Loop of Central Idaho

[Spud]

So I snuck out of town Sunday around 3pm and was back home at 3pm on Monday, Memorial Day. Did a 640 mile loop, spent the night in Stanley, ID.

Pulled off for a quick pick of "Idaho Falls", my hometown...

Heading West on HWY 26, nothing out there but desert. Oh yeah, and an undisclosed # of nuclear reactors...more than anywhere in the world!

Heading from Arco to Challis, getting toward some BIG mountains...

King Mountain...

Idaho's Highest Peak... Mt. Borah...

Mount Borah, pushing up into the sky.

The beginning of Idaho HWY 75, Challis to Stanley: a real gem of a ride. Think windy canyon, following the Salmon River, bridges, sweepers, beautiful scenery.... :yahoo:

Headed West towards Stanley

Nearing Stanley, detoured off 75 up the Yankee Fork of the Salmon River. Pavement eventually ended. :angry:

Pulling into Stanley Idaho. Stanley sits at the base of the Sawtooth Mountains. It's often the coldest place in the lower 48.

The Stanley Grand Hyatt :lol: , where I got my room for sixty bucks...

Front balcony view:

Rear balcony view (not too shabby!)

Walked down to Main St. to find some dinner. This is not Vail, Sun Valley or Jackson. It's the kind of town you just mind your own damn business and they do too. Just my kind of place B)

Headed out in the AM; wearing everything I brought. Forecast: High 30's and raining...

Starting HWY 21 towards Idaho City...

Over a pass...still a lot of white stuff up here...

Idaho HWY 21: I put it right up there with Beartooth Pass, Cody WY, and some of the other great Western Roads. If you ever plan on coming through here, do yourself a favor and ride this one from Boise to Stanley. There's a place where you won't get out of 3rd gear for over an hour, the road is so tight and twisty....

More 21...

The dam at Lucky Peak Reservoir at the end of all the twisties... just outside Boise..

Headed back East across the huge desert to Idaho Falls. The twin buttes serve as a landmark you can see for 50+ miles away. Home is about another 30 miles past the second one.

All in all, a fun little trip!

 

[Niehart]

Good stuff! That's a great road [Hwy 21] and oh so fun.

 

[dcarver]

Very cool RR Mr. Spud! Beautiful area...

 

[okmac]

Although I am from Iowa, I have ridden the roads you are talking about, actually about 3 times. Love your state, wish I could move.

Mac

 

[Panman]

Very cool RR Mr. Spud! Beautiful area...

Gunny :thumbsupsmiley: :thumbsupsmiley:

 

[Bugnatr]

Thanks for the pics Spud, good stuff. Been through Ketchum / Stanley on the way up to Whitefish a few years back. Great road well worth any detour to ride it.

 

[cruppelt]

Great pics from some very nice places; Looks like you had a great time. Thanks for sharing!

 

[bikerskier]

Nice report, and I too, am a huge fan of Idaho 21.

 

[Jer]

Rode the stretch from Arco to Boise a few years ago, but in the Summer. Great ride and will do it again. My total trip was from Salem to Yellowstone and back including Bear Tooth.

 

[Harald]

Thanks for sharing. I wish I had seen you're RR before now because then I would have been even more excited about Hwy 21. I was planning a trip that included overnight in Boise and then up 21/75 toward Helena, MT. I had never been there before but that road looked like a great one and MUCH better than the Interstate Hwy option! What an incredible ride! And even better because it was on a friday and I basically had the highway to myself with only an occasional pass of slower moving traffic (which is fun anyway when the paint blisters on the car/Harley as I smoke by so fast :evil: ).

 

[SwollenRaccoon]

Nice report and beautiful scenery. Good on ya!