Death Awaits You All With Nasty, Big Pointy Teeth!

July 18, 2018

Stites to Grangeville, ID

Bones of full fifty men lie strewn about its lair. So brave knights, if you do doubt your courage or your strength, come no further, for death awaits you all with nasty, big, pointy teeth. Monty Python and the Holy Grail

The section between Stites and Grangeville is our elevation profile for today. Aarrgghhh!

This was a short day with an enormous 12% climb at the beginning. For those of you who, like me, don't know what the hell a 12% grade means, please refer to this post from a few weeks ago.

Anyway, there are two options leaving Stites on the TransAm: Highway 13, with no shoulders and lots of traffic but more gradual climbing, or THE GRADE OF DEATH, with treacherous dropoffs into THE GORGE OF ETERNAL PERIL! Ok sorry about that. The second option is Lamb Grade, which sounds all sweet and nice and sunshiney and lambsy. So we decided on that. Either way we would have to climb the same elevation. So off we went. Shortly before we hit the Lamb Grade turn, a woman stopped and asked which route we were taking and advised strongly against Lamb Grade, saying DEATH AWAITS YOU ALL WITH NASTY BIG POINTY TEETH!*

*Lie

But we elected to go with the plan despite the warning from the nice lady. And the climbing began. I should mention here that Jen started feeling the symptoms of a respiratory cold that some people in Stevensville were fighting and her energy was very low last night and this morning. She was starting to feel congested, so we elected to make it a short day.

The climb got steeper and steeper until we were upside down. Luckily, Idaho doesn't recognize the laws of gravity so we were ok. It was a cool morning and the views back towards Sites in the valley below were amazing, but I couldn't really see it due to the blood in my eyes and the smoke from my bones rubbing together.

Don't take Lamb Grade, said the local woman.

We stopped to catch our breath and were greeted by these goats

We somehow made it to the top of the grade, which I think was 130,000 feet and the riding became cake. Open fields, flattish road, perfect.

"You know what we send starving people? We send them wheat. Mmmm! They must love us. Wheat! What are you gonna do with wheat?" -The late John Pinette

My bike looks like the Joad's truck. Oh come on! Read or rent The Grapes of Wrath!

Phil, the first canine bicycle tourer we've met

Phil's parents are from Bend, Oregon and doing the TA eastbound.

We checked out the Lions Club Park for camping but elected to get a hotel because of Jen's affliction. We got rooms at the Gateway Inn for $78. We are spending much more on hotels than we anticipated, but it's a learning experience for us.

Dinner was chicken tenders and salad in the hotel room. Fancy! Hopefully she will feel better in the morning for the ride to Riggins.

Today's ride: 22 miles (35 km)
Total: 1,571 miles (2,528 km)

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