by Craig O. Olsen
Originally Published in the IAMC Newsletter, May 2017
Since the reorganization of our club officers in January 2015, we have had a few changes in the leadership of IAMC as you will see in the following summaries. This is your chance to get to know your officers beYer. The May 2015 issue of the IAMC Newsletter fills in the biography on those officers who have not changed.
Dan Driscoll remains as president of our club, serving in his third year. Dan is still riding his KTM 690 and enjoying it because of its light weight, plenty of horsepower, and amazing suspension.
His favorite dual-sport ride is the one he is on at the moment, but at the top of his list would be the Lolo Motorway — hands down. Dan is look forward very much to doing more of the 2017 Challenge this year, as well as the Idaho Backcountry Discovery Route (IDBDR).
Dan wants the IAMC to be the “go-to” club for dual sport riding in Idaho and neighboring states. His advice for us is: “Don’t be afraid to ride with new folks or worry that someone will ride too fast or too slow. All of us are afer the same thing, to be on two wheels, off-pavement as much as possible, and just enjoying our beautiful outdoors.”
Craig Olsen continues to serve in his ninth
year as vice president and editor of the IAMC Newsletter. I am still riding my 2015 Triumph Tiger 800XCx and 2003 Suzuki DRZ 400E, though the laYer is “in the hospital” with a broken water pump casing afer my most recent ride to Green River and Moab, Utah. That’s beYer than last year when I was in the hospital with a broken leg while doing a remote secSon of the Transamerica Trail in Nevada.
Since the rides I listed as my favorites in 2015, I would have to list the Colorado BDR as next on my list of favorites. I enjoyed it so much that I rode it two concessive years, 2015 and 2016.
I continue to enjoy researching and writing articles for the IAMC Newsletter, and our intention is to make it a searchable repository of dual-sport riding information for club members. Those members who contribute articles to the Newsletter are most appreciated.
I continue to encourage all club members to participate more – sign up for and post your own rides on the events calendar, publish your ride reports (whether it is your ride or someone else’s ride in which you participate), upload your photos to the image gallery and tracks of your favorite rides to the route library, all on our club website. Of course, do not hesitate to submit an article for publication in our Newsletter – you don’t have to wait to be asked.
Doug Patchin is serving in his third year as our club secretary/treasurer. He also continues to ride his 2013 Triumph Tiger 800XC because of it’s super smooth motor. He has replaced his 2006 Suzuki DRZ 400E with a 2016 Husqvarna FE501 for its light weight and power.
Among his favorite rides are the two Pony Express rides (Nevada and Utah-Wyoming) sponsored by Sam Stone, the Continental Divide Ride from the Canadian to the Mexican border, and the Washington and Colorado BDRs. He is looking forward to riding the Idaho BDR and the Best of Montana in July. He hopes to post his ride that will follow the Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce route from Oregon to the Bear Paw Battlefield.
In Doug’s words, “I would like to see the club continue to grow and to keep the club on solid financial grounds. My vision for IAMC is that it will become the ‘go-to’ club in Idaho for dual sport riding information and knowledge. I would like to see both old and new members get involved as much as possible in club events and rides. Post your rides to meet new members.”
Michael Hardy is in his third year of serving as our Challenge officer. In this capacity he has been responsible for coordinating the selection of Challenge sites each year and promoting the Challenge. He continues to ride his trusty KLR 650 on which he has turned just about every nut and bolt belonging to it. In his own words: “I have learned much about motorcycling and the great state of Idaho because of my KLR. Technically, I also own half of a Yamaha TW200. My half needs oil changes, tires and repairs. Stacy’s [his wife and also a member of our club] half is a fun little goat in the sand and rocks that’s reliable and easy to pick up.”
Michael has been on so many good rides that he does not know how to label one as his favorite. He says, “A few come to mind though, such as the Steen’s ride I went on with Special Ed and RonS a few years ago, and the miserable ride to the Wallowa Jamboree through the pouring rain with Idaho Sam leading the way, an overnighter at Indian Hotsprings with Silverspurs, and trying to keep up with RWC around Hemmingway where I bent my skid plate on a big rock, and the same dang puddle dumped both JimE and me in the mud. Why are these my favorite rides? Because of the people I shared them with, the places we saw, and the way we adapted, persevered and came out smiling when things didn’t go according to plan.”
This year Michael looks forward to reaching at least the Gold Tire level in the Challenge. He has participated in the Challenge each year since its inception in 2010, but has not goYen more than 23 sites in a year. As Challenge office for our club, he is preparing a spreadsheet to keep a running tab on who has checked in at each of this year’s sites and regularly updating our progress on the Challenge to our club website.
Michael’s vision for IAMC is summed in these words: “I would like to see the club become more visible in the local community, and to be accessible and inviting to anyone who is interested in doing what we do. The club is as great as you make it, you get out of it what you put into it. Participation is key; so sign up for rides and events, and don’t be afraid to post up an invitation for others to ride along with you. Also the board appreciates your feedback, ideas, and suggestions; so let us know what you want!”
Ron Schinnerer served one year as our club IT officer managing our website replacing Dax Mickleson in January 2016. His help and experience has been valuable maintaining and managing our website on an antiquated and outdated operating system. In January of this year Ron replaced Sam Stone to become our “ride” officer, a somewhat ambiguous little for facilitating and promoting rides.
Ron was raised in a small town in Northeast Indiana, and he moved to Boise in the summer of 1984. He graduated from Purdue University with a BS degree in Electrical Engineering Technology. He worked for a couple different companies in the Treasure Valley prior to his current employment with Enernoc Inc., which is an industry leader in demand response and energy intelligence software. He and his wife have been married nearly 24 years with two step children and three energetic grandchildren.
His first introduction to riding was a minibike given him by his parents when he was preYy young. His first motorcycle was a 1976 Kawasaki KE100 that he bought new for $600. Upon graduating from college, he sold the KE100 and did not ride for many years. Later, he got involved with a group of ham radio operators providing communication support for the Southwestern Idaho Desert Riding association (SIDRA) that sponsor desert motorcycle races and the Boise Ridge Riders Idaho City 100. His interest in riding again was sparked by being around bikes and this riding community. In 2009 he purchased a Suzuki DR650 and went on his first ride with IAMC in 2010.
Currently (and having only room for one bike), Ron rides a 2013 KTM 650 Enduro R. He likes it for its middle weight size that is small enough to do well off-road, but still powerful enough to run highway speeds when needed. It also has great fuel mileage, which helps out on longer secSons between gas stops.
With so many memorable rides, it’s hard for Ron to choose a favorite one. He recalls a couple of years ago of camping with a group of riders in a saddle on the Magruder Corridor. He explains, “Shortly afer sunset, I heard a wolfhowlinginthedistance.ThencameareplyfromanotherwolfaliYlecloser.Thechorusofhowls continued with more and more voices coming closer and closer to our camp. It became very clear that we were not the only ones on that ridge that night. The realizaSon sparked an incredible sense of awe for me. It’s a moment that really stands out in my memory.”
Ron is currently planning to ride the Idaho BDR for the second time. He says, “It will be different this time because we will be riding from north to south, which is the opposite direction from last time so the scenery will look totally different. I really enjoy this route because of the incredible diversity of terrain and scenery that you find along the way.”
In his new position as ride officer, Ron looks forward to the opportunity of sharing with the club some of the experiences he has received over the years. His plan is to ensure that there are rides scheduled for each month of the season. In his own words Ron captures the spirit and purpose of our club: “IAMC has been a tremendous learning opportunity for me over the years. When I joined the club, I had a very limited knowledge of the area and had never ridden outside of the local area. I also had no experience camping from the bike. I learned a lot about how to be prepared on the trail, the incredible sights to see and have made some great friends along the way. I would like to see others in the area have the same opportunists and benefits that I have enjoyed. I think that there are a lot of people interested in the future of the club, and it will be strong for a long time to come.”
Ron feels that IAMC has a lot to offer its members: “There are chances to learn, ride to incredible places and enjoy the company of other riders. It exists because of the hard work of the members before us. We all will get the most out of this by participating, by leading rides and by joining in on rides that others post. We only get one shot at a riding season each year, let’s make the most out of this one!”
Trent Holderness replaced Ron Schinnerer in January of this year as IT officer managing the IAMC website. This comes at a critical Time when major overhauling and reconstruction of the IAMC website is required for us to move forward into the future. Trent’s expertise and willingness to share it with the club will greatly benefit us.
Trent grew up moving around a lot because his father worked for an international construction company. He has lived in New England, overseas, and eventually made it back to Idaho to graduate from Borah High School. He met his wife at Idaho State University where he began his studies, and they have lived in Idaho ever since. He completed his degree at Boise State University and worked as a framer through college, loving every minute of it. He found that building houses was fun and kept him physically in Sp-top shape, but soon learned that framing was not the best vocation for raising a family. After college, Trent worked for a manufacturing company then eventually made his way to Winco where he currently works as a software application developer.
Trent is happily married with two children, a fourteen year-old son and six a year-old daughter. Next year his son will be attending high school at Centennial, and his daughter will be in second grade. Trent’s dreams are summed up in these words: “I wish I could keep her in second grade forever. My son is growing up so fast, I am struggling to keep up with him, and he may soon be taller than me. My dream is to one day get my wife out to ride together.”
Trent’s first experience with a motorcycle was as a six years old when a neighbor took him for a quick ride up some dirt hills on his bike, and it scared him to death. Growing up he rode four- wheelers, but was still too afraid to ride motorcycles. Fortunately, a short commute to work on hot summer days in his truck that only got 12 MPG prompted him to look for other opSons that included either a motorcycle or a scooter. He overcame his fears and chose the motorcycle. Not knowing anything about riding, he chose to enroll in the beginner STAR course. Afer earning his endorsement, he bought a used 1996 Yamaha Virago 250, which was ideal for commuting and to learn how to ride.
In his words: “I enjoyed my little cruiser, but there were so many places I wanted to explore that were either up a hill or off the pavement. I love the outdoors, hunting, backpacking, and fishing and needed a way to merge my new passion
for motorcycles with the outdoors. I sold my entry level Virago and upgraded to the best entry level dual-sport I could
afford, the venerable Kawasaki KLR 650. I bought a used 2007 Gen 1 from an older fellow who worked at Micron. He commuted one mile with it and it was always parked in the shade or in the garage. When I got a hold of it, it looked as though it had just emerged from the showroom. The bike was stock giving me a good platform to upgrade.”
Trent has only been riding a dual-sport for a year. He enjoyed the 2017 IAMC Challenge that forced him to get out and explore places he might not have otherwise. His favorite club ride was the spring jaunt to Prairie, which also happened to be his first Time on dirt. He says, “It took me awhile to get comfortable on gravel, and I appreciate the club for their patience.”
Ever since he became exposed to dual-sport riding, Trent has wanted to ride the Owyhee Backcountry Byway. With several Challenge sites this year in that part of southwest Idaho, Trent looks forward to exploring the Owyhee desert on two wheels. Next year He hopes to undertake a multi-day club ride like the Idaho BDR.
Currently, with Trent’s position as IT officer, he has the directive to migrate the club website to a new service. He comments, “I hope to have it up and running soon. There is a long wish list for the website, and I hope to fulfill it the best I can. Technology is great, but nothing beats ge|ng out and riding.”
Continuing, he says, “I would like to see the club continue to be a resource for dual-sport riding in Idaho. As a beginner, my exposure to dual-sport riding would not have been as safe and positive without the club and its members. We have assembled a good bunch of guys. I’d like to keep it that way. I look forward to watching the club grow and modernize. Thanks for supporting the local dual-sport community. Ride safe and have fun.”
Arden Hill replaced Ken Hunter inJanuary of this year as the liaison officer for our club sponsors. He grew up in Utah and American Samoa where his father was a teacher. He iniSally moved to Idaho to attend college, and there met and married his wife who is from Idaho Falls. Arden has an associate arts degree from Brigham Young University, a bachelor of science degree from Brenau in Georgia, a master of science in risk management from Georgia State, and an MBA from Seattle Pacific. He has spent thirty years in aviation insurance as an underwriter, risk manager and broker. He is also a pilot with about 4,000 hours flying.
In 1984 he moved his family to Boise where they lived for four years before moving with work to Atlanta, Seattle and Calgary in Alberta, Canada. In 2015 they moved back to Idaho settling in Emmet where his wife, Renae, is an accomplished artist. They have six children and eleven grandchildren.
Arden’s first motorcycle was a Honda 50 when he was ten years old. In high school he purchased a Honda 350CL and later an YL250. He put himself through college working on motorcycles, snowmobiles and boats. He and Renae rode street bikes together in college. When they began having children, the bikes were put away unSl the children were grown and started leaving the home.
While in high school Arden began riding dirt in the Indian Canyon and Book Cliffs area around Duchesne, Utah.
He did not get back into dirt riding unSl he and his family moved to Emmett. At that Time, he purchased a Honda XR650L. He found IAMC online, joined and watched the event board for rides. In his own words: “One of my first rides was with ‘Honda Bob’ on single track in the Owyhee Mountains — a bit of schooling, but I survived and loved it. Thank you for posting rides and letting me tag along.”
Currently, Arden owns a 2005 KTM 500EXC, a 2017 Husqvarna 701 (replacing his BMW F800GSA) and a 2016 BMW R1200GSA. He finds that the KTM handles the rough stuff, the Husqvarna is much lighter for adventure riding than the BMW F800GSA, and the BMW R1200GSA is for light double track, gravel roads and touring — it handles the road and can do some preYy heavy off-road as well.
The Colorado BDR is Arden’s favorite dual-sport ride to date because of its five peaks over 11,000 feet and amazing landscape. His second choice is riding the North Fork of the Clearwater. The western coastline also ranks up there — so many rides, so little Time. Regarding future dual-sport rides, Arden has this to say: “I just got back from a week in Green River and Moab, UT. If you haven’t done the White Rim Trail in Canyonlands N.P., it should be on your bucket list. I am planning a May trip to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon, Little
Colorado lookout on Arizona BDR and Devil’s Backbone and Hole in the Rock near Escalante, Utah. I plan to ride the rest of the Idaho BDR, Bear’s Tooth and Chief Joseph Byway this year also.”
As liaison officer for our club sponsors, Arden encourages club members to support our sponsors. Regarding his vision for IAMC, Arden feels: “Enjoy riding. As a professional risk manager, I would encourage you to keep your level of riding to about 70% of your capability, as a buffer. Keep your bikes in good working order.”
Chuck Scheer began in January of this year serving as our officer
on IAMC logo design and Challenge paraphernalia, but actually he has
been doing this for our club the past several years. Chuck grew up in South Boise, the son of an Idaho native who was an avid backwoods outdoorsman. In Chuck’s words: “I was lucky to have the best guide and teacher a son could ask for. When we were not in the Idaho back country hunting, fishing and camping, we boated the lakes and reservoirs of southwestern Idaho.”
Chuck graduated from Boise High in 1963. After receiving an associate degree from Boise Junior College, he attended the University of Idaho earning a bachelor of arts there. He then taught in the Boise schools unSl 1974 when he had the opportunity to join the staff of Boise State University as the university photographer, and he taught art and photography as a member of the adjunct faculty. Chuck retired in 2002 with emeritus status.
Both of Chuck’s parents were Idaho natives with strong roots in Boise and Council, Idaho. He and his wife, Pam, married in Boise, raised their children here where Pam worked at Boise Cascade CorporaSon. Their daughter teaches kindergarten and their son is an artist. Their oldest grandson recently celebrated his first wedding anniversary, and their younger grandson is attending Portland Community College.
A Honda Super Cub belonging to a neighbor was the first motorcycle Chuck rode in about 1959, but the bike he really learned to ride was a Honda Bently Dream — you will have to look that one up! After college, Chuck purchased a Honda 305 Scrambler for summer fun and a commute to work. According to Chuck: “It sounded great and looked good, but it was a PIG! On one ride into the foothills I had goYen the pig stuck and stranded again, and as I struggled to get it moving, I heard the most amazing sound when a blue two-stroke called a Greeves flew by us at incredible speed. I had one the next week. I loved those bikes and enjoyed many hours of fabulous dirt riding on one. We are so lucky to have the Boise Foothills at our doorstep. In the 60s riding was preYy much wide open, and we went almost anywhere we wanted.”
Currently, Chuck rides a Suzuki DR 650SE on back country trails and off-road because it is fairly light, handles well, has enough power, and is well built in addition to being efficient and easy to maintain. His other dual-sport is a BMW R1200GS that he takes on long trips involving moderate dirt and gravel. It handles well for a big bike, can carry a ton of camping gear, and can be equipped with many farkles.
Chuck finds it hard to pick a favorite dual-sport ride. Thanks mostly to IAMC, he has been on many rides to remote scenic locations, experienced views of truly incredible vistas, and spent uncountable hours of saddle Time with friends and family. He recommends that club members make an effort to ride to and visit some of these places he counts as special: China Wall, Indian Post Office on the Lolo Motorway, Aquarious Campground on the North Fork Clearwater River, Tunnels and Trestles north of Avery, Elk Summit north of Yellowpine, Corn Creek Boat Ramp on the Main Salmon River, Kleinschmidt Grade into Hells Canyon, Red Rock Pass between Henry’s Lake and Monida in Montana, the Owyhee Uplands Back Country Byway, and Hat Point Lookout in Oregon. He feels that would be a good start.
Regarding the 2017 IAMC Challenge sites, several got Chuck’s aYenSon — Copper Falls in the Idaho panhandle, Red River Hot Springs near the beginning of the Magruder Corridor, Black Lake in the Seven Devils. He feels they will make great destinations on awesome rides. The spectacular ride to Black Lake tops his list, and he will do his best to get that one done this year.
Speaking of our club, Chuck says: “I hope we can maintain a website presence in the future. I find the ride reports and images added to the image gallery particularly interesting. I like to learn what fellow dual-sporters are up to, follow their quest for challenge sites and hear about their recent adventures. Maintaining a useful and fun website is critical, in my opinion, to a healthy club. Our Club is not unique but it is one of, if not the best of its kind around.”
To the members of our club Chuck has this comment: “I would say ‘Thank You’ for helping to make this club a success! The IAMC has allowed me to explore, see amazing places (most I didn’t know existed before the Challenges), and experience true adventures that make memories for a lifeTime. I only needed an excuse like our club to make it come true.”