Bad News - Good News - An Oregon and Idaho Ride
First bad news - In Idaho near the abandoned mining town of Florence, about a hundred miles from anywhere, I tipped over the bike in a very deep stream and submerged both bike and rider - totally soaked and gallons in my boots and helmet. Good news - the bike still ran, my iPhone still worked, and my clothes were still dry. An hour of riding and I was almost dry.
Second bad news - the road we chose to get through the Payette National Forest to Elk City was blocked by a newly fallen tree. We tried to haul it out of the way but struggled. Good news - Ed came along in his ATV with his wife, their dog, and a chain saw and took care of the problem in seconds. I reckon you don’t head in the backwoods around here without a chain saw.
We started in McCall, ID then via Burgdorf Hot Springs and the mandatory bus photos, to French Creek, then the Florence abandoned cemetery, and on to Elk City.
All in all a fabulous day on the Idaho Backcountry Discovery Route with my friends Kamran Ajami and Bill Whitacre.
Before Idaho we crossed southeast Oregon - from Bend to Frenchglen via Fort Rock and the Fremont Overlook on Summer Lake. Then around the Steens Loop to see the Kiger Gorge and the wild horses before camping on the Alvord Desert. Wonderful country and plenty of separation from other humans.
July 2020