Road Trip! AMB-Idaho Pre-Ride (w/Pics)

Part 2. Leave Adam's house: http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/cbro77/vwp?.dir=/MTB+Related/AMB-ID+McCall+P-
review&.src=ph&.dnm=Adam%27s+Hacienda+PreRide+Begins.jpg&.view=t&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/bc-
/cbro77/lst%3f%26.dir=/MTB%2bRelated/AMB-ID%2bMcCall%2bPreview%26.src=ph%26.view=t

West mountain, where Adam lives, looks like this: http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/cbro77/vwp?.dir=/MTB+R-
elated&.src=ph&.dnm=CB+at+Skein+Lake+w+Adam.jpg&.view=t&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/bc/cbro77/l-
st%3f%26.dir=/MTB%2bRelated%26.src=ph%26.view=t http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/cbro77/vwp?.dir=/MTB+Rel-
ated&.src=ph&.dnm=CB+on+Skein+Lake+Trail.jpg&.view=t&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/bc/cbro77/lst%-
3f%26.dir=/MTB%2bRelated%26.src=ph%26.view=t

We find Lee in the buzzing metro section of downtown Cascade, looking good in his new XTerra with
his doble-squish on top.

Lee:http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/cbro77/vwp?.dir=/MTB+Related/AMB-ID+McCall+Preview&.src=ph&.dnm=AMB+-
2003+PreRide+Lee+adj.jpg&.view=t&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/bc/cbro77/lst%3f%26.dir=/MTB%2bRel-
ated/AMB-ID%2bMcCall%2bPreview%26.src=ph%26.view=t

We consolidate all our gear into his rig, and head for McCall, about 30 miles north. We all get
caught up on old times, and pull into our favorite bike shop in McCall. "What about Bear Pete
Trail?" I ask the tough old coot owner. He pauses, looks us up and down, then says kinda slow,
"depends how gooda riders you boys are."

He musta seen the Oregon plates on Lee's rig and figgerd we were touristas or ATGNFI's. Our local
connection starts talkin his lingo, and the ole boy warms to us, gets out maps, and we're rockin.

"I'd be careful on Bear Pete" he says. "A group from the shop just went out, and they had folks
going over the bars, and it's just tough." (Maybe it's just the time of the year. Up at 8,000 feet
there's still snow in several sections.)

(Aside to Penny: Adam's promised to ride most of Bear Pete before we get there to scope it out for
our get-together. It'll probably be fine if we take it easy)

So we decide to ride up the back of the ski hill, Brundage, which is about a 7 mile grind up 2,600
feet. Howdy granny, you skinny old bitch, glad you could make it.

We park in the woods at a pull-out, gear up, take our time fiddling around, making sure we're good-n
ready. I've got elbows armor on, mostly due to tree limbs, and some rocky descents I'm aware of.

Some shots of the trail up:

http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/cbro77/vwp?.dir=/MTB+Related/AMB-ID+McCall+Preview&.src=ph&.dnm=AMB+2003-
+PreRide+CB.jpg&.view=t&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/bc/cbro77/lst%3f%26.dir=/MTB%2bRelated/AMB--
ID%2bMcCall%2bPreview%26.src=ph%26.view=t http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/cbro77/vwp?.dir=/MTB+Related/A-
MB-ID+McCall+Preview&.src=ph&.dnm=Adam+%26+Lee+High+Up.jpg&.view=t&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/-
bc/cbro77/lst%3f%26.dir=/MTB%2bRelated/AMB-ID%2bMcCall%2bPreview%26.src=ph%26.view=t http://photos.-
yahoo.com/bc/cbro77/vwp?.dir=/MTB+Related/AMB-ID+McCall+Preview&.src=ph&.dnm=AMB+2003+PreRide+CB+%2-
6+Adam.jpg&.view=t&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/bc/cbro77/lst%3f%26.dir=/MTB%2bRelated/AMB-ID%2b-
McCall%2bPreview%26.src=ph%26.view=t

We see some campers early on, chat a bit, and push through to the rough service road that will take
us to the lookout tower high atop Brundage mtn. It's a fairly miserable climb, with the elevation,
lack of sleep, over-exertion the last several days taking their toll on me. Lee and I stop from time
to time, and ole Adam condescends to stop with us most the time.

At one point in this miserable grind, there's a big patch of snow blocking the trail, and I roll
into it as fast as I can, as does Lee, on my right. I bog down, so does Lee, and he crashes over
onto me. No harm done, and it was the only real biff of the trip, thank God.

To make a long climb shorter on paper, we finally summit at the lookout tower, and here's some shots
from on top:

An old one from last year:

http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/cbro77/vwp?.dir=/MTB+Related&.src=ph&.dnm=A-Team+on+Brundage.jpg&.view=t-
&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/bc/cbro77/lst%3f%26.dir=/MTB%2bRelated%26.src=ph%26.view=t

From Friday:

http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/cbro77/vwp?.dir=/MTB+Related/AMB-ID+McCall+Preview&.src=ph&.dnm=AMB+200-
3+PreRide+a+good+climb+%26+nice+view.jpg&.view=t&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/bc/cbro77/lst%3f%-
26.dir=/MTB%2bRelated/AMB-ID%2bMcCall%2bPreview%26.src=ph%26.view=t (more awesome in person,
believe it)

http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/cbro77/vwp?.dir=/MTB+Related/AMB-ID+McCall+Preview&.src=ph&.dnm=AMB+2003-
+PreRide+CB+%26+Ad+chillin+at+the+top+of+Brundage.jpg&.view=t&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/bc/cb-
ro77/lst%3f%26.dir=/MTB%2bRelated/AMB-ID%2bMcCall%2bPreview%26.src=ph%26.view=t

This spot above is the summit where the chair lift drops boarders, skiers, and bikers (in the
summer). It'a also where we decided to bonk, shut down and cash in for about 40 minutes. That grind
at altitude was taking its toll on these F.O.M.

So, just for fun, and to say I got to wear em, I put on my Azonic armor, and we pointed the bars
down Elk Trail, one of my favorite fast n groovin, easy to intermediate trails ever.

Here are some shots of the way down. But you know how it is when you're having so much fun that you
forget to stop and take pictures:

Adam catching little air: http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/cbro77/vwp?.dir=/MTB+Related/AMB-ID+McCall+Pre-
view&.src=ph&.dnm=AMB+2003+PreRide+Adam+airborn.jpg&.view=t&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/bc/cbro-
77/lst%3f%26.dir=/MTB%2bRelated/AMB-ID%2bMcCall%2bPreview%26.src=ph%26.view=t

Yours truly riding along: http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/cbro77/vwp?.dir=/MTB+Related/AMB-ID+McCall+Pre-
view&.src=ph&.dnm=AMB+2003+PreRide+CB+just+riding+along.jpg&.view=t&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com-
/bc/cbro77/lst%3f%26.dir=/MTB%2bRelated/AMB-ID%2bMcCall%2bPreview%26.src=ph%26.view=t

Ad & Me, JRA: http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/cbro77/vwp?.dir=/MTB+Related/AMB-ID+McCall+Preview&.src=ph-
&.dnm=AMB+2003+PreRide+CB+%26+Adam+jra.jpg&.view=t&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/bc/cbro77/lst%3f-
%26.dir=/MTB%2bRelated/AMB-ID%2bMcCall%2bPreview%26.src=ph%26.view=t

Again: http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/cbro77/vwp?.dir=/MTB+Related/AMB-ID+McCall+Preview&.src=ph&.dnm=A-
MB+2003+PreRide+CB+%26+Adam+jra+%232.jpg&.view=t&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/bc/cbro77/lst%3f%2-
6.dir=/MTB%2bRelated/AMB-ID%2bMcCall%2bPreview%26.src=ph%26.view=t

We get down to the ski lodge after *lots* of fun riding, which you can read about if you want, at:
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF8&safe=off&selm=37EBD48B.72C07914%40nospam-
uswest.net

Or, when the A-Team hit Brundage for some *serious* riding: http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&l-
r=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF8&safe=off&selm=39A172AF.15EC7EC%40ndbbmuswest.net

This trail is the No. 1 reason I'm voting that Brundage chair-lift skiing be our cool-down ride on
Sunday following our Saturday epic.

Hope to see lots of you fellow AMB-ers for our annual epic!

Paladin

 

Paladin thoughtfully penned:
>
> (Aside to Penny: Adam's promised to ride most of Bear Pete before we get there to scope it out for
> our get-together. It'll probably be fine if we take it easy)

Aside to paladin, check your email for some other info on BearPete, and please forward to Adam

penny