Day 4: Worswick Hot Springs to North Fork Campground

June 17, 2020

The Hateful Eight has one of my favorite opening scenes of any movie. In it, viewers are introduced to a cold, windswept mountain setting as a blizzard bears down on a charging stagecoach. The mood is bleak and foreboding, suggestive of the events that are to come.

https://youtu.be/n60f8-kb-i4

I mention all of this because we awoke to a very similar scene, and I was immediately taken back to the first time I watched that film. Overnight, a cold front had settled in to our surroundings, and we rolled out of bed to face sinister clouds streaking the surrounding hillsides with light dusting of snow. The wind was bitter, and we were peppered with small rivulets of rain as we slowly came to our senses and the stark reality of a cold day ahead

We chose to take these waking moments to soak in the spring just feet from our tent. Armed with my instant coffee, I settled into the warm sulfurous waters to distract myself from the morning chill. We spent a considerable amount of time here before drying our achy bodies in the biting winds and packing up camp. We got on the road, and our bikes became our stagecoach, chased by winter weather with only the unknown lying ahead.

We wound our way to the base of Dollarhide Pass, the highest pass on the route. We had prepped ourselves for a long grind up and over, but were pleasantly surprised to find that the road was an acceptable and consistent grade all the way to the top. As we ascended, the terrain became damp, with melting snow dripping from the trees and running down the trail. We became wet and muddy, pedaling through fresh tire tracks that had broken through the snow. After two hours of steady upward momentum, we arrived at the summit, little worse for wear.

At the base of the climb. The snow started about 500 feet above this point.

Looking back through the lands that we have traversed.

After enjoying a quick lunch from our dwindling stock of goods, we bombed down the east side of Dollarhide Mountain and into the drier environs of Sun Valley. We stopped briefly to soak at Frenchman Hot Springs, but were turned off by the water that varied from freezing to scalding.

Once in Ketchum, we stopped at the town center and made a game plan. While Caleb went to resupply at the supermarket, I booked us a room at a lodge up past Stanley, which we would be passing through in approximately 2 days. Once reconvened, we stopped for a quick hot cocoa and then finished the day with a 9 mile ride north through there sagebrush and aspens to North Fork Camp. It was a trying day, but one that didn't turn out to be as intimidating as it started out.

Today's ride: 44 miles (71 km)
Total: 183 miles (295 km)

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Hillary NolanI really enjoyed the set up of the YouTube to the movie The Hateful 8. That gave great insight into what you experienced that morning.

It looks like you are having a wonderful time! The pictures are beautiful!
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4 years ago

Marya MoosmanWhile not the the most inviting and comfortable, a trip like this wouldn't be complete without at least one day of snow! Hopefully there won't be too many more days like that.
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4 years ago