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1.START-END SOUTH:jct Antelope Valley Rd - US93 2.profile turns north onto FR135 Bear Creek Rd 3.TOP1, Bear Creek Summit, 7520ft 4.low point between summits,road crosses Left Fork Cherry Creek, 6800ft 5.TOP2, Antelope Pass, 8920ft 6.START-END NORTH ALT: turnoff on right goes to Corral Creek Summit aka Burma Rd 7.profile joins Trail Creek Rd 8.START-END NORTH:low point on US93, just before joining US93

Approaches

From South. The profile starts at the jct of US93 with Antelope Valley Rd. This verdant, spacious valley is scattered with ranches and some new real estate investments, set in a world of sweeping green hills. The next part of the description is on the Bear Creek Summit page, and resumes here at the low point between Bear Creek Summit and Antelope Pass, shown on the profile above. The surrounding area now stands in contrast to the sweeping grass surfaces on the lower approach. At the low point between the two summits I meet a group of hunters camped out bear in dense woods, made up of Aspen and Evergreen trees.

What starts out as a fairly unassuming climb through the trees grows into a steep series of switchbacks, mostly on pretty ridable surface. The views that emerge to the south remind of the world of steep grassy surfaces left behind. These five miles are quite a workout. At regular intervals the road offers convincing excuses to either stretch those walking legs, or take a short breather. But 2 minutes later, they seem to say "that's enough now. See - this grade and surface really are not that bad". Finally, at one switchback the last ramp to a ridge above treeline comes into sight, as the road takes a determined step to suddenly climb above treeline. It doesn't look very steep any more now that there are only 300ft left to climb. But now that the view is unimpeded to Smiley Mountain (a main attraction on Bear Creek Summit) and the perfectly conical Miller Peak, there may be even more reason to stop. The top is a well defined ridge with possible walks above treeline in both directions. The reason for the elaborate wind barriers, anchored down at the top, becomes apparent as soon as you reach the pass. There are no signs here, just poles that presumably once held them. A grand new view direction north sheds light on another large sweeping valley, known as Copper Basin, with "Black Dome" behind them. This is actually a amazingly rugged ridge, that could be at home in the Sawatch Range in Colorado behind Taylor Pass. Looking at pictures of both, I don't know if I could separate them, These are little lower and smaller, but achieve "ridge status" more quickly from their base.

From North. (described downwards) In the company of high elevation Idaho cows the decent is reasonably rapid, and becomes more rapid as each of the summit switchbacks disappear behind. Finally the narrow track becomes straight as an arrow, so that the speed is only limited by the sometimes slightly bumpy surface, and the desire to stop and take in this now again sweeping quality of the landscape. The vantage point on the Black Dome complex improves as you head north. The metamorphosis back to a wide, smooth unpaved highway becomes complete and the road merges with the Copper Basin Loop Rd.

As is the habit in Idaho, intersections on these types of roads are never signed. Poles left standing actually give the impression that any signs have been removed, possibly on purpose to cut down on the presumed crowds they might cause to congreate. This is also the case at the jct with Burma Rd over Corral Creek Summit. That is a convenient well surfaced way out to US93 when making loops in this area from north or south.

However, in the interest of a strictly decreasing profile in this side, the profiled route continues the long and super smooth decent north to meet with Trail Creek Rd.