Our Idaho Backcountry Adventure: Trip Report

We recently returned from our Idaho Backcountry Adventure, and what a memorable journey it was!

After our 12hr highway drive, we started our journey in the town of Glenns Ferry. Topping off on fuel and last minute provisions we officially reached some dirt and gravel roads as we ventured North towards Anderson Ranch Reservoir to meet up with another member of the team. With over 50mi of shoreline and a depth of 315ft, the reservoir was quite a scenic drive as we drove the trail that traced the shoreline. Previous intel lead me to believe that there was a bridge not too far ahead with width restrictions that vehicles could not pass over. This info caused us to take a pre-planned 90mi detour around to the other side of the bridge and continue along the original route but proved to be a great detour either way!

As we ventured deeper into the Boise Mountains, Idaho was really starting to unveil it's beauty. Our first nights camp was along a beautiful riverside "beach" and it was an exciting first night of the trip. It was a hot day so we all took a dip in the river and I cooked an Italian comfort group dinner as the evening sky provided hues of purple, pink and orange. We believe the mystery of John's missing leather boots were likely suspected to be coyote or other wildlife since they were found 50ft away from our campsite. We also had a fun recovery situation in the morning where I got stuck in some deep sand trying to depart camp. The following couple days lead us to our first mountain town of Lowman where fuel was our top priority. The first gas station did not have any fuel, but fortunately the next town of Haven was only 4mi away where a quirky and somewhat bizarre gas station/convenience store with trinkets and tchotchkes outside that seemed someone's backyard. The folks there were very friendly and we all took turns with the slow and temperamental gas pump before seeking out camp for the evening.

Proceeding further North into the lush, fog laden Boise National Forest, we meandered through the Tyndall Meadows and Deadwood lake where we took a mid-day swim in the crisp and refreshing water. We were keeping our eyes peeled for moose as these were prime locations to spot some wildlife. We were now about 250mi into our trip and our sights were set on the quaint and small mountain town of Yellow Pine where an annual Harmonica Festival was being held. I luckily secured a camp spot nearby and then we partook in the festival that was just kicking off. We ate some extremely tasty festival food, listened to a few bands with a blend of bluegrass, folk, and rock styles of music, all incorporating the harmonica. Why a harmonica festival? In 1989, Idaho Governor Andrus made a challenge to towns in Idaho to develop a celebration of statehood for 1990. Yellow Pine took on the challenge by creating the Harmonica Contest. Historically, the harmonica was carried by miners to their back woods claims to provide entertainment. The festival was held the first weekend in August 1990. Initially the festival was supposed to be held one year. The popularity of this unique gathering has kept it going since. This event helped Yellow Pine create a recreation-based economy to support the area. Nevertheless, I think the Yellow Pine festival left us all with a story to tell!

From Yellow Pine, we crossed over the high mountain pass of Elk Summit, 8,670ft and stopped for a 360 degree view of the mountains. Our next waypoint of interest was the town of Warren, where we once again hoped to top off on fuel. Driving through Warren was like being transported into a late 1800's Western. While we there we decided to have lunch at a rustic bar where you were surrounding by historical relics and other artifacts lost to time. Like Yellow Pine, the town of Warren has small airports where we witnessed numerous planes take off and land. These airports were/are used to deliver mail and transport supplies. While watching/filming 3 planes take off, one of them lost control, spun out and crashed into the trees that lined the runway! We saw the whole thing happen right before our eyes, it was unbelievable! I rushed in to tell the bartender what had just happened and we all rushed (town dogs included) to the rescue. Fortunately, the pilot and passenger emerged completely unscathed. The plane? Not so much.

That evening we settled into a camp. Soon as we did, the Idaho sky opened up and dumped a bunch of rain on us. It made for quite a weather mood as the fog rolled in the next morning. Still, a beautiful sight. The drive through the mountains leaving camp the following morning was stunning. Nearing the end of our journey, our goal was heading towards the more major town of Riggins. But not before traversing down some massive switch backs known as the French Creek Grade. It descends more than 1,400ft in less than 4mi! I was running on fumes at this point and crossed all my fingers that I was going to make it Riggins, but I did! We drove through a gorgeous canyon alongside the Salmon River en route to Riggins. We eventually established another camp spot next to the river. We soaked up the stunning views of the golden mountainsides illuminated by the setting Sun. We concluded our incredible Idaho backcountry adventure bathing in the river and enjoying a burger buffet group dinner. Overall, Idaho did not disappoint and it was certainly one for the books! I can't wait to go back!

Here are some highlights from our trip: