July 29, 2006
Day 58: New Meadows, ID to Weiser, ID
76.79 Miles, 5:55:05 Ride Time, 13.10 Average Speed, 30.0 Maximum Speed
As I left New Meadows this morning, I felt a mixture of apprehension and excitement about the prospect of finding my own way to Baker City. (I wouldn't be able follow the TransAmerica route through Hells Canyon because of a fire there).
I suppose it wasn't that big of a deal - I was only going farther South down US 95 to Weiser, and then heading North again to Baker City to get back on the route. Still, I would be riding a day and a half without the use of my maps - kind of a big deal for me, considering that I have had the map in front of me on the bike for virtually every mile of this trip.
Because I was getting started a little late this morning, I decided to skip breakfast and get something later in the day - I hated the idea of spending 45 minutes in a restaurant while the temperature crept up, and it was supposed to be hot again today.
The first part of the ride was a nice, cool descent down to the Weiser River - a pleasant ride, with light traffic, through evergreens. As I neared the bottom, I met a group of several college-age people who were riding from Oregon to Maine. The notable thing about this encounter was that one of the fit-looking guys was pushing his bike (same set-up as mine - four panniers) up the hill (which wasn't very steep at all), while one of the girls (pulling a loaded trailer) zoomed past him. "Have you no pride, man?" I thought (but didn't say).
There was a little climb to the town of Council (pop. 816), where I took a few pictures but didn't stop. From there it was a 20+ mile ride to Cambridge (pop. 360), where I would be leaving the TransAm route to detour around the fire in Hells Canyon.
I stopped at a grocery/hardware/everything store for some Gatorade and chocolate milk (a pleasing combination I've discovered on the trip - just make sure you drink the chocolate milk first). I checked one last time on the status of the fire: The nice lady at the store verified that the road was still closed. She had an Oregon road map handy, and we looked at it for a few minutes, trying to determine if there was any way to get from Weiser to Baker City without using the interstate. It looked like it was the only option, at least until a few miles before Baker City. Before I left, she warned me about a "bad hill" I would encounter on my way to Weiser. I've heard this many, many times in the last several weeks, and the difficulty of the hill is almost always exaggerated.
There was a restaurant across from the store, where I had a lunch of hamburger and fries. An older couple from Weiser was sitting in a booth near me, and we talked for a while about my trip. They repeated the warning about the "Midvale Hill", which I would encounter in about eight miles.
After I walked out of the air-conditioned restaurant into the now extremely hot noonday sun, I continued on US 95; I was now leaving the TransAmerica Trail. The ride to Midvale was easy enough. I stopped in a country store for some Propel (this was one of the very few places I've seen that didn't stock Gatorade), and as I checked out, the old guys in the store said "You'll need it to climb that hill." I went into my usual spiel about having already crossed the Appalachians, Ozarks, Rockies, blah blah blah, but thanked them for their concern anyway.
A few minutes later I started up the hill, and found that it was kind of tough (at least in the midday heat) - about two and a half miles, probably 6 to 7% grade. I was dripping with sweat when I got to the top.
The rest of the way to Weiser (pop. 5,343) was easy. I stopped at the first convenience store on the outskirts of town for some Gatorade (I don't even want to know how much money I've spent on this stuff the last couple of months), and asked the girl for directions to the Colonial Motel, where I had a reservation. I found it easily enough, in a sort of dead part of the town, and checked into my small, old, but fairly clean room. After I showered and changed, I walked outside to look around the town, but it was so hot that I just went to a nearby supermarket, bought some Diet Pepsi and snacks, and went back to my (mercifully) air-conditioned room.
I stayed in my claustrophobia-inducing room the rest of the afternoon. I watched a documentary on ESPN about doomed boy-wonder poker player Stu Ungar, and found it interesting, if depressing.
Later, while I fiddled with my laptop computer, I noticed a faint wireless internet signal, which only worked outside my room, or when I perched the computer on the air conditioner. I used it for a little while, then went to bed.
Today's ride: 77 miles (124 km)
Total: 3,764 miles (6,058 km)
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