Bikepacking in the Boise Mountains

Another just-for-fun map of an overnight bikepack trip I did in June. A friend of mine came up with this route that explores a part of the Boise Mountains that I have been near, but never in. It was incredibly scenic the entire ride, which was a great distraction from the sometimes very steep climbs. We wound past Crooked River, Raging River, N and Middle forks of the Boise River, and Bear River, plus many other creeks - no shortage of water on this route! My favorite water filling spot was a place where it came right out of the hillside in a perfect faucet - the only downside being the multitude of ticks that also seemed to love that spot. We originally hoped to ride all the way to Atlanta, ID to camp but partially due to a later start and maybe too many rest stops to enjoy the place we were in, we ended up cutting the route short at Phifer Creek Rd. From there we had a never-ending descent until we found a suitable camp spot. Unbelievably there was even more descending from camp down to the Middle Fork the next morning. I know there are bikepack routes that involve climbing that road and phew! Beautiful views, very little traffic, mostly smooth roads, plentiful water - this route has all you could ask for from a bikepacking trip. What a great way to spend a weekend - I will be back, hopefully all the way to Atlanta next time!