One in winter.
We had this huge cabing to ourselves----5 bunks upstairs.
I slept on the couch downstairs as to avoid the snoring---I'm not pointing a finger at who.
No electricity, no internet, no phone service, no water, no toilet (outhouse out back).
But man it had a woodstove and Paul made sure it was going in the morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I slept on the couch

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We made more than one soak in the hot pool.
One small pool was so hot I couldn't bear to even put my foot in it.
You'd get dizzy if you stayed in too long---we had to hold on to the railing when climbing out.

 

 

 

I swear we had our shorts on-----I swear.
Even had my NAPA hat on.

A short video of our ride today.

 

 

A rough map of the days ride.

 

 

 

 

Day 5

We let the fire in the woodstove die down as we all ate breakfast in the log cabin and just relaxed.
I think we all ate oatmeal cooked on our Jet Boil stoves.
Lot's of coffee-----Dingweeds made sure we all had lots of coffee.
This is a place that is hard to leave.
What are they holding their hands up ??? It's day 5.

 

 

 

 

 

Last nite before I went to sleep I moved some firewood (free and provided) and put my bike
under the shed so it wouldn't be covered in dew.

 

 

 

 

 

It was a hell of a wreck.
Down that dirt road was a cabin for sale. Two million dollars.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the new "Manning" bridge over the Salmon river.
At least when they replaced the old one (sigh) they made it a suspension bridge like the old one.
It was named after a man that fell to his death building the original one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The original bridge---me, dingweeds and hairlip had been over the old one before.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hairlipdog's WR had a small tank and required fueling several times.
So did the DRZ.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think this is part of what's left of the old ghost town of Florence, Idaho.
It was on a cool stictly dirt narrow road that was a hoot.

 

We ended the day up in Elk City, Idaho and got a motel room.

A short video of our ride today.

 

 

 

 

A rough map of our ride.

 

 

 

Here
For On To Day 6

 

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