Hells Canyon

[Netnorske]

Originally Posted by duneseven

cc if your going that far east and it fits your schedule at all, I would recommend you cross bearthooth pass ,if you have not before .It is one of the most beutiful rides

CC....I concur.....Tricia and I rode over Beartooth Pass on our return from Custer last June. It is unreal... ! We rode through Red Lodge, MT westbound into Cooke City and the eastern entrance to Yellowstone. Here we are at the summit....10,947'... ! We had a great day for our ride. It was sunny, the road was bare and dry, but it was still chilly up there at the summit!

[cyclecat]

We did the Beartooth also on the way back from Custer last year. We've been talking about riding it for many years and finally got the chance last year. Quite an nice ride until Brian and I got separated on the Interstate and I got caught in a heavy downpour. I stopped on the side of the road when visibility got to zero and a bolt of lightning hit 50 feet from me in the field. That was quite interesting too; wouldn't want to be that close to a lightning strike again.

[1badbagger]

Originally Posted by Netnorske

CC,
All the area around Hell's Canyon makes for great riding. I emailed you a ride plan of a road Tricia and I rode last year through the Rec Area. It is the Wallawa Mt Rd. (FS 39). It is about 50 miles through total wilderness and is paved the entire way, but small, twisty and full of critters...so take it easy! Lots of elk and deer around....so no more than about 30 mph for most of it!

We started in Enterprise, rode through Joseph, then headed south to 86 on the Wallawa Mt Rd. That is one spectacular ride! We then went east over Oxbow Dam, south on 71 to Cambridge, then north on 95 to Grangeville. That was some great riding.

At Oxbow Dam...you can ride a 22 mile dead-end right up Hells Canyon to Hells Canyon Dam. It is a major highlight and twisty. I wish I had ridden it while I was there, but we were pressed for time as we were heading to Orofino, ID.

Hwy 13 from Grangeville to Kooskia was spectacular along the South Fork of the Clearwater River....although not in the Hells Canyon area per se....but if you ride down through Lolo Pass enroute (which I assume you will)....you can take it heading from Kooskia to Grangeville on your way to HC!

All of Hwy 86 from Oxbow Dam to Baker City is a great ride. There are not a lot of options right around Hells Canyon itself, but there are some great roads west of Baker City as well.

That's about all I know. We blazed through there at a pretty fair clip as we only had 3 days from Everett to HC and home again, but it was a fantastic ride for sure. If you can fit FS 39 into your ride plan....you will be in awe at the switchbacks and elevation changes. There is also a lookout point along there worth stopping at. It is well marked and about 1 mile off the main road. That lookout point is the location for my bottom right sig pic!

Not to be contradictory, but that road over Lolo and Kooskia/Kamiah is actually Highway 12. Just so they don't get confused while planning the trip. If you come through, enjoy my home state of Idaho.

[cyclecat]

We were through the Lolo 4 years ago so been there, done that, but would like to do it again. We've skirted around the Hells Canyon area a couple of times but never actually have ridden that exact area.

[elvis]

FYI:
We were in Joseph, OR a couple of weeks ago and turned back to Enterprise and La Grande due to a washed out road.

[Netnorske]

Bummer! That's a great road to ride (we did it last year). That sucks and will probably be closed for some time now.

[cyclecat]

Good thing we changed our plans. I have been watching the weather for the past month and the weather in that area is pretty much the same as here so that is why Thursday morning we are headed further south into southern Utah.