Routes
Corrie Rosetti
He is looking for 60 mile day loops and rides in the area north of Grangeville to north of Pullman. They did a ride here in 2007 and don't really want to repeat it. You can see that route here.
He says they'd like to stay off 95 as much as possible. I told him they'd likely have to do a few miles on 95.
So, starting in Grangeville he wants to get to Winchester. He already has some back roads taking him to Cottonwood and plans to go out through Greencreek. Presumably this would take him to Nez Perce, Craigmont and then back on 95 before turning off on the road to Winchester.
1. Are there any paved roads to the west of Cottonwood say from Keuterville that might get the group (350) through to Winchester? I don't know.
2. Any paved options to avoid that stretch of 95 from Craigmont to Winchester?
3. I proposed Lee Bauer's ride out to Elk City though I can' swear to facilitites. Lee says their is good water along the route at parks and Donna thought there'd be a cafe. Earl wanted to know if that road was paved all the way to Elk City. I'm guessing it must be or Lee wouldn't have proposed it. Confirmations anyone?
4. They did Wawawai Canyon in 2007 but I told him 95 to Pullman was rideable despite the new rumble strips. He was thinking of taking the group from Winchester all the way to Pullman in one day. I think that is doable.
5. He was interested in routes to and from Orofino. Are there any paved roads down from the Prairie to Orofino? He doesn't want to put his group on highway 12 between Orofino and Greer but agrees that loop Jim calls the Gold Rush would be beautiful. I was pretty discouraging about riding out of Dworshak to Cavendish and Southwick.
6. Can any of you propose good rides of 60 or so miles in the region? I'll send them on to Earl.
7. Largent? If you are still on this list, I still consider you the expert on North Idaho Cycling despite your indiscretions regarding Lawyer's Canyon.
8. Earl noted he'd like to overnight in Troy, Idaho. That would give the group that great trail back into Moscow or the option to go to Deary for the College Town Loop or even the back Half of the White PIne.
PS: Note to Earl. If the guys on this list can't help you, I'm out of ideas.
-- Corrie
Steve Largent
years now, but here it is:
1. No paved roads from Keuterville to Winchester thru the timber.
Winchester's sawmill ran a railroad to near Keuterville that was torn
out in the 50's, and we kids rode on that rail-bed a lot in the 60's.
There are gravel roads between the two places thru the old towns of
Morrowtown, Westlake, and Forest. I'd like to someday do a loop on the
rail-bed and back on the gravel- but on mtn bikes; neither is suitable
for road riders.
2. No paved back roads between Craigmont and Winchester. Neither road
district has ever had the funds to pave a road, and new 95 runs over
where the old road was. The Craigmont junction to the East Winchester
junction is, what 5 miles? Have they rumble stripped its nice wide
shoulder? I do like the idea of going thru Nezperce on its quiet roads
instead of Ferdinand on Hwy 95 though the riders will miss seeing the
old Lawyer's Canyon trestle that impresses a lot of riders of the
Lewis-Clark route.
5. Have you ridden Cavendish to Orofino? I haven't, so I have no
recommendations, but the old TRC race team did that ride a lot. Mike
Warnock should know if any roads have been fully paved from the prairie
down to Orofino. None were in my day.
6. What do you think of an awkward figure 8 from Grangeville? Out
Grangeville on 95 a few miles to old 95, climb it to the top of the old
grade, down its south side to new hwy 95 on the south side of the big
cut. Its shoulder is wide (rumble stripped now?), back into Grangeville
where they could go out to Mt. Idaho, down that grade, along the South
Fork of the Clearwater, up Harpster, and back into Grangeville. That's
a lot of climbing, but they should be strong riders looking for
interesting country that they'd find! We used to do this after the
Whitebird climb annually though I believe we went up and down the old
Hwy 95. I know these rides go way out of their way to do loops instead
of out and backs though the view from this out and back differs- looking
into the timber on the way up and over the prairie on the way down.
This might be combined with Lee's idea of riding to Elk City? Also, the
Grangeville Rd district paves roads every few years; there might be
paved alternatives out to old Hwy 95 now.
Steve