Regarding my question in the video, people in the comments here have said wasps, bees, worms, cicadas, beetles, crawdads, and ants, among others. I don't know what to believe lol
Worms are the only culprits that leave a "cast" that is clumpy and not dune-like because of their mucous membrane. Ants, wasps and other beetle type creatures leave a dune around or near the hole. Wasps and Beatles kick out the debris leaving a pile to mostly to one side of the hole. Ants carry out the debris and make a conical structure around the hole. Worms make a clumpy mass with a hole through it sometimes filling the hole with a cap. I guarantee these were worms.
Not bees. We have the ground dwelling bees in nearby eastern WA and the holes are small (pencil size or smaller) with just a small usually solid "lip" around the edge, not a pile of loose dirt. The bees are endangered so there are some rural roads limited to 25mph to reduce windshield kills. Voles, maybe?
Good to see a young man doing life affirming things with his time. I'm at the far end of that journey and all I can say is do it all while you can. Happy Adventures.
I lived & worked out of the Atlanta Guard Station during the summer months for over 30 years. I worked on horseback traveling by trail from Atlanta to places like South Fork Boise River/Skeleton Cr Guard Station, Grand Jean, Stanley, Alturas Lake, and Smiley Creek Lodge. A beautiful country with hidden gemstones, cabins, fishing, wildlife, and sawtooth peaks. Bears, cougars, wolves, deer, elk, moose, and goats. Once I witnessed wolves killing and eating goats near their mineral licks. I have had horses injured by cougars, had bears and wolves in camp, and I've seen the Elephant, the Rakers, and the elusive sasquatch... ;-)
That's quite a resume Charlie! On horse back? That would make you well over 70? If you don't mind my saying? I've worked with a gentleman who told me similar personal testimonials from his glory days & he was in his late 80's. This gentleman also built his own home by baking every brick by hand, cutting every beam, hammering every nail! I had the privilege of looking up the address on Google for him & we were able to do a virtual tour together, bringing tears of joy to his still sparkling eyes! (Through previous sales) People aren't as hardy as the last great generation (1920-30's) Nor are they anywhere near as clever! Blessings to you in Jesus Christ's name Amen 🙏❤️
I have been watching you for at least a year or so. I love all of your videos. When we were young, we were so busy creating a business raising 3 boys, that we never got the hiking in while we did travel many places. My legs, ankles and hips won't let me hike now but we can watch your channel and pretend we are right there with you. Thank you for your wonderful content.
Epic views! The drone shots were amazing. At first, I didn't think this would be a fun road to drive, but seeing the campsites and hot springs might have made it on the never-ending list!
As a native Chinese speaker, I just realize you are absolutely right, Tristan. In many Chinese dialects, we can’t pronounce “r” and say “l” instead. Thus “Rhode Island” becomes “Lhode Island”, “Romania” becomes “Lomania”, and “Robert” becomes “Lobert” in the official Chinese pronounciation. As another viewer commented below, we probably would call it “Gley Lock” mountain back then😂 Never fail to make interesting discoveries from your videos. Keep up the great work!
Great video. I've lived in Boise for years and have never made it all the way out to Atlanta. Some of us have theorized that the road's reputation is a ruse by the Atlantans to keep people away. As you noted, it's not a bad road. However, people do have fatal accidents on it from time to time, so it does merit some caution and preparation. Perhaps of interest to you, Tristan, is that 2 of the 4 peaks in the Boise Grand Slam are accessible from that road as well. Thanks for exploring the area!
Without being there to see the mounds in person, I would guess they are made by the Cicada Killer Wasp (Sphecius specious). I'm retired now and have these on my property in the Owyhee Mountains of Idaho, and the Cicada Killer wasp is a native of Idaho. They lay their eggs in the holes and then stock them with dead grasshoppers, insects, etc., to feed the larvae when they emerge. Even though they are a little larger than a yellow jacket and are called killer wasps, they typically feed on nectar.
Actually the Cicada Killer delivers a paralyzing sting to the victim so the when the larvae emerge from their eggs they will dine on a fresh, albeit living food source.
I don't comment on many videos but this is by far one of your best!!!! Scenery was great and that last hot tub was amazing. Thanks for letting me live my life vicariously thru you. Your videos just keep getting better and better.
Haha...I drove that road for over 10 years to pick up the 9 County dumpsters. I first had to drive nearly 90 miles just to get to the start of that demonized road. I actually was more willing to drive the James Creek Pass. There is a ghost town on the other side of the pass. Also got stuck in an avalanche in the middle of the winter on that road. Anyhow....Love your videos!!!
If that's hell, I may have to look into behaving more poorly :) You probably know that there's a Mount Greylock in Massachusetts as well. I've just learned that that one is probably named after a Native American chief, Gray Lock. Thanks for the video; happy travels.
My family had a cabin near Atlanta and I spent many hours of my childhood traveling with my dad on that road. the cabin burned down in a 2000 fire, and my dad has passed away, but your video brought back many wonderful memories of the river, trees, hot springs and the peace of wilderness. Thank you!
Apache Trail Road north of Phoenix is a challenging drive, also, and I would recommend you take that drive and record it. It is a very scenic drive as well.
Hi Tristan, Really wanted to thank you for the timing and the content of this video. We are currently in Eastern Oregon and heading towards Boise and were trying to come up with adventures in Idaho when we get there. This video took care of that, we are going! I met you last summer when you were picking up your new rig at Grady's place. I had the black Suburban and we had emailed 3 years previously but had never met before. It was great meeting you then and have always enjoyed your videos for years now. You do a great job, especially with the drone. Very few youtubers make me want to visit the spots they cover like you do. Keep up the great work we're enjoying it out here. -Rod
You just popped up on my feed and I'm so happy you did! You just added to my bucket list! I have a Honda Element and a newly found love of camping, and you Tristan, have a new subscriber! Thanks for the wonderful tour!❤👣
This was really nice to see. I really enjoyed the ‘dispersed’ conditions lending to great campsites. I have a tear drop trailer with fairly equipped off grid components that would be perfect to camp with in this area. The sites and scenery are beautiful. It’s definitely on my list, thanks to your efforts.
Awesome find Tristan! Last spot, turned out to be amazing. I enjoyed the trip and all of the footage with the drone. Lot's of work, but it turned out awesome! Looking forward to more!
Mt Greylock. In 1972, 4 men from Mtn Home AFB went to camp at Atlanta. For some reason they tried to climb Mt Greylock with zero ropes or equipment. They nearly made it to the top, when the pair of pistol belts they were using as a climbing rope broke, and Airman Ed Myers fell to his death. A damned shame as he was a good kid. He worked his last shift with me.
You and Jon Conti really have the beautiful Idaho touring going on right now and past videos of course. Keep up the good work! I live just north of Idaho Falls. Thank you!
Enjoyed this windshield tour of the Middle Fork of the Boise River. Better than some I've driven in Colorado and Wyoming. Thanks for the intro to this area.
The road is graded in early spring. Gets way worse throughout the year, especially in winter. I love going out there. The sketchy part for me is driving along the reservoirs on those steep hillsides with no guard rails and tons of blind corners. Also I would say high clearance is required just because of one place: There's a privately owned hot springs "resort" along that road, and they have made massive speed bumps. A normal car would bottom out or scrape. This is a fantastic road and I'm glad Tristan is sharing. Beautiful area to camp and soak relatively close to the city. Remember folks, Leave No Trace (fire pits are not trash bins!)
Really enjoyed the video. Loved your hot springs hunt. Thank you for sharing this stunning adventure. Your last hot springs seemed to be the real winner.
Just as in your last video, this one was super enjoyable. I always learn something from your journeys. I'll never get to all those places so it's nice seeing them through your eyes and your lens.
Thanks again for another great video! The road looked a lot smoother than say Grassy Lake Road going from Ashton to Flagg Ranch. Your drone footage was amazing. Thanks again for sharing your adventure and continued safe travels!
Great video! That last hot spring was a gorgeous spot. I am totally jealous 🤣 I always end-up watching your videos till the very end. 🙏 Looks like you are still driving the RAV 4, such a good little SUV 👍🏻
I was super excited about that last hot springs. I live in Oregon & I hear there are “hidden” hot springs in the John Day area you just happen upon. Those spots were great!
Looks like a fun drive. I recently moved to Washington and since watching your channel I've been excited to get out and explore Idaho this summer, can't wait. Thanks for sharing all these awesome places.
This was a great video, thank you so much for all the hard work in producing it. While you mentioned it was too early in the season to do much hiking, that may be true, but it seemed like you were the only one on the road and along the turnouts, which to me, made it a great time to visit. Really enjoy watching your videos, you come across so humble and wanting to share your trips, compared to those who are only doing them to show themselves. Thank you again.
Excellent video, especially the last hot spring, just enchanting. I've visited that general area but was not aware of Atlanta or the road. Would love to explore it. Reminds me of Jarbidge, NV, a great little village no less remote. (Add it to your list.)
@6:15 regarding your question, in the midwest and south, they could be crawdads, wasps or cicada killers, but I have never seen so many so close together like that. Very interesting!!
That little cable car over the river could also be for checking the river flow and level. You see them all over western Oregon rivers and they are used by state hydroligest.
Thank you for this “Road of Hell” tour. Looks to me that the locals named it to protect their hot pots. Personally I love hot springs, so again, thank you.
There is a much more interesting "road from hell" in that area. Go east from Stanley on 75, then take the Yankee Fork Road. Here, you'll find not only dredge ponds, but the dredge itself. There are signs along the road that give info about the dredging operation. Just at the dredge, turn left. This road will take you past a "gold mine" (they're actually taking the top off a mountain with huge dozers), and on past the Diamond D Ranch. Just after the Diamond D, stay on NF-172. The road goes through the edge of the Frank Church Wilderness (I believe it is the only road that goes through there at all), and winds it's way through some serious switchbacks to Pinyon Peak. (Along the way, you'll pass the access point for the Loon Creek Trail. Loon Creek is one of the primo trout streams in America - catch and release only - and is also home to several great hot springs!) At 10,000 feet, the view from Pinyon Peak is amazing, which is probably why there is a fire lookout there. Eventually, the road intersects with Hwy 21, northwest of Stanley at Beaver Creek Campground. This will take you several hours (all day, if you stop several times), but it is totally worth it! (Don't try this early in the season - I've always done it in late July or early August!)
A friend and I drove that road some 25 years ago in a 4-speed Jeep that had been retrofitted with a tractor engine. It wasn't terribly fast but it would go over just about anything. The real danger back then was that the logging rigs would run the road at speed and it is pretty much one lane in a number of areas. It was a return home for my friend and his grandfather ran a hotspring resort that was frequented by the helicopter pilots working for the logging companies. One of the pilots helped us out by flying in a keg of Anchor Steam (a "less foamy" ride for the keg) and we spent a rowdy night doing stupid human tricks with fire and water. The highlight of the visit was dynamiting a new pool in the hillside above the resort...or maybe the warm water plumbing, in retrospect! Naw, definitely playing with dynamite.
The hot spring across the river at around 16:00 emerges from a tufa mound. Tufa is precipitated calcium carbonate which was dissolved as the hot waters came up from depth through rocks containing calcite, like limestone or marble. Tufa mounds are usually tan-colored and crumbly. The Atlanta hot spring at about 23:00 also looks like a tufa mound. And the type of gold mining done with dredges at 16:00 is called placer mining. This ecologically-destructive process collects gold flakes and even nuggets which are washed down a stream valley and lodge in the sediments. The source of the gold is a mother lode somewhere upstream. I'm a retired geologist and used to hike out West most summers but am too old now. Thanks for taking me hiking vicariously!
Okay, as usual, you have made a beautiful video. Idaho is one state I haven't explored, although my daughter has with her 2 kids. You ask for a favorite part of the video, all of it! Great way to get my Zen on for the day. Thanks!
Nice video as usual! I live in Boise and have heard the name origin story about Grelock for decades. I believe it is named after someone or Mt. Greylock in Massachusetts. Here's what puts to rest the Chinese mispronounced story: wouldn't they have said "Glaylock?"
Loved my time in the Northern and central Sawtooths, looks like I need to see the Southern end too. Thanks for sharing the journey/day it was spectacular.
Very nice trip full of hot springs. Love the last pool clean and beautiful. Great roaring river. Love to hear more stories about the Chinese. Thank you.
In the southern US those little bug mounds are junebugs. There is a grub that was under ground. White with a brown head. They emerge to mate in may and June.
being a vehicular dweller myself I have been torn between getting rid of my suv for a van or sticking with the suv. I have ultimately decided to stick with the suv cause I can get places a van can not get too. Maybe a van could after a 4x4 conversion but I don't have money like that. Anyways your channel/websites have been awesome for finding places I didn't know about so thank you. SUV life :D
I’ve only ever seen mounds like that in my backyard living in SE Texas and in my experience, crawfish were building those. I’ve only ever seen them out after a heavy rain storm, otherwise they’d never come out
WOW! No words to express how gorgeous the scenery is. Love the metal bathtub for the hot spring waterfall and it's freaking free amazing. For the holes I was going to say prairie dogs. But I don't think so 😆 😆 😆 Probably is crawdads. I don't know why the road has all the bad names does not seem that bad.. I'm just rather surprised that it's not paved. Because it seems to go on forever it's not like it's just a short little Mountainside Road. Idaho is a beautiful state that's for sure. I forgot how beautiful I haven't been there since I was about 19. When I stayed with friends for summer in Thompson Falls Montana. We would go over to Coeur d'Alene and some of the beautiful mountain ranges around there. But I'm 65 now and I just don't remember what those mountain ranges were.lol
That pond you found with the inlet and outlet is just a sitting/bathing spot made the river water holds in a shallow and the water is held, the sun heats it up, and it's a manmade hot tub. The one with dead flies is for the birds (LOL) take a pool skimmer with you.
