The Endurance Drive, or “Ted” as it has been affectionately named by those who partook in the first one, is the most intense drive I have put together to date. Starting in Walla Walla and snaking around both sides of Hells Canyon, up the Whitebird Hill Climb, up and down the Lewiston Hill Climb, and more, this drive was one of the most rewarding, but it was also the hardest on the cars. Streets are not tracks. There are debris, gravel, animals, and a woman named Karen who will yell at you in Enterprise, OR at the only gas station in town. So before you read further, this is not a drive for your garage queen. Our list of the damage is detailed here if you think I’m kidding:
Melted rubber stuck into the fender liners of a Corvette Grand Sport
1 front camera lens
2 windshields
1 car overheating due to excessive hill climbing at high elevation
At least 20% of our tire tread on some cars
Boiled brake fluid on 2 cars
1 fog light lens
ROCK CHIPS. SO MANY ROCK CHIPS.
OK, so that’s my warning. What was gained was insane smiles built on pure adrenaline, a million photo and GoPro worthy moments as far away from civilization as you can get and still be on mostly good roads.
Recommended For This Drive:
Radios if you are in a group
A stand alone GPS or downloaded offline maps
Paint Protection
Fresh brake fluid
Excellent brakes
Tires in excellent condition
A compressor and patch kit
A mechanical “once over” of your car
Lower your comprehensive deductible for windshield damage or just plan on it getting peppered and likely cracked.
Water
Food for a snack
A GoPro 7 or higher (image stabilization helps greatly here)
Check traffic and construction for this drive here: Oregon / Idaho
DAY 1: WALLA WALLA TO MCCALL IDAHO
I typically stay at the Courtyard Marriott for convenience, but most of the hotels in town are nice there. There is a mediocre car wash here if you want to start out clean, which I recommend doing for the photos. From there make sure you get gas before you leave town, as the options are going to be very suddenly non-existent until Enterprise, OR. The fun starts almost immediately leaving Walla Walla, but be careful not to miss the turn to Hwy 204. Also, before we go further, DO NOT SPEED INTO SMALL TOWNS. This drive is pretty remote, but you can be sure to be caught in the many small towns where they have nothing to do but set up speed traps. Due to the length and remoteness of this next section of the drive, it’s imperative you fill up again in Enterprise, OR. Even if you have 3/4 or more of a tank, FILL UP HERE! There is no gas ahead for about another 100 miles, and the pumps in Joseph pump at about a gallon a minute. Not to mention, you’d be surprised how bad your gas mileage is about to get. I blame the elevation, or something.
The road into Hells Canyon is remote and rough at the start. Have faith here, but you will be cringing for about 2-3 miles while the road is partially graveled, chip sealed, and full of pot holes. The reward is worth it. Suddenly, this road will turn into almost perfect blacktop.
Start your GoPro HERE at the Salt Creek Summit Sno Park
This is a 50 mph road that winds up the mountains and through the canyons and the corners are marked for about 15-20, or less. Have fun, be safe, watch for motorcycles, and stay in your lane as best as you can, for your own safety and others. There is a bathroom at the top of the overlook, so you can get some relief there.
Winding down and out of Hells Canyon does not mean the fun is over. This day is fun start to finish. As you cross over the river and into Idaho, you will be greeted with a tight hill climb that snakes up the ridge. Note that some of these corners do have gravel and losing it will likely fling you to your death.
As you get further east there will be several little towns to stop and get some refreshments in, but no real gas station until Cambridge. If you filled up in Enterprise you’re probably good until McCall, but if you have 1/4 tank or less you’ll want to fill up in Cambridge as a few of us had to.
The road from Cambridge to McCall is busier, but still a ton of fun with some great views and short, but amazing mountain hill climb into McCall. Unfortunately this hill is very busy with traffic, commercial and otherwise, but sometimes you get lucky. When you get to McCall you can expect the usual police welcome, so slow it down. The best view and a good dinner can be had at The Shore Lodge. It’s worth the money for a lake front room if you’ve got a special someone with you. Also, the pool and hot tub are amazing any time of year. That said, even the cheapest hotels in town are fine here, just make sure you’re close to the city center so you can walk around. The car wash in town is actually pretty nice and well maintained and I recommend you clean your car that night for an early start the next day.
Day 2 - McCall to Walla Walla
An early start at the Fogglifter Cafe will make this day so much better. You’ll want to leave McCall with a full tank of fuel and as early as possible to help avoid as much traffic as you can. You’ll leave the same way you came in and hopefully get to enjoy that little section of twisties, but don’t be surprised if you end up stuck behind logging traffic again.
The extremely straight, flat section heading north of 95 out of New Meadows is tempting, but keep in mind that you'll need to watch for wildlife here, especially in the early morning. As you keep going north you’ll be treated by a higher speed limit and a beautiful, twisting canyon drive all the way to White Bird. The turn to White Bird can sort of sneak up on you since it’s on a crest, but you’ll see it. Take it nice and slow into town and support the locals by grabbing some refreshments and taking a bathroom break. That said, before you leave town, make sure everything in your car is VERY secure and your GoPro is mounted.
Turn your GoPro on HERE.
Here, at this specific section, you really need radios, and one with a long whip antenna. You’ll need to designate someone first to go up and last, for safety sake. This is the White Bird hill climb - Old 95 North. Remember, this is a road, not a race track. The only reason I suggest having a radio operator up top is so you can notify others of cars coming down and I do not trust anyone in a large vehicle not smoking their brakes going down this hill. Give your friends at least 30-45 seconds between cars so you can warn people effectively of traffic coming or going and keep in mind this is a very popular spot for motorcycle enthusiasts. As you get to the top you’ll meet back up with Highway 95, where you can pull over to a large spot and discuss the fun you just had, assuming you were safe and didn’t go flying off the cliff. Here’s a video of the first section of the hill climb to give you a sense of what you’re in for:
You will only be back on 95 North for less than a mile before turning off again to drive the old White Bird Hill road. Consider this road more scenic than quick as the corners WILL have gravel and I have seen wildlife here every time I go on this road, but it’s still a nice detour to relax and enjoy the drive down the hill.
Get some gas and a bathroom break in Grangeville at the service station listed on the map and resist the urge to run Lolo Pass and save it for next time, I promise the drive is just getting started. 95 into Lewiston is a long, traffic laden stretch that is currently under construction in several places, but it’s worth it to drive the Lewiston Hill Climb, which you want to do up and down.
Turn your GoPro on HERE.
The famous Lewiston Hill Climb deserves it’s reputation as hard as hell, but a firm reminder here that the building at the bottom of the hill is in fact the Lewiston PD and they are faster than you up that hill and you have no where to go. Driving this road at speed is more than enough for anyone outside of a purpose biuld Hill Climb car. Get in your fun run to the top and pull over to take in the view of Lewiston from the top before heading down. Don’t smoke your brakes on the descent.
Be sure to get gas at the station listed on the map or in Lewiston before leaving town.
I’ve always found it interesting that the Lewiston Hill Climb is the big draw here to most people, but 129 South is the real fun of this drive. This 100 mile section of butt-puckering canyon carving and long, fast straights is a road you will tell your friends about and come back to.
Turn you GoPro on HERE.
The only real view point on this stretch is the Joseph Canyon Viewpoint and this road does have intermittent construction and a lot of motorcycle traffic, still, due to how remote it is, we found it mostly empty even on a Sunday with a lot of room for safe passing in passing zones. Still, watch out for locals and “Karen” as we affectionately called the woman who in Enterpise, OR who was not happy she was passed by 8 cars in spite of going well under the limit (or maybe we were slightly over, I don’t recall). Still, again, never speed into towns, especially in a group. Some of you might be surprised you will need fuel again in Enterprise, so fill up here if you need to. I think the elevation causes bad gas mileage, or some other factor.
From Enterprise you will backtrack into Walla Walla, which will feel like an entirely different route in spite of having done it just the day before. There are a lot of great food options in Walla Walla as well as great wineries to visit to help you unwind.
Special thanks to Shanna, Davis, Matt, Alex, Joe, Paul, Kerry, Jared, Ashley, Gaurav, James, and Jodi for joining me on this incredible and difficult adventure.
