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ThumperTDC
Thumpalicious
USA
6540 Posts |
Topic started on 10/04/2004 at 8:43:18 PM
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We were outside of Pierce, Idaho in the North fork of the Clearwater.
Thursday;
I left home enroute to Idaho at 7:30am. Got to my dads at 2:30. Finished getting things ready, and departed for camp just after 6pm. Arrived at camp at 11pm and went to bed.
Friday;
Get up, eat and get ready. Hit the trails about 8:30/9ish. This was the first time I was running race gas in my bike. I mixed it 50/50 with pump gas................me likey. We start our climb up the trail. Towards the top of our first climb we ran into a group of hunters on horse back, we shut our bikes off and let them by. One guys horse stumbled off of the trail, I thought this was going to be bad, but the horse was able to get back on the trail. Most of the trails were no more than a foot wide and were side hill, that is why the horse going off the trail was a bad thing. The hunters get by and radioed back to camp to hold up the rest of the pack team until we passed by their camp. Maybe a mile or so past their camp we look in the trail and notice some tracks in the dirt. These tracks I was taold were left by a wolf, the scary thing was, these tracks were about the size of a cd/dvd. I'm glad we didn't run into that "lil" feller out on the trail. We made it to the top of the ridge and was told that the Lewis and Clark Expidiotion traveled across one of the ridges on their trek out west (I got a picture of the ridge). We set off again down the trail averaging about 20MPH down the trail, but that slowed down once we got to more sidehill trails (I didn't like that too much, but the show must go on). One of the trails we were on led up to an old Forest Service cabin. We went inside and saw all the names a dates that were written on the walls and inside the cabinet. The oldest date I saw was 1932 (got some pictures of the cabin). After we left the cabin we ended up at this creek crossing where it had looked like there might have been a bridge at one time, but had since washed away. We were trying to figure out where the best spot to cross was...........that was when one of my dads buddies took off on his WR250 and just happened to go right through what looked to be one of the deeper spots. The water was up to the underside of his pipe, when he hit a rock and fell over. We spent about 45 minutes draining all of the water out of the bike. Got it running again, and this time we all crossed in a much shallower spot. Farther down the trail I come around corner and saw the branches moving, I got closer and it was the same WR250 that went over the edge of the trail about 10 feet over the bank. 3 of us managed to get it back up onto the trail. Finished out the ride, made it back to camp at about 5:30ish with 63.5 miles. Engineered up a boot drier around half the fire for 5 pairs of boots. 6 more people show up to ride with us on Saturday. Went to bed around midnight with the boots still somewhat wet.
Saturday;
We set off, had to ride the road about 5 miles to the trail. We start up this trail, and this one is maybe 10 inchs wide once again on a sidehill, but it was a good up hill climb with probably close to 10 switchbacks. We make it up to a flat spot and take a break. Up next was another hill climb. This one was worse, it was a steep climb, but rain a few weeks earlier washed most of the trail down the hill and left nothing but rock. Half way up this second hill climb I lost about half my clutch...............it must be steep if an XR looses some of its clutch from a climb. I adjust the clutch from my pertch and make it up the rest of the hill only managing to stall it 2 times. I get to the top and took another pic to show the climb we made. I would bet that in that 2 or 3 miles we traveled up hill we went up in elevation a good 1,500 feet. Once I get the pics posted you will be able to tell. After all 11 of us made it up we rested, and I tried to loosen my clutch adjuster and it was rock hard, so out came the "Leatherman" (more on this wonderful tool as the story goes on) I start cranking on my adjuster trying to loosen it when I managed to break the adjuster bolt in 2 spots. I thought I was done for the rest of the ride, but we set off and it was still holding. Later on after watching the adjuster move around and afraid the cable might fray, I zip tied the cable inline with the bolt in hopes it would hold without breaking. There was a section where we had to ride around and over alot of trees. We started heading back up hill ad one guy got tied up in a sharp up hill switchback so everyone stopped to wait until he made it through. Then everyone started moving again. I just started to take off and had to go between some narrow rocks. I lifted my left foot off of the peg to help clear the rock when the toe of my boot caught the rock and my foot peg came into contact with the back of my boot smashing my foot and bringing me to a stop. When I stopped I fell over, and wouldn't you know it, the way I fell was to the down hill side. I went down about 10 feet from the trails edge, in the process I managed to break my front brake lever to nothing more than a stub barely big enough for one finger. I got some help uprighting my bike, wait for the pain to subside a little before I took off again. I get to where everyone had stopped and we all took a break. I tried looking to see if anyone might have a spare lever I could use. A couple guys had some for YZ's, I looked at one, but it was a different lever than mine, so it was a no go, one guy had one for his KDX, it looked like it might work, pulled it out of its package tried to install it, but it was just a tid bit too thick. My dad said give this a try. He had a bent on front brake lever off of his YZ426. I go to install it and it slide right in, I got to tighten the bolt and it tightened right up. All was good, until I decided to check to see if the front wheel would spin. As my luck would have it, it was binding a bit. Then a light bulb went off. I got permission, and once again busted out that trusty "Leatherman" and filed down the stop. With that done the front tire spun just fine. This was a used lever, it was bent in a "J" so it was perfect for using one finger to pull the lever (the lever is going to be a permenant fixture on my bike............(if you YZF folks have some bent levers in a "J" I could use some extras if you wanna get rid of some). We take off and encounder some really rocky trails with boulders you had to navigate around, not much fun, but it had to be done. I was going on a trail that was less rocks, but I hear this whacking sound. I look down and there is a 1 inch diameter stick lodged in my spokes. I was able to break off some of it, but the rest was in there tight, and the end was wedged in right behine one of the sprocket bolts and nuts. I was thinking that I was going to have to remove the bolt and nut, but then I remembered that my "Leatherman" has a saw on it. One more reason to have a "Leatherman" in your tool kit. I was able to saw through that stick in about 10 seconds and it literally fell out of the spokes. I was able to get somemore pictures, then we made our way down to the road, more tight down hill switchbacks. Got down to the bottom and had to snap a shot from the bridge looking back up hill. When I was riding back to the group which was only maybe 500 feet away from where I took the pic my new clutch started slipping really bad, so I had to head back to camp and skip the 20 mile loop the rest of the group went on.
My left little toe is black and blue, I have a few large bruises on my legs. All in all it was a fun trip.
My "Leatherman" came in extremely handy on this trip, I would suggest that a multitool of any kind should be in everyones tool kit when your out on the trail.
This was my trip in a nut shell and will try to get the pics posted soon. |
2005 KTM 525MXC - The new canvas
1998 Honda XR450 - The master piece
Donated to the support of 4Strokes.com
In loving memory of my son Nicolas "Cole" Allen Carter 10/5/05
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bluestragler
Canon City, CO
USA
545 Posts |
Posted on 10/05/2004 at 07:20:38 AM
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Sounds like a great trip, with some intensity. I'll be trying ID this Spring ('05) so I apperciate the preview.
And Yes! Always carry a leatherman!
Thanks for the low-down. Looking forward to the pics. |
'01 XR400, '97 XR250, '96 XR200, '91 XR200, '99 XR100, '96 XR80 |
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traderdog
8 Posts |
Posted on 10/05/2004 at 12:33:06 PM
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| Sounds like a great time. Can you post the pictures? |
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ThumperTDC
Thumpalicious
USA
6540 Posts |
Posted on 10/05/2004 at 1:52:26 PM
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| I'll get them posted tonight. |
2005 KTM 525MXC - The new canvas
1998 Honda XR450 - The master piece
Donated to the support of 4Strokes.com
In loving memory of my son Nicolas "Cole" Allen Carter 10/5/05
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XRFireguy
La Mesa, CA
USA
228 Posts |
Posted on 10/07/2004 at 10:33:40 PM
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| I am jealous!!! |
2003 XR650R - Desert Tested, Desert Raced
2001 400EX - Once was mine, now is wifes
1974 Yamaha DT 360 in mint condition! |
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damone
Paradise, CA
USA
127 Posts |
Posted on 10/08/2004 at 08:00:50 AM
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| Where's the pix? |
2002 XR400R
1980 XR500 (an old tractor) |
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ThumperTDC
Thumpalicious
USA
6540 Posts |
Posted on 10/08/2004 at 10:17:41 AM
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| Been having trouble getting them to load up to my site so I can post them. Hopefully this weekend I can get them up. |
2005 KTM 525MXC - The new canvas
1998 Honda XR450 - The master piece
Donated to the support of 4Strokes.com
In loving memory of my son Nicolas "Cole" Allen Carter 10/5/05
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ThumperTDC
Thumpalicious
USA
6540 Posts |
Posted on 10/13/2004 at 6:50:32 PM
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here are the pics.
The bridge across from our camp.
On the bridge looking up stream.
Looking down stream.
Looking back at camp.
A view of some of the mountains.
Just over the ridge was where the last picture was taken. We ran into a hunting camp just to the left of the picture. On the trail between where the camp was and were we stopped for the pic there were some huge wolf tracks in the trail.
Another great view.
My dad and his buddies.
The cabin.
The view from the front door.
to the left of the door.
Kinda fuzzy.
Some creek crossings.
Another one. Just to the left of the frame is where the WR went for a swim.
Back at camp with the homemade boot drier I put together.
This was that huge climb I was talking about. In the background you can see the road by the river. We started out from down there. In the center of the pic there is two tiny specs which are some bikes parked on the trail waiting for their turn for the climb. I too this pic about 100 feet from the top where we had stopped.
A little closer view of the bikes on the trail.
This is the bike that went for the swim the day before.
You can quite see the trail, but the far left finger with the clearing on the right side has some of the nastiest switchbacks I had ever seen. We had to get off the bikes and move them to make the turn.
Another view of it.
My modified YZ brake lever.
My broken parts from the trip.
On the trip back not too far from where we were camped there was a bald eagle following us down the river. You can't see it too well, but it is eating a fish in the tree about half way up.
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2005 KTM 525MXC - The new canvas
1998 Honda XR450 - The master piece
Donated to the support of 4Strokes.com
In loving memory of my son Nicolas "Cole" Allen Carter 10/5/05
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ThumperTDC
Thumpalicious
USA
6540 Posts |
Posted on 10/13/2004 at 7:00:48 PM
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Forgot probably the most important pic.................well to me it is.
The ridge in the far back is where part of the Lewis and Clark traveled crossed Idaho.
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2005 KTM 525MXC - The new canvas
1998 Honda XR450 - The master piece
Donated to the support of 4Strokes.com
In loving memory of my son Nicolas "Cole" Allen Carter 10/5/05
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bluestragler
Canon City, CO
USA
545 Posts |
Posted on 10/13/2004 at 7:59:19 PM
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| Thanks for sharing the pics ThumperTDC. |
'01 XR400, '97 XR250, '96 XR200, '91 XR200, '99 XR100, '96 XR80 |
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Admin
4Strokes.com
USA
7798 Posts |
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damone
Paradise, CA
USA
127 Posts |
Posted on 10/14/2004 at 1:55:12 PM
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Finally a Idaho tour guide. How much?
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2002 XR400R
1980 XR500 (an old tractor) |
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XRFireguy
La Mesa, CA
USA
228 Posts |
Posted on 10/14/2004 at 8:37:36 PM
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| SSWWEEEETT pics. I wish I could see all that in person. |
2003 XR650R - Desert Tested, Desert Raced
2001 400EX - Once was mine, now is wifes
1974 Yamaha DT 360 in mint condition! |
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ThumperTDC
Thumpalicious
USA
6540 Posts |
Posted on 10/14/2004 at 9:25:55 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by damone
Finally a Idaho tour guide. How much?
I'm sure my dad could hook you up sometime for a ride. He is almost out every weekend in the summer riding/camping. |
2005 KTM 525MXC - The new canvas
1998 Honda XR450 - The master piece
Donated to the support of 4Strokes.com
In loving memory of my son Nicolas "Cole" Allen Carter 10/5/05
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Tough Guy
Hamilton, MT
USA
207 Posts |
Posted on 09/17/2006 at 6:39:18 PM
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Stay in touch with me reguarding rides in Idaho...I would love to go with you guys if I could. The story and pictures you took are very much like the kind of riding that I do here in Montana.
Likewise, if you ever want to take a vacation my direction I could take you on some rides you would never forget, everything from nasty steep switchbacks with logs, rocks and roots, to open fast desert like terrain.
We ride to high mountain lakes and fly-fish or we do 65+ mile day rides...its all here and it would be great to take you. I carry spare levers, perches, bolts, zip ties and of course a Leatherman Super Tool...
Chris |
 2007 Yamaha WR450F Acerbis Brush Guards, White Bros E2, AIS Delete Kit, Fuel Screw, Free Mods, Rekluse Clutch...
1999 Ford F-250 Power Stroke - Crew-Cab, S/B, Lariat, 4X4, Triple Pod, Autometer Phantoms, Turbo-Master, Tadd Tuned SCT, 75/100/125, DP-Tuner 80, Billet Triple Disc TC, HD TransGo Tugger, MBRP 4", SPDiesel OverBoost Eliminator, AIS, Fumoto, Sirius.
- Donated to the support of 4Strokes.com |
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ThumperTDC
Thumpalicious
USA
6540 Posts |
Posted on 09/18/2006 at 12:09:41 AM
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| Might have to plan something out your way as well. The riding I have done in Idaho has been awesome, I could only imagine how it is in your neck of the woods. |
2005 KTM 525MXC - The new canvas
1998 Honda XR450 - The master piece
Donated to the support of 4Strokes.com
In loving memory of my son Nicolas "Cole" Allen Carter 10/5/05
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My Idaho adventure w/ pics
