Another fabulous Mountain Bike Destination: Moscow Mountain days 24-25 (accessed from O’hara Campground near Three Rivers, ID, and Spring Valley Reservoir)

Emma from a coffee shop and an earlier post mentioned Moscow Mountain as a worthy stop in Idaho. I can’t believe she didn’t rave on and on, so I will. Oddly this Mecca is nearly all private land, used for timbering etc, but there is public access allowed. A partnership of respect, support and collaboration by MAMBA/Moscow Area Mountain Bike Association allows access at this time. They volunteer, maintain and advocate while also encouraging following the simple rules. Wow, truly a model to follow.

The mountain is a forested Alpine treasure surrounded by fields and fields of agriculture and grazing. We had driven up from Southern ID through a valley and canyon under “extreme heat” warnings and our dash said it had peaked at 101 degrees F. That had prompted me to wrap the battery on Jane’s bike with a cheap foam and foil windshield protector a-la satellite to keep it cool. Thus also wondering whether riding that evening would make any sense at all. Well, sense-it-made! Like many after work rides where you wonder why you are going out and then end up having a great ride that restores your vitality and revives your interest in riding. Yep, that kind of ride, but even better.

This mountain is a magical Alpine world. Pines, huge Ponderosa Pines, firs and majestic Western Red Cedars stretch towering into the sky. Dark, cool corners within had us craning our eyes to see. There were views, but mostly dense, cool havens cut only by narrow twisting banked trails that create the comfort and confidence to keep climbing, keep seeking more. What A Place! What a magical, worth returning, magical place.

Our second day there was a bit different, punctuated by a perfect distant view of a moose and calf and the long climb back out of one of the lower sections of the park. (No pics of moose mama, we wanted to keep far away from her). The loop we chose was Overeasy a “green” trail and may well have been abandoned by the club awhile back. It was on the Trailforks map as well as the trail entry markers, but lacked any of its own trail markers. That, I think, should have been a clue. Combined, the access, loop and return, we descended then climbed over 3100′. The trail reminded me of very early 80’s-90’s riding on prior logging trails long since grown back in to a barely passable width. Jane and I both gathered a few small scratches to bear witness to our divided attention: 1) staying alive/on the trail, 2) avoiding fallen branches and overhanging deadfall.

More than once we laughed at whether we were still, in fact, following the right trail. The Indian-guide part of me kept us on track, then confirmed by the computer-guide in the phone and we finished in 3-4 hours. Did get a phone call in the wild of all places from Phil, a dear new friend.

David