Just got back a couple days ago from 6 days out exploring Idaho. I can't speak highly enough of this route! I couldn't free up enough time to enjoy the whole route so I met up with my friend Casey just West of Stanley, and we rode the last 300 miles together. For anyone on the fence about getting out and seeing Idaho... Just do it!
I left my truck at RiverPond RV Park in Crouch, after talking to the camp host George who said it wouldn't be a problem at all; nice guy!
I did make the mistake of tackling the climb up FS 555 right away on my first day from Crouch and made for a long first day of 65 miles and 7,800' of elevation gain. I'd probably opt for Bear Valley Road next time.
Here's a few of my takeaways to those heading up there:-Bugs weren't bad at all. I was concerned that being near water the entire time would make for clouds of mosquitos, but really only had one bad camp with them. I carried a single wall shelter(Golite Shangri La 1) and would do the same again.
-Weather is all over the place. Had a couple nights down into the upper 30's(frost in camp), and then highs over 100 on our last day. Sun, rain, thunder, one really windy day. Also a little thrown off with how light it is even at 10pm. Made it hard to get to bed much before 11pm each night.
-Water everywhere! Coming from Nevada, the driest state in the country, I have a habit of hoarding water on the bike, and started my first day with 3.5L on the bike. I quickly learned that was unnecessary. By day two I was content carrying 2 liters at the most. Literally water seeping out of the ground along the roadside every 10 miles it seems. We swam in over 20 lakes/rivers/streams, and soaked in several hot springs.
-Hot springs... By far, the highlight of the trip hot spring wise Pine Burl. We setup camp in the Boiling Springs Campground, and rode our unloaded bikes up the trail to Moondipper and Pine Burl. The ride is a little bush-wacky, and you have to ford the river twice, but I think that is partially what made the place so special. 16 Mile was pretty nice as well.
-Fishing... I packed a Tenkara rod, and caught a ton of fish in just about every body of water we stopped at. A bunch of little rainbows and some healthy Whitefish in the S. Fork Salmon!
-Food/Drinks. We made a vacation out of this and stopped along the way for beers and food when they were available. Had a nice long lunch during the heat of the mid-day sun at Warm Lake Lodge, nice people, good burger, and cheap beers!
-Roads. I was pleasantly surprised at the road conditions. I'm used to Nevada dirt roads, which can be pretty gnarly. The roads on the route are smooth, and fast! 30 minute like descents after every climb means you couldn't help but to be smiling. There are some washboard sections, but overall, I was amazed at how great they were. I was also surprised by the random sections of pavement seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Not disappointed by them, in fact some of those stretches were the most memorable. That descent off of Warm Lake Summit was so rad!!! One of the best roads I've ridden! I'd love to ride that on my road bike sometime, as it felt like a road you'd find in the French Alps.
-Singletrack. Don't bother... ha. My buddy rode(aka pushed) the Willow Creek section, sounded miserable, took him two days... We then tried to ride the Eagle's Nest section, which we heard was the most rideable. We bailed after the 4 mile point when it crosses the main route. Took us over 2 hours to go 4 miles. I think the recent rains have taken a toll on the trails, as they were really washed out and loose. I love single track, but even the rideable portions just aren't as enjoyable on a loaded bike. And even the descents are hard to enjoy when the memory of carrying your bike over rocks and logs is still so fresh in your mind.
-Bike choice. I don't think I'd change much from my setup. I ran my rigid titanium 29er, with 2.35" Maxxis Ikons. It seemed like overkill heading up there, but for the additional comfort afforded by some cushy tires, it more than made up for the little bit of speed you might gain on some flat pavement sections. I wouldn't ride the route on anything less than a 2.0 tire, although my friend encountered some people on Long Haul Truckers early in his route. It's definitely doable, but wouldn't be my choice. Drop bars would be nice, but my Jones bars were comfy the whole time.
Didn't see many people on the route, although we ran into a group of six Colorado guys, some of who I'm sure are on this board, stocking up on beer before making camp in Cascade. Several were on fat bikes, others on Krampus's, most with J Paks kits. It's always cool to see like minded people out there!
I can definitely see getting back up to Idaho to explore some more! Beautiful place!
-Jesse
