Bicycling the Boise Front

Since we met our training goal last week by cycling up  Shaw Mountain,  we declared ourselves ready for the ride across the Boise Front, a tough ride I hadn't done since 2012.  Neither one of us wanted to make the ride more difficult, but we both prefer trails to roads, so we diverted to the trails for the bottom section- avoiding Shaw Mountain Road until Rocky Canyon.
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Chris at the beginning near the Cottonwood Creek Trailhead

We were saving our energy for later, so we headed up Toll Rd Trail instead of climbing  Eagle Ridge and falling back to the creek as we usually would.  Then it was up Central Ridge and Shane's trail which dumped us about 1/3 the way up Rocky Canyon Rd.  It's a bit of a drudge climbing the steep dirt road (not gravel; it's mostly decomposed granite and sand) to Aldape Summit, where the jeep trail turns off the decomposed granite road. Here we met 2 hikers who'd climbed up from the Idaho City side and volunteered to take a couple of photos.

the turn off at Aldape Summit- where it gets steep!

Chris and Steve begin the steep section

and back down to retrieve the camera

Chris reaches the first only moderately steep spot after Aldape Summit

Chis as the vista begins to broaden

After this year's dry spring we found the wash outs in the road only inches deep which made for easier riding than in 2012 when Will and I found the wash outs feet deep making the route a little easier this year than 2012 when 2 ft wash outs were common.

Steve nears the top of this long steep section with the twisty road they've climbed in the background

I thought this might be my new Facebook cover photo, but their profile photo superimposes itself over my head.  Another photo taken at this spot will suffice.

Just as we reached the section with the best vista, who should arrive but a lost hiker who volunteered to photograph us.  Unfortunately, she didn't understand the concept of "get the winding road in the background". Anyway, when am I so lucky as to meet friendly strangers twice in the same day at just the spot we'd like a group photo?

Chis and Steve mostly blocking the view of the road they've just climbed.  We intended a view of the road we'd climbed more like the photo just above this one

Our new acquaintance, the hiker, was distressed to hear she was roughly 4 miles from her car, but glad to learn where she was and how to get back down to her car.  We offered to share a snack and even a little of our precious water, but she said she was fine.  So, we parted company as she descended and we continued ascending.

Chris reaches the crest, and we temporarily cross to the North side of the ridge

It sounds like the climbing would be over as we reach the crest, but the road crosses the ridge several times and begins rising and falling.  We always enjoy riding through the deep forest, but its lighting is difficult for my photographic capabilities, which I failed even to try here.  We climbed a couple times up to the ridge and then would descend into a basin where Hard Guy trail ends and where we had lunch and where we met two groups of mountain bikers as they finished climbing it.  Both groups added to our pleasant lunch stop and were impressed with our ride, but some of those riders were really impressive.  Although we enjoy descending Hard Guy neither one of us as ever ridden up it.  The 2nd group was comprised of about 6 riders.  The first one up the hill (by at least 5 minutes) was on a fixie (a one speed bike, and his was without a shock).  I looked at the drive train and would swear from the dry dirt caked on it (in almost sedimentary layers) that it had never been lubed or wiped off.  I don't believe I ever saw such a neglected chain among my boyhood friends in Winchester where none of the fathers (mill workers or farmers) would have allowed their sons to so abuse a machine!  That one gear he had appeared to be a fairly high gear too (making climbing more difficult).  That rider assured us he was that far ahead only because the single gear wouldn't allow a slower speed!  Will and I (on our 27 speed bikes) were once passed by a fixie as we struggled up an extremely steep section of trail.  I suppose meeting such fellows from time to time helps keep us humble. Since we knew we were pushing our training level on this ride, we took a fairly lengthy lunch break.  My legs left that break feeling a little weaker for the afternoon section of the climb, and climbing out of that basin is roughly 1,000 feet of climbing.

Chris with a view of the top of Deer Point and Bogus Basin in the background

By the time we reached the top of Deer Point, I was tired of pushing myself hard in Granny-1 but left  the decision of riding to the top of Bogus up to Chris.  We'd ridden the Boise Front with the extra climb to Deer Point, and that was enough, so we skipped the side trip up to Bogus, the highest point on the front.  Although Chris said he was tired and didn't even look forward to the descent down Bogus Basin Road, his assessment was bad.  At the bottom he confessed he had forgotten how much fun that paved descent is.  As we parted, I saw no signs of fatigue in him, unlike on last week's ascent of Shaw Mountain, so last week's final training ride up Shaw Mountain was successful. Well done, Chris.  We can now tackle any ride!

53.0 miles      6:37 riding time

Happy cycling for fun, fitness, and transportation!

Steve