Getting VIN numbers verified
I was anxious to get to Wallace because I wanted to get various motorcycles registered in Idaho. When we first moved some motorcycles to Wallace a year ago, I went to the DMV to register them. Since the motorcycles had Washington titles, the DMV wouldn't deal with them until I had a sheriff verify the VIN number on the title matched the VIN stamped on the motorcycle's frame. The DMV lady gave me the name of an officer to call. On just about every trip to Wallace I call that number and leave a message, but the person never calls back nor comes over to verify the VINs. Since we're mostly in Wallace on weekends or on holidays, the DMV office is rarely open when we're there. Today on Friday was my one chance to deal with the DMV. Carolyn and I finally arrived in Wallace on Friday afternoon. We unloaded the truck and put everything inside. Then I rode the 250 to the county sheriff's office. I went inside and got someone to come out and verify the VIN number. They gave me a pink form and I said I'd be back two more times. I rode home, switched bikes for the 150, and rode back and got that VIN verified. I rode home again to get the bike pictured above. It hadn't been started in two years. The gas was at least two years old, too. However, the bike started right up and I rode to the sheriff's office and got the pink VIN verification form.
Shoshone County Courthouse, built in 1905
With all the titles, forms, and papers I walked across the street to the Shoshone County Courthouse to the DMV in the basement. I waited in a long line and presented my papers. Unbelievably, everything was all in order and I was able to get new titles, plates, and off-road stickers for the motorcycles and the new ATV. Regarding the ATV, the DMV lady said I could drive it on any county highway, but not the state highways. I asked, "What does that mean?" She said, "It means you can drive it anywhere in the Silver Valley except on I-90". I went to another office on the first floor and paid the house's property taxes. I was able to take care of all this business in about an hour. Back home I mowed the lawn and sprayed the lawn with weed killer.
Building kitchen shelves
Carolyn had an idea for two kitchen shelves at one end of the kitchen above the dry sink cabinet. She wanted them made out of fir floor boards so they'd match the kitchen counters. I had enough wood left over from the counters to glue up two shelves, two layers thick.
Carolyn's ATV
On Friday evening Jimmy from St. Maries Saw and Cycle showed up with Carolyn's ATV in the back of his truck. Jimmy lives in Kellogg so he often picks up and delivers equipment (chain saws, mowers, ATVs) from around the Silver Valley to the repair shop/store in St. Maries. As soon as Jimmy backed the machine off his truck and showed us all the controls and taught us how to operate it, we took off for a test run. We drove up King Street to the first dirt road heading up the mountain. By now it was dusk. We didn't go any further when the trail turned into a steep creek.
John's birthday prezzie
On Saturday morning I worked on the shelves. I cut them to size, added trim around the edges, and sanded them smooth. Carolyn and I walked to the hardware store for some finish and on Saturday and Monday I applied three coats. Carolyn disassembled one of the beds and loaded it in the truck. We drove up to John's house and put a ladder in his closet. David, my parents, and I got John a ladder for his birthday.
Bed in Daniel's room
We set up the bed in Daniel's room. Then we went next door and helped John's neighbors move a bed into John's master bedroom.
Dandelions
The weeds in John and Natalie's yard are going wild. I plan to come back on Monday and spray them with weed killer.
GPS track to Moon Pass
Carolyn and I picked up sandwiches-to-go at The Hub, our favorite sandwich shop. Carolyn drove her ATV and I rode my motorcycle and we headed up to Moon Pass on a dirt road. Near the top there's still a lot of snow but it's been plowed so cars can get through to the lower trailhead of the Hiawatha trail.
Carolyn at Moon Pass
We made it!
Looking down into the St. Joe River valley
Lunch time
We ate our sandwiches up at Moon Pass. There are great views all around looking down both sides of the saddle.
The Bathroom door
Our work plan for this trip was to demolish the downstairs bathroom and get ready to tile the floor and install a shower. Once we got to the house, though, and reviewed our plans for the summer, we decided to hold off until the fall. We're not ready to give up a bathroom for the summer. I did remove the bathroom door and paint it with several coats so it'd match the rest of the doors.
GPS track up 9 Mile Canyon
Early Saturday evening we rode Carolyn's ATV up 9 Mile Canyon. We really didn't have a plan and didn't know where we'd end up, but we found our way to Dobson Pass.
Old mining/logging operation
On Saturday night our friends the Wagners pulled into town. They drove out from Seattle to check out houses. We all walked up to John and Natalie's house to look at it. On Sunday morning we had breakfast together and then they met with a realtor and looked at houses. Carolyn and I went to church at the chapel in Silverton. We hung out with the Wagners after church and walked around the town.
Dobson Pass
On Sunday evening our next door neighbors invited us to a grill-out on their property on the North Fork of the Couer de Alene River. They told us to head over Dobson Pass until we crossed the river, then turn right. I thought Dobson Pass was closed, I asked. Elmer told me, "Just drive around the road closed signs. You can drive over a little dirt path where the road is washed out."
Mud slide
The ground slipped away this past winter and the road slid down the mountain. The highway department is fixing the road, but for now it's closed except for this little dirt bypass.
The compound
Our neighbors bought this river front property decades ago with some of their friends. Since the property is in the river's flood plain, I'm not sure you're allowed to build permanent structures. Over the years the families have built sheds, which they've turned into tiny houses, and parked trailers on the property for their grown children and grandchildren.
North Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River
The river is very high right now. Later in the summer you can wade across. Lots of kayakers paddle this river. I'd like to canoe it.
Gypsy getting a river drink
Our neighbors grilled steaks for everyone. They were delicious. Later that night we drove back to Wallace.
Restacking the wall
On Monday morning I went over to John's house and sprayed the weeds. Then I temporarily restacked the rocks from part of his wall that had collapsed. Then we went with the Wagners and their realtor to visit a couple more houses. We said goodbye to the Wagners and they drove back to Seattle. We planned to leave Wallace late in the afternoon.
View of Wallace
Late in the morning I went on a trail ride on my old Kawasaki.
View of 9 Mile Canyon
View of Wallace tucked in the mountains
End of the road
I rode up the trail Carolyn and I rode on with the ATV on Friday night, where we stopped when the trail went up a creek. On my dirt bike I rode up through the creek and continued climbing on the trail. Eventually the trail petered out at this washout. Just above is an old logging road that opens up another large area of riding, but I haven't figured out how to connect the two.
Wallace's water system at Cranky Gulch
I told Carolyn where I was headed so she'd know where to go if she had to call out the dogs. I wasn't done riding so I headed up the single track at Cranky Gulch. If something happens, I thought, Carolyn is going to be mad if I'm not found where I said I was going to be. While riding up this technical single track, I wondered whether John would find this trail fun or too scary, when we're out here together to ride over 4th of July. I didn't go all the way up the trail and turned around for more exploring. I found the creek that supplies water to Wallace.
A piece from a Transformer?
I was gone about an hour. Back in Wallace, Carolyn and I made sandwiches, packed her ATV, and took off on another ride up Burke Canyon. She rode the ATV and I rode a motorcycle. We turned up a logging road at Gem and climbed and climbed for miles. At one point we came across this huge steel contraption, much taller than me. It looks like it was torn off a Transformer autobot in an aerial fight and fell from the sky impacting here.
Carolyn
Blocked
Just before we hit the snowline and the summit of West Grouse Peak, we were blocked by a tree. We stopped for lunch.
Kellogg Peak
From our lunch spot we had good views all around. In the distance we could see the ski slopes on Kellogg Peak.
PB&J
At the point where we stopped the mountainside was covered with Wallace's famous huckleberry bushes. We'll have to ride up here in September for some picking. We rode ten miles back down the trail to home, packed up, and got ready to head out.
Motorcycle repair
My old Kawasaki is leaking oil from one of the front forks. I usually fix things like this myself, but decided to take it to someone to fix so the bike would be ready to ride the next time we're here. Seven years ago I was surfing the web and reading an online motorcycle repair course. On one of the first trips home from Wallace, I noticed this sign off the side of the highway. It turns out it's the guy who wrote the repair course. I called him and made arrangements to drop the bike off on the way home today.
Post Falls
On the way home we stopped at Post Falls for a walk and for gas on the ID/WA border.
Spokane River
The falls pour into this narrow gorge at the beginning of the Spokane River. We drove to Lake Wenatchee and spent the night. On Tuesday morning we packed up and left for home at 5am. It was a fun trip in every respect.
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