Memorial Day Adventures
Sometimes the best adventures are those that take us to new places and give us experiences that help us grow. They allow one to see new country from the seat of a bike and experience the land in a different way. I had been thinking about a long ride to do this weekend as I do almost every year around Memorial Day. This ride would be similar to the ride around the Tetons I did last summer. Of course when you hatch a plan you have to have someone just crazy enough to do it with you. Thankfully Sasha is such a person. The route this year would take the two of us from Rexburg to Kilgore-to Island Park and then back to Rexburg by way of Warm River and Mesa Falls then on to Ashton, Chester, Teton, Sugar and finally home. I have dreamed of this ride for many years. Last year we got rained out or chickened out because of the potential for rain. I have to admit that I was awake a lot more than I was asleep on Sunday night in anticipation of spending a cold and miserable day riding in the rain off and on as the forecast indicated. I even packed extra layers, and dry socks just in case. I am glad to say that thankfully Sasha was willing to do the ride despite the forecast. I am also glad to say the weather couldn’t have been more perfect for riding.
We departed from my house at 5:15 and rode West towards Mother Hibbard’s. From there we made our way North and eventually popped out on the Salem Highway. It was just cool enough to need an extra layer for the wind. One of the things I looked for in this ride is a consistent North Wind all day. That way when we turned South to head home it would push us along. We started out with about a 13-15mph North-North East wind that was fairly consistent all day long. It took Sasha and I just over 4 hours to ride the almost 50 Miles to the Kilgore Store. Did I mention that it was windy and uphill most of the way there. I never realized how many hills there are going out on the Red Road. In a car so many things are taken for granted. At the Kilgore Store we bought some chocolate milk and a couple other snacks. They only take cash so beware if your ever ride out there. It wold be a great century on a North wind day. It took a lot out of us to get there and the legs were feeling it. . I always find that on long rides such as these it take me awhile to get my head into the ride and settle into a good pace today was no exception. I was ready to call it quits until we rode away from the store and the wind began to favor us. .
This photo is somewhere along the Red Road. From the Kilgore Store we made our way North and East along the Antelope Flats road. Due to the rain this road was in perfect shape for a gravel bike. Almost as good as asphalt with the exception of the occasional pot hole. Due to its proximity to the Centennial Mountains we were mostly out of the wind. We spent the next 20 or so miles riding on the Yale Kilgore Road. About 15 miles from Island Park it turns back to asphalt. The road then has several rollers and climbs and descends frequently until you reach Elk Creek in Island Park, about 40 miles later. Sasha and I took another break at the gas station and refueled with lemonade and ice cream bars.
As you can imagine the traffic in Island Park was pretty horrendous. I had anticipated this and scoped out the best way to avoid Highway 20 the night before. From Elk Creek we took the Phillips Lodge Loop and then followed the ATV trail along the side of Highway 20 to the Buffalo River bridge and then to the Forest Service building. Here we jumped on the Old Chick Creek Road until it connected with the Chick Creek Road and the Warm River Springs Road.
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This picture is along the Warm River Springs Road.
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This picture is along the Warm River Springs Road.
The Warm River Springs road turned out to be quite the adventure. I didn’t take any pictures but at times we were crossing hub deep water holes. The rain had flooded the road in many places and there was no way to keep our shoes dry. At one point I was in so deep I couldn’t pedal and had to step off the bike and walk. We eventually made it out of the water traps and on to higher and drier ground.
Our route followed FS Road 150 from the Old Chick Creek Road to the Mesa Falls Scenic Byway. I have never ridden in that part of the country before and the scenery didn’t disappoint. The wet weather made the infamous island park sand gravel pretty compacted and not to energy sapping. So I thought, but Sasha didn’t like it as much even asking if we could cut back to the highway. I told him not easily. J We had tentatively talked about getting back out to the highway if things started getting bad. At that point though the best option was to continue on our present course. The road did eventually improve from Sand to normal gravel/dirt combinations.
The only rain we had all day occurred while riding on this road. It lasted all of about 20 minutes and was just enough to cool us down. After about 20-25 miles( I am sorry I don’t have more accurate measurements. My computer was on the blink. All the data comes from Sasha) we made it to the Mesa Falls Scenic Byway. We stopped for photos at Lower Mesa Falls and then continued on towards Ashton.
One of the things that makes a great trip is the partner that you ride with. I like doing long rides where you can carry on conversation and talk about family, friends, world events etc. I also like it when riding with others we make it a point to help each other out when the going is tough. Like giving a pull on a hill or in the wind. I will admit that Sasha had a lot more juice in the tank by this point than I did. All the little rises and small hills from Lower Mesa to the bench above the river were tough for me personally. Sasha on the other hand would practically sprint up the hills like they were flat ground. After cresting the hill out of Warm River I lost sight of him on the next couple rises. I figured he would meet me in town as fast as he was going. As I don’t like to ride the scenic byway back into town if I can avoid it, I took an alternate route into Ashton. I figured that Sasha would be waiting by the turn off for Highway 32. When I got there he was nowhere to be found. Just as I pulled out my phone to call him, he called and said he had been waiting for me at the top of the next rise coming out of Warm River. Well that is what miscommunication will get you.
We eventually met up and then headed south towards the Fall River and home. We rode out of Ashton by way of the Fall River into Chester and across some of the Gravel Roads leading to Monkey Rock. Sasha and I pulled into my driveway at 5:30PM. 12hrs and 15 minutes after we started.
Too sum it up, I really like long endurance rides. While a lot of the time, because of our different strengths, it felt like I was riding solo, I am always grateful to have a riding partner, that will take on crazy dreams and ideas to make them become a reality. I wish I could say that nothing on me hurt but that is only a dream. Next Up….RATPOD anyone?
This last photo is a screen shot from Sasha’s computer detailing our trip statistics.
