Hell's Canyon

Day 11: 62 miles:
So this morning we got up and moving in our favorite campsite so far. This campground was right on the Snake River and was owned by Idaho Power. The park was just really well kept and landcaped for such a rugged location. As we headed out, we rode for about 11 up a section of the Snake River known as Hells Canyon. The climate around the river is considered high desert while the area right on the banks has very lush vegetation. It was really cool to see this contrast with huge mountains shooting up on either side. Once we reached Brownlee dam, we started up a 7 mile, 2000 foot climb out of the gorge. This was one of the hardest climbs so far with the combination of the steeper grade and exposure to the sun. Once over, we coasted down to Cambridge for a bite to eat.
After lunch we decided to take an alternate route from Cambridge to Council along the Weiser River Trail (www.weiserrivertrail.org). This was an old gravel railroad bed that is now a huge recreational outlet for the area. It turned out to be a little rougher than anticipated but was still a good alternative to the busier highway.
Tonight we are camping on Council ID and plan on getting to Slate Creek Campground on the Salmon River tomorrow night.