Not everyone is aware that the Old Adams Gulch Road/Eve Gulch Trail #146 is open to motorcycles and ebikes from May 1 through Nov. 30 of each year. It’s the only trail in the Adams Gulch area with that use-designation. No other trails in the Adams Gulch area are open to motorcycles or ebikes.

I mention this because I heard from a friend who had ridden up to Eve’s recently, with his son, on their motorcycles. They live out Warm Springs, so they approached the trail by coming up the very steep West Fork Warm Springs Road. These two riders are part of the group of motorcyclist volunteers who cut-out hundreds of trees from our region’s  motorized trails each summer. They travel with chainsaws mounted to their dirt bikes, stopping along the way to cut-out the downed trees they come across.

Eves is one of the trails that this duo rides frequently, and for years, they have cut-it-out, repeatedly. Much of the trail runs through areas burned in the 2007 Castle Rock Fire, and it was again chocked with large downed wood. As they worked down the drainage, the motologgers were approached by a mountain biker who said the trail was not open to motorcycles. After some discussion, the questioning rider understood that he was incorrect. The trail is open to motorcyclists.

Hearing of this discussion, I thought back to a time when the Old Adams Gulch Road portion of the #146 Trail was a road open to cars and trucks. We would take my buddy Steve’s little truck up there to do volunteer trail work, and man, would we get the stink-eye from people who thought we were breaking the rules. One time, we had a stand-off with a hiker-lady who really held her ground, blocking our passage; that one took a few minutes to resolve.

Some years ago, the forest service changed the designation of the roadway, and it was converted into a trail. Good riddance to that being a road open to cars and trucks, but please don’t give motorcyclists or ebikers a hard time for being on the Old Adams Gulch Road/Eve Gulch Trail #146. Its open to them.

Here are links to maps with info about what trails are open to what uses:

Sawtooth National Forest, Ketchum Ranger Motor Vehicle Use Map

Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation – Summer Trails Mapping