Frosty and I are practicing for the rally by doing one lap of Idaho.
Practice for Rally
- Thread starter Coyote Chris
- Start date
OP
OP
Left Stanley and had one nice hour of riding and the expected 5 hours of rain. Missed an elk with a collar and 3 deer. Staying at Graingeville ID.

OP
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Home again. Got some great ideas for down sizing packs for VFR
What a nice trip, even with the rain at the end! Great scenery, route, and new experiences, like people who bring you food, uncrowded clean hotels with people who were happy to see you. We ate two sit down meals indoors, breakfast before departing Stanley ID Mountain Village resort. The dining room sat 100 - 120. There were only 10-12 of us there. The other was a late lunch outside of McCall. Again, there were very few people in the bar/restaurant. It was a great break. Later we stopped for a break in Grangeville ID to get out of the the rain. As we were preparing to mount up, a car pulled in. The driver asked if we were going south. We said no, we were heading north. He said he just came from there and said that we were going to get wetter. I am not sure that was possible, but he was laughing hard when he walked away. We saw the Super 8 sign a few blocks away. It was a really nice place and a great decision. There was a little rain the next day, but still a nice ride.
We leave for Spearfish next week.
Clear directions.
The main point of the trip. Getting out of town for a time.
Sawtooth Mtns 30 miles north of Sun Valley ID. Camping gear back at the hotel.
Rest stop or art display? Even the rest stops seemed nicer.
How to set up camp in the rain.
We leave for Spearfish next week.
Clear directions.
The main point of the trip. Getting out of town for a time.
Sawtooth Mtns 30 miles north of Sun Valley ID. Camping gear back at the hotel.
Rest stop or art display? Even the rest stops seemed nicer.
How to set up camp in the rain.
junglejim
Site Supporter
I love that country. Looks like you may have gone up US 93 though Salmon. The museum there was one of the best stops I ever made. The museum itself wasn't too outstanding but the curator was a 5th generation native who was full of stories and information. I spent 3 hours there with him. However, unlike you two, I didn't stop to avoid rain but to get out of the hot sun for a while.
OP
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Actually, we went down though Salmon. We made a big CW circle from Moscow, over US 12 to Lolo MT. Then south to just north of Salmon and camped out at Wagonhammer RV park. Very nice. Then down 93 and 75 to Stanley with a side trip down to Galena summit. Then over 21 to SR 55, North to 95. I did this last August on the WeStrom. Lots of this is very scenic and over the Lewis and Clark trail. This is a pic of Ross's Hole. L and C camped here for two days. Big fish in river....there is a nice campground and a basic store with a restaurant.
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BTW, that spot where Frosty is? Galena Summit where the air is clearer than any other place in the lower 48.
I envy you guys! You have some mighty pretty ridin' country right at your back door. We have some pretty country here too just none of them tall things in the background.
Mike
junglejim
Site Supporter
Well I made a practice run too. I looped up to Lake Superior on Forest Road 236 (20 miles of winding paved very rural road) and saw one motorcycle and one bicycle - no cars or trucks. A pleasant 75 degrees along the Big Lake and then south to home. It was a quality over quantity ride. But I need to do a quantity ride to get to Spearfish.
junglejim
Site Supporter
Chris,
I have a good friend who lives between Hamilton and Victor. He flies for an air service in Hamilton, but he still owns the airport here in Iron River. He was visiting here when you went by his house last week. He was visiting here to meet some folks who were interested in buying his airport. And he rides motorcycles.
Phil Tarman
Site Supporter
Jim, I'd been wondering where John was (and Dianne?). Which airport does he own? Between Hamilton and Stevensville there are a bunch of airports. I've got a colleague who's the United Methodist minister in Stevensville and she love it there. If John sells, what's his next plan?
junglejim
Site Supporter
Phil, John and Diann live in Hamilton but he still owns the airport here in Iron River.
Phil Tarman
Site Supporter
Oh! I'd forgotten that about him. Which airport?
Is John still flying? If so, who for? Hamilton is a pretty nice town. Back in 2005, three of my friends and I were riding to Centralia, WA,, for a COG Rally. We'd spent the night in Cody, ridden through Yellowstone, then through Ennis and Virginia City to Twin Bridges. From there we took what 3 of our 6 maps showed as a paved road. It wasn't!
It was a terrible road with rocky ridges crossing it at an angle, then gravel, then washboard -- all of it 45 mile to a little town called Melrose on I-15. It took two of us about 1 1/2 hours, and the other two nearly an hour longer. Then we went to Wisdom, past the Big Hole battlefield, got on US-93 and got to Hamilton at about 10PM. We went to a motel to get a couple of rooms and learned that the Montana Education Association was meeting in town and that there weren't any motel rooms anywhere before Missoula. We were going over Lolo Pass the next morning and didn't want to have to ride another hour to Missoula and then back. The woman at the motel told us about a bed and breakfast and we called and were told that we could stay for $120 a night. It took us close to hour to find the place and, but we slept well and had a fantastic breakfast. When we got ready to leave, we learned that she had meant $120/night/person! We talked her down to $200 for the four of us.
I've been back through Hamilton several times (including once with you) and it looks like a nice town.
Is John still flying? If so, who for? Hamilton is a pretty nice town. Back in 2005, three of my friends and I were riding to Centralia, WA,, for a COG Rally. We'd spent the night in Cody, ridden through Yellowstone, then through Ennis and Virginia City to Twin Bridges. From there we took what 3 of our 6 maps showed as a paved road. It wasn't!
It was a terrible road with rocky ridges crossing it at an angle, then gravel, then washboard -- all of it 45 mile to a little town called Melrose on I-15. It took two of us about 1 1/2 hours, and the other two nearly an hour longer. Then we went to Wisdom, past the Big Hole battlefield, got on US-93 and got to Hamilton at about 10PM. We went to a motel to get a couple of rooms and learned that the Montana Education Association was meeting in town and that there weren't any motel rooms anywhere before Missoula. We were going over Lolo Pass the next morning and didn't want to have to ride another hour to Missoula and then back. The woman at the motel told us about a bed and breakfast and we called and were told that we could stay for $120 a night. It took us close to hour to find the place and, but we slept well and had a fantastic breakfast. When we got ready to leave, we learned that she had meant $120/night/person! We talked her down to $200 for the four of us.
I've been back through Hamilton several times (including once with you) and it looks like a nice town.
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junglejim
Site Supporter
Quote: P Tarman,
Oh! I'd forgotten that about him. Which airport?
Is John still flying? If so, who for? Hamilton is a pretty nice town.
As of 2 days ago John still owned the Iron River Airport. It is a E/W grass strip about 2,300' long with about 6 or 8 hangars. He sold a few lots adjacent the the strip and some folks built their own hangars on their own land there. John had his Cherokee and twin Travelair, Skylane, and his Champ Scout there. Phil, why don't you buy it - you'd make a good airport manager.
I forgot the name of the flying service John works for now. The do a lot of back county hunting camps. I think John usually flys a 182 or the 206. He spends most of the fire season flying for the Forest Service for fire detection, aerial bug surveys, etc. And there are "special" flights too. On one occasion he piked up Dick Cheneys daughter at Sun Valley and took her to some other larger airport. He had to wear a suit with shiny buttons on it and - yes, roll out a red carpet for her. Can you see John doing that???? When he started there he had 10 times more hours than any of the other pilots but was the lowest on the totem pole. That got resolved. He loves Montana.
Diann still has her job recruiting doctors for the Fairbanks Hospital, but she does it from Hamilton. Most of the doctors she recruits are from the lower 48 anyway so she is actually better off in Hamilton instead of flying down from AK all the time. They must like her.
John told me that if the airport sells he is buying a 182 so it will only take him 6 hours to get back here instead of 2 days driving.
Oh! I'd forgotten that about him. Which airport?
Is John still flying? If so, who for? Hamilton is a pretty nice town.
As of 2 days ago John still owned the Iron River Airport. It is a E/W grass strip about 2,300' long with about 6 or 8 hangars. He sold a few lots adjacent the the strip and some folks built their own hangars on their own land there. John had his Cherokee and twin Travelair, Skylane, and his Champ Scout there. Phil, why don't you buy it - you'd make a good airport manager.
I forgot the name of the flying service John works for now. The do a lot of back county hunting camps. I think John usually flys a 182 or the 206. He spends most of the fire season flying for the Forest Service for fire detection, aerial bug surveys, etc. And there are "special" flights too. On one occasion he piked up Dick Cheneys daughter at Sun Valley and took her to some other larger airport. He had to wear a suit with shiny buttons on it and - yes, roll out a red carpet for her. Can you see John doing that???? When he started there he had 10 times more hours than any of the other pilots but was the lowest on the totem pole. That got resolved. He loves Montana.
Diann still has her job recruiting doctors for the Fairbanks Hospital, but she does it from Hamilton. Most of the doctors she recruits are from the lower 48 anyway so she is actually better off in Hamilton instead of flying down from AK all the time. They must like her.
John told me that if the airport sells he is buying a 182 so it will only take him 6 hours to get back here instead of 2 days driving.
Phil Tarman
Site Supporter
Junglejim said: "John told me that if the airport sells he is buying a 182 so it will only take him 6 hours to get back here instead of 2 days driving."
Driving? DRIVING? Doesn't he still own a BMW GS?
Driving? DRIVING? Doesn't he still own a BMW GS?
OP
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You also have heat and humidity. Nothing stopping you from moving out west now!
junglejim
Site Supporter
Right. He has a BMW GS and a 1972 R75-R and a horse. So if you had to make 1300 miles on a route that parallels I-94 and you had a motorcycle, a horse, and a plane - which one would you take Phil?????
Phil Tarman
Site Supporter
If I had a plane, I d definitely fly. But if I was doing my travel on the ground, I'd definitely take the bike. Probably the GS if I could figure a way to get my step ladder secured to the bike after I'd used it to climb up onto the saddle.
Phil Tarman
Site Supporter
JustPassinThru said: "There is no way to have a good ride on the Interslabs, unless the rest of traffic is barricaded off.
I'd take the cage. I'd even consider taking the horse, over riding hundreds of miles on I-94."
I guess all of us have our preferences and are entitled to them. I'd just as soon not have trucks on the highway, but since I like a lot of the things they bring to my stores, I can put up with them. And I've never really been bothered that much by the turbulence around them. I prefer twisty roads, too, but to cover ground, the Interslabs can hardly be beat. And that's my NSHO.
I'd take the cage. I'd even consider taking the horse, over riding hundreds of miles on I-94."
I guess all of us have our preferences and are entitled to them. I'd just as soon not have trucks on the highway, but since I like a lot of the things they bring to my stores, I can put up with them. And I've never really been bothered that much by the turbulence around them. I prefer twisty roads, too, but to cover ground, the Interslabs can hardly be beat. And that's my NSHO.