best route for touring your state (Boise, Coeur d'Alene: house, travel, lease)

[balto charlie]

Hi Folks: If all goes according to plan I will be visiting your state in early September with an eye for an eventual move. It seems that Boise is the best for airfare so I'm thinking that it will be my starting point. I want to check out Boise, Hells Canyon, McCall(too much money but want to see it), Lake Pend Oreille, Salmon/North Fork area(great snowfall) and down to Stanley(too expensive). I want to see the Snake, Salmon and Payette rivers, the Frank Church Wilderness, Nez ***** and the Bitteroots. I know I won't see it all but I have to get a feel for many areas.
How long do you think a trip like this will take? About 800-1000 miles? I'm thinking 2 weeks??? I know many can spend a lifetime in this area but I only have a short time this year.
What will the weather be like during this time? I know you have had a hot summer. I hope to sell Idaho to my wife. We have had one of the nicest summers in Maryland that I can remember so I am hoping you guys can call in some great weather
Goggle maps "sent " me to Kennewick WA enroute to Coeur D'alene!! What's with that. Is that the way to go? Obviously I want to visit other areas so no but if Boise folks want to go to CD do they go to WA?? Seems out of the way to me.
What is a good travel guide for your state. I really like the ones that have a lot of information about outdoor sports(whitewater paddling, climbing, biking and hiking. I will have more q's in the near future if I get all my ducks in line.
Thanks for reading all of it, Charlie

[nettle]

This sounds like a spectacular trip! Here's a suggestion: Boise, Stanley, Salmon, Lolo (could hike to hot springs if you wanted to get out of the car), Missoula, west to Cd'A, and then straight down 95 for a beautiful trip through the Palouse to Moscow, down the grade to Lewiston, over Whitebird Pass near Grangeville, through Riggins and into McCall, then back to Boise. Or you could reverse the direction. Do you have room for one more?

[IdahoEagle]

Going through Kennewick, Wa to get from boise to Coeur d'Alene saves an hour or two over going up and down highway 95 through Idaho. They call 95 the "Goat Trail" for a reason...

[shades_of_idaho]

Charlie,

I would assume the Google maps feels you want the fastest way to get from point A to point B which could be going on HWY 84 and then turning back towards Idaho. You can drive faster on that interstate than say hwy 95.

Looks to me you are heading in several directions for one trip. Idaho is short on East West highways so you can spend a lot of time back tracking.

You might consider doing a loop around. Maybe start in Boise as planned and drive up to Cambridge on HWY 95 and drive down hwy 71 and visit Hells Canyon. Figure 2 hours to Cambridge and maybe 40 minutes down to Hells Canyon and you can drive for an hour or more down there to the end and an hour or so back and have seen the canyon. Unless you plan to do a river trip.

I know we see a lot of people with Washington plate here and they are coming through but I an not sure of the rout they are taking.

Then you could come back to Cambridge and continue along hwy 95 to Mc Call and see Payette lake which is very pretty. From there you could go down hwy 55 to Banks and turn up hwy or road?? it will say Garden Valley and take you to hwy 21 at Loman. This is a beautiful trip. Hwy 21 will take you to Stanley and about the beginning of the Salmon River and the beautiful Sawtooths. Turn on HWY 75 and that follows the Salmon river to 58 miles Challis when you turn left on hwy 93 and then another 60 miles to Salmon. Not too far out of Stanley is a road going off to the left to the old ghost town of Custer and if you can spare the time it is worth the drive up there. So much history. You can see where the dredge traveled and they have tried to preserve a lot of the town and the dredge was still up there and there used to be tours on it. There is also a hot spring on the Slamon river out of Stanley. I can not remember the name of it but I think it would still be marked. It is just pools in the river.

From Salmon you can travel up hwy 93 a road that will take you to Shoup. then there is an unimproved road going to the Frank Church Wilderness. I have not been on that road and you will have to come back out. Then through a little of Montana to Lolo Pass and then down into the Selway on HWY 12. That is another beautiful drive along the Lochea River. It is called the Wild and Scenic River Corridor. This goes close to the Bitterroot wilderness. Also some of it is the Lewis and Clark Trail. It is a long way. Maybe 100 miles. Not much there except beauty. you will come out at Kooski.

Then you can go up Hwy 12 to Orofino along the Clearwater River and stop and see Dworshack Reservoir. Very pretty and not too far off your path. You can stay on hwy 12 to hwy 95 and follow it up to Coeur D' Alene. From there you are on your own. I know you go to Pend Oreille from there. Then jump back on the fast interstate and dash back to Boise or see if there is another air port closer like? Spokane. I do not know the air ports around.

I do not know how hard you travel. You could do Boise to Hells Canyon easily in a day. Are you planning to camp and spend time playing in the river or just driving to see it? Boise to Cambridge is 100 miles and another 30 down 71 to Hells Canyon and another 30,guessing, to where the road ends and the jet boats take off. then back again to Cambridge. 59 miles to McCall and depending if you are interested in shopping there or what you want to do. Maybe an overnight but it is expensive up there. It is to late the numbers on the map are getting too small for me to see. From McCall to Stanley is a nice easy day's drive if you look around.. It is just really hard to say how long all of this trip would take.


I see you mentioned many places very much out of order in how you need to go. From Salmon it is up to Stanley sort of thing not down. Only I guess it is down on the map. Heheheh

This can be done in two weeks if you do not spend too much time in each place. You will be taking mostly pretty roads. Lots to see. Be sure to pack snacks and drinks it can be a long way between places to stop. Usually the weather is great in September. Just bring clothes you can layer on and off as needed. If you spend the night in Stanley it will be cold might even be freezing by then. That will be your coldest stop. Be sure to take lots of memory cards for your camera. Every where you want to see will make wonderful pictures.

http://mail.ctcweb.net/~shadesofidah...s-Canyon-2.jpg


http://mail.ctcweb.net/~shadesofidah...-9-11-2001.jpg

Chris

[balto charlie]

Thank you all very much. Things are looking good for the trip. I ordered the Delorme atlas and the Moon guide for Idaho. I have secured time off from work, my wife seems interested especially after one of her co-workers raved about your state. I am looking into Spokane as an alternative airport.

nettle: Hot springs sounds nice, especially on a cool night. Are there other hot springs in the area? We'll be in a tiny car so the only room we'll have for you is on the roof

Idahoeagle: Goat trail, the wife is gonna get car sick

Shades of Idaho: Lots of great info, I'll mark your spots on the Delorme when it arrives. HWy 12 sounds wonderful. Hopefully camping along the way. Primitive camping is fine if scenery is great.
Thanks again folks, Charlie

[pw72]

My suggestion would be to stay off the Interstates. You don't see much of Idaho's beauty, possibly with the exception of I-90 through the panhandle.

Two weeks seems like a long time, but depends on how much you want to stop and see. You could drive a nice circular route through the state in 3-4 days and still have time to stop for attractions. Boise to the Utah border is quite boring Interstate. If you have time check out Yellowstone and Grand Teton parks, just to the east. Perhaps some of the best scenery in the U.S., especially Teton. The Sun Valley area is also a must.

[idahomama]

I would be glad to provide information for Stanley as the time approaches (camping, hiking trails, meals, whatever), let me know. We will be living there full time for the year as of next week.

[YOU-CANT-EAT-SCENERY]

My wife and I spent all of last week in Northern Id, starting in Post Falls/Couer d' Alene and going up from there. Ended up staying the last part of our week in northern Idaho, in Bonners Ferry. We absolutely fell in love with the Northern part of the state.
Took the 84 from the Southwestern end of the state, and I would agree you might miss a lot of scenery by doing that. If your on a road trip and in no big hurry, then take the scenic routes. Slower going but worth in IMHO.

I'm still working on getting my pics organized from our trip and posting a new thead about our findings.

We did drive home from Bonners Ferry through northwestern MT and down through the Bitterroot Valley. I personally think Northern Id surpasses western MT in Beauty, although Darby MT was nice. It was a 1400 mile trip back to Southern Ca from Bonners Ferry going that way, but i'm glad we did it. Salmon Id is another gorgeous area.

[nettle]

Charlie,

It sounds like you are getting lots of great advice! Here's a link for information on hot springs: Idaho Hot Springs and Hot Pools - Guide to Idaho Hot Springs

I agree with shadesofidaho that Hwy 12 is a beautiful drive - definitely worth the trip if you have time. It is usually not possible to travel this road in the winter, so perhaps you could take advantage of the summer season to wander across it.

Also, I have only been to Hell's Canyon once, and entered through Enterprise, Oregon. We went during Thanksgiving, which is a wonderful time to go because it was so warm there, even though it was snowing back home in Moscow. I'm not sure what it's like in September though. While I mention Enterprise, I'll go ahead and mention that the area of Enterprise/Joseph, Oregon, is home to the Wallowa Mountains, which are beautiful and suitable for day hiking if you're interested.

Can't wait to see photos from your trip!

[shades_of_idaho]

Hi Charlie,

If you fly in at Spokane and do the rout backwards from what I posted or as you please you can end up in Cambridge and YES there is a wonderful private hot spring pool you and your wife can swim in. Have a picnic , we will host it if you like, whatever you choose. Used to be our house before the flood and it is a wonderful pool at 100 feet by 85 feet and 6 feet deep in the center. It is heavenly. We visited them this afternoon and they said SURE come on any time. You are welcome to stay with us or down in Hells canyon and drive into Boise in the morning and catch your flight home. PM me and I will give you phone and other information.

Chris