Exploring Idyllic Idaho

Ride the ‘River of No Return’ with Pat Fulghum

Hailing from Boise, Idaho, Pat Fulghum has always been eager to bring his passion for cycling to FulGaz. When Pat isn’t competing in one of our events or challenges he spends his time filming great rides for the rest of us to enjoy. For the bulk of this new collection, we head to idyllic Idaho for a collection of stunning rides, featuring a little bit of everything for everyone. Get your cameras ready for these rides!

Pat’s Top Pick: Trail Bridge Road

It is the highest paved mountain pass in the United States topping out at 12,100 ft (~3700m). He first rode this route over 40 years ago when he attended a nearby university. The ride starts at 7900ft (2400m) and climbs a modest 6% grade. The sparse oxygen and the visibly high winds made for a real challenge to summit

Explore the idyllic Idaho with Pat Fulghum and more in FulGaz’s ride collection.

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Discover these global rides under ‘NEW’ or search “Fulghum” in FulGaz—there’s something for everyone. Gravel tyres are optional.

SALMON RIVER PART 1 - ROAD

The Salmon River, also known as "The River of No Return" is a river that originates in the high country of Idaho state. This route is an out-and-back along the first 12 miles (20km) of the paved section as the river enters the small town of Riggins Idaho. The path upriver is not steep, but there are some rollers to make you work. Part 2 continues on up the canyon on a gravel surface.

41.531km

DISTANCE

1:16:41

DURATION

258m

ELEVATION

SALMON RIVER PART 2 - GRAVEL

The Salmon River, also known as “The River of No Return”, originates in the high country in the state of Idaho and provides for great multi-day white water rafting trips. This ride starts at the turn around point of Part 1, as we ride the gravel alongside the Salmon River upstream 19km to a unique pedestrian/horse bridge that provides access to the “back county” for horsemen and hikers. From that bridge we turn around and head downstream to our starting point.

37.959km

DISTANCE

1:24:47

DURATION

268m

ELEVATION

WHITE BIRD GRADE

The White Bird Grade is a historic mountain highway along a former section of U.S. Route 95 near White Bird, Idaho, USA. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as an engineering accomplishment, a "marvel" which was an achievement of the early good roads movement. The climb is no longer used for the highway and you can see the "new road" in the distance. It averages only 5% and has 13 switch backs on the way up to the junction with the new road.

43.341km

DISTANCE

1:55:34

DURATION

776m

ELEVATION

SISTERS TO GREEN RIDGE

A follow-up ride to the popular Sisters to Smith Rock ride, we start in Sisters, Oregon and head north toward Black Butte which is an extinct volcano. Enjoy the ride through the woods with very little traffic. Watch out for the deer crossing the road just before we start our climb.

58.815km

DISTANCE

1:57:02

DURATION

534m

ELEVATION

MCCALL WEST MOUNTAIN LOOP

Nestled in the middle of the state of Idaho is the resort town of McCall. One of my favourite places to go to beat the heat of summer. This ride is a mix of tarmac and gravel as we take off from downtown McCall and loop around the valley towards the ski slopes of Tamarac and then back on tarmac along Farm To Market road.

65.518km

DISTANCE

2:18:46

DURATION

380m

ELEVATION

NEW MEADOWS GRAVEL LOOP

New Meadows is a rural city in Idaho, USA. It has a population of 500 people and is at the southern and upper end of the Meadows Valley, on the Little Salmon River and just south of the 45th parallel. This ride features wide open views of the New Meadows valley and the surrounding Payette National Forest while riding on both asphalt and packed gravel roads.

31.943km

DISTANCE

1:03:33

DURATION

211m

ELEVATION

MCCALL PONDEROSA STATE PARK

A short and quick ride through scenic Ponderosa State Park in the middle of the State of Idaho USA. On this ride we get a 12 minute warmup starting from McCall RV Resort and travel through town as we head toward the park. Once in the park we make a left turn and hit the time trial which is out in back. The hills are short but somewhat steep. Be on the lookout for deer and other wildlife.

15.84km

DISTANCE

0:33:15

DURATION

212m

ELEVATION

TRAIL RIDGE ROAD

Trail Ridge Road is the highest continuous paved pass in the USA. Soaring to an elevation of 12,128 feet (~3696m), it seems to leave the earth behind. The road slices through the heart of Rocky Mountain National Park, entering a world of rare alpine beauty. Distant peaks loom in all directions as we ride up to “Rock Cut”. Strong gusty winds and high elevation are always the challenge to ride here, but for FulGaz riders you get to ride in an oxygen-rich and wind-free environment so enjoy the views on this mild (but long) climb.

28.252km

DISTANCE

2:18:16

DURATION

1334m

ELEVATION

This week’s rides come from returning contributor Pat Fulghum. Pat (still) lives in Boise, Idaho, USA. He turns 60 this year and has been retired for 4 years after working 35+ years in the software industry.

He still dabbles in technology centered around cycling software and is always willing to help people with their indoor riding setups. Pat is primarily a mountain biker, he dabbles in gravel, but will also get on the road if the traffic is light. He has a yearly goal of a “vertical century” – logging 100 miles (528,000ft / 160,000m) of elevation gain yearly.

He has made that goal each of the last 3 years. He also loves a good endurance challenge. He uses FulGaz in the long winters to build stamina and strength and prefers the wide open view rides over an hour. He and his wife Tammee spend the warm months traveling with “several” bikes to various locations in the western USA, and he hardly ever misses a day on the bike. On many of the rides releasing this time, you get to see Tammee.