Description: The Kelly Canyon/Big Hole Mountain area has become one of my favorite places to ride. This is one of many rides I have taken in this area. I had yet to be on Bear Trap Canyon Trail and so planned this ride to check it out. It proved to be a fairly difficult ride.

The first 9 or 10 miles is a gravel road down along the South Fork of the Snake River, which is a very beautiful area. From there we went up Burns Canyon until we hit Bear Trap Canyon.

We had a first timer, although an experienced moto-crosser, with us. He had a 250 2-stroke that was geared for moto-cross, which proved to be a bit of a challenge on Bear Trap. It is a relatively steep climb with lots of roots, rocks and washed out trail. For me, it was almost more than this over 50, not in such good shape, riding a 275 lb bike could handle. I was thankful the rest of the trail was relatively easy from that point. I would rate Bear Trap as on the upper end of Advanced Intermediate. The rest of the trail was mostly Lower Intermediate. I missed the turns at Hilton Creek and Trail 226, which would have shorten our ride by about 20 miles! After the last picture on the map below it was all gravel road back to our loading point.

 

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