| Name: | Weiser River Trail - day 2 | 
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| Description: | On Sunday, we had a bit slower wake up and then went to the other local diner for breakfast. Then got everything packed and finally took off around 10.15am. The trail is paved througout Cambridge which Shelly appreciated since she had saddle sores. The dirt trail that followed was not too bad either since we were just passing the wagons that were on their way from Midvale. Once above the horses and wagons, the trail was fairly smooth with occasional rougher spots. It was also cooler this morning since it rained a bit overnight and it was cloudy. The part between Cambridge and Council was I think the most enjoyable, the profile was still almost flat, the air was cool and the surrounding were lush and green - a contrast to the scorched slopes at the lower elevations. We arrived to Council about 12.30pm and had a lunch there - leftover from our prime rib dinner and a blueberry pie that we got there as well. The trail goes a bit away from the downtown Council, which in a way was good since it was quiet there - though Council is not a big town either. We followed the trail from Council up another 7 miles or so, the surface was not bad but the rough spots we more common. So, we opted for a county road that parallels the trail and the river and followed it for quite a while until it merged with the Highway 95. There the rail trail was in the valley way below the road so we had to ride on the highway for about a mile till we found an access to the trail. This was not all that pleasant as the road has no shoulder, but, at least the traffic was not too bad and we did not meet any truck. The trail was by now going in the forest and had a bit of a cover with pine needles, etc, which made it for a smooth sailing, except for occasional gravel spots and bridges. Well, the sailing was not that smooth either since we were climbing, not too much but it was noticeable. And, we had to stop once in a while to refuel and give Shelly's behind a break. At the top of the climb, we were surprised by a short but steep climb to bypass the Tamarack lumber mill. Then we rejoined the rail bed again and kept going some further until the trail ended in a cabin subdivision. We had a plan to meet Shelly's mom at the final trailhead, but, there was no trailhead so we missed it, called her and left a message (fortunately we were having a cell signal there, ATT does not have much of a coverage pretty much all the way from Weiser to Council) and decided to head down the highway to New Meadows, which were ca. 4 miles away. Turns out Shelly's mom missed it too and drove back from New Meadows at the same time and she saw us (and Shelly saw her - I did not as I was focused at staying within 6 in of the shoulder). So, we just pulled over the next driveway and loaded up there, which concluded the riding part of the trip. Then we drove through New Meadows and McCall to the Gold Fork hot springs and had some relaxing time there. It was busy there but not overly crowded, I only wish we would have brought more beverages - lesson for the next time.I forgot the camera there so we'll also have to take fotos next time. We left Gold Fort about 8pm and finally arrived to Boise at 10,30pm. It was long two days but well worth it, I hope Shelly feels the same once her saddle sores heal. | |
| URL: | TopoFusion Home Page | |
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| Total Distance: | 47.01 miles (75.65 km) |
| Total Trip Time: | 6:02:31 (4:49:41 moving time) |
| Total Climbing: | 2534 feet (772 m) |
| Total Descending: | 1003 feet (306 m) |
| Average Speed: | 9.74 mph (15.67 kph) |
