99 miles of gravel in Ketchum, ID: anyone done this?

[Climb01742]

Saw this this morning. Looks like quite a ride and location. Has anyone here ridden it?

https://abovecategorycycling.com/journal/rebeccas-private-idaho-the-report/?utm_source=Master+List&utm_campaign=c72143f8a8-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_09_27&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_65e1011364-c72143f8a8-196499765&mc_cid=c72143f8a8&mc_eid=194c24b794

[adampaiva]

I have not but I did the Adventure Cycling Idaho Hot Springs route this summer, actually just a week before this happened, and recognize some of those gravel roads. The riding there is nothing short of amazing.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/adampaiva/tags/ihsmbr

[Climb01742]

I have not but I did the Adventure Cycling Idaho Hot Springs route this summer, actually just a week before this happened, and recognize some of those gravel roads. The riding there is nothing short of amazing.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/adampaiva/tags/ihsmbr

Great photos! I've been to Wyoming (Jackson) but not Idaho. Really amazing country. Looks like you had fun and quite an adventure!

[adampaiva]

It really is amazing. I think Idaho gets overshadowed somewhat by neighboring Wyoming and Montana, but I think its every bit as spectacular. I've really fallen in love with the state in the last couple of years (3 trips so far).

[ColonelJLloyd]

I've spent a fair amount of time in Ketchum and Hailey and they are just fantastic with great people. Remarkably beautiful landscape. I'd love to go back for some gravel riding.

Schooners and the special at Grumpy's FTW.

[raygunner]

I have not but I did the Adventure Cycling Idaho Hot Springs route this summer, actually just a week before this happened, and recognize some of those gravel roads. The riding there is nothing short of amazing.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/adampaiva/tags/ihsmbr

Amazing pics!

And you just got my interested in a new route...thanks!!

What time of the year did you go?

Edit: I'm thinking I can figure it out with the eclipse!

So would you recommend a similar time of year for good riding weather?

[mhespenheide]

Amazing pics!

And you just got my interested in a new route...thanks!!

What time of the year did you go?

Edit: I'm thinking I can figure it out with the eclipse!

So would you recommend a similar time of year for good riding weather?

August (and July) can get hot. September is usually the best unless you get a dusting of early snow, like this year. Late June or July 4th timeframe is usually good unless it's a particularly deep snow year.

[jruhlen1980]

Lots of people I know connected to Dirty Kanza also do this. Scenery looks gorgeous, it's on my to-do list.

Rebecca also actively tries to get at least 50% female participation and encourage women's participation in gravel events so that aspect is cool as well.

Slight OT but do yourself a favor and watch Blood Road. I'm a combat vet (more recent war than her father's) and watching her journey down the ho chi minh trail and talk to people about the continued impacts of a 40+ year old conflict was extremely powerful.

[adampaiva]

I think when I went was actually a perfect time of year to go (which yes was late August). It was hot and sunny during the day but cools off at night, though the temps stayed relatively mild even at my higher elevation camp sites. The heat was never so much that I felt beaten down by it, and for this ride I'd much rather have the heat to make me want to stop and jump in the infinite number of perfect swimming and fishing holes you'll pass by. In mild temps I'd have looked at them and enjoyed them, but not set my bike down, jumped in the water for 5 minutes, got back on the bike, kept going.

The one downside to late summer is the potential for forest fires. It's something you'd have to check on just before your trip, and has the potential for forcing you into an on the fly change to the route. There were no active fires in the area when I did my ride though. But there were further up north, and my visibility was good but the week after my ride when I rented a van and did another week exploring ID the smoke was pretty prevalent in some areas.

[Vientomas]

I think when I went was actually a perfect time of year to go (which yes was late August). It was hot and sunny during the day but cools off at night, though the temps stayed relatively mild even at my higher elevation camp sites. The heat was never so much that I felt beaten down by it, and for this ride I'd much rather have the heat to make me want to stop and jump in the infinite number of perfect swimming and fishing holes you'll pass by. In mild temps I'd have looked at them and enjoyed them, but not set my bike down, jumped in the water for 5 minutes, got back on the bike, kept going.

The one downside to late summer is the potential for forest fires. It's something you'd have to check on just before your trip, and has the potential for forcing you into an on the fly change to the route. There were no active fires in the area when I did my ride though. But there were further up north, and my visibility was good but the week after my ride when I rented a van and did another week exploring ID the smoke was pretty prevalent in some areas.

As an Idaho resident, I'm curious where you went exploring and your impression of the areas you explored :)

[SpokeValley]

Thanks for sharing!

:beer:

[adampaiva]

@vientnomas I didn't get up as far as Coeur d'Alene. This route was the plan, and was pretty close to my actual ridden route except for some on the fly changes, and at the end I was almost finished a few days early so actually backtracked to some earlier stuff that I wanted to go back to.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/25174859

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/full/25174859.png?secret_hash=fce2729a891a7e959181051c7 b7a7e0336af5d1e

Look into the whole Idaho Hot Springs route if you don't already know about it. The western half doesn't go up as far as CdA, but up to McCall.

On the van trip we did more in the Sawtooth national forest, and took our time driving over to West Yellowstone MT for the weekend for a wedding. Stopped at Craters of the Moon on the way back to Boise where the trip ended. The 2nd half of the full Idaho album on my flickr (https://www.flickr.com/photos/adampaiva/albums/72157688252425155) is the van trip. Oh and the rental outfit, Wandervans, based in Boise is pretty cool!

[MattTuck]

Looks quite dusty :)

[Vientomas]

@vientnomas I didn't get up as far as Coeur d'Alene. This route was the plan, and was pretty close to my actual ridden route except for some on the fly changes, and at the end I was almost finished a few days early so actually backtracked to some earlier stuff that I wanted to go back to.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/25174859

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/full/25174859.png?secret_hash=fce2729a891a7e959181051c7 b7a7e0336af5d1e

Look into the whole Idaho Hot Springs route if you don't already know about it. The western half doesn't go up as far as CdA, but up to McCall.

On the van trip we did more in the Sawtooth national forest, and took our time driving over to West Yellowstone MT for the weekend for a wedding. Stopped at Craters of the Moon on the way back to Boise where the trip ended. The 2nd half of the full Idaho album on my flickr (https://www.flickr.com/photos/adampaiva/albums/72157688252425155) is the van trip. Oh and the rental outfit, Wandervans, based in Boise is pretty cool!

Awesome! Glad you got to see a good portion of the State. I was not familiar with the route before your post. Looks like a great time. Thanks for sharing.

[Vientomas]

Looks quite dusty :)

Maybe forest fire smoke?

[72gmc]

I've been lucky to go to Sun Valley several times since I was a kid. Would love to go back there and ride.

[raygunner]

Gravel biking and shot-gunning beers...I'm sure it'll be on the Radavist next year.

[mrvnmrvn]

Gravel biking and shot-gunning beers...I'm sure it'll be on the Radavist next year.



Lol for sure


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[roguedog]

Adam, looks like you have the gearjammer seat bag? What're thoughts on this? Been looking at these and seem to get good reviews and seems well made.

[adampaiva]

@roguedog yep, thats the Oveja Negra Gearjammer. Mine is a size L. I really like it. I like their stuff in general (the front bag is their front end loader and lunchbox) as I've found it to be fairly priced, designed well both functionally and aesthetically, and very well made. And they were very fast to get it to me.

The gearjammer holds a decent amount of stuff and the only real complaint I have is typical for all these bikepacking saddle bags and that's that it's just not very convenient getting things in and out of the bag if you want something mid-ride. It's more of a pack it at the beginning of the ride and unpack it at the end of the day sort of use. The bag itself is pretty lightweight and even once loaded it is secure in attachment and doesn't move around and I just forget it's there. It's water resistant but not completely waterproof and some stuff did get a little damp (but not even close to wet) one day when it was getting spray from the rear wheel for an entire day. The Ortlieb panniers were actually completely halfway submerged at one point and everything stayed completely dry.