July 23, 2006
Day 74: Grangeville to Riggins
Fine...I'm not going to kill Patrick. The day was much better today since I had the worst of the climb over with. It was still exceptionally hot, but I left ahead of the group and was in Riggins before the worst of the heat came. And had one of the best downhills of the trip when I stayed on the main road on the downhill side instead of the old highway heading down to White Bird. On the way down I couldn't help but imagine what it would be like to have to use the runaway truck ramps spaced all the way down the hill. (NOTE: A bunch of the AC people left the main road just before the downhill, but if you're heading West, I HIGHLY recommend staying on 95. There was some traffic, but this was the best downhill of the trip for me-big enough to fly by the mile markers but gentle enough to not have to grab the brakes for the most part. The road surface was much better than the other road and had some shoulder. Enjoy the ride! If you're going east, I don't know which would be better. The alternate may be if you don't like heights and/or traffic as you'll be crawling up a 7 mile hill with the dropoff on your side of the road.)
The main road bypassed White Bird, and services or not, there was no way I was heading down the steep road to go see it so I waved and pedaled on by. Somewhere along the route (not marked on my old version) was a blessed café. I was almost to Riggins and had most of the day behind me already. I'd been hungry for an English muffin with butter forever, so had a second or third breakfast of English muffin, pie, and Pepsi at a cafe and talked to some people who were finishing a late breakfast and building a house in Riggins. They offered the use of their deck for the night. I wasn't sure I was going to take them up on it, but when I got to town and saw them at home with ice and tea and a water hose, I basically sat there for the next 10 hours. I wish I would have taken a picture of their house from the road-it was in a beautiful spot right on the river.
As it was, I flagged down Radko and most of the AC group as they came in. Everybody was so happy for the ICE our hosts offered (you cannot imagine how grateful I am for ice during these hot, hot days. I think we drank all their iced tea, and everybody made use of their hose either for drinking or drenching themselves in an attempt to stay cool. I thought maybe we were imposing on our hosts, but they seemed amused at how grateful everyone was for ice. Little by little the AC group dispersed to their campsite just up the road, not without a few comments from Jim about how I always ended up with free food and accommodations, but he meant well. I can't help it that I'm cute and spunky! I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but I've found that as a female traveling alone, people are very protective and generous. They want to help out and make sure I'm safe. Not that I'd take just anyone up on their offers of hospitality-I still trust my gut instincts and whatever, but I still think people are generally good and my vulnerability as a woman has, in my experience, made people more protective of me than anything else.
Anyway, Mike, Melissa, and Bernie left Radko and I with a cooler full of leftovers, told us to park our bikes in the yet unfinished house (with a working toilet, though!), gave us a key, and left to go back to Boise for the week. Amazing how trusting people are! Radko and I just sat there for the most part. The deck was too hot to walk on barefoot, so we'd spray it down with water every once in a while when we got up for more ice or whatever and tried not to move in the oppressive heat.
Eventually we headed for the store with plans for a great grill out. It was a lot farther than we thought and we should have biked, but the walk stretched out our muscles. I think we must have been starving because we bought so much food. Mike and Melissa had left us corn and potatoes, but we added pork chops and polish sausages, chips, more beer, chocolate milk, more ice, and who knows what else. After the sun went down over the ridge and the deck was cool enough to walk on, Radko and I grilled out and had a great time just sitting and eating and drinking and trying to stay cool while we watched rafters negotiate the little rapids right in front of the house. Stefan and Maik eventually pulled in and devoured our leftovers (what we hadn't burned anyway), and we settled in for a night under the stars on the banks of the Salmon River.
Today's ride: 46 miles (74 km)
Total: 3,752 miles (6,038 km)
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