Month: June 2017

Friday, June 30, 2017

Start: Twin Falls, Idaho
End: Burley, Idaho
Mileage today/cumulative: 46 / 837
Elevation Ascended: 1,824
Weather: Sunny, 60° at start; sunny, 78° at finish
3D Video

Today’s ride was oddly short due to the fact that we’re riding in the middle of nowhere and there are a limited number of towns with hotels. We could have avoided this by signing up with a tour company that pitches tents for you anywhere but that wasn’t gonna happen. We love having a hot shower and comfortable bed every night – and always a place to get a cold beer!

We’d become accustomed to nice tailwinds the past few days and were hoping for more of the same today. Alas, it was not meant to be. Yesterday we had a few five-mile splits averaging around 25mph+ on flat roads. Today we were lucky to maintain 15mph on similar terrain due to strong headwinds for the entire ride. The only thing to do is make yourself as small as possible and spin faster in a lower gear.

Our planned route was only 39 miles with the option of adding seven miles with side trips to Shoshone Falls and the Twin Falls that the city is named for. We went to both (they’re the parts on the video where it appears that we’re riding into the Snake River Canyon). The Shoshone Falls were, by far, the most impressive, and we even caught a double rainbow over them. From there, we were about a mile upstream from Evel Knievel’s jump site. Each person in our riding group could remember his failed attempt to jump the gorge in a steam-powered rocket (1974) and for a few of them, Evel Knievel was their childhood hero. We were all disappointed that the jump site itself was not accessible by bicycle but it didn’t keep us from staring at the gorge in disbelief and wondering what it must have been like to witness the attempt. Evel Knievel was a brilliant self-promoter and one fearless dude.

After leaving Shoshone Falls, we continued on to the Twin Falls, which turned out to be a misnomer because one of the “twins” has been permanently dammed up and there is really only one fall at Twin Falls and it’s not particularly impressive. They should be required to rename the city of Twin Falls to Solo Fall.

From there, it was headwinds through miles of barley, corn, hay, alfalfa, and potatos. The alfalfa had been freshly cut and made my allergies miserable. It’s no wonder I’ve never been a fan of the stuff. The wheat fields are beautiful and each time we ride by them, someone starts singing “amber waves of grain” from America The Beautiful. We’re riding from sea to shining sea, we’ve begun to see spacious skies, the purple mountain majesty are only a few days away, and the fruited plain lies beyond them. We’re basically experiencing the entire famous first verse of the song from the seats of our bicycles.

Finally, we encountered our first “rural traffic jam” when a cow got loose and was running down the county road we were on. She kept successfully evading the two ranchers and a large SUV that were trying to corral her but we were eventually able to continue on after she ran down another road. It was a comical scene because that cow tasted freedom and wasn’t going to be fenced in again without a fight.  Two ranchers, a loose cow, and five bicycle riders in Lycra shorts on an Idaho road… there must be a joke in there.

Tomorrow we ride on to Pocatello and resume our typical mileage. We slowly increase our elevation over the next few days before we conquer the Tetons.

 

 

Thursday, June 29, 2017

Start: Mountain Home, Idaho
End: Twin Falls, Idaho
Mileage today/cumulative: 97 / 791
Elevation Ascended: 3,020
Weather: Sunny, 60° at start; sunny, 75° at finish
3D Video

Today’s ride was another fast one for much of the route. We had the good fortune of moderate temperatures, favorable winds and a strong group to share the load with. We spent nearly the entire ride today with them, making a 97-mile day a bit easier and more fun. We both worked hard today and are feeling the satisfaction that comes from a strenuous workout.

The route took us through more farmland as we continued to follow the Snake River and finally crossed it when we entered Twin Falls, where we rode over the Perrine Bridge, which spans the Snake River Canyon. The views were impressive and we spent a lot of time hanging out there. The ABB staff told us that they’re unaccustomed to such good conditions on the ride into Twin Falls. We’re not taking anything for granted and we’re enjoying it while it lasts.

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Start: Boise, Idaho
End: Mountain Home, Idaho
Mileage today/cumulative: 53.5/694
Elevation Ascended: 1,589
Weather: Sunny, 64° at start;  sunny, 80° at finish
3D Video

There’s a saying that any day on a bike is a good day. If so, then 54 miles on flat, open roads with fresh legs and a 10+ mph tailwind for the entire ride is a really good day. After a slow, six-mile warmup on a greenway bike path, the pace picked up and we sailed to the finish, happy to have the wind at our backs. Leaving  Boise, we climbed about 500′, giving us a nice view of the valley looking back at the downtown skyline. Then it was 12 nice miles on Interstate 84 East and our only SAG stop for the day at a truck stop. I got a few questions about our funny looking shoes and some truckers said that riding our bikes across the country was a great idea.

We enjoyed our two nights in Boise but we were itching to get back on our bikes after a rest day. We were ready to roll and spent the morning singing On The Road Again. As we left our room at the Courtyard by Marriott, we passed a room full of people attending a training session, eyes already glazed over at 8am, staring at their binders of material. I thought “I’m so glad I’m riding my bike another 3,000 miles to the Atlantic Ocean instead of sitting in that room.” One has an element of suffering but the other would be torture.

Today’s route was bigger skies, open roads, and lots of sagebrush. We also come across something odd. In the middle of a landlocked state, in the middle of nowhere, with no signs of civilization nearby, we saw a street sign for Ocean View Lane. It was a real sign, perhaps placed by a climate change believer or a seismologist with a crystal ball. Or maybe someone just had a good sense of humor. Regardless, we took a photo of it.

Because we finished the ride so early and it appears that the wind never stops here in Mountain Home, Idaho (another misnomer because there are no mountains to be found, probably created by the same person who named Ocean View Lane) , we were able to hand wash our shorts and jerseys and dry them in the relentless wind. This worked quite well and Bev even got creative, drying our socks by clipping them to the outside of our room’s A/C unit. It was a total white trash look but it worked.

Tomorrow we move on to Twin Falls, Idaho and the route promises to be more scenic. It’s a 91 mile ride, eventually crossing the famous Perrine Bridge that spans the Snake River Canyon, nearly 500 feet above the river and near the site of famous daredevil Evel Knievel’s unsuccessful 1974 jump across the canyon. It should be another epic day!

 

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Start: Boise, Idaho
End: Boise, Idaho
Mileage today/cumulative: 0/640.5
Elevation Ascended: 0
Weather: Sunny, 88°

Our first rest day – woohoo! What fun stuff are we going to do with all of our time off? Laundromat. Go to the bank. Restock supplies from the local bike shop. Buy more toiletries at Walgreens. Clean and inspect our bikes. Say what???

We also fit in massages, some geocaching, and casual walking around just to keep our legs fresh. We’re also looking forward to a nice dinner at a farm to table restaurant recommended by an old friend.

I’ll now turn this post over to Hot Wife………

Bev’s Random Thoughts On Rest Day #1:

After eight days of riding, I am surprised how good my legs feel and how badly my butt (sit bones) feels.  Despite riding multiple days in a row during training, my booty just wasn’t prepared for so much time in the saddle.  I’m not the only one experiencing this problem.  Conversations over beer, dinner, and breakfast have been quite interesting and those not participating in this insane adventure would perhaps find them to be “TMI”.

I’m so thankful I own a home with a washer and a dryer.  On a related note, laundromats would be much improved if they served alcoholic beverages and crunchy snacks.

In addition to missing my washer/dryer, I miss home cooked meals.  We’ve been served good food for the most part, but I miss veggies and Arbonne shakes.

When we arrived at the hotel in Boise yesterday, a couple of riders were met by family members.  Nikki’s husband flew in for an expected visit, while former Delaware governor Jack Markell’s daughter surprised him with a visit.  Both of them were positively glowing with happiness.  It just made me even more thankful I get to share this adventure with Greg.  I would have a tough time leaving him for 50+ days even to do something I love.

These group adventures we participate in are sometimes difficult for an introvert like me.  I generally seek out the biggest extrovert in the group so I have cover in anxiety-causing social situations.  (Graciela – you know I’m talking about you!)  I haven’t quite found that person yet and have, instead, fallen in with several other introverts.  Luckily, they are cool with extremely sudden decisions that socializing time is over because down time is needed.

Related to the introvert situation….there is a rubber ducky being passed around the group in recognition of someone being kind or inspiring during the day.  Each night, the possessor of the duck has to make a speech and present the duck to someone new.  The receiving person has to make a short speech, spend the following day figuring out who deserves the duck, and then make a speech that night as part of the grand presentation. This causes me enough social anxiety stress to consider being very mean to whomever has the duck just to avoid it being passed on to me.  I might resort to the old “stick in the spokes” trick if cornered.  Extroverts will read this paragraph and not get it.  My fellow introverts will totally understand.

There is nothing better than discovering the hotel has a bar.  More points for air conditioning, comfortable seating, local brews on tap, and free, salty snacks.  So far, the winner of this totally made up category is the Best Western in Baker City, Oregon.

Our country is so beautiful.  I’ve met some wonderful people along the way, all with a story or two to tell.  Most people think we are some combination of brave, crazy, and lucky to be riding across the country on our bicycles.  I can only agree.  Bring on the next nine days!

 

Monday, June 26, 2017

Start: Ontario, Oregon
End: Boise, Idaho
Mileage today/cumulative: 64.5/640.5
Elevation Ascended: 1,568
Weather: Sunny, 65° at start; sunny, 90° at finish
3D Video

We crossed our first state line right out the gate this morning, a half-mile from our hotel in Ontario, Oregon, a town overrun by fast food chains and big box retail. This also allowed us to add one more state to our cycling map. When we crossed into Idaho, the scenery completely changed and within minutes we were on country roads riding through fields of onion blossoms, corn, lettuce, lavender, and basil. It is also bison and black angus country – yum! The terrain reminded us of East Tennessee, with lots of rolling roads and we joked that all 1,568′ of today’s elevation was gained ten feet at a time. There was no “serious” climbing today and it appears that will be the case until we ride through the Grand Tetons National Park and over the Continental Divide in about a week. Near the end of today’s route we rode past the Idaho State Capitol, which was pretty darn cool. The pace was moderate and a bunch of us rode into downtown Boise as a group, wearing our America By Bicycle jerseys. That was also a pretty cool sight. Our hotel is less than a block away from Boise State University’s football stadium, famous for its blue field. If you look closely at the end of the route video, you can see the field.

The miles on this trip have flown by and neither of us can believe that we’ve already completed the first leg. Sure, there are four more to go but we’re really enjoying the entire experience and wish that it weren’t going by so quickly. This group of riders continues to bond through shared experiences and mutual encouragement. Our legs feel good and we seem to be getting a little stronger each day. That’s not to say we don’t feel fatigued, but that magically disappears after a hot shower and joining friends for a cold beer and comparing notes from the day. Still, we’re ready to hang out in Boise tomorrow for our first rest day. A day with no alarm clock and no butt butter. It’s going to be a beautiful thing.