Loneliest Road In Idaho ... US-93? (Boise, Twin Falls: rental, live, dangerous)

[banjomike]

Originally Posted by Haakon

Absolutely. Long road trips are great and the more empty the road (of other people) the better. Loneliest highway in ID? Sign me up! I think I'll take that this summer.


Airlines are fast, but I'd rather spend 12 hours behind the wheel than 2 hours stuck in a cramped airline seat and deal with luggage, security, getting a ride. Yuck.

A second here. And I much prefer driving a road like 93 with a lot of great scenery that changes as you pass through it than most Interstates, even if the drive takes more time.

These days, travel is a luxury option for me, not a necessity. If I was required to travel frequently as a part of my work, I might prefer speed and being treated like another steer in a cattle chute so as to have a little bit more time with my family, but I doubt it. Travels' only true worth is in the journey. The destination is only made better or worse by the journey required to reach it.

Good travel sinks in. Bad travel rubs off on others.

[oldhickorytony]

Originally Posted by BG79

I just took that from Missoula to Twin Falls just a few weeks ago. It was drop dead gorgeous and well worth it.

Thanks to your post and banjomikes we just went that route yesterday. Amazing drive with bonus of passing bighorn sheep around Gibbonsville Idaho.

[glengar]

Sorry this thread is a wee old, but I just took a drive on ID-28 at dark on a clear summer night and I just had to share. It was genuinely awe-inspiring to the point it was a bit harrowing. It was the stretch that's completely straight with a sort of "canyon" with mountain ranges in the not-so-distant northeast and southwest if my directions are correct, with nothing but the Bitterroots and the horizon behind me. It felt extraterrestrial. For the first time in my life, I viscerally felt that we really are just a sphere floating around in space, and the mountains are reaching out the farthest to the void. I can't really explain it any better than that.

I'd love to go again in less stressful circumstances; I would have pulled over (or probably just stopped in the middle of the road because, I mean, what difference does it make ). I saw stars I've never seen before, and it's a miracle I didn't drive off the road in awe.

A bit of a wooy first post, I know, but if you get the chance to do it, take the opportunity and drive ID-28 on a clear, warm (enough) night.

[banjomike]

Originally Posted by glengar

Sorry this thread is a wee old, but I just took a drive on ID-28 at dark on a clear summer night and I just had to share. It was genuinely awe-inspiring to the point it was a bit harrowing. It was the stretch that's completely straight with a sort of "canyon" with mountain ranges in the not-so-distant northeast and southwest if my directions are correct, with nothing but the Bitterroots and the horizon behind me. It felt extraterrestrial. For the first time in my life, I viscerally felt that we really are just a sphere floating around in space, and the mountains are reaching out the farthest to the void. I can't really explain it any better than that.

I'd love to go again in less stressful circumstances; I would have pulled over (or probably just stopped in the middle of the road because, I mean, what difference does it make ). I saw stars I've never seen before, and it's a miracle I didn't drive off the road in awe.

A bit of a wooy first post, I know, but if you get the chance to do it, take the opportunity and drive ID-28 on a clear, warm (enough) night.

I thought your description was beautiful!

Urban folks never really get to see the heavens at night like that, and the first time is always awesome for them. They never experience real darkness either.

Hwy 28 is a high and lonesome drive, for sure. It goes right down the middle of a hanging valley like you said, with mountain ranges on either side. It runs parallel to 93, and is a shorter route than 93 from Salmon to Idaho Falls. The mountains make the highway seem low, but the elevation is actually pretty high, and just goes higher.

100 years ago, it was a pretty large mining district, but all the mines played out. Leadore, Gilmore, Blue Dome, were all old mining camps that go way back to the 1870's. Gilmore and Leadore were the only towns that stuck around for a relatively long time; Gilmore was still an active community into the 1930s, but it's a ghost town now. Blue Dome and Lone Pine were both camps that survived as tiny road stops, but Lone Pine burned down around 40 years ago and Blue Dome followed 20 years later. Lonely way of life, running a little joint out in the middle of nowhere!

There are a lot of antelope out there, as well as a lot of elk and deer. I once spent over an hour stalking a little herd of antelope just to see how close I could get to them. They are very curious animals, and I took a bandanna and tied it to a stick, then bent over and slowly walked to the herd in a crouch, holding the stick under my armpit so the bandanna would jerk in odd motions. That's an old Shoshone hunting trick.

I got one buck to come as close as about 40 feet. I squatted on my heels and just watched him watching me for a long time- maybe 20 minutes, before he finally sauntered off and joined the rest of the herd. If I had a little bait, I think I could have gotten him closer.
Once he decided I wasn't going to do him any harm, he relaxed as long as he could keep an eye on me. It was a lot of fun! As soon as I stood up, they all split. Antelope are the speed kings of the prairie.

I took me years to figure out I needed to carry a camera when I do a road trip. Sure wish I had a picture of that moment.

[mtngirlatheart]

Originally Posted by KurtAngleDoesn'tSuck

OTOH, I love the drive from Lost trail to Challis. My preferred way into Montana.
Anybody here ever stopped at Dugout Dick's?
BLM trashed the caves, but his cabin is still there.

This is just a couple of miles from my house. In fact, the road to my egg guy's house goes right along here. I took this a few weeks ago. You can't see his cabin as it's behind the tree, but this is pretty much what it looks like today.

Originally Posted by banjomike

I knew Dugout Dick and detested him. He was a pervy old misfit, and a drunk whenever he could cadge some booze from visitors. I'm glad the BLM destroyed his caves… they were a dark, dank, filthy mess, and were a real health hazard. So was he.

That is so interesting, Mike! I had no idea.

Originally Posted by banjomike

Most of 93 isn't any different from the other 2-lane highways all over Idaho. Once south of Salmon, 93 isn't very scary (at least in my opinion).

While 93 might be a lonely drive today, for decades it was known as the Snowbird Route, as Canadians and Idahoans both used it heavily to go winter in Arizona, Nevada and California. It's still the shortest route to some of the places down there, and extends up into Canada, where it is Canada 93 and 3. it goes quite a way north in Canada.

I think 93 is one of the most beautiful roads in Idaho. I live right off of it (can see the cars going by from my front window) and I travel it to Montana at least once or twice a month. Also, it's not lonely at all IMO. It's gorgeous in both directions from Salmon. You want to talk lonely? I28 is your lonely road. Would hate to get caught out there, especially up near the summit. In winter. You may be there for a verrrrrrrrry long time before another car even goes by.

[Henry10]

Drove 12 eastbound from Lewiston, via Kooskia into Lolo Pass and Southbound 93 thru MT towns, then Salmon, Challis, and 75 to Stanley.

There we plenty of fires on the 12, and although it wasn't particularly lonely, it was eerily beautiful through the smoke. I would love to kayak that route on Lochsa River and really take the time.

Once over the Lolo Pass (beautiful), down to MT, joined 93 southbound, which was kinda suburby until Darby, MT (slow down for state troopers watching 25 mph in town like a hawk).

Overnighted in Sula, and started very early and drove to Stanley (93 to 75) the next day. 93 was very pretty, but again I didn't feel like it was as lonely as some prairie highways in MT or ND. I also like to kayak the Salmon River and even take it slower than just driving through.

Can't wait to "hang out" in IF area, 100 miles radius, and not in the summer.

[Toyman at Jewel Lake]

Originally Posted by KurtAngleDoesn'tSuck

My least favorite drive in Idaho is the stretch of US 12 between Kooskia and Lolo pass.
Yes, it's beautiful country, but the 100 miles of 35mph curvy road is maddening.

Yeah, but who does it at 35? At 65 it's a great road! Especially on a bike.

I wouldn't think 93 is even in the running-it's a paved highway. There are plenty of dirt roads in Idaho you might go for days on without seeing another vehicle. Flip side...some seem to get as much traffic as I-90.

[Outta_Here]

Originally Posted by Toyman at Jewel Lake

Yeah, but who does it at 35? At 65 it's a great road! Especially on a bike.

I wouldn't think 93 is even in the running-it's a paved highway. There are plenty of dirt roads in Idaho you might go for days on without seeing another vehicle. Flip side...some seem to get as much traffic as I-90.

Yes Indeed!!!! Lovely road on a bike! I've camped on top of Lolo Pass and run hwy 12 down in the morning to breakfast more than once. Usually not a lot of traffic that time of day either.

I have also done 93 both ways--once in the same day. This year I noticed that the road had deteriorated somewhat from last year. The Montana portion was still good however.

Don't do dirt as I ride a sport bike. May have to think about it when we move up there.

[mtngirlatheart]

Originally Posted by Outta_Here

I have also done 93 both ways--once in the same day. This year I noticed that the road had deteriorated somewhat from last year. The Montana portion was still good however.

Not sure when you were here, but they repaved it this summer from the top of Lost Trail all the way down to Challis. It may have been done past Challis as well but I can't say for sure as I myself haven't been down that way for a little while.

[Outta_Here]

I was there in July of this year. Came out of Oregon, through Boise and Stanley, then Idaho Falls to Alpine WY and down to Colorado. On the way back, I rode across WY from Cheyenne through Casper, Lander, Dubois and Jackson, then over to Salmon and up to Lolo. I didn't go through Challis either way. I have been that way but not this time.

Looking at the map, I see that only Salmon to Chief Joseph Pass is in ID. Scenic, but not great pavement. Next year I'll run the bottom part.