Postcards From Roads Less Traveled - The Magruder Trail
You, the MO faithful, have no idea what you are missing behind the scenes here at the epicenter of motojournalism, but persistent abuse is a big part of it.
Me - I get hassled about my gray ponytail, lack of lane-splitting prowess (I call it insanity!), and being a hick from the woods. But every time I suffer an attempted tune up by Sean, Ebass and the rest of my LA friends over mi casa in the sticks, I just send `em a postcard or two from one of my favorite rides. This one I thought I'd share with all of you.
The 101-mile Magruder Corridor Road is a primitive dirt road that serves as the only passage for motorized vehicles through the largest wilderness area in the lower 48 US States. The Frank Church River of No Return/Selway Bitterroot Wilderness is situated along the Idaho-Montana border just
While traversing this route you will have chances to encounter a variety of wildlife: moose, elk, deer, bighorn sheep, dall sheep, black bear, eagles, and mountain lions, to name a few. The route traverses the headwaters of several wilderness rivers and climbs over three spectacular passes (one of which, oddly, is a paved supermotard heaven for 12 miles!). What you will not encounter are other roads, any airplanes flying overhead, many other people, or any gas should you run out (from my experience an XR600R makes a piss-poor wheelbarrow when it's out of fuel). My time for the round trip is about 12 hours with an overnight in Elk City.
If you are out touring this summer and pass through Northern Idaho or Western Montana and have a yen for a relatively easy but spectacular offroad adventure I highly recommend the Magruder Corridor Road. You'll be chased by moose, see scenery that'll burn your eyes out and worry about your gas situation but you'll not be disappointed over the adventure.
Me - I'm back on the road!
More by Martin Hackworth
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