LEWISTON, IDAHO: Greg and G-2 Get Serious . . . About Goofing Around

August 14, 2019

A couple of big dudes at the Rainbow Gasoline Station (Pomeroy, WA)

You would NOT want to mess with either of these scary creatures. (Pataha City, WA)

"Look over there, Mr. Clark. It's a doofus!"

I challenged G-2 to out-smile Smiley Face. HE DID IT!

It was all fun and games until we reached the base of the climb I had been warned about by the two westbound cyclists I met yesterday and by the guy who took the "couple of dudes at the Rainbow Gas Station" picture for me this morning. A roadside information board told me it was the same climb Lewis and Clark had to face after leaving the Pataha Creek valley. It was intimidating.

Adding to the intimidation was a sign for the "Truck Chain-up Area." I don't know a whole lot about truck chain-up areas, but usually I've seen them in more mountainous areas with steep roads and where snow and ice are very real threats. This did not seem like one of those areas. I wondered if Lewis or Clark noticed that sign when they came through and, if so, did it give them the same concerns as it gave me?

I put myself into Lewis and Clark adventure mode and pedaled my ass off. It wasn't that bad. Correction: Either it wasn't that bad, or my leg muscles have been out west long enough that they're finally getting over their flat Minnesota heritage.

My legs and I were preparing for a much greater effort than this, so when we reached the top without having to resort to the GRANDMAW gear, I looked around for a second summit. Nope, there wasn't one--just a small rest area and great views.

"We climbed and we climbed, oh how we climbed." -Brian Eno (Taking Tiger Mountain By Strategy)

Two Thousand Seven Hundred Eighty-Five feet doesn't seem so high to me, so I was surprised the summit had a name. I don't know at what elevation I started, but I thank The Reckless Mr. Bing Bong and my legs for getting me up here so easily. I guess you could say my bike and my legs are "Allpowa-ful."

No sooner had I started down the other side of Alpowa Summit, I saw a solo westbound rider. I was already at speed so all I could do was wave. He waved back. Nice! And it didn't take too long for me to realize that the climb he was just completing was much longer and steeper than my climb from the west.

Going crazy fast on a narrow shoulder, and having been passed too closely by a couple of trucks, I braked hard and veered onto a roadside pull-out a couple miles down. I needed to gather my wits. While composing myself, I was able to have a good look at the amazing new view. This side of the Alpowa Summit was no longer the Palouse. I was descending into a different world of deep, dark, dry, sagebrush-filled canyons.

Check your brakes, G-2, cuz we're going down the next five miles so fast that no motorized vehicle will ever catch us.

. . . until I got my first glimpse of the Snake River.

The next six miles followed the Snake River into Clarkston. It was most pleasing with the soothing presence of water, which I've mentioned so often but haven't experienced for a few days. Then I crossed a bridge over the Snake River into the city of Lewiston and the state of Idaho.

The Snake River and its beautiful canyon.

I'm a fan of state capitol buildings. This modest little thing is the former capitol of the Idaho Territory.

Oh yes, I have one more thing to report for those of you who have been worrying about the cycling shorts I had to repair back in Moses Lake. In a nutshell, the duct tape failed on the very first day. Yet, for some reason I believed nobody would notice the gaping hole in the aforementioned private area, so I continued riding in them for another couple of days until I reached the next bike shop in Walla Walla.

Walla Walla's Allegro Cyclery was a very nice bike shop and it had a selection of bike shorts, but the selection didn't meet my only two criteria: 1) Not lycra, and 2) not more than $100. I rode away from downtown Walla Walla still wearing my ten-year old, ripped-in-the-crotch Novarra Mountain Bike Shorts. I just couldn't give them up.

I kept wearing them for another couple of days. The rip had expanded so much that I decided I was going to buy a new pair in Lewiston no matter what the cost. Thank bloody goodness, I found a pair for only $60 at the first bike shop I came to--Follet's Mountain Sports. I'll be wearing them tomorrow.

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Today's ride: 36 miles (58 km)
Total: 650 miles (1,046 km)

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Keith KleinYes, thank god for Follet’s.
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5 years ago

Gregory GarceauAMEN to that, brother!

Keith, I've really enjoyed your comments and . . . um . . . "constructive" criticism. Thank you.

Only a few more pages to go and then you'll have to move on to Leo's journal to help you through your recovery process. It's a good one, as always.
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5 years ago