G.I. Joe Trailer
The Dug Bar Road is what the Michelin Man threatens his kids with if they’re acting up. This route to the Snake River via the Imnaha Canyon has chest hair growing between the ruts instead of grass. AAA only covers travel on this road with a Kevlar Membership Plan and if you ask a GPS unit for voice directions to Dug Bar it connects you to a guidance counselor instead. It’s a rough road, is what I’m getting at.
Exhibit A is this photo with three – count ’em, three – trucks visible on one set of switchbacks. Four if you count the rig I was sitting in to snap the picture. And this is the expressway portion of the drive.
On the bright side, it’s spectacular country. Here’s what you see on the lip of Hells Canyon.
The Nimiipuu Trail, which Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce traveled before the war of 1877, is not far from the present road.
The view when you top out on Cactus Mountain isn’t so much a photo opportunity as mandatory. Here’s a Cactus Mountain snapshot when Morgan wanted to take a group photo with me and Shuttle Monkey, right after the stuffed animal jumped out of my hands. He came back.
As scenic as this trip is, it’s slow going on the drive out so Winding Waters flies our rafters back to Joseph for a comfy aerial view on trips with Dug Bar as the destination.
We don’t skimp on things to make you comfortable, so bringing all those comforts back home makes for some hefty loads on the trucks and trailers. Who else hauls lots of heavy stuff around? Santa Claus, yes. But also the U.S. Army. The North Pole doesn’t have surplus auctions, but Uncle Sam does. So the newest addition to the Winding Waters motorpool is a trailer built to hero specs.
Just look at all this towing capacity. Makes me want to move some hide-a-beds and pianos.
If this doesn’t streamline Dug Bar travel, our next move is a Sikorsky sky crane.
Musical Interlude
Lay your ears on some Shook Twins as a primer to getting onboard the Music For Wild Places trips this summer.
And check out other videos on their site.
Summer is shaping up. Chaco tan lines just around the corner.