Oh! Idaho

Idaho, one of the last of the "lower 48" to be settled and granted statehood, today remains one of the last true reminders of the utter, pristine beauty of the West as it must have appeared to those early settlers many years ago. The crystal clear lakes and heavily timbered hills of the Panhandle; the majestic, rugged, snowclad peaks of the Bitterroots and Sawtooths; the thundering, unspoiled rivers that tumble from those towering peaks through sheer canyons to the lowlands of the West — this is the Idaho that we will visit in the year ahead.

Itinerary

The rugged alpine summits of the Bitterroots and Sawtooths, the gentle beauty of the Bitterroot and Salmon River Valleys, the surreal setting of Redfish Lake, the excitement of Sun Valley and the challenge of Lost Trail and Galena Summit — the Bitterroot/ Sawtooth is western bicycle touring at its best.

We'll gather in Missoula and ride in the shadow of the Bitterroots through the Bitterroot Valley to Darby, where we'll spend our first evening. We'll climb Lost Trail Pass (6,995') in the heart of the Bitterroots and then descend into Idaho's Salmon River Valley and an overnight at the Stagecoach Inn in Salmon.

On Day 3, we'll begin to trace the magnificent Salmon to its source near the Galena Summit. We'll ride the Salmon River Scenic Route to Challis and then enter the Sawtooth National Recreation Area the following day. We'll follow the Salmon through Stanley to beautiful Redfish Lake, nestled at the base of the rugged Sawtooths. We'll spend the night at the historic Redfish Lake Lodge, whose sandy beach and temperate, astonishingly clear water demands a plunge and swim after the day's ride.

A spectacular climb to the Galena Summit (8,701') and the headwaters of the Salmon highlights Day 5. A long descent follows along the Wood River to the exciting resort village of Sun Valley where two nights and a layover day are planned.

We'll spend both of those nights at the Tyrolean Lodge, with its inviting outdoor pool and hot tub. A number of non-cycling activities are available on the layover day, including hiking in the Sawtooths or a day of whitewater rafting on the Salmon. Count on a visit to the famous Sun Valley Lodge for dinner.

We'll retrace our route through the Sawtooths for our second evening at Stanley and then ride into the rugged wilderness setting of Payette Canyon as we trace the course of the wild Middle Fork of the Payette River. We'll spend a final night in Garden Valley and then continue along the Payette to the new Boise Greenbelt that follows the Boise River into the heart of Boise where our adventure concludes.

Top