Day 8: Country Corners RV Park to Boise

May 15, 2015

Rain. You prepare for it mentally, you carry what you think you need to deal with it, but still, rain is no fun. Yeah, sure, it's all a part of touring, but when you've managed to have incredible weather for 7 days, it's easy to get spoiled. Plus I don't like the way it makes you second-guess yourself. Do you try to wait it out? Do you just go for it and let the chips fall where they may? Do you trust the hourly weather forecasts? Do you take off all your rain gear as soon as it lets up? Do you wear extra layers to stay warm, or fewer layers so you're not riding in a stew of your own sweat?

Amy summed it up best (I'm paraphrasing here): "They always tell you to dry out your tent the morning after a storm, but they never tell you what to do if it's still raining." That's the dilemma we faced this morning. I was leaning towards eating at the nearby cafe and then reassessing the situation, but Amy had already made up her mind and made a beeline for the place. That made it easier for us to do likewise, but Sunyoung and I changed into our riding clothes first just to get it over with.

It felt a bit luxurious to be sitting in a dry room with hot food and coffee in front of us, but I have to say in retrospect that it was a very practical move. It gave us energy, provided some entertainment, and bought us time while the rain died down.

We got packed up without getting anything wet that wasn't already wet, turned left at the stop sign, and started our soggy journey towards Boise. We made good time despite the weather, but as we pulled into the town of Star, I felt a sudden cramp in my stomach. I had to stop and deal with what I can only assume was my body rejecting the greasy hash browns from breakfast. And only a couple of days prior, we were talking about how we never get sick when we're touring! No need to go into details, but suffice it to say I survived and we were able to carry on.

Following a quick lunch stop where we taunted the ducks by denying them our precious bread, I called our host Dan to give him our ETA and get his opinion about the greenbelt trail Google Maps had led us to. He sensed that I was overwhelmed by his directions, so he hopped on his bike and met us about halfway there. It was a relief to no longer be the navigator.

We reached his lovely house and proceeded to enjoy the sun that was now peeking out behind the clouds, along with some of Dan's homemade wine. Then he treated us to jambalaya and a really tasty cole slaw. His wife Kristi arrived a bit later, which started the final chapter of our evening. We all talked a lot about our various experiences. Their neighbor Roger also came over, and the topic turned to music. I rambled on about a bunch of things and hopefully didn't bore everyone to tears. Amy will be staying with Dan and Kristi for at least another night. Lucky her! They are great people and very gracious hosts.

So now our little adventure nears its end, and I am already starting to reflect on the experience as a whole. I would like to save these thoughts for a final journal entry that will have to wait until after we return to Seattle.

Thanks to Kristi for taking this wonderful picture of us. We really are as happy as we look here.

Today's ride: 40 miles (64 km)
Total: 463 miles (745 km)

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