There have certainly been some interesting climbs posted recently. While you all were scaling the heights, my wife, Vicki, and I were cycling down the Weiser River Trail from New Meadows to Weiser. I had heard of the trail, yet I had never met anyone who had actually done it. It's 85 miles of converted railroad bed and except for the flat stretches through Council, Midvale and Weiser, is quite interesting. About 60 miles of the 85 are great! At times you are far from any road. Even when the road is close, it seems far away. Sort of like when rafting near a highway, you don't really notice it. We saw 3 hikers, 2 horseback riders, lots of deer, goats and birds, and a few snakes. We saw only one other cyclist the entire distance. We even saw a bear! That was a treat. There are long stretches of crushed rock which can be tiresome, but for the most part, the trail is decent. Cycling with only a rain shirt, change of clothes, and a credit card is certainly the way to go.

We shuttled the cars on the evening of the eclipse and caught this view of the sun through a cloud near Payette.


The upper 15 miles are forested.


The lower 70 miles are not.


There is lots of great scenery and plenty of solitude.

Pat, thanks for the trip report. It looks like a good cross training journey. Is ther any place to fuel up along the way?

It is possible to fuel up in every town. We bought a foot long Subway in New Meadows and were ready to go. The trail goes a couple blocks from downtown Council, Cambridge, and Midvale. We stayed at a motel at the half way point in Cambridge (the Frontier), ate at a restaurant (Bucky's), bought snacks at the grocery and drank lattes at the coffee stand. It is a great trip for couples. I recommend taking the downhill option. Besides being easier (gravity is your friend), it minimizes the chance of getting rained on in the afternoon.

Thanks for the TR, Pat.

Thanks for the trip report, Pat! The Weiser River Trail is one of Southwest Idaho's hidden gems! we are so fortunate to have such an incredible rail trail so close to Boise. If you are interested in riding just a portion of the trail, The Friends of the Weiser River Trail is hosting a bike ride on Saturday, June 9. We will be riding 28 miles on the northern portion of the Trail from just outside of New Meadows to Council. Bike shuttle, lunch, and T-shirt are included with the $40 cost. You can register at Blue Circle Sports vis the following link:

http://bluecirclesports.com/EventDetail_Sub.aspx?eid=

We also have a Facebook Page and a Website:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/52869138438/
http://www.weiserrivertrail.org/

There are several Trail Guides available, including excellent ones by Margaret Fuller, and Steve Stuebner:
http://trailguidebooks.com/books.htm
http://stevestuebner.com/books/mountain-biking-in-mccall.htm

Last but not least, there is an awesome campground just outside of Cambridge, it is called "Mundo Idaho," andthey are VERY bike-friendly:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mundo-Idaho/90477629081

Hope to see more folks enjoying this beautiful trail. PS--don't forget to look for the zebra, just outside of Weiser!