RANGE RIDERS
The Tukudeka thrived for thousands of years predominately in what is today called Idaho. A band of the Shoshone tribe, their name roughly meant “sheep eaters.” They lived high in the Sawtooth Range where they hunted and ate bighorn sheep. In winter, they often stayed there, preferring the sides of south-facing mountains where the sun and winds kept the snow less deep than down in the valleys where it piled high. They were masters of high altitude living, using ridges as footpaths to get around and survive.
With this knowledge tucked away, I met up with friends in Ketchum, Idaho, home to Sun Valley, where the foothills and mountains are better known to skiers. Slowly, however, it’s becoming a mountain biking destination, and I wanted to see what the fuss was about. With four days free to pedal through the ancestral lands of the Tukudeka, I packed the car
