On the Road in Idaho

A former logging town, McCall, Idaho  is now a picturesque resort town of about 3,o00 permanent residents, nestled on the south shore of Payette Lake.  An all-season tourist destination, it’s centered in the Payette National Forest and is renowned for alpine skiing, boating, fishing, hunting, hiking, golfing, rafting – and of course, motorcycling. The welcoming and historic Hotel McCall, where I  stayed, is right on the waterfront and within easy walking distance of just about anywhere in town.

idaho

Hotel McCall waterfront on Lake Payettte. The hotel is just to the right of this photo, overlooking the lake. Lovely!

IMG_1648 sm

Smokejumper plane.  I had a fascinating tour of the smokejumper base. Opened by the US Forestry Service in 1943, it’s one of eight smokejumper training bases in the nation. The site includes a smokejumper training unit, paraloft, dispatch office, and the McCall air tanker base.

The first responders to forest fires, smoke jumpers are parachuted in with shovels, chain saws, food and water. Teams of 8 work to contain the fire’s spread, working 16 hour days, 14 days on, 2 days off. Given the remote, mountainous terrain they often work in, getting a lift out for their days off can be a challenge.

Smokejumper Plane sm

This DC3 landed, was refilled with fire retardant and airborne again within 30 minutes.

DC3 filled with fire retardent sm

Can’t get enough of the beautiful natural, rugged terrain.

Idaho Remote sm

Along the Salmon river further north in Idaho, along Highway 13.

Idaho to Kamiah sm

My weekend destination, overlooking the valley.  Mountain breezes kept us cool, even when temperatures were in the 30’sC/90’sF. Stars were brilliant; Milky Way prominent – and access a bit of a challenge. More on that tomorrow.

IMG_1963

Riding Idaho’s Highway 12 to Lolo Pass, with West Coast Roar owners Greer Stewart and Joley Baker.

Greer & Joley sm

Also joined by the inseparable pair of Kristine Ash and Tessie. A registered therapy dog, Tessie has her own FB  page.

Kris & Tessie best sm

Endless scenic riding along the Loscha River heading east to Lolo Pass.

Road along river sm

Typical view along Highway 12 in Idaho.

Typical view sm

Given that it’s been named a top motorcycle destination, it’s no wonder there are plenty of riders on it. It’s history goes back to the early 1800’s and the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

Riding Idaho sm

Aftermath of the Lolo fire in Montana, which at the time of this photo, was in mop-up stage. The fire had crossed the road, burning acres of forest on either side, as well as dwellings.

Lolo fire sm

Screen Shot 2013-09-02 at 12.02.25 PM

And now, with my 6-week travels coming to a close, I’ve got a lot of riding to do, to get back to Ontario for the weekend. I don’t feel at all ready to come off the road, but know that the next part of my journey is back in my home province.  For now.

About

Author, writer, and student Liz Jansen combines her artistic mediums to create stories that inspire readers to embark on their own journey of self-discovery.