We checked just north of our house where HP should be - nothing. So this map is at least 30 years old and way outdated by now. Boise has grown so much recently, especially around our house. Having nothing but 1-mile grid roads, irrigation canals, the Boise River, and white space farmland in between made for quite a tough puzzle. But it was fun building the land around our home.
On our way out of the lake, we came to a spot where the trail disappears and it becomes unclear as to which way is the best way to get down to the lake. (We had taken the hard way down that morning but found the easy way on the way out.) To make our lives easier for future hikes in, we decided to build an inukshuk - a stone figure built by the Inuit people of the Canadian Arctic to help guide people seeking their way through the wilderness. Ours turned out pretty pathetic. I wonder if it will survive the winter.
Even though the wildflower season had passed, the land was still quite colorful.
Saturday night we rode to the top to watch the sunset and drink a beer - another fine tradition.
birthday. We spent several hours there but only took one picture - this one of the flags at the driveway entrance.
Sunday morning we went on a hike into Titus Lake. It's a short and fairly easy hike. I love being in the mountains.
My other three friends, by pre-arrange plan, had circled around and were watching the upstream routes. 
I'll never know how Ryan got the camera aligned and on the sheep so quickly but when I had repositioned my rifle and asked "are you ready" his reply was "don't wait for me!". I was anxious, extremely anxious that the two bozos (I have a problem calling them people) had worked down the draw after the same ram. For some unknown reason at this very moment the rams busted out of the bottom and started up the away face. My ram stopped broadside for an instant, I rushed my shot a tad and hit him pretty much dead center, too far back but a fatal shot. The second shot was even worse hitting even further back. (One can see all of this in the video.) My ram was tired of all this crap and walked towards me about 10 yards and bedded down. The other two ram had out distanced their partner but stopped and returned. The bigger of the two eventually bedded about 10 feet below his fatally wounded leader. While bedded all we could see was the glare from the bosses of his horns. I was unsure which way he was pointed so we waited, then waited some more, impatiently on my part. The second ram stood and my ram followed, it crossed my mind the other two twits may shoot my ram but this time I took the extra couple of seconds and squeezed the trigger - my hunt ended.
Wish I could now tell how much work it was to pack the sheep out but you all know there were five of us and Idaho's California Bighorns aren't that big. And to top it all off, this was the coldest day since spring PLUS when we began the climb the good Lord provided a light drizzle of rain, raised the rain level as we climbed the toughest section and then shut it off right when we reached the top.
Day 2 - At Sea
We were at sea all day. It was a day of exploring the ship, reading, eating, and sleeping. It was really REALLY windy.
That night was our first of two formal dinner nights. It was the first time my parents had seen Rick in a tie. He looked fantastic, we all agreed.
A lake at Carcross. We bought some great stuff here - really warm hats from the general store, and some earrings from a jewelry store run by a native woman. When I asked her to explain the meaning of the Inukshuk symbol, she told me it was the symbol of the 2010 winter Olympics. When I asked her what it meant before that, she said "Where are you from?" Clearly, I was not from the Yukon else I would know. She then handed me a card explaining the inukshuk is a stone, man-shaped figure built by ancient trackers to help guide people in the wilderness. Just north of Carcross we turned around after stopping for lunch at the Cinnamon Cache, where a sign instructed "Get Your Buns In Here." The cinnamon rolls were great, but the $7 soup was not.
Back in Skagway.
Day 6 - Ketchikan
That night we had our second formal dinner.
We drove to Bruneau, ID, and then continued south and parked the truck at the East Fork Crossing, unloaded our bikes, set off on the road to Bruneau Canyon, and then found the Centennial. We rode about 70 miles to get to Jarbidge. Lisea drove the truck on the main (dirt) road.
It was NOT a sunny day. Ominous clouds threatened our path with thunder and lightening, and eventually we encountered rain. The black sky and green mountains with lingering snow caps along with the numerous lightening strikes provided a bold contrast.
The trail became very muddy. It was no problem for our 4-wheeler or Dan's dirt bike (other than being wet, cold, and muddy.) But Kurt's dual-purpose was struggling. At the very end with ~300 ft. to go before good road, he had to stop and dig the mud out because his wheel was locked up.
But it was a true adventure.
According to Wikipedia, "Gold was discovered near Jarbidge in 1909, making it one of the last gold rush towns in the American West. The town's population swelled to around 1,200 in 1911, but afterwards began a slow decline. Mining operations ceased in the area in 1932. Recent estimates put the town's full-time population at less than 20. Today much of the Jarbidge's economy derives from its reputation as a rustic tourist destination. The name "Jarbidge" originates from the Nez Perce word "Jahabich," which means "devil." This was the Nez Perce name for the nearby mountains." A local lodge claims Jarbidge comes from the the Nez Perce word "Tsawhabitts" - a fearsome giant "they believed he stalked them with the same cunning they used to hunt their own game!"
The next morning we headed out after breakfast back at the Outdoor Inn (our only choice, but a good one.) Sunday was sunny, and I took the opportunity to photograph the rock formations. We took the main road back, and were at the truck in about 2 hours.
We said goodbye to Kurt, Ellisea, and Dan, and headed for part 2 of our adventure - the Bruneau Canyon. This is where Rick and I got engaged on September 16, 2006. It would be our first trip back. Ellisea outfitted us with a wine-picnic care package complete with opener, glasses, smoked salmon, cheese, crackers, and napkins! It was such a thoughtful gift, and it made for a delightful time in the tent when the thunderstorm came in late afternoon.
After the rain cleared, we spent the evening scouting for new places to camp. The Bruneau Canyon is a popular place, despite its remoteness, since it makes a good launch site for rafters. It also gets very hot and shade is scarce. Rick and I found a new place we'll camp next time. It's right near some cedars and has easy access to the river. Here we are on the bank. The next photo shows Rick surrounded by poison ivy. The third is the confluence of the Jarbidge and Bruneau rivers.
We headed out Monday morning and were home by mid-afternoon. Our gear was dustier than it has ever been. The dust penetrated the zippers on our bags and coated everything.