Day Two 8 September 2014 Jordan Valley, OR - Sun Valley, ID

My plan for the day was pretty well fixed; I just wanted to get to the Wonnell's in time for dinner.  It should not have been a challenge since I had covered this route before and the total trip was only a bit over 225 miles on good paved roads.  After having already completed one fairly uneventful and unspectacular day, I decided to do some exploring.  As I have mentioned before most of south east Idaho is pretty much empty.  However searching the area on the Internet at breakfast, I had come across an old mostly abandoned mining town named Silver City.  From the Google Maps, it looked like I could take some back roads out of JV and get to Silver City, and from there I should be able to find a route back to one of the major Idaho highways which would ultimately lead me to the Wonnell's.  One of the problems with all these computerized maps is that it does not really give you any indication of the quality of the roads but simply categorizes them by broad type.  Most map programs do provide an estimate of how long the trip will take but these are just based on the distance covered and the posted speed limits.  Google Maps does provide a street view on many routes but they did not make the effort to cover every single road in North America and mostly it is only the improved, paved roads were this "view" is available.

Day Two Jordan Valley to Silver City

Sometimes you can get on some motorcyclist enthusiasts website and they will describe a trip over the roads you want to cover and in some case ever provide pictures of the routes themselves.  I found some shots for Silver City itself but nothing about the roads into or out of town.  Well, I guess that's why they call it exploring.  I noted the estimated time from Google at 1 1/4 hour for the 25 miles from JV to Silver City but pretty much poo-pooed that as unrealistically pessimistic.  After all, they did not realize how accomplished and bold motorcycle rider I was.

It took me 3 plus and while I stopped a few times to take some pictures, I do not think I could have made it in a bit more than 1 if I had raced the whole way.

I wish it were possible to do a better job of communicating the state of the roads and the challenges of riding them.  Being able to get the bike safely though some difficult terrain is one of the real pleasure of riding.  I suppose its a bit like most activities in which you attempt to challenge yourself, there has to be a bit of personal danger in what you are doing in order for it to give you a sense of accomplishment when it is completed.  In my case it is not the danger or the adreneln high that provides the incentive but being able to master the fear of the potential outcome.  I had the same expience when taking up scuba diving.  At first I found the enviournment claustrophobic and daunting but through perseverance I was able to get totally comfortable and absolutely fell in love with being underwater.  The problem with communicating a sense of the riding challenge is that the times that define that experience are the times when you require an absolute concentration on the task and cannot take time for pictures.  Perhaps a GoPro would be the better camera which can take shots without diverting any of your attention.  But I have the Samsung Gallaxy 4 phone camera and while the picture quality is great you do have to use both hands to operate.  Maybe next time!

The pavement out of JV ended right at the Idaho border but the surface was not a problem and I enjoyed entering the increasingly hilly and tree-covered landscape.  I thought this ride might be a breeze and I would be making even better time than I had thought this morning.  I stopped to take a video of the scenery and commented on the good quality of the road so far and speculated why there seemed to be a fairly new power line next to the road.  I subsequently found out that the main mine in the area had been re-opened in the 1970's and operated until 15 years ago, so I think it is probable the line was built to service that mining operation.  I should have known that commenting on the excellent road quality was a likely jinx.  Within a few hundred yards, the Idaho DOT had placed the totally unnecessary sign that advised me limited and non-regular maintenance of the road ahead.  It was immediately obvious that no maintenance had been done since the road was only half as wide, without any shoulders and strewn with fallen rocks from the steep hillside alongside.  However, after a few very challenging miles, the road opened up and became wider as it dropped off the ridge and ran alongside a small stream through a fairly broad valley which was the site of the abandoned town of Delamar or De Lamar, Idaho.

Boarded up building at the Delamar, Idaho townsite

I am not quite sure if, in the West, these signs are placed to communicate road information or improve shooting accuracy.  If I gave it much thought I suspect I could develop some profound metaphor for the ubiquitous bullet holes in every western rural sign but it is likely to just be a sad commentary on our unthinking love affair with firearms.

This article in the local Boise paper gives a good review of the Delamar ghost town.
Boise newspaper article on Delamar ghost town

You do have to admire the Idaho DOT's dedication.  There were traffic signs all along the Silver City road and yet I never met a single car, just a lone ATV driven by a couple who lived nearby.


A bit further along from Delamar, I stopped to take some scenery shots and encouted the only other vehicle I would see between JV and Silver City.

There were a few more terrain challenges but I finally arrived in Silver City a little over three hours after starting off from Jordan Valley.  I was greeted by the following sign.

Silver City is quite picturesque and I was able to get some good shots.  I first stopped in the old hotel that was still being operated as a restaurant and bar serving the tourists and even offered a few rooms in the (very partially) restored upstairs.

The view from the front porch of the hotel is pretty spectacular.

I parked the bike outside the hotel and went in for a drink where I met the couple that I had passed on the road into town

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I took a couple of movies to try to capture the feeling of the place.  The first one was in the lobby of the hotel which was the first room you entered from the porch with the bar standing directly behind with a view of the other side of town.  The frames are pretty dark but do give you a feel for the unrestored quality of the place and the fact that at one time it must have been pretty grand.

As I was leaving town, taking the same road as I arrived back a couple of miles to a junction, I stopped and took a quick panorama of the town of Silver City.  This place is a long way from anywhere but you can see why people have kept the old homes habitable, at least in summer, for a truly wonderful get away from today's frenetic pace of life.

Once past the junction and heading northeast, the road is much, much better.  Almost a real road and actually pretty well maintained if still dirt and gravel.  I am still climbing higher into the mountains but the breathing is OK and I know that soon I will reach a pass and begin the climb back down to the  high plains, paved roads and Idaho civilization, such as it may be.  

This is how a State of Idaho tourism publication describes the "much, much better" road from Silver City to the 'main' highway

"SILVER CITY: Take the turn off to Grand View and Strike Dam off of Airbase Rd.  Turn west onto Highway 78 at Grand View. Five miles prior to reaching Murphy, there will be a sign on the left for Silver City. Follow this dirt road to Silver City. This road opens around May 1^st but it is usually muddy and you will need a 4-wheel drive vehicle at this time. In June, the road is usually better and you can take a car on this road. It is narrow so always remember that uphill traffic has the right-of-way. Silver City is the queen of Idaho ghost towns. There are about 40 buildings, some still lived in. A must visit place is the Old Schoolhouse Museum. Stop in at the Idaho Hotel and have lunch. Pieces of history hang on the walls of this hotel."

  

Once you gain the pass, the way forward opens up before you.

The way back to civilization

When you finally reach the main highway that runs between Murphy and Mountain Home Idaho, there are a couple of signs that tell you where you have been.

Once back on the pavement, it is a quick 100 plus miles to the Wonnell's but it is all done at 70 miles per hour so goes very quickly.  I arrive quite tired but very well satisfied with the day and the exploration.