10. Secesh Summit
This was a fun and challenging ride but the real highlight came when firSSt blazed past me holding out a Cliff bar as I yelled out “MECHANICAL!!!” because my front brake was rubbing as we started our descent. Who knows what he thought I yelled but I sure let him know he broke ride etiquette when I finally caught up to him at the bottom of the mountain 30 minutes later. I wasn't mad - or so I thought - he claims he snapped a picture that proves otherwise but I'm yet to see it.
9. Two golf shots
I had two tremendous golf shots. First, drilling a 3 wood to within 15 feet of the flag from 300 yards out on a par 5. Yes, it was a bit downhill...yes, it was at elevation -- but 300 is 300. Second, a near hole in one on a 190 yard par 3 with a ripping wind. Rolled it to about 4 inches from the stick. In golf they call that shot a Mexican (one more revolution).
8. Ida-hello
I spent a week trying like crazy (unsuccessfully) to get someone to respond to the supposed “insider” Idaho wave (index finger raised casually from the steering wheel while driving). firSSt thinks I was unsuccessful because my finger raise was unnatural. Guess I'm used to raising a different finger in NYC.
7. Finding the real Wall St.
I mentioned to firSSt the possibility of driving to Stanley one day to check out the Sawtooth Mountains (the Alps of Idaho). No way, he says -- too long a drive. Wednesday morning at 8am I hear a light knock at my door. "Stanley, today?" he asks eagerly. He was right. It was waaay too long a ride -- three hours each way. But it was worth it -- partly because he drove. But mainly because the Sawtooth Mountains are incredible looking. Oh, and I also found the real Wall St:
6. Kayaking (sort of)
On the last day of the trip, we decided to kayak up the headwaters of Payette Lake. firSSt and his wife shared one kayak and I got my own. We debated whether to do a half day (four hours) or just an hourly rate. We decided on an hourly rate and I set my watch timer for two hours. After 30 minutes, firSSt's wife and I were complaining about the amount of physical effort required. We returned the boats in about 45 minutes to the shock of the woman who rents them. In Seinfeld-esque fashion I made up an excuse about my back. Halfway through lunch (after visiting firSSt's store and then renting a DVD at the video store), my watch alarm sounded to return the kayaks. We burst out laughing. (This doesn't sound as funny in writing.)
5. A Fishing Hole in One
I tried fly fishing for the first time and I can see why people get addicted to it. It's definitely a fun sport. I think Ross enjoyed it too but he didn't catch anything which is a bit of a bummer. I got lucky and landed a big one. A 22" wild Idaho Rainbow Trout. "This is like getting a hole in one playing your first round of golf" our guide explained right before we tipped her. Hmmmmmm.
4. Boulder Dash
One of the great treasures of McCall is the abundant mountain lakes that surround it. But you have to hike to find them and firSSt and I have a horrible hiking track record together. Last summer, we ventured on a supposed "beginner" hike to Lake Josephine. After a treacherous 5 mile drive, we hiked up what seemed like a neverending incline through snow, slush, mud and frustration only to find a frozen lake. This year, it was the Boulder Lake fiasco. FirSSt was told you could "practically" drive right to the lake. Wrong. You can practically drive to the reservoir. The lake is a two mile hike from the reservoir. However, the McCall hiking guide author writes "I've encountered families with preteen children hiking this trail and fishermen carrying float tubes and all their gear". How bad can it be? we think as literally two minutes after we read this, a family with preteens and fishing gear passes us (chuckle chuckle). Well neither firSSt nor his dog nor I were chuckling after we made a wrong turn on the trail and were scaling huge rock faces and near cliffs to approach what we assumed was the lake. Luckily firSSt has hiked a lot before and was able to find a ridgeline, etc... The reward was worth the effort (for me at least since I didn't have a dog pulling my arm off all the way up the mountain). For the record, you ascend 700 feet in about a mile for this hike (if you go the correct way -- I'm assuming our ascent was steeper because we got off track).
3. Ross Toss
No matter how you slice it, Ross falling off his bike down a cliff was just plain funny. I mean it was only funny because he wasn't hurt. Of course I had no idea he wasn't hurt when I rolled up next to him bellylaughing as he moaned and attempted to climb out of the bush that stopped him from plunging another 30 feet. Add in the fact that some local watched the whole thing from below and yelled out "hey, you guys have an extra pump and tube?" after Ross emerged bloodied and bruised from the fall. I guess we missed the "hey, are you allright?" part. Idahoans -- gotta love 'em.
2. Just Riding
Riding in McCall was serene and highly enjoyable. It was also great to finally do some riding with firSSt. We pounded out 165 miles over five days of riding. I was impressed with his road cycling skills -- particularly considering he just started road biking in the middle of last year. The elements are pretty tought out there. We had some fierce headwinds and the roads can be spotty at times. But there are a bunch of routes with almost no vehicle traffic. That's a thing of beauty.
1. Riggins
Ahhh, Riggins. How do you put it exactly? It has a certain redneck charm. I love Riggins (or Riggo as I call it). Ross loved it too. Of course I didn't actually drive Ross into the town of Riggins -- we just checked out the rugged scenery and main fork of the Salmon River. This drives firSSt crazy because of all the people I've shown Riggins over the years, I haven't actually driven anyone into the town itself. Then when we return and the person starts chatting up Riggins I interject that firSSt hates Riggins. Of course he means the town and not the scenery -- still, it's fun to watch him tapdance a bit.
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