4x4 Stories

Idaho Centennial Trail 16

After spending a half hour messing around I headed back to where we were camping, I felt real good and I went back like I was racing. I love going 45 and 55 miles per hour on a trail that’s ten inches wide; there is such a rush when tree’s go by you that fast. Oh what fun I had going back. I did stop one or two times just for pictures, I was having a lot of fun just riding the trail,  it is so cool being out in the middle of nowhere by yourself. But I do suggest always take someone with you. I had been very fortunate this day, staying on the trail and not crashing. The last time I stopped on the trail was at the top of the same hill that everyone had trouble on earlier. I was a little bummed that I didn’t get to all the way to where I had left off in my 4x4 Suzuki Sidekick, but the ride this day was so awesome that I couldn’t do anything but be happy. After looking at the benchmark map and gps.....

Fastest Sandrail Ever

                         Last Sunday 1-20-07 I went for a drive out at the Gem county motorcycle park,  to mess around with my scout 4x4 a little, this park is in Emmett Idaho. I would have never guessed what would happen to me this day. I drove into the parking lot and saw one of the coolest looking 4wheelers  I had ever seen. It had a big v8 motor hanging out of the back of it. We drove over by where it was parked to grab a picture of it.  My friend Don and my son Cody was with me. When Don asks if he could take a picture the guy said he would love to take us for a ride. I thought wow that would be cool for my son. Just then another Big Sand rail Buggy looking thing drove up, it was the wildest thing I ever seen, it was a 4 seated sand rail with big tires and a huge v8 motor attached to the back of it for power. It turned out to have a 400 horse power corvette engine.

Idaho Centennial Trail 15

Well I came to the trees they where talking about and I jumped my bike over the first one because it had trees stacked on the other side so I would be able to ride right back over if I need to. After that I went another half a mile and there were two or three big trees blocking the trail and I could not find a way around, I tried to get around but end up falling over and working real hard getting my motorcycle back upright.

Idaho Centennial Trail 14

When I started going south again, the trail started to drop in elevation very rapidly and the trail was getting dense with trees in spots, It was not real fast going even on a dirt bike, which was ok since how I was by myself; I had to be a little more cautious because if I went off the trail I would be in big trouble with no one to help me. I came across a forest road and I wondered where it went. At eight miles down the trail I stopped to look at the Benchmark map, gps and to get a drink, some more pictures; and a couple of bikers came up the Idaho Centennial Trail.  .....this is not a 4x4 road....smiles

Idaho Centennial Trail 13

I did come to few real challenging spots on the trail in the next two miles until I arrived at the top of the hill, switchbacks, rocks, cliffs were pretty normal all the way to the top. I knew that Johnny would have never made it. I was so happy that I went on. This had been one of the best times of my life.  It was so peaceful and beautiful. I stopped several times to take pictures and just enjoy the beauty.

Idaho Centennial Trail 12

The last spot I left off was at some corrals, at the and of the 4x4 road, the Idaho Centennial Trail has been a 4x4 road up to this point. Well actually there was one mile that you would have to walk or ride a bike, peddle bike or motorbike would work I think. We passed Anderson Ranch resovoir  on the way to the next part of the trail  I was going to do, I was going to do it   (north to south) insted of south to north like I had been doing ; so I went to an old town called Featherville

Idaho, t

hen went east about four or five miles to a campground/trailhead called Willow Creek, it had a bridge crossing the river going to the south.  The Idaho Centennial Trail runs right threw the campgroung, and keeps going all the way to hwy 75 north of Sun Valley about twenty five miles. It is single track wide, (no 4wheelers) you’ll have to take motorcycle, walk, horse or maybe a bicycle. The trail also forks about half way to the hwy, so you can go west at the half way point and end up at

Stanley

Idaho

. Anyway on Sept 25, 2006 we started by Featherville at Willow Creek trailhead and went south.

Idaho Centennial Trail 11

It has been so much fun doing the Idaho Centennial Trail, in my 4x4 with my gps, and Benchmark off road map. It makes a good story for  www.4x4stories.com   After turning on Castle Rock road, it had so many rock formations that we had to stop almost immediately for pictures and to look around.  I couldn't believe I have drove my 4x4 in Idaho for years, passing this road and never turned on it. The road was more different than any part of the Idaho Centennial Trail, just because of the big rocks. We stopped at one that looked like a human skull head. I .took a lot of pictures of the skull. I just couldn't believe it was there on Castle Rock road, which was part of the Idaho Centennial Trail. The rocks went on for around 10 miles without many trees any where, but then out of nowhere, groups of aspens started showing up. We stopped and had lunch in a grove of trees.

Idaho Centennial Trail 10

  I stopped and took this picture and looked at the map, we were only about two miles away from the hwy 20 and it was 2:00 pm so I new we had enough time to go another thirty miles or so.( I would travel back roads and explore all the time if I could.) As we came around this corner  we could see hwy 20 for the first time and we also seen a sign that said Idaho Centennial Trail to the left (southwest) towards Mountain Home.

Idaho Centennial Trail 9

  We come up on a grove of birch trees and It was so big and nice we had to stop and check it out, this is the picture I took looking behind us as soon as we stopped. I also took a few pictures of the grove of trees   as we walked around in the grove.  Don disappeared in the forest but I found him with the zoom.   After messing around for about ten minutes we started heading down the road again and passed another Idaho Centennial Trail sign,   so I new that we were on the right track. It didn’t take long before it had the desert look again. It was green but still the trees disappeared for awhile.

Idaho Centennial Trail 8

  I looked at the map and could see ahead, about 15 miles we would cross hwy 20 and go down a road called Castle Rock Road. I thought that sounded cool. Everything looked a lot different after doing so much of the trail in the desert with no trees. We passed this sign in a flat spot on the top of the mountain.  The sign was there but I am not sure where the trail to the mountain is, we looked around but could not find it, so I am not sure where Elma Goodman mountain is, I am sure it is near by. If you ever take this trip you will be amazed how beautiful it is.  In this Picture you can see off the left side of the road there is a white post, that is a Idaho Centennial Trail sign or marker. Also there are two birds flying in the distance. We came across this intersection   which would let you turn and go to Hill City but we did not go that way because I wanted to stay on the Idaho Centennial Trail as much as possible.