The view above is from Fall Creek Road, 2-3 minutes before you reach Fall Creek Adventures

The excitement around this trip had been building for months.  I had purchased snow tracks for my SXS late Fall 2022 and spent a couple weekends getting them installed.  I also installed a new winch, which eased my concern of getting stuck during my maiden voyage.

I had never driven any machine with snow tracks in my life.  Combine that with the anticipation of getting to see what the reality of access to my mountain property was like and getting to see it covered in a blanket of snow had me chomping at the bit.

We always stop for fuel at the Maverick in Fruitland.  Their diesel (doesn’t make sense) is always substantially less than in town.  The Flying J in Caldwell had it at $5.25/gallon.  Maverick was $4.85/gallon.  Plus it’s easy pull through, represents about 1/3 the way on the trip (makes the remaining 2/3 feel so fast) and is a good bathroom break.

On Highway 95, after you pass through Mesa, watch for this sign because THAT is your turn!

First thing we noticed was a billboard saying the road was closed due to logging.

Then we realized the road was open on weekends (it was a Saturday) and we proceeded.

Later on, we’d realize the road was only closed after the Middlefork/Fall Creek intersection….and the road that was closed was Middlefork, NOT Fall Creek.

The random stints of warm sunshine combined with logging operations turned the typically smooth, enjoyable Middlefork road into a muddy and bumpy mess, but it still was easily traversed with a truck and trailer.

The intersection of Middlefork and Fall Creek is labeled as snowmobile parking on the Payette National Forest’s winter map.

So I HOPED for a turnout to be plowed to park my massive, 28ft flatbed.

Turns out, in 2022 because of logging, Middlefork road was not a groomed snowmobile trail, but instead it was a plowed road that was closed to the public during the week.

Despite no groomed snowmobile trail, they still did a have a nice, big wide spot for parking

And (I’m guessing also due to late season logging) Fall Creek Road was plowed!

We ended up being very over dressed because it was a beautiful, warm, clear, sunny day on the mountain

Fall Creek road was in better condition than Middlefork.  I was definitely surprised seeing so much bare ground.  It remained mostly dirt until the split off from road 221 and 214 (aka Fall Creek Road)

Right after the 180 degree bend, there is a section of road that accumulates more snow due to it being in the shade and against a steep mountain side.

But it had been plowed too and you could see pickup tire tracks in the snow.  Once I saw that, I concluded you could drive a truck into the property in January thanks to early Winter plowing.

We had a great time on this ride.  The distance from the parking to the property took just the right amount of time, not too long, not too short, I’d estimate it was 20 to 25 minutes.

I wish my cabin was built up there now because the sun was so nice and the air so clear that it made me wish I could spend some time up there exploring.

Watch below for video footage, including what it was like driving down the property itself

Middlefork road painted everything brown.  There is a pull through car was in Fruitland right off Highway 95 that makes for convenient wash downs on the way home, but we had to get home for a 4:30 tip of BSU basketball game and didn’t have even 5 minutes to do it.