Wagonhammer Trail Days

The Salmon ID MTB Assoc's 1st attempt at working on Wagonhammer was snowed out.  When we got word that the Back Country Horsemen were doing trail work in Wagonhammer, we rallied to meet up with them.  The North Fork USFS Ranger came out to meet us and some Youth Employment folks brought the trail tool trailer.

So after shaking some hands, swapping some stories, making some plans, and just sharing trail love; we all rode out to get to work. The Horsemen went up high to Silverleads Connector to clear deadfall while we focused on tread repair on the lower end of Elk Loop below Meadow Surfer. This trail is aka Lewis and Clark Trail, we worked on the steep section that drops down to Wagonhammer Creek from the east.

We did not finish the tread repair on Saturday and came back on Sunday.  While we were up there the 2nd day, we saw several groups of riders from Hailey and the Bitterroot.

While this descent was pretty fun before, it was rather harrowing.  We traded the harrow for sweet with a little sweat!

The next SIMBA Trailday is June 14 tentatively on Butcherknife/Ax Park.

Heading up the steep climb. Photo: C. Swenson.

Our treadwork from Saturday. Just below Meadow Surfer.

Finished Sunday, time to test ride

Before photo of the middle section.  Blom is perplexed.

After photo of the middle section.

Chris test riding the middle section.

Brian test riding the lower section.

New propaganda on the Wagonhammer Trailhead sign board.

Occupy Salmon

Occupy Salmon!

And bring your Mountain Bikes not your politics.

--August 12 to 19--
Come join the most unorganized group rides in Idaho. 8 days of high mountain, 20+ mile rides with no vehicle support. Pack a lunch, headlamp, bear mace and a water filter. These are some tough rides. Ride at your own risk. Bring your camp gear. Stop by Idaho Adventures or North Fork Village to find out where the base camp(s) will be. It's a loose itinerary, so be flexible. The shuttle van(s) will be leaving @ 8am every morning from the base camp, where ever that might be.
Come join the chaos!

Some of the riding will include

• Big Timber Creek Loop near Leadore ID
• 12mile to Lime Creek in the Lemhi Mtns
• Powderhouse Laps on Williams Summit
• Twin Creek from the Divide Trail
• The CDT and Three Mile Ridge
• Wagonhammer - Loops and Shuttles On Stein Mtn
• Warm Springs Ridge near Lost Trail Pass

Warm Springs Ridge Trail

Lime Creek Trail

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(bring some Hot Tamales in case you encounter this on the trails...)

Primped and Pretty

Summer is here and we have been taking the tread up to the high country.  Like bears, many of these trails are a bit haggard after months of hibernation.  We like to clean the trails up so they are more fun for everybody.  Below are a few of the trails that have been cleared of deadfall so far.

To the north, Warm Springs Ridge has been cleared by the Bitterroot crew.

If you know of more cleared trails post a comment below...be a leader not a lurker!

We look forward to clearing some of the bigger rides...Three Mile Ridge, Twin Creek, Twelvemile.

For hikers, a corridor has been cleared through the impenetrable jungle that used to block Henry Creek a couple miles up.  There may be a few trees down, but at least you can get through now, making a hike to the top of Lake Mountain very possible.

Williams Summit - Powderhouse Gulch


Powderhouse Meadow is clear too.

Williams Summit - North Mocassin Trail


There is some deadfall early on here.  Left there to discourage the ATVs from riding where they are not allowed.

Wagonhammer Area - Carl Gulch



Still two large trees down.  We did not have a chainsaw.  The rest is clear.  Carl Gulch needs more riders, the grass is getting thick.  Burns Gulch is yet to be cleared this season.


Continental Divide Trail - Flume Creek Section

Canis Lupis

A Wolf track encountered late in a big Wagonhammer ride. 

With so many Elk in the area I am surprised we have not seen something like this sooner.  All of the more remote drainages have several kill sites in them from this past winter as well.