They were using OnX, a GPS phone app. The app maintained satellite connections to navigate. Even though they programmed it to avoid hiking trails, they had to reroute several times because it led them astray.

Because their machines were street-legal, they could use highways to reroute and make up for lost time – not the finest part of the trip. Their original plan was to resupply in Elk City, but with that option off the table, they chose Kooskai instead.

The area around Kooskai was special to Ty Tyler. His granddad ran a fish hatchery there back in the day. His dad told stories about packing barrels of fish on donkeys and going with him to stock the high mountain lakes. These trips were made frequently throughout the summer.

His grandfather also worked with the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a program that employed men on conservation projects during the Great Depression. He was listed on the work manifest twice and was paid for the work of two men because he worked so hard. Their route took them past the fish hatchery, and Ty expressed special feelings about visiting a piece of his family history.

They came across another fire lookout tower. This one was the Butte Fire Lookout. In all, there were five towers they came across on this adventure. Two of them were still manned.

Ty loved the history associated with these towers. He climbed every one of them to see the amazing vistas they afforded. The rooms at the top were locked, but he could look through the windows and see the big map wheel that could be rotated to help pinpoint a forest fire.

They made it to Corral Creek Campground, at the close of their sixth day, where they spent the night. Their next stop was Riggins, 60 miles away. They broke camp just before it started to rain, which it did all morning.

Florence, a boom town of the 1860s, was on their route that day. It is a reminder of the boom-and-bust mining history of the West. This one is better preserved, because a few people still live there.

They checked into a hotel in Riggins on Saturday night. They were still half a day behind. Ty got to talk to his wife, Paula. It was the first cell coverage they had encountered. The power went out in the evening, so devices couldn’t be charged.

The next leg was Riggins to Yellow Pine, 128 miles. They endured light rain for most of the day – the high was 55 degrees, which is cold when it is raining. Mountain climbing was the order of the day. Every mountain they climbed required a ride down the other side. Two great water crossings were a bonus, but a stop at the Baum Shelter, a backcountry eatery in Warren, was its own reward.

In Yellow Pine, the lodge they hoped to stay in was full. The alternative was a very old boarding house. You didn’t rent a room – you rented a bed. The gas station was closed. Locals were kind enough to accommodate at $9 per gallon.

Day nine started out at 38 degrees. Their destination was Deadwood reservoir. This leg had a pucker factor that was off the charts. The wild and crazy trail went down 21 steep switchbacks. The trail was off-camber, with a steep drop-off on the downhill side. When they got to the bottom, they did a head count – they still had six riders, whew! They camped at Deadwood Reservoir.

Day ten was lackluster compared to the trails behind them. They rode into Lowman for fuel and ice. A 7lb bag of ice was $7.50, and gas was no better than the night before. They made their last camp at Trinity Lake.

The last leg was a 77-mile, fast-paced ride to Mountain Home. They had ridden 1,122 miles in 11 days, climbed over 124,000 feet through beautiful mountain ranges, had close encounters with wildlife, survived forest fires, and braced the elements. Should you think about such an adventure, take plenty of water, keep the rubber side down, and don’t even think about going alone.

Lynn R. Blamires can be reached at quadmanone@gmail.com.