RUTS, GUTS AND SORE BUTTS

Last week Donn and I drove to McCall Idaho. I went to ride motorcycles in the woods with old and new friends, Donna went to perform a selfless act of service; paint the dinning, living and kitchen areas of David and Michele's Cabin. Here is my story and some pictures.

What a wonderful three days....

Day one, Box Lake and Twenty Mile. 38 miles. The most strenous thing I have done all year was get up and out of Box Lake. Hot Pizza

Day two-Seven Devils Area-Indian Springs Trail, Rapid River, Smith Look Out. The veiws the challenge finding the trail back, the broken bridge, mud bogs, the slippery boardwalks, Black Lake, Zims, ah hot springs, dinner out. 54 miles

Day Three-Lick Creek Summit, the views, Seesch River, South Fork of the Salmon,East Fork of the South Fork, false start, refuel, Krassel Ranger Station, how many switchbacks?,Lunch on Indian Ridge, Phoebe Meadows, The injury, the blessing, the ride down and back. 25 miles

I woke early this morning and decided I had to find the poem quoted by Allen on Indian Ridge.It's written by a man named Doug Mallock and called, Good Timber, but I found the it quoted by Vaughn Featherstone, who spoke at my mother's funeral in 1990. Coincidentally he quotes it relating to an experience he had while on the South Fork of the Salmon near where we were. He also quotes one about touching shoulders and drawing strength that epotomizes some of the benefits of our rendevous this past week.

http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=024644f8f206c010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=d55e82178cb9b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1

It was just perfect, beautiful weather, good food, friends and times.

Chris

END OF THE ROAD, ROAD RIDE

Steve Clinger and I took a road ride on our motorcycles yesterday to the end of highway 58 in north Idaho. Our first stop was Rockford, WA where the county fair was in full swing. We met an old friend of Steve's working at the McIndtosh Grange food concession stand. This is where the first pic was taken by an unsuspectiong couple running a trinket booth. I asked them if they'd take a picture of me and my brother. They were willing. We spent the night in the historic logging town of St Maries Idaho on the St Joe River, see a common theme here? Early Catholic Missionaries left their mark. John Mullan in the early 1800's built a road from the Missouri River in Fort Benton, MT to the Columbia River in Walla Walla, WA that went through here originally.

http://www.stmariesidaho.com/history.htm

Saturday morning we took a walk to the city park and county fairgrounds where we read all about the early history. On the return we walked past a yard sale, where Steve picked up on some authentic Harley Davidson leather gloves for himself, a new helmet for his buddy, and a nice HD polar fleece. I am sure he paid less than 1/10th the cost new. BONUS

Second pic is at the old SM High School. You guessed it, they are the Loggers.

This next pic was outside Bud's Burgers, where we had dinner AND breakfast, not by choice, but by necessity. Saturday morning we got to celebrate Archie's 95th birthday with he and his old pals. His advice to me, was don't get old, it ain't worth it!

We rode through Santa, Id, Fernwood, Bovill and finally our distination, the end of the road in Elk River, ID. Here is Steve in front of the Elk River Lodge and at the end of the road. We were bummed not to have dual purpose motorcycles so that we could have ridden to the Granddaddy Bridge, seen the oldest tree in Idaho. 3000 yrs old and 18 ' in diameter. We also missed the Elk Creek Falls, a series of 3 falls with 300 ft of cascading water. Their real claim to fame are the huckleberries. We could have had a fresh baked pie at the Elk River Lodge for a mere $20. We did meet Connie, the proprietor. She and her husband used to run a ranch in Augusta, MT.

http://www.elkriverlodge.net/index.htm


We then road back by way of Harvard, Princeton, ID (and I'll bet you thought there were only hayseeds in Idaho) and I ran out of gas before Potlatch ID where we had a burger at a bar- last pic. Then it was on home by way of Rockford, WA where the county fair was still going full tilt. We started getting a little rain and were glad to be home.

Steve Clinger aka Easy Rider
Chris Howell aka The Fonze

FINALLY A MOTORIZED RIDE

Ken Brown came out to ride with me this summer. It was supposed to be a big annual summer event with my brothers and a posse of other friends but it turned out to be just the two of us. We rode Thursday north of Couer d Alene Idaho in the CDA National Forest and then Friday-Sat we drove east along the Clearwater River into the Clearwater National Forest and rode some of the most beautiful country that north Idaho has to offer. We saw a historic log cabin built in 1930 on Cold Springs Peak and then we rode some of the area where Lewis and Clark came through on their expedition.

STP-One Day Riders

Derek and I rode the STP on Saturday with a mutual friend; Jeff Speder. We left University of Washington at 5:00 am and hit the 100 mark (Centralia, WA) at 11 am. The next 100 miles came much harder and longer. We had temps in the low 90's and got to Lloyd Center, downtown Portland, the very place my mom and dad bought me my first bicycle, a J C Higgins 26' bike, at approx 8 pm.

Crazy Craig Shots and the Jungle Safari Ride

California Adventure.

We're home too and thankful for the cooler temps. We found all in order and now have our responsibilities to pick up. We value greatly the time and money that was spent but feel it a bargin to have had such sweet times and to show respect and appreciation to Don Baskett, our family Patriarch. He has done a great deal to get our whole family to where we are today in God's Kingdom on Earth.

I attached a video for fun.

SUMMER FUN