Hot Springs Route Idaho - sandy roads??

[nadine]

Hi,

This summer (starting early/mid July) my partner and I are planning to cycle a large part of the Idaho Hot Springs Route - and looking forward to it! Just booked our tickets to Boise and back to Amsterdam from Seattle. We're planning to ride Boise - Ketchum - Stanley - McCall and then on via the Northern Tier to Seattle 

We'll be riding with panniers & low riders, carrying our tent & gear with us. Although we're experienced travel cyclists, we're not too keen on very sandy roads (even less so combined with steep hills…)

Two questions:
1. can anyone tell us anything about the condition of the road  Boise - Featherville - Ketchum? More specifically - how sandy is it, are you able to ride it fully packed?
2. same for the Lick Creek Road further up north

Thanks!

Nadine

[cgreene]

You may find a rogue patch here or there, but you will not find any significant stretches of sand on the entire route.

[nadine]

Great, thanks for your reply!

[bong_crosby]

I live in Boise and rode some of the route you'll be taking, I went from Ketchum to Featherville to Boise.  There is no sand.  Some rocks.  Lots of washboard or corrugated road is what I think they call it in Europe.  If you need a place to start your tour, we're near the airport and close to highway 21 which would be a convenient place to begin your tour.

[Closeline]

Did yo ride the Idaho Hot Springs route. If you did could I ask you about the conditions, I am planning in summer 2018

[nadine]

Hi,

We did ride the first part to Ketchum and that was fine. Absolutely beautiful road. At that time (3,5 years ago) the road was firm.
On the second part, Lick Creek Road, we didn't get very far. My wheel broke, so we had to get a lift to Cascade (where we were lucky to find a new wheel!). But from the car it seemed fine.

It is an amazing route - hope you'll enjoy it!

[pmac]

I rode the route a couple of years ago with a friend.  I had a farfarer trailer and my friend towed a bob.  Plenty of washboard, but not much sand.  The hill after crossing the river and heading up to Featherville was the most difficult.  The climb up Dollarhide looked steeper on the map, but was more manageable, at least for us.   

You might want to check out the Twins Springs resort on your first night out from Boise.  No restaurant, but the bar was nice and the cabins were clean with natural hot springs tubs.

You will have a great time! 

[chestnutski]

My wife and I road the GDMBR with 2" tires.  Rarely did we feel the need for wider tires in the looser sections of roads. 

On the IHSBR last year we wished our tires were 3". Our 2" tires just weren't wide enough. Most of the other riders we encountered had a wider tire setup.