Off-Road Ranger I
We just finished running the historic Elk City Wagon Road, a 50 mile stagecoach trail from the Clearwater Valley to Elk City Idaho. Wildfire smoke has blanketed the region, so many of the exquisite views of the Gospel Hump Wilderness and Nez Perce NF are obscured, but the trail is well marked and peppered with historical markers explaining how crucial the wagon road was from the 1890s to 1920s. The road takes you throw rolling wheat fields to green forests of Red Fir, Lodgepole and Tamarack, to a 2015 burn scar with wildflowers and berries, then to historic gold mining creeks with dredge piles peppering the banks. High clearance 4wd vehicles are recommended for the spur road to Pilot Knob lookout.
Anyone planning to run the Magruder Corridor and/ or Lolo Motorway should add the Wagon Road. I like to call it the "mini Magruder, as the terrain is similar, though even more varied, and the side trip to the Pilot Knob Lookout rivals the road up to Burnt Knob.
We did get held up for about an hour when a 30" lodgepole snag was across the road, but we, as other locals do, had saws, straps and water ( in case of a spark starting a fire) and met some folks who know the same people we do. They were scouting firewood for an elderly lady, so this was a win- win.
Anyone who wants to hit the Wagon Rd, just shoot me a line, our cabin is just across the Lochsa and a short drive from here and we're always up for a drive in the woods.
Here's some pics at the Pilot Knob Lookout, Pilot Rock and Newsome Creek.
Anyone planning to run the Magruder Corridor and/ or Lolo Motorway should add the Wagon Road. I like to call it the "mini Magruder, as the terrain is similar, though even more varied, and the side trip to the Pilot Knob Lookout rivals the road up to Burnt Knob.
We did get held up for about an hour when a 30" lodgepole snag was across the road, but we, as other locals do, had saws, straps and water ( in case of a spark starting a fire) and met some folks who know the same people we do. They were scouting firewood for an elderly lady, so this was a win- win.
Anyone who wants to hit the Wagon Rd, just shoot me a line, our cabin is just across the Lochsa and a short drive from here and we're always up for a drive in the woods.
Here's some pics at the Pilot Knob Lookout, Pilot Rock and Newsome Creek.
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