Ride Report: Ride Idaho 2019

July 28, 2019.  Four members of the Windbreaker Nation (Craig, Tom, Steve and yours truly, John) returned recently from an epic, weeklong cycling adventure in Southwest Idaho as participants in the 15th edition of Ride Idaho, a 7-day, 341-mile bike ride trekking the mountains and river valleys near Boise, Idaho.  Following is a daily recap of this fantastic ride.

Day 1 - Boise - Lowman.  180 riders rose before sunrise on Sunday, July 14 for the first day's ride.  Leaving Lucky Peak State Park, it was a climb right out of the gate up and over the dam on Idaho SR 21 (Ponderosa Pines Scenic Route) then more climbing through historic Idaho City to Mores Creek Summit and a great descent to Lowman.

Mores Creek Summit - Day 1

Overnight at the Southfork Lodge camping area on the banks of the Payette River, which included some fishing by our very own fly-fisherman extraordinaire, Craig.

Day 2 - Lowman - Crouch/Garden Valley.  The group again rose before dawn for breakfast and to break camp.  Following an out/back to Kirkham Hot Springs, we turned west along Banks-Lowman Rd to Garden Valley and the town of Crouch.  Following an out/back on Middlefork Rd for lunch & swim at Terrace Lakes Resort, we hit camp, set our chairs in the Payette to cool off, then visited the first of our in-town watering holes for the trip, Dirty Shames, for a couple whiskies and a game of shuffleboard. Evening capped by dinner and a live performance of Newsies, at the Starlight Mountain Theater.

Day 3 - Crouch - Emmett.  South out of Crouch to Banks, where we left our bikes for a river rafting expedition down the Payette.  Following lunch, back on the bikes in Horseshoe Bend for a beautiful finish through Black Canyon to Emmett.  

The evening's campsite was in Emmett at the City park, within a short walk to the Cowboy Chophouse for a nightcap!

Day 4 - Emmett - Homedale.  On this day we would drop out of the mountains and into the agricultural river valleys south and west of Boise.  Long straight roads bordered by fields of alfalfa, corn, wheat and hops.  Following camp set up and a swim at the Riverside Park city pool, we walked to town for an authentic basque dinner the Txoka Ona meeting hall.  Drinks and billiards at the Last Chance Saloon downtown, then back to the park for overnight on the banks of the mighty Snake River.

Snake River Sunset - Riverside Park, Homedale

Day 5 - Homedale - Marsing.  Thursday's route featured a beautiful loop around Lake Lowell and the Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge.  Headwinds were strong as we circled back west toward Marsing, and a short but steep climb up Chicken Dinner Rd to finish the day's route.  All was well again as we set camp, showered and took a short Uber ride to Sawtooth Winery for an afternoon of wine and charcuterie.  

"The Doctor is in and will see you now"  -
Sawtooth Winery

Following dinner, it was a short walk to The Pour House, our fourth and final visit to one of southwest Idaho's local watering holes.

Day 6 - Marsing - Swan Falls Dam.  Following breakfast at Marsing HS, a nice tailwind carried the riders southeast on Idaho SR 78, toward Walter's Ferry and the historic crossing location on the Snake River.  Then east into the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area and wide open roads eventually dropping us into the Snake River gorge at Swan Falls Dam and our overnight campsite on the banks of the Snake River.

Day 6 - south to Swan Falls Dam

Day 7 - Swan Falls - Boise.  The tour's final day started with a challenging climb out of the gorge on Swan Falls Rd, then north through Kuna

Day 7 toward Boise

and into the Boise Valley.  Following a beautiful stretch on Ten Mile Creek Rd the route connected with the Boise River Greenbelt near Lucky Peak Dam, then the final turn onto the greenbelt path and the finish at the State of Idaho Dept of Parks & Recreation.

Ride On!

At the finish - Ride On!