July 7, 2024
To Orofino, ID
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I planned to leave by 7 AM. When I cracked the bedroom door to tell Jacinto I was leaving, he didn't wiggle. I snuck on out. I debated the wisdom of leaving him asleep. When would he wake up?
The air was nippy, but welcome. Later that nip in the air would be a fond memory. The entire day had a downward tilt. I had one small climb. At mile 12, there was a giant downhill, with a runaway truck ramp. Today is Sunday. I was early. There was no traffic at all. It was a "pinch me, I must be dreaming" sort of start to the morning. Exiting Deary was the end of the forest. Now we were out in farmland. Hay seemed to be the main crop. I did see a couple of fields of potatoes. The view went on for miles. The patchwork of fields was attractive.
Between Kendrick and Juliaette, there was a surprise bike path. If there was ever a place I did not need a path, this was it. But it was there, so I took it. I entertained myself thinking of places I'd rather have a bike path. I passed a man walking. I rang my bell for a fair distance, with no acknowledgement from him. I said good morning a couple of times. Of course, he didn't hear me until I was adjacent to him, and then he jumped so far sideways, I thought he was going to drop his phone. I subsequently passed a woman, but she heard me in advance.
At mile 29, exactly the half point of the day, things changed. I turned left on Highway 12. My dear friend, Highway 3, is now off route for us. I suspected 12 would have more traffic, and I was correct. The road surface now varied. Often the shoulder was not paved over with the driving lane, which made riding on the shoulder difficult. It seemed most of the highway 12 section had a passing lane, which made it easier for vehicles to pass me. I did have a fair number of large vehicles pulling toys pass me. I had a couple of positive honks, and a couple of negative ones.
There was a slight headwind on 12, but enough curves in the road to keep them to a minimum. I was still early enough in the morning to have a fair amount of shade from the trees. Today was an easy day, elevation wise. I kept moving, which created air, and I was in the shade about half of the time. That doesn't mean I wasn't ready to get to town. It has been quite a few days since I've ridden 59 miles!
I called the motel last night and asked about an early check in. 1 PM was my target time. I was on the outskirts of town at 11:30. That is not 1 PM. Then, what should appear but a Subway! Sold. I pulled in. There was a long line inside. I had plenty of time. I could wait, and wait I did. I wasted time, and finally went back outside to ride the last three miles. The air felt hot, after sitting inside in the AC.
Jacinto took the shorter, climbing route today. He didn't leave our nice airbnb until 11 AM. I had 48 miles in and he was just starting his day! We had the same start to the day, then after the big downhill, he turned left, and went back up. Jacinto was really happy about the climb. He said I missed out. The climb was so steep the first two miles that Jacinto had to stop and pant like a dog every half mile. Oh, yes, that sounds like something I'd like to do. Jacinto said after the first couple of miles, it slacked off to 7%, which felt easy in comparison. Then he had about 15 miles of undulating rollers, before another screaming downhill. Jacinto said the second downhill wasn't fun, because it had so many curves. He kept his speed down under 20 mph, and stopped several times to check his brakes. Jacinto was extra satisfied with his day.
We talked about tomorrow. We have a yurt in Harpster. I've called to check - no AC, and it's going to be 100 degrees! They do have a lounge with a TV that we can hang out in, and a couple of fans to use. I checked going to Grangeville, but that adds 13 miles and 2,000 feet of climbing. It would give us a 58 mile day with 4,000 feet of climbing. That's out of my fun zone - or possibly even out of my capability, especially in the heat. We are sticking with the yurt. It might be a long, hot night.
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4 months ago
Today's ride: 59 miles (95 km)
Total: 1,256 miles (2,021 km)
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4 months ago
4 months ago