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Optimal 1000 Adventure Motorcycle Ride Day 1
Optimal 1000 August 2016 Day 1
The adventures of two men on their KLR’s as they travel through Idaho, Oregon, Washington and back into Idaho.
Day 1 would take us from Boise To Imnaha Oregon. I had traveled this route quite a few times and every time was a unique experience, some good and some bad. I had not traveled the true route since July 18 2011.
You want to think that there is never bad a day when you have the privilege to venture through God’s creation and enjoy the magnitude of it. That day in 2011 seemed like every other of riding I had ever done I guess you could say it was a different experience. An experience that changed my life with some severe injuries and a long road to recovery. The major injury that day was a fractured C6 vertebrae aka a broken neck.
My intent was to revisit the accident scene and close the door on that experience.
My friend Casey and I left Boise in the morning on August 4th. The first part of the day was going to be some dirt roads out of the boise Idaho but we have had some smoky conditions due to fires so we opted to get of the smoke quicker via some pavement. We rode to Emmett and then on to Sweet and Ola where the pavement ends.
We would travel out of the Payette River Drainage via Squaw Creek and on to Council for a fuel stop. From Council we would take Hornet Creek which is a beautiful paved back road with wonderful sweeper and beautiful vistas of the Seven Devils Range on the Idaho side of Hells Canyon. At Bear we turned left and are back into the dirt heading for Kleinschmidt Grade that will drop us into Hells Canyon.
As we start to drop into Hells Canyon I am very aware of ‘that day” in 2011. I have visited the site via mapping programs and Google Earth yet I still get a chill even as write about. I know it's not fear but an awareness of years of pain and pat of me. Something you want to face to make sure you are OK with it.
As we sart down Kleinschmidt the temp starts to soar to triple digits.
I stop and take a picture of the Canyon and look across to the other side and check out Hess Grade. The bottom of Hess Grade is “that place”.
We are running much later than we planned and it is about 2:30. We drop down in the Canyon and ride along Hells Canyon Reservoir there is an algae that gives the water a weird green color. This is from the high water temperature and it is not friendly to people are animals.
We head up Pine Creek for a gas stop and a break. It is now 3:30 and the temp si not comfortable. After a short discussion about climbing out of the Canyon via Hess Grade we opt out and decide we will take Pine Creek FS39. I will visit “that place” another day and I am fine with the decision due to the circumstances..
FS39 is a beautiful paved back country road that does not disappoint. Next stop is Hells Canyon View Point.
Hells Canyon Overlook Oregon, Seven Devils Range in the distance on the Idaho Side.
The view point offers a spectacular view of the Seven Devils Range and the ridges of the Canyon.
The two KLR’s have done a great job on this Adventure Trip so far.
We drop down to the Imnaha River and Leave FS 39 for the dirt road down the Imnaha River to the town of Imnaha.
The day has given some extremes in altitude and has been another great day traveling on KLR.
The night will be spent in Imnaha at the three bedroom motel and dinner is a pizza and old western on TV at the Imnaha Bar.
Check out Casey's video of Day 1.
Check out Google Map of Day 1
Download GPX File Optimal 1000 Day 1
You want to think that there is never bad a day when you have the privilege to venture through God’s creation and enjoy the magnitude of it. That day in 2011 seemed like every other of riding I had ever done I guess you could say it was a different experience. An experience that changed my life with some severe injuries and a long road to recovery. The major injury that day was a fractured C6 vertebrae aka a broken neck.
My intent was to revisit the accident scene and close the door on that experience.
My friend Casey and I left Boise in the morning on August 4th. The first part of the day was going to be some dirt roads out of the boise Idaho but we have had some smoky conditions due to fires so we opted to get of the smoke quicker via some pavement. We rode to Emmett and then on to Sweet and Ola where the pavement ends.
We would travel out of the Payette River Drainage via Squaw Creek and on to Council for a fuel stop. From Council we would take Hornet Creek which is a beautiful paved back road with wonderful sweeper and beautiful vistas of the Seven Devils Range on the Idaho side of Hells Canyon. At Bear we turned left and are back into the dirt heading for Kleinschmidt Grade that will drop us into Hells Canyon.
As we start to drop into Hells Canyon I am very aware of ‘that day” in 2011. I have visited the site via mapping programs and Google Earth yet I still get a chill even as write about. I know it's not fear but an awareness of years of pain and pat of me. Something you want to face to make sure you are OK with it.
As we sart down Kleinschmidt the temp starts to soar to triple digits.
I stop and take a picture of the Canyon and look across to the other side and check out Hess Grade. The bottom of Hess Grade is “that place”.
We are running much later than we planned and it is about 2:30. We drop down in the Canyon and ride along Hells Canyon Reservoir there is an algae that gives the water a weird green color. This is from the high water temperature and it is not friendly to people are animals.
We head up Pine Creek for a gas stop and a break. It is now 3:30 and the temp si not comfortable. After a short discussion about climbing out of the Canyon via Hess Grade we opt out and decide we will take Pine Creek FS39. I will visit “that place” another day and I am fine with the decision due to the circumstances..
FS39 is a beautiful paved back country road that does not disappoint. Next stop is Hells Canyon View Point.
Hells Canyon Overlook Oregon, Seven Devils Range in the distance on the Idaho Side.
The view point offers a spectacular view of the Seven Devils Range and the ridges of the Canyon.
The two KLR’s have done a great job on this Adventure Trip so far.
We drop down to the Imnaha River and Leave FS 39 for the dirt road down the Imnaha River to the town of Imnaha.
The day has given some extremes in altitude and has been another great day traveling on KLR.
The night will be spent in Imnaha at the three bedroom motel and dinner is a pizza and old western on TV at the Imnaha Bar.
Check out Casey's video of Day 1.
Check out Google Map of Day 1
Download GPX File Optimal 1000 Day 1