Where am I going

August 16, 2012, Day 62

This morning we were sitting around trying to figure what to do and I suggested either Golf or a site seeing trip up Warren Wagon Road, Sharon said she didn't care.  Should have picked Golf.

Warren Wagon Road starts out in McCall, just west of the Shore Lodge and proceeds along Payette Lake with little side roads that lead down to the lake, houses, Inns, and other recreation areas.  It continues to Upper Payette Lake, which is a much smaller lake at the bottom of the recently, within the last 5 to 10 years, burned mountain areas. 

It is a very nice paved road up to that point with speed limits ranging from 25 MPH to 55 MPH. But a little past here it turns to a good gravel road. I might add that the Warren Auto Tour, according to the signs posted along the road runs 46 miles from McCall. Along the nice gravel road there were a number of houses along the river. I asked Sharon if she wanted to continue when we reached the gravel road and she said OK, I think. Well that continued for another 10 to 15 miles, and the scenery was great as the road followed the river along with lots of summer cabins and houses back in the timbers. Then the road turned to dirt, with wash board ruts, blind corners, ups and downs not very friendly and we saw very little traffic or civilization. But we continued on as I kept noticing small roads leading off of the main road with tire tracks entering and leaving so it must have meant they were coming and going from somewhere. It seamed like forever but we started noticing some signs along the highway saying keep your snow mobiles off the air strip. Then we noticed a wind sock and a long dirt trail and figured that must be the air strip as we entered Warren. There were a number of dilapidated old buildings, one with a Bud Lite sign in the window and one that said Dance Hall. As we were driving down main street, I call it main street, because it was the only one, I met up with a piece of equipment with a shovel on the front, similar to a steam shovel, traveling in the opposite direction at about one MPH. I stopped as we passed and asked him where I was going. He asked me where did you want to go. I asked if the road ran into a highway as I wanted to make the loop and head back to McCall. He said, if I had enough fuel, I could make it, but it was about 140 miles. I told him that was not an option. He said there is another cut off back a ways that will take you to Riggins. I said that sounded interesting, he said, but I wouldn't take it as there is road construction and you probably wouldn't get through till about 6 PM. So our only reasonable choice was to go back the way we came as hard of a pill that was to swallow.

Now a little about Warren, Idaho

Welcome to Warren, Idaho

A Living Ghost Town

While Warren is frequently listed as a Ghost Town, it has never been without a resident population since James Warren discovered gold on Warren Creek in 1862. It is the 5th oldest town in Idaho and was once the County Seat for Idaho County. The current population is about 12-16 hardy individuals year around and 45-50 people during the summer months; many fewer than its 660 population the summer after gold was discovered and its peak population of approximately 5,000 during the boom times.

Most of the property in Warren is privately owned. Everything is prized by someone. Please do not pick up souvenirs without permission. The Antiquities Act prevents you from taking homes treasures from the past.

Back in McCall we went to lunch at Lardo's, they bill them self as Family Dinning. The food was good and the place was clean, we'll go back.

Happy Hour was held back in the park after which we retired without dinner as lunch was so filling. Well we did have a little ice cream later in the evening.