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Russ Rally Northwest - Elk City Idaho

19K views 102 replies 26 participants last post by  grewen 
#1 · (Edited)
I'll take the lead on this and hope I'm not offending anyone by doing so. Going with Tinman Tim's suggested location, Elk City, Idaho not to be confused with Elk River, Idaho, which is further north. I'll use this as my main page for general information and keep it updated during the planning process.

I'm also gonna make this ATV/UTV friendly, so my wife can come along. Keep that in mind if you have a non-motorcyclist who'd like to come too.

Updated: 23 July 2014

1. Who is coming? And... a. for sure b. maybe c. alone or with someone else i.e. wife?

2. Of all who are coming, is anyone bringing an ATV/UTV?

My wife is coming, and rides an ATV. If no one else is riding an ATV/UTV, then we may not bring it. Reason, possible alternate ride while the TW folks are out riding.



Russ Rally Northwest

Elk City, Idaho


Date: 25-28 July. Planning on arriving 25th, ride 26-27th, and depart 28th.

I am arriving late on the 23th, Wednesday (corrected) night (11:00 P.M. ish). Wife and I have to depart on Sunday, but we will ride in the morning. We plan to leave around 2:00 P.M. Sunday.



Elk City area general information (Gas/food/Lodging etc): This is a self-sufficient rally. Bring your own camp stuff (TW, ATV/UTV, gas, food, tent/camper etc...

We might do a potluck dinner on one night, but for the most part we are on our own for our own meals.

Alternate accomodations:

If you can't, or don't want to camp here, Elk City Hotel and Sleepy Hollow RV park is in Elk City.

Elk City Idaho Lodging at Elk City Hotel surrounded by Nez Perce National Forest

http://www.visitidaho.org/lodging/rv-parkcampground/sleepy-hollow-rv-park/

Elk City Resturants: If you don't like camp food!

Elk Creek Station and Cafe. (Only place for gas/diesel in town). We did not eat at this cafe. Small convience store items available

Elk City Saloon and Cafe. B/L/D. Ate dinner here. Good food. Need to get use to smoky bar room atmosphere. Friendly folks if you are nice. We were and made friends.

Cafe next to Elk City Hotel (can't remember name). B/L/D. Ate breakfast. Good food. Friendly folks if you are nice. We were and made friends.


Directions to Elk City/Maps:

Directions to Camp. (note: Elk City is approximately 5 miles past the road to camp, just so you know).

From:

Boise: Go N. on Hwy 55 @ Jct 44/55 to Jct 55/95 New Meadows. N on Hwy 95 to Right @ Grangeville Main St; 190 miles. At east edge of town, turn right on Mount Idaho Road to Jct Mt Id Rd/Hwy 14. Stay E. on Hwy 14 towards Elk City to turn right on NF 233/Crooked River Rd; 47 miles. Camp #4 is about 2 miles from turn off.

Ontario, Or/Fruitland, Id: N. on Hwy 95 to Jct 55/95 @ New Meadows, Id. N on Hwy 95 to Right @ Grangeville Main St; 220 miles. At east edge of town, turn right on Mount Idaho Road to Jct Mt Id Rd/Hwy 14. Stay E. on Hwy 14 towards Elk City to turn right on NF 233/Crooked River Rd; 47 miles. Camp #4 is about 2 miles from turn off.

Lewiston: Go E on Hwy 12/95, then S on 95 to Grangeville; Left @ Grangeville Main St; 71 miles. At east edge of town, turn right on Mount Idaho Road to Jct Mt Id Rd/Hwy 14. Stay E. on Hwy 14 towards Elk City to turn right on NF 233/Crooked River Rd; 47 miles. Camp #4 is about 2 miles from turn off.

Kooskia: Go S. on Hwy 13 to Jct 13/14. Stay E. on Hwy 14 towards Elk City to turn right on NF 233/Crooked River Rd; 60 miles. Camp #4 is about 2 miles from turn off.

Camp Location: 45 47.676N 115 31.916WCrooked River #4 Campground. Approximately 2 miles south off Hwy 14 on NF 233. Turn off is about 5 mile before Elk City. If needed, overflow camping is available @ #3 Campground, which is essentially across the road.

Both sites are primitive scattered campsites (no hookups, water/elec/sewer). 1 Forest Service Toilet. Smelled nice on my visit!

Plenty space for tents. #4 is along Crooked River (nice).

See post #44 for additional information and photo's

Who's In:


Admiral & Wife (2)
BillPacific (2)
Bodi/Fam (3)
Ron (1)

Maybe's

BkCntryCrwlr
odd
Fishguy
Drifter (sold his TW so not sure)

Out
CALIMUSJOHN (2) Dumb Fire! Hope things are working out.
 
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#2 ·
I'm gonna take my camper up yonder, so I'll start looking for a group campground area near Elk City. We don't have to be right in town. There is some lodging in town, but I'll have to check availability. Gas, grocery, & food are available in town. It's small here so don't expect big city amenities. Grangeville is the next largest town and is a little over 50 miles by paved highway.
 
#3 ·
According to my mapping software it's only 989 miles from Kingman, Arizona to Elk City Idaho......count me in.......I too have a little camper, and will bring momma and the dogs. We might need some sort of camp security so the Yorkies will likely come in handy if we are in bear country.......alarm and bait all at the same time.

Mike
 
#7 ·
According to my mapping software it's only 989 miles from Kingman, Arizona to Elk City Idaho......count me in

Mike
Gotta love that mapping software:D. Ya'll have a pretty good scenic adventure just driving to Elk City. I'll count you in.
 
#8 ·
Count me in if the dates work. I was planning on doing the Magrutor Road in the FJ this year anyway.
I've done the Magruder Corridor Road. I'd put this on the list to ride on the E.City RR, but we'd need a month of vacation time:p
 
#9 ·
Hope you can make it. Suggested riding area's are welcome. hint hint. Without doing my homework, I was thinking the Elk City Stage Road, or a ride to Dixie/Mackay Bar, or even head in the O'Hara/Falls Point direction possibly. To many places to ride is such a short time.
 
#12 ·
I'll take the lead on this and hope I'm not offending anyone by doing so. ....
I'm also gonna make this ATV/UTV friendly, so my wife can come along. Keep that in mind if you have a non-motorcyclist who'd like to come too.
I still want to do this! Let's hope the damn fires don't start so early next summer. At this rate we should be planning in mid-June!!!! So far in Hailey this is the driest winter since 1976-77.:mad: Coulda rode the TW nearly anywhere a little south for the last week.
 
#15 ·
My thought is to have rides of around 50-100 miles depending on our riding pace. As drifter pointed out, there are lots of points of interest to stop at, which could shorten the miles. We can always make mid-ride distance adjustments. When it comes to miles driven, I'm of the opinion it's quality of miles not quantity. A ride down to MacKay Bar and back is around 110 round trip, which could be pushing the limit for an enjoyable ride. Am I in the ballpark in my thinking?
 
#18 ·
Admiral I would love to meet you and others on your Elk City ride, remember area a bit from gold dredging days. Probably won't make it however. Too bad since you seem like such an admiral fellow . Bringing your hammer? If I remember correctly could get a little crowded along river so it is admirable that you plan to scout locations. Your Gem state of Idaho is full of great places to ride, please share more pics to motivate more of us to join you.Nice to see your dog accompanies you at times.
 
#19 ·
please share more pics to motivate more of us to join you.
Been doing alot of map and internet searching. There are so many riding idea's. Fun sorting them out though.

Good idea, I'll have to dig up some of the few photo's I have of the area near(ish) Elk City. Might have some of Elk City too, just can't remember. Been on part of the Old Elk City Wagon road in the jeep, which is high up on my riding list for this rally.
 
#22 ·
Admiral, thanks for taking the reins on this one. Since I sort of nominated you, I would love to be there. Anybody have any more thoughts on the date?

I like to be out that way for the Fourth of July, (http://tw200forum.com/forum/trails-...71-2013-fourth-july-weekend-riding-idaho.html). Grangeville is such a great place to be for the holiday. "Border Days" (Grangeville Border Days - Idaho's Oldest Rodeo Since 1912 ? Idaho's Oldest Rodeo Since 1912) offers so much family fun to be had; days of rodeo & concert finale, street games & carnival, and a great parade. So, I of course will suggest the weekend of July 5th or the weekend before, June 28, as my personal choice of dates. I'd love to roll all of that fun into one vacation/holiday! :D
 
#23 ·
Admiral, thanks for taking the reins on this one. Since I sort of nominated you, I would love to be there. Anybody have any more thoughts on the date?

So, I of course will suggest the weekend of July 5th or the weekend before, June 28, as my personal choice of dates. I'd love to roll all of that fun into one vacation/holiday! :D
Unfortunately, I have prior commitments for both weekends you suggest. With possible overcrowding issues, I was shying away from any holiday weekends anyway.

I'm really busy in June which is why I suggested mid July, but if the majority want it earlier, I certainly can hand this off too someone else. If we want to stick with mid July, I'm leaning towards the weekend of 19-20, but still have to coordinate this with my wife. She has less time off for work.

No matter what direction this goes, I'm still planning on a scout trip with my wife.

This is me just thinking outloud. Because my wife doesn't ride a m/c, I'm planning routes which would be almost all dirt, cause she rides a ATV. Longer distance on an ATV is no fun. Couple of "Map Recon" issues that I've discovered for routes. The route to Dixie on the main road is almost all pavement. And it's about 30(ish) miles to Dixie. No problem for us TW's, no go for the ATV. Another route to Buffalo Hump has a portion stating "Devils Staircase" and stated "this is the worst part of a bad road". I would do it, but with so many others, I need to take different rider capabilities into consideration. Old Elk City Wagon Road is one (1) good choice for all. All of this is assuming we would ride as one group. We could split up and take different routes.
 
#24 ·
Looks like I may be iffy for July, I'm up in Salt Lake City this week getting my nephew enrolled in the University of Utah and it looks like a summer session might be necessary......if so uncle mike will be moving the boy north....seems Utah has a deal for summer sessions, everybody pays resident fees....as opposed to big bucks for out of state. This being the case I am encouraging this summer session......me being on the hook for a significant hit over the next couple of years.

I'll keep an eye on this thread for firm dates.

LDR
 
#25 ·
Admiral, dang dang double dang, those dates just don't work for us. I am very happy to see that you are putting on the ride though, well done !

Bag
 
#26 ·
Nice to hear from you. Hope all is well. To bad you can't make it, but I truely understand as I wasn't able to make it to your Ron-dee-Voo gathering.
 
#27 ·
Found ourselves passing through your neck of the woods last week, so at least we now know roughly where you are now.

Bag
 
#28 ·
I'm just coming out of "hibernation." Unlike some of you hardier riders, my TW sits pretty much idle during the winter months. (Yet she predictably fires up with a touch of the button, even after months of stillness. Watta Bike!). I'm saddened to return and hear this news as I'd occasionally had chats here with Russ (whom I only knew by his online moniker). I might be interested in a July ride in honor of our fine fellow rider. Admiral, do you have some long-distance ride from the Boise area to Elk City in mind or are you planning to haul your TW to the area and then meet up for daytrips from there?
 
#30 ·
Good to see your coming out of hibernation and TW running well. I'm taking my pickup camper and trailer with TW and ATV for the wife. I'm still researching a camp site for all, close to Elk City for fuel and lodging for those not camping, and close to routes accessible for ATV's without trailering.
 
#31 ·
I wish I wish I wish, but I can't. Unless............thinking............



Here is my camp spot in 2007.

View attachment 4840



I have some GPS tracks also. And a Red River Ranger District Cap and Shirt given to me for services rendered.

Elk City is as close to the end of the world as I have ever been.
I anticipate this being a forest service road get together ride, but I'll take any info you have (map links, tracks, destinations etc). I've only briefly been too or through the area twice, but never really stopped. Been on part of Old Elk City, Wagon road, which is in my plans, and on the Magruder, not in plans, so I'm generally not really familiar with the area and will take any advice you have.
 
#33 ·
Thanks for your help. Large campspot is good info I'd like to know before my pre-ride recon in the area. You can add some trail tracks as somebody may want to ride a trail.
 
#34 ·
trailscout, I would love to have those tracks. I'm not sure if I'll make the group ride, but I usually am out that way for the the 4th. Others that may want to break off of the group ride for some trails may appreciate them too.
 
#35 ·
Admiral, I suggest you set the date. You have ram rodded this thing, so you have the right to set the date. Those of us that are flexible with schedules won't have a problem. Those less fortunate will have time to make changes in their life's schedule or will just miss out this time around.
Who knows? A gathering of the TW200 family may become an annual thing. Stranger things have happened. That's my $0.02 worth. John
 
#36 ·
Admiral, I suggest you set the date. You have ram rodded this thing, so you have the right to set the date. Those of us that are flexible with schedules won't have a problem. Those less fortunate will have time to make changes in their life's schedule or will just miss out this time around.
Who knows? A gathering of the TW200 family may become an annual thing. Stranger things have happened. That's my $0.02 worth. John
Working with the wife to nail down a weekend. 18-21 July or 25-28 July, just gotta see what works for her. Will set date soon.
 
#38 ·
Ride dates picked. 25-28 July 2014. Will arrive at the designated camp area the 25th. Rides on 26-27th. Depart on 28th.
 
#41 ·
That is some very pretty country. Admiral's admirable adventure honoring Russ is promising to be a memorable time.

Happy Trails
 
#43 ·
Scout Trip completed this past weekend. Compiling the info I've put together. Will post soon and update the main page with info.
 
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