Quote:
Originally Posted by Cuisinette
Sorry, my bad... you are right. I haven't been to McCall in 3 years and I forgot how long is the trip.
The lake is beautiful and the drive up there even better.
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Right-O. That is a wonderful drive, though, and without a contest the one to do first chance you get. Right after Horseshoe Bend (have a car that can handle a long, steep grade), it opens right up into forest and riparian wilderness right off the road for the rest of the trip. That's really only about a half hour out of Boise, too. Probably the quickest route to forest besides Bogus Basin now that I think about it.
Once you get deep into Highway 55 (you'll know where at one of the many places), you gotta stop somewhere every time at the rapid portions of the river, sit on the bank, and get lost in the sound of the crashing water. I find that especially refreshing when heavy tourist seasons hit and 55 gets bogged down with traffic and I need a break from the stop-go-stop-go. It's not bad like a standstill, just lots of cars; but during an hour of driving the constant fluctuations in speed start to get old.
Payette Lake is great, too, but with my backpacking preference, it is a bit too developed and crowded for my taste. Of course, compared to Sun Valley and CdA, I think McCall has done a marvelous job of controlling density and keeping with a mountain town feel. They've got some really great "lumberjack" restaurants, too. I loved those when I was a teen with a metabolism in hyperdrive. Brundage has nice long, secluded runs, too, so you don't feel like the mountain is just a natural amusement park.