A Moveable Feast

Sawtooth National Forest

Ketchum-Sun Valley is one fancy and expensive resort area. It's a huge downhill skiing destination in the winter, and summer brings the golfers and well-equipped mountain bikers and fly fishermen. Oh, and shoppers too. It's geared toward a decidedly higher class of tourist than me, that's for sure. (Though I did shell out $279 + tax for a hotel room that would be less than half that amount anywhere else. I did it for the Hemingway experience.)

The people who live here are obviously doing pretty well for themselves too. Expensive housing abounds. In fact, at least one local fine dining establishment blames the lack of affordable housing as the reason for being unable to attract restaurant workers. People who live in million-dollar houses apparently aren't all that interested in waiting tables and washing dishes. The result is shorter hours of operation.

Every shop, restaurant and hotel is exceptionally well-maintained. If there is a rundown part of Ketchum, I didn't see it. Even the fire station was meticulous. I was reminded of the scene in which the cop (played by Eddie Murphy) who worked in a ragtag inner-city Detroit precinct first saw the Beverly Hills police station. Everything was neat & clean & organized & filled with up-to-date technology, and every officer was sharply in uniform. He was shocked.

I do believe Ketchum is the Beverly Hills of Idaho.

I've got to give them credit though; at least the city did what the state refuses to do.

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So I began my quest for all things Hemingway at about 10:30 a.m. I refused to leave any earlier as I was going to get as much of that $279 + tax out of the hotel as I possibly could. Basically, that meant drinking all their coffee. Another reason is that the temperature was only 39-degrees when I woke up.

Hemingway frequented this casino, and that was before gambling was legal.

He also spent a lot of time drinking cocktails at this establishment.

Sun Valley Lodge was where Hemingway stayed when he first started coming to Sun Valley. By that time, it's clear he was no longer a "starving artist."

His former home is up this drive. Unfortunately, there are other private homes in the same area and the owners don't want riff raff driving, cycling or walking by to see Ernie's home.

Of course I had to visit Hemingway's gravesite, located between two spruce trees.

I guess it's customary for Hemingway fans to place notebooks and booze bottles on the gravestone in his honor. I had nothing to offer but reverence. It was the same reverence I had when I visited Thoreau's Walden Pond while on my MN to MA tour.

Mary Hemingway, the author's fourth wife, is buried next to him.

My beard is not as virile as Hemingway's, but I'm working on it.

After I got my fill of Hemingway sites, it was time to do something Hemingway-esque. I rode my bike into the Sawtooth National Recreation Area for some hiking and camping.

One of the rules for posting a journal here on Cycleblaze is that it has to include at least one cycling overnight. I assume that applies to "bonus coverage" as well. Tonight I will meet that minimum, because the rest of this bonus coverage won't be a bike tour in the strictest sense. I'll be car camping because the distance from the Sawtooth Mountains to Craters of the Moon is too far for me to bicycle in the time allotted. There will be plenty of biking though. Hiking too.

I just wanted to provide fair warning in case you are a cycle touring purist and my agenda makes you want to tune out.

The Reckless Mr. Bing Bong, ready to head up into the Sawtooth Mountains.

The campground was only eight miles from Ketchum. If I could have found a closer one to satisfy my overnight obligation, I probably would have gone there.

The campground was very disappointing. The view-blocking aspens were starting to turn yellow, but they almost completely hid my view of the Sawtooth Mountains. I couldn't even see the Big Wood Creek, which ran nearby.

Luckily I had the threat of bears to keep me on my toes.

I had the promise of a pretty cold night too. I'm just going to have to rely on Mike the Tent and my sleeping bag, Fluffy Warmerson, to help me get through it.

No bears came by, but I did get a visit from a magpie.

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Emily SharpI actually did do all of that trip in 2014 you said would be better by bike. I did a loop over Lemhi Pass from MT (which you would love because Lewis and Clark went over it!!), up to Salmon, over to Challis, down to Craters, then back over through the creepy nuclear testing areas, then up the Lemhi valley again, through Salmon and then over Lost Trail Pass to Wisdom, MT. I did the canyon and pass climbs early in those days before the RV traffic came out. It was all very spectacular and really cool basin and range geology - I don't remember it feeling particularly unsafe thru any of it. And I thought it was immensely cool you could see the tear in the earth's surface from the Borah Peak earthquake all down that valley. And of course, Craters was awesome - especially knowing it is all just dormant and that is one of the most seismically active areas of the state. Here's a link to the Lewis and Clark pass, so you'll be enticed to go back and ride it some day: https://rambleoutyonder.org/2018/01/01/montana-2014-part-1-day-60-clark-canyon-reservoir-salmon-id-a-gnarly-downhill/

I am surprised at the low key grave for Hemingway - glad you got to make the pilgrimage. And I sure hope you used climate control in that motel room :-) The campsite looks chilly... the time of year you start looking for sites that will get the sun longest in the eve and earliest in the morning, for sure. Enjoy Craters... I really lived that place up as a geology nerd. Even took my mom back there in 2017 as it's pretty unique in its geology.
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3 years ago

marilyn swettHey Greg - I see we sort of passed each other again! You are north of where we were in Twin Falls. But now we're down in the Provo, UT area. Looking for more fun!
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3 years ago

Gregory GarceauTo Emily SharpHi Emily. That was a great route you created. Very adventurous and beautiful. I will definitely check out that link and the entire journal when I get back to Spokane. Be prepared for some comments on there.
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3 years ago

Gregory GarceauTo marilyn swettWe just can't seem to connect--not even when you were right there in MY Town a couple years ago.
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3 years ago