Cow Trails Across the States

This trail is in the Fairfield Ranger District of the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho. We were unfamiliar with anything in the area and rolled the dice on trail selection. The Willow Creek trail also known as the Idaho Centennial Trail is designated as multi use. However, it is more a hiking trail than anything else. There are numerous rock obstacles that are too treacherous to risk blasting over. One in particular would send you down the hillside into the creek with no escape route if you missed. We struggled for hours trying to reach the junction of trail 031 but were thwarted by fallen trees. We finally turned around. It was one of the toughest rides I have done. The ride hero award would have to go to my son Travis.

After a challenging day on the Willow Creek Ride of 2021, we were hoping for a short easy ride the following day. The result was another out and back after missing the junction of trail 827. The sign at the trailhead said 2.5 mi. to the junction which turned out to be only 2.2 mi. It was apparently on the other side of the creek and overgrown. We missed it and went another 1.5 mi. before giving up and turning around. This trail although designate as multi-use is better suited for hiking and was not well traveled or maintained.

While visiting Sequim and Port Angeles, Washington with my friend and local resident Ken, we discovered this nice little out of the way trail system on the Olympic Peninsula. Hope you enjoy!

This is the last stop on our 2020 spring safari. We weren't able to really explore because of the rain and mud. The roots were very slimy and we never knew what to expect in the bottom of those puddles. Some of the trails look like they could be pretty good if there was less muck from the rain.

In June of 2021, after the Black Dog Dual-sport, my friend Ron introduced us to the area near LaPine, OR called Three Trails System. He had been there before but not on Trail 13. I asked him to show us this trail because on the maps, it looked like the most single track friendly. So I asked for it. This video shows the trail laid out by a renowned, local rider who was asked to do the job. My guess is that it was his intention to create a challenging single track for advanced riders. You be the judge.

This is the 2nd part of the ride we did in place of the 2020 Black Dog Dual Sport. After we hit the snow we went dow lower and found these trails. All in all it was a good day but a little tiring.

In this video we ride single track from Baumgartner campground up Gardner Gulch on the 980 trail to where it joins the Beaver Creek 052 trail. A past fire has damaged some of the natural beauty along the way. The 052 ends at the 050, which is 2-track. We ride as far as we can go toward the Iron Mountain Lookout tower dealing with snow from a recent storm and walk the last 1/4 mile. There is a small heli-pad at the top of the mountain next to the tower. This was our first ride in the Idaho Sawtooth Mountains.

With the cancellation of the 2020 Black Dog DualSport ride, we chose to make our own fun. The locals all raved about Gifford-Pinchot, so we set off to explore. It was early June, Covid was in full swing but we were not to be deterred. In Part 1 we find out what the trails are like in the southern portion of the Forest. We take Wright Creek trail #80 until the snow stops us. Let's just say slimy roots were the talk of the day.