Sprinklers!

Tuesday. June 21
Summer Solstice
15 miles. Maybe

Not yet to Emmett ID

Bad bed in hostel - springs poking through.

Parking meters needing to be fed and 1 hour limits - dang rental car, remember.

Delicious breakfast at Goldys: Veggie Benedict and Stuffed French Toast

Little Mexican band on street corner.

Worst traffic of my whole ride.

Blazing sun scorching my skin.

First flat. Ran over something trying to get to shade

Birding along the way:
Western Kingbird
Morning Dove
Bullocks Oriele and nest
House Finch
Ferruginous Hawk


Fabulous dinner of stir fried veggies, angel hair pasta, and cheese. Organic dark choc for dessert. Heaven.

Camping in the manicured entryway to a housing subdivision because it was the only shade

Awaking to sprinklers!!!

Memorable first day of bike touring for Fuat, but he sure seems to be enjoying it.




Pedal on, Pedal on

Saddle BagLady

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Llama keeper. Part 2

Sat and Sun June 18 & 19
Still in Idaho City

My host, Paul, suggested I move the llamas to new patches of grass. Simple task. They're in screw in stakes. How hard can this be? I'm an animal handler for christsakes. So I move the first one. Ergh. Tough ground. Can't seem to get the stake in all the way. That will have to do. Go get #2. Trying to screw him in and look up. Where's #1? No where in site. Shit! Meadows with woods behind and neighbors up the hill. I'll find him later. And on I go. When I finish, three are loose and two are tethered. Can't find the 3 loose ones. Hope they come home. Go in the house. While on the phone, I look out and #4 is loose now and leaving. WTF! I'm in this stranger's house and managed to lose 4 of his 5 llamas in less than 24 hours. Maybe I should leave a note and move on. "Gotta run. Thanks for the night. Llamas all tethered in front!". After Paul got home, we joked aplenty about my losing his llamas. But I did manage to recover them all before he arrived. Guess I could have kept my mouth shut, but the story was such fun to tell him. Those llamas have roamed all over these parts it turned out.

Decided to stay a 3rd night and will bike into Boise tomorrow. Need to be at Enterprise by 5 pm to pick up rental car. Paul and friend Diana are taking me to Ketchum Hot Springs this afternoon. Too good an option to pass up.

The rest feels good before the next leg if my journey.

Off to tour downtown Idaho City. Saw some of it yesterday, but it was raining so not so much fun.

I'll get some pictures today. Rustic western buildings of yesterday. Love seeing them.


Pedal on, Pedal on

Saddle BagLady

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Boise!

Monday, June 20
Boise, ID
36 miles
Close to 600 trip miles

Felt good to be back in the saddle today after 2 full days off. Blaze was well rested, realigned back end, and chomping at the bit. And it was an easy ride, mostly downhill with only one small climb.

City biking is not fun, though. Too many cars. Too little room for bikes. But Boise has some bike lanes which helps. But I made it to the hostel, which is well hidden. Not many folks here even know there is a hostel.

Fuat, a friend from the Adirondacks, is arriving tonight with his bike and gear to join me from here to Portland. This will be his first bike tour. He's gonna love it, I'm sure! And I'm gonna love the company!

Had a great time in Idaho City! Thank you Paul for your warm and easy-going hospitality. Felt like home. Deanna, loved getting to know you, too. And what a cook! Thanks for the wonderful meals you whipped up with such ease. Truly a resting break from the road. And I so enjoyed learning about llamas, even if I can't screw their tethers in securely. Hope we're able to make that llama-packing trip happen in Sept. I'll be in touch.


Pedal on, Pedal on

Saddle BagLady

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Llama Keeper - Not!

Friday June 17
Idaho City
30 miles, I guess

Over 500 total. Losing track.

Still had to go up some more to the top of the Loman Climb. And then down. And then up to Mores Creek Summit at 6100 ft. Man, are my quads getting strong! They even feel different to the touch. Love it! I didn't have the same endorphins this morning as i had last. A bit tiring this uphill pedaling today. But I did it! Perseverance. That's what much of what I do is about. Quitting is not an option.

What a delightful downhill into Idaho City. Went straight to the Calamity Jane Cafe. Had to get some juice into my iPhone so I could find the directive to Paul's house (friend of Dennis'). Little did I know I just had to ask a local:). Several people had stories about him.

Biked up his long dirt road - not an easy task with Blaze. And pushing her is even worse. But on some of the hill, there was no other option.


Beautiful log home on 5 acres with 5 llamas tethered about.



No one home til tomorrow and not much food. Shoulda picked up something in town. Oh well. Scrounge. You're a hiker. You'll eat anything!

Pedal on, Pedal on

Saddle BagLady

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The Kindness of Strangers

Thursday, June 16
About 40 miles
South of Lowman ID

7 am. Mornings are the worst. Cold. Have to put on layers so I can rip them off as I warm up later. Have to pack up crunchy, frosty tent this morning. Sleeping near a stream will do that, I've found out. And I know that soon my toes will be in pain from the cold when I start pedaling no matter what I do to help them stay warm.

Slept 10 hours last night. Felt so good:). Frosty soaked oatmeal this morning - it's not hitting the spot. (how do you do it Willing & Abal?) 30 miles to a place to buy food. That's a full day's ride for me. Maybe less with the long downhill - wheeee!

And all I reall want to do is crawl back in this warm sleeping bag and read.

Finishing this day's blog Fri evening and my memory of the day's activities are never as good so much later. The big goal for the day was Soudough Lodge. It was the first place since Stanley with supplies and food. And remember, Stanley was "closed". So I was pretty focused on getting to Lowman. And I was disappointed. Actually I was delighted...by the kindness of a stranger. Thanks Jennifer for picking up my breakfast and dinner! I go to leave and the waitress tells me the other folks I had been talking with had paid my bill...and I had ordered a wrap to go for dinner besides the eggs and coffee.


Long climb out of Lowman - 10 miles UP! But Blaze is a trooper. She just kept up a steady pace. Hard finding a sleeping spot on a road that's been carved into the side of a mountain. Straight up on the left and straight down on the right. Only flat spots are the turnouts. Thought about camping there but was afraid someone would not see me and pull in and run me over. Ouch! But trusted the universe and kept pedaling. And sure enough - voila! A dirt road off to the right and flat spot for my campsite. Of course. What I need when I need it. Always. And only 7:30. Got my iPod on and tunes have been helping the feet go round. I'm still pumping when I get off the bike after miles of uphill. So I start dancing with my shadow. Love the feeling of the energy moving through my body. What a Shalom moment! Ahh! Life is good!

Pedal on, Pedal on

Saddle BagLady

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The Miserably, Majestic Day

Wednesday June 15
Past Stanley, Idaho
Miles? Maybe 30
Total miles. Losing track. Maybe 400ish. (Don't have a guidebook that tells me exactly where I am.)

I followed the Salmon River through the mountains all morning. The road was twisty turny with NO shoulders. I repeat, NO shoulders. White line, gravel, fallen rocks. The drivers were great and no one (well,maybe one) got upset with me.

And I had to constantly stop and take pictures. So much to capture! Oh ya, and there were hot springs bubbly up along side the road. I thawed my toes out there:)

And I saw a helicopter carrying a massive power pole slowly lower it into a hole high on a hill. Quite a site! Got it on video. I was worried that he'd hit one of the power lines with it. Not to worry. The power was turned off.

Yup. Got to Stanley I'm time for lunch and everything is closed. Like a ghost town. What's up? Power shut down til 5 pm. And it's 1:00. Arrrgghhh! Do I wait? Do I bike on? How far 'til there's a store? About 50 miles. Really? Ya know how you carry your fears? Well I've kept telling myself I had too much for a biker. Stocked like a hiker. I can always buy more in the next town. Well, not today. But I do have enough to go the 50 miles I decided. Cheese and Triscuits for lunch. Trail mix for snack. Ramen noodles for dinner. And just for Willing and Abal, I'm soaking oatmeal and fruit for breakfast. Oh, better go do it before I forget.

Done. Now where was I? So I decided to leave after a wonderful conversation with a mom pushing a stroller walking in short sleeves, baby in bare arms, and me in long sleeves shivering. They grow them tough in Idaho, she told me.
What a quaint town with unlaced streets and rustic buildings... But mo AT&T service. Another Arrggghhh! I mighta stuck around til 5 if I coulda got caught up on emails and facebook. No reason to stay, so off I went.

Into the strong headwinds I'd been bucking all day. I asked the woman if these winds were usual around here. No. Guess I'm just lucky. And they were quite chilly winds, at least to me. So I'd have my wind breaker on with hood up to warm me and then the winds would stop (they were gusting), and the sun was quite strong and quite warm ... and I'd get hot -hot flash- and there I'd be guiding the bike with my left knee ripping away at the jacket to get some cool air on my body. Another Arrggghhh!

And yet I was biking through some of the mist beautiful part of the country with pine trees scattered across the mountain sides, snow dusting the peaks, weathered rustic zigzag fences along the streams (wish I knew why) and lush grassy meadows...you, just like in the pictures, but I'm pedaling through it. For hours. For days. For weeks.


Yesterday I decided I was being too anal watching the mph, avg mph, total miles and all that...so I didn't let myself look at anything but the clock all day and just see how many miles I did by days end. 38. Not bad. I know: I'm slow.

So today I was trying the same thing, but I did check in Stanley and it was 15 miles. Well, a ways out of town, I look down and there's nothing registering on my computer. So I look to see if the wireless transmitter has pivoted away from the wheel. Gone. Lost it and the post it was mounted on. Arrrggghhh!!! Again? Not my day. One glove jumped ship this morning, but I realized it before biking off. A pink neon plastic flag I've adopted jumped off, but I saw it in my mirror. I didn't see or hear this fall away. I went back about a mile or so, but found nothing. Not to be. So now I don't have to pretend not to look, I have no idea how fast or how far except for the mile markers on the side. It'll be an interesting trial. Have to see if I replace it in Boise.

I'm loving drinking from mountain streams again. That water tastes so good! I brought a Steripen for debugging my water and the first time I went to use it it didn't work. Red light! I guess the batteries lost their charge. Too cold maybe. It's getting quite crowded in my sleeping bag with me and all the gear that needs to stay warm. We fight for space:).

It's getting cold again at night and I'm using my 15* bag. Sure glad I have it. Tonight's chilly already and it's not yet 8:00. And there are patches of snow all around outside my tent. Yup, I'm up above the snowline tonight.

Tomorrow a 10 mile downhill I've been told. Wheee!!!!! Hope it's warm by the time I get to it.




Pedal on, Pedal on

Saddle BagLady

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Incredible Views!!!

Monday June 13
Challis, Idaho
45 miles today, about 350 total

There are views sometimes that make me feel I'm back in the Himalayas. And I gave to remind myself I'm in the good 'ole US of A. Tonight I have a pastoral view if cattle grazing on lush grass behind rustic, wooden fences, softly mooing; and behind them snow capped majestic mountains in all directions. Why am I so lucky? I sometimes ask myself.

Today I biked over a +7500 ft summit and came down 10 miles in the rain. Whee!! Just as I got to this incredible canyon with high stone walls that the road goes through, the rain stopped. And so did I to take it all in. Pictures do not do it justice. Ya gotta see it for yourself. My brother asked me, before I left Riverton, "Why do you do this?". And I didn't really have an answer. Today I did. So I can feel alive!!!!!! The people I meet, the views I see, biking uphill in the rain, talking to the animals that come over to greet me by the side of the road. All of that and more! Tonight I'm enjoying the setting sun, cool breezes, and sounds of birds I can't identify (sorry, Fuat;)). Life is good!

Today was rich and full. Besides the fun of the climb and the rain, I met a real live working cowboy, Curtis who was out herding his cattle back up away from the road. His horse's name was Chrome. He had 2 herding dogs with him too. He said he was a rarity and that around here there are some cattle that have never seen a horse. Cowboy on a horse is a dying breed. Glad I got to meet a real one! And see him working, too!

I also saw an albino calf. Oh how I wish I could have gotten a picture but my good camera doesn't come out in the rain. I also saw roadrunners. Birds that run across the road. I hope that's what they're called.

Then, as if this all wasnt enough for today, I biked into Challis and spotted this mural.


Thats just part of it. And this guy walks up to me and asks me if I'd like to know the history of the painting. Of course! Well, he painted it 2 years ago from a photo taken on July 4, 1898 that his mother-in-law had. It was a picture taken right here in Challis and the photo has the names of everyone in it written on it. Thanks Denis Dubois! What a serendipitous meeting. Trail magic keeps happening all over the place.

And the last thing I want to mention is all the waving from drivers here in Idaho. More drivers wave than don't. Really warms my heart! A wave. A toot. I feel so welcome on the road. Idahoans are sure warm and friendly! Thank you!!

Oh and last night I slept up in the tumbleweeds. And tonight I'm sleeping in a small pavilion about big horn sheep. Maybe it will help keep my tent dry during those early morning rains. (it's just that cement is sooo hard!)

Pedal on, Pedal on

Saddle BagLady

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Short But Sweey

Arco ID
17 miles. 267 total




Bopped around Idaho Falls on a new steed. Don't let Blaze see this picture:). It'd break her heart. Went through some if the beautiful subdivisions, down to the falls, and to a couple of farmer's markets. Wonderful change of pace! Thanks, Sarah!!!

And got a ride out about 50 miles so that I wouldn't be camping on govt nuclear testing site. So I had a short jaunt in to Arco. Short, but interesting. I met Glenn Caffery. He's a guy who's running across the US to raise $$$ for curing Alzheimers. Check out his site at alzrun.org. And make a donation if you're so moved. Certainly a good cause. He's running 50 miles a day pushing his gear in a trailer.

Then I met Beth and Adam (I think). Brother and sister doing a 4 day ride across Idaho. 200 miles. Today they out did themselves biking from Idaho Falls to Arco. About 65 miles. 13 hours. Thanks you guys for dinner! So thoughtful. Hope I see you out there again tomorrow!

And a gent in the restaurant suggested a town park with bathrooms as a place to spend the night. I hear a raucous outside my tent. Hope that's not him! Nope. Just a dog. Whew! Hope he stays away from the food on my bike.

Gosh golly, I love this life of wandering!!! I love not knowing what's around the next corner or who I'll meet.

Pedal on, Pedal on

BagLady

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We're Flying Now

Idaho Falls, ID

50 miles, trip total 250




Above photo is a campsite near the road, the night i slept with my food in my vestibule cause i was too tired and it was too rainy and there were no good bear bag trees.

Blaze got cropped, at least one tail did. And now she's trotting! We avg'd 10 mph yesterday and it felt so much more normal and pleasant to move along a bit faster. I'd gotten to dreading the day ahead because just getting 40 miles in was getting to be torture. Push, push, push. And getting nowhere. But that's behind us, and I'm happier for it.

The waitress at breakfast arbutus little diner in Swan Valley said there was a monster hill ahead. One her truck had a hard time going up. Her eyes got big and round as she thought about me biking up it. I asked her how it compared with the one between there and Victor that I had gone over. And she said that was a baby hill in comparison. Now I was a bit worried. So off I go. Gotta go. Hills and all. And I come to a hill early. And we chug up it. Nothing special. Nothing her truck couldn't do. Was that it? Is there another? On and on I pedal, worrying there's another Big One. But the valley flattens out and the hills are all in the distance. She was pulling my leg:). And so serious about it. Maybe she thought I was going a different way. That's all I could figure.

So last night I stayed at Sarah's house. Dennis hooked us up. What a delight she is. Felt like old friends right off. And the house is so cute and comfortable. Gonna be hard to leave these creature comforts and company. Getting a lift from her today out past the govt environmental lab acreage because I can't camp there. She'll drop me iff near Arco and the Craters of the Moon. Ohhh. What's camping there going to be like tonight? Camping in a lava field? Should be fun getting stakes in that stuff.

Sorry about the pics. May try again. Most of them are on the camera and not the phone anyways. Don't want to fill my phone with pics but they have to be on the phone to post because that's what I'm using for my computer. I went back and inserted one for ya!

Pedal on, pedal on

BagLady


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Cabin Fever

Swan Valley ID
11 miles in the rain in the 30's

The rain did me in this morning. Temps in the 30's over night. Only 42 right now at 10:30 am. I'm snug and warm in a delightful cabin I was able to barter down to $60 for the night. I'll bet it goes for 2-3 times that usually. I've got all my wet gear strung on my bearline which zigzags around the livingroom. Could sleep 4 hikers in this place! Wish I had 3 others to share the expense with. I don't plan on using motels too much this trip...just when there's a real value to it. And this time there was!

Hard sitting around today during the spells of not raining. But I did manage to dry out my tent and clothes, wash a few things, catch up with friends and Dana, watch mindless TV and eat at a local diner. Even got a car offered to me to get there (a BMW!), but o said I needed the exercise.

Sleeping in a bed is not special, but having a warm place to eat breakfast and pack up is sure nice:).

Off to Idaho Falls today. 45 miles. Visiting the sister of friend of a friend. Kinda like a distant relative:) Should be fun and a change of pace.

I see sun! Glorious sun! Should be a good ride if I can beat the rain this afternoon.

Pedal on, pedal on

Saddle BagLady

Sent from my handy, dandy, mini, little computer (iPhone)


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