Sometimes it's worth it to do a little bit of strategery while bike touring. I set up my camp just a few miles from Warm Lake, which from researching this section of the tour, I realized was my last bit of civilization for a while. I also had read some stellar reviews about the North Shore Lodge and knew they opened for breakfast. So instead of having powdered coffee and oatmeal in camp, I packed up and made a bee line for breakfast. There is something magical about finding these gems in the middle of the woods.
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| There's always time to stop and smell the roses. I'm a sucker for pretty bodies of water. |
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| The North Shore Lodge did not disappoint... I conquered my huge Spanish omelet and half a pot of coffee. |
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| My breakfast companion. One of the servers told me she loves her job because this guy gets to come with her every day. The only place he isn't welcome is in the kitchen. He was just one of several resident puppies. |
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| Just a few kind words to start my day off right. |
With a full belly, a new bottle of sunscreen spray, and an impulse buy of Fritos, I headed out in the morning light feeling pretty darn good. I took another few minutes to explore the area before heading up the road along the South Fork of the Salmon River.
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| Neverending glamour shots. |
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| The start of gorgeous traffic free single lane roads... |
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| Poverty summit hiking trail detour. I learned all about the burn that happened 10 years ago in the area. |
One of the reasons Idaho is so special is the abundance of pristine hidden hot springs. The ACA map for this tour has all of the hot springs marked and short descriptions so you can decide if it's worth hunting that particular hot springs down. I had decided last year to buy the GPX tracks for something ridiculously cheap like $5 and today, it was worth it. The GPX tracks show you where each point of interest is, and without it, I would not have found what might be my favorite hot springs of all time. Mostly because on a busy Fourth of July weekend, it was empty, clean, and just about the perfect temperature... and ideally situated right next to the river. This hot springs doesn't even have a name, just Mile 16 hot springs.
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| Between mile markers 15 and 16, there are wooden stairs that descend steeply. Blink, and you might miss them. I did and had to turn around and use the GPS to locate the spot. Once you go down a third of the way, you get this view of the hot springs. |
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| Bliss. Hot, cold, hot, cold... aaaaaaah. Also, nekkid. |
After tearing myself away from these hot springs, I prepared myself for the long climb up to the Lick Creek Summit. The afternoon sun gave way to cloudy skies and the grade wasn't very steep in comparison to some others I have climbed in this area. But soon, the valley become socked in and I felt a few rain drops here and there. Then... it got a little heavier. The weather forecast hadn't prepared me for rain so in order to keep light, I hadn't packed rain gear. I spent another 30 minutes pondering whether or not to throw up my tent or just keep going.
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| Ominous clouds gathering... |
I stopped to check the map and my GPS and after 2 minutes, the mosquitoes were feasting on my legs and any exposed parts. Choice made. I decided to set up camp and hide from both the rain and the vicious bites! Besides, I had brought a book that I have been trying to finish for a few months and this was the perfect opportunity. It felt good to end the day early and just relax. I drifted off to sleep fairly early to the pitter pat of raindrops on my tent fly.
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| A little Bill Bryson to keep things topical. |
A few notes for bike tourists:
- The North Shore Lodge at Warm Lake is open year round from breakfast through dinner. Food is served from 8 am to 8 pm and the store is open until 9 pm. The bar is also open from 11 am to 2 am. I'm told these hours may change seasonally. They also have camping and cabins! The store stocks basic food and supplies, enough to get you to the relative metropolis of McCall.
- There are a ton of portapotties and disbursed campsites on the road past Warm Lake. Some folks were literally just pulled over in pullouts and had thrown tents up. It's worth it to get past the established sites and get a bit further up the climb and camp somewhere closer to the summit. That said, I found out the next day that all the best disbursed campsites are on the Warm Lake side of the summit, and for whatever reason, not nearly as numerous or nice on the other side.
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