June 4

Missile Base
Held south of Bruneau
Hosted by "Happy Trails" Robin, "Lucky Ladies" Kathryn and Tracy, and "Giddy Up Gals" Kathy and Tammy
and their trusty steeds Scotty, Rock, Raz, and Bridger

Another nice ride with beautiful scenery and a fun theme!

Friday

Wildflowers on the way in. Wild Flax (Linum perenne lewisii)

Globe Mallow (Sphaeralcea munroana)

The gate to the old missile base.
It was a Cold War-era base of three silos for the Titan I Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM).
The 160 foot deep silos were designed to withstand earthquakes and nuclear missile impacts.
Construction ended before the deadline of 1 April 1962. In May of 1964, the phase-out of the
Titan I weapons began, and they were replaced with the more efficient Titan II. The 569th Strategic
Missile Squadrons sites in Idaho closed down and the personnel moved to Lowry AFB, Colorado.
All Titan I squadrons were deactivated in June 1965.
https://www.idahoarchitectureproject.org/properties/nuclear-missile-silos/

Kathy's home-away-from-home

Tracy, Kathryn, and Kathy waiting for people to arrive

People arriving

Setting up corrals

Darrell, Rita, Bob, and Raina going for a little evening ride

Saturday

Started a little chilly

Setting #1

The "Hammer and Sickle Banner"

The Antoniuks finding #1

"Old Glory"

Kathryn giving directions

Barry, Raina, and Bob finding #1

Shane, Ellen, and Laurajean finding #1

Headquarters

Teams Timing Out

"Hot to Trot" Rita and Holly, Darrell and Chica

"Three Amigos" John and Shorty, Toni and Nemo

"Die Hards II" Mike (and Jimmy), Candy (and Sissy)

"Stagecoach Gaited Posse" Derek and Willie, Lisa and Ruby, Terry and Peppermint

"Wanderers" Patty and Honey, Stasia and Bozo

Eagle Eyes Shane: There's a horny toad

How did he see this tiny little thing from way up there?

"Hot Tin Foil" Ellen and Ernie, Laurajean and JJ, shane and Ella

Ernie thinks the ride manager instructions are boring; let's get going!

"Faithful Diehards" Melissa (and Sierra), Sue (and Hank)

"The Antoniuks" Alyssa and Ren, Elliott and Indy, Sam and Digit

"Brush Poppers" Tina and Dreams of Spain, Wendy and Brandy, Jesse and Sage

"Renegades" Christine (and Mystic), Lee (and Shadow)

"Zipper Lips" Barry (and Rummy), Raina (and Whiskey), Bob (and Billy)

Kathy reading the Ride Manager's Notes

Tammy doing the Timing

Somebody is loved!

I call it "Fake Fallujah"

The M4 Sherman Tank that the United States used in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam
sitting on a man-made pile of rocks N of the road

The Soviet T35 multi-turreted heavy tank sitting on a rock that is on a pile of dirt S of the road

Kathryn at #2

Cushion plox (Phlox hoodii)

Kathryn at the Soviet R-7 Semyorka Missile (the World’s first intercontinental ballistic
missile [ICBM]) on a sage bush SW of the confluence of the drainages

Tracy and Kathryn at the United States SM65 Atlas Missile (the first operational
ICBM developed by the US) on a rock outcrop N of the dry creek bed

Western/Gray Hawksbeard (Crepis occidentalis - I think)

Paintbrush

Rayless Shaggy Fleabane (Erigeron aphanactis)

Found this balloon in the middle of nowhere

Tammy getting the gate

The United States F86 Saber jet fighter on a rock outcrop N of the dry creek bed

The Soviet MiG-15 jet fighter on a sage bush S of the dry creek bed

Flax

Neat rock outcrop near #4

Upland/common larkspur (Delphinium nuttallianum)

Fat little Western Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)

The Soviet SS-X-15 ICBM mobile intercontinental ballistic missile on its
T-10 Transport Erector Launcher (TEL) launch vehicle on the cliff face

The United States mobile, short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) MGM52 Lance
ready to fire from its MGM Transport Erector Launcher (TEL) launch vehicle
on a large rock which is “flipping the bird.”