Traversing the US (and back)
- Thread starter jessejman
- Start date
It was a crazy color. I remember it being more blue. My camera also has a 'vivid' setting. I would guess that it enhances the hues or saturation of color. This one was taken with that setting on:
These were taken in manual mode:
I did take some notes but not a lot. I do most of this writing from memory. The pictures and map help me remember it. Honestly, it's hard to forget it right now but I'm sure it will wear away with time.
Day 46: North Fork to South and a little beyond
Buildings along an old mining town on the road down into Featherville.
The town (settlement, rather) of Featherville. We almost bought a pizza in the only small grocery store in town but it was going to too expensive. They said they do incredible business and sell the heck out of these home cooked pizzas. We were tempted but walked out with some bread and brats instead. I walked over to the little saloon and paid 6 dollars for two Coors. It was an expensive shopping day but we needed the supplies.
We ended up sleeping in a large pull off against the river with a bunch of other campers. We hadn't had company in long time. The kids walked down to some other kids and shyly asked to play. Our one-year-old walked for her first time at the campsite. She'd been practicing for a while but she took four good steps on her own there in the dirt trying to get to her plate of food. I'd say she was pretty hungry. It was special that we were all there watching and encouraging her as she took those steps.
Buildings along an old mining town on the road down into Featherville.
The town (settlement, rather) of Featherville. We almost bought a pizza in the only small grocery store in town but it was going to too expensive. They said they do incredible business and sell the heck out of these home cooked pizzas. We were tempted but walked out with some bread and brats instead. I walked over to the little saloon and paid 6 dollars for two Coors. It was an expensive shopping day but we needed the supplies.
We ended up sleeping in a large pull off against the river with a bunch of other campers. We hadn't had company in long time. The kids walked down to some other kids and shyly asked to play. Our one-year-old walked for her first time at the campsite. She'd been practicing for a while but she took four good steps on her own there in the dirt trying to get to her plate of food. I'd say she was pretty hungry. It was special that we were all there watching and encouraging her as she took those steps.
hikingff77
Adventurer
This is nothing short of awesome. Something I wholeheartedly plan on doing some day (hopefully sooner than later) with my kids.
JCMatthews
Tour Guide
I sir am truly jealous. This report just gets better and better. Awesome river crossing.
Day 47: Featherville to Ketchum
Click here for zoomable map and route download.
We woke fairly earlier and were on our way just after nine. It takes such a long time to get going with kids! We planned on hitting the hotsprings here but every time we passed by one they were packed. So we passed on and climbed ever up the South Boise river valley. There was lots of traffic on this road and it was all I could do not pass slow movers. After almost fifty days on the road, we were seasoned veterans of these rough surfaces and we wanted to go. But slowing down was good and at one point there was so much dust and such a line of trucks that we pulled off and hiked a short way a steep intersecting valley.
In Featherville we asked some of the locals if they knew anything about Dollarhide Pass which we would have to climb over in order to make Ketchum. No one knew out the six we asked. No one traveled that way - to which we were fairly surprised. They all supposed it would be open because of the light snow year so we headed on to find out.
This is what we saw from the top of Dollarhide Pass.
Click here for zoomable map and route download.
We woke fairly earlier and were on our way just after nine. It takes such a long time to get going with kids! We planned on hitting the hotsprings here but every time we passed by one they were packed. So we passed on and climbed ever up the South Boise river valley. There was lots of traffic on this road and it was all I could do not pass slow movers. After almost fifty days on the road, we were seasoned veterans of these rough surfaces and we wanted to go. But slowing down was good and at one point there was so much dust and such a line of trucks that we pulled off and hiked a short way a steep intersecting valley.
In Featherville we asked some of the locals if they knew anything about Dollarhide Pass which we would have to climb over in order to make Ketchum. No one knew out the six we asked. No one traveled that way - to which we were fairly surprised. They all supposed it would be open because of the light snow year so we headed on to find out.
This is what we saw from the top of Dollarhide Pass.
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Day 47: Featherville to Ketchum
Traveling northeast along the South Boise.
The roads were nice and wide and saw lots of use, until we turned off the river road and started to climb up into the mountains. We didn't see much snow and it was hot as blazes outside so we weren't too worried about being turned around by snow. We didn't buy gas in Featherville due to the price so we needed to make Ketchum without any big detours.
More photos from the top of Dollarhide Pass. Somewhere in those peaks in the distance is Mt. Borah, the tallest mountain in Idaho. Our route would takes us through a pass just north of the summit.
So far, the roads we drove in Idaho were of great quality. In hindsight, I think we traveled some pretty tame roads as there are many other options that would up the thrill-level. But we were never without wonderful views and rivers to camp along.
Traveling northeast along the South Boise.
The roads were nice and wide and saw lots of use, until we turned off the river road and started to climb up into the mountains. We didn't see much snow and it was hot as blazes outside so we weren't too worried about being turned around by snow. We didn't buy gas in Featherville due to the price so we needed to make Ketchum without any big detours.
More photos from the top of Dollarhide Pass. Somewhere in those peaks in the distance is Mt. Borah, the tallest mountain in Idaho. Our route would takes us through a pass just north of the summit.
So far, the roads we drove in Idaho were of great quality. In hindsight, I think we traveled some pretty tame roads as there are many other options that would up the thrill-level. But we were never without wonderful views and rivers to camp along.
Day 47: Featherville to Ketchum
On down Dollarhide and onto Warm Springs Road.
At this point all of our camera batteries were dead. Somehow we had slacked off and not put them on chargers. We had three to rotate through so it shouldn't have happened. So for a couple hours all we had were crappy cell phone pics...
On down Dollarhide and onto Warm Springs Road.
At this point all of our camera batteries were dead. Somehow we had slacked off and not put them on chargers. We had three to rotate through so it shouldn't have happened. So for a couple hours all we had were crappy cell phone pics...
Day 47: Featherville to Ketchum
On the way down to Ketchum the kids got a chance to practice their driving skills.
And my youngest took over navigation duties because....
my wife fell asleep. (Yep, she's going to kill me!)
We found a nice campsite of the creek and still a good piece outside of town. We arrived early in the day so we passed headed on into to town where we were amazed at how nice the town was. We felt very out of place arriving through a pass in the mountains and driving a well used and dirty rig. We definitely didn't fit in. I guess this can have its perks. As we were filling up water at a local park we met a younger family who lived near Ketchum. They were interested in what we were doing and invited us to use their guest passes to go into the Ketchum Community Center (maybe YMCA). Not our normal cup of tea, but, you see, we needed a good deep cleaning and we could do that inside. Also, they had water slides in the indoor pool and the kids were pumped. It was the closest they've been to going to a water park.
Those guys also lent me some mountainbiking guide books for the area and gave us the low-down on where to eat, get gas and buy groceries. They also told us about a great thrift store in town -The Goldmine. We actually didn't buy anything there as it had to be an absolutely incredible deal for it to be worth carrying it home in our already loaded out cruiser.
It was for sale in Ketchum. We met the owner - a great guy and talked for a long time with him. He's traveled the world for the last 15 years and was going to check out the ExPo site.
Looks like they're having some fun. I used to have a truck just like this.
And I couldn't help but spot this on our way out of town. I have a '65 IIa.
On the way down to Ketchum the kids got a chance to practice their driving skills.
And my youngest took over navigation duties because....
my wife fell asleep. (Yep, she's going to kill me!)
We found a nice campsite of the creek and still a good piece outside of town. We arrived early in the day so we passed headed on into to town where we were amazed at how nice the town was. We felt very out of place arriving through a pass in the mountains and driving a well used and dirty rig. We definitely didn't fit in. I guess this can have its perks. As we were filling up water at a local park we met a younger family who lived near Ketchum. They were interested in what we were doing and invited us to use their guest passes to go into the Ketchum Community Center (maybe YMCA). Not our normal cup of tea, but, you see, we needed a good deep cleaning and we could do that inside. Also, they had water slides in the indoor pool and the kids were pumped. It was the closest they've been to going to a water park.
Those guys also lent me some mountainbiking guide books for the area and gave us the low-down on where to eat, get gas and buy groceries. They also told us about a great thrift store in town -The Goldmine. We actually didn't buy anything there as it had to be an absolutely incredible deal for it to be worth carrying it home in our already loaded out cruiser.
It was for sale in Ketchum. We met the owner - a great guy and talked for a long time with him. He's traveled the world for the last 15 years and was going to check out the ExPo site.
Looks like they're having some fun. I used to have a truck just like this.
And I couldn't help but spot this on our way out of town. I have a '65 IIa.
Day 48: Ketchum (rest day)
Day 48 was a rest day. I took off at first light and rode a forty-something mile mountain bike ride. It was incredible, epic, amazing trails and steep, steep climbs. I could have spent a long time riding there but I packed as much as I could into five and half hours. The kids played and hiked around back at camp and we had a big lunch when I finally returned.
I took my seat off my bike and let my son ride it some and we washed clothes again with water from the river. That evening we went back into town and ate dinner at a mexican restaurant. While there we chatted with some local climbers/arborists and learned of a secret tree-house close to where we were camped that he'd just finished building. He said we ought to sleep up there. He didn't have kids. We made the trek out to Hem's grave and bemoaned the changing of Ketchum and the speeding change of the world in general.
And then we headed back to our campsite to spend another night. It was our first time spending two nights in the same campsite. And it was nice.
Day 48 was a rest day. I took off at first light and rode a forty-something mile mountain bike ride. It was incredible, epic, amazing trails and steep, steep climbs. I could have spent a long time riding there but I packed as much as I could into five and half hours. The kids played and hiked around back at camp and we had a big lunch when I finally returned.
I took my seat off my bike and let my son ride it some and we washed clothes again with water from the river. That evening we went back into town and ate dinner at a mexican restaurant. While there we chatted with some local climbers/arborists and learned of a secret tree-house close to where we were camped that he'd just finished building. He said we ought to sleep up there. He didn't have kids. We made the trek out to Hem's grave and bemoaned the changing of Ketchum and the speeding change of the world in general.
And then we headed back to our campsite to spend another night. It was our first time spending two nights in the same campsite. And it was nice.
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Glad u got to ride sun valley...some of the best single track in the west! I call it my single speed nirvana