The two hardest days are behind me now! Day 3 is only 58 miles and has just 1300 feet of climbing. It follows the Clearwater and then the Lochsa rivers. My first day of the tour on the rivers! Riding along a river is generally low elevation gain since most rivers follow a gradual decent path. However, I'm riding upstream, so there is some climbing to be done today.
I rise out of bed not too early knowing I only have 4-5 hours of total elapsed time to get to Winderness Gateway campground - my next stop. I grap the free continental breakfast at the hotel, and hit the road by 8 am.
I ride a few miles and I realize I'm in a rather different world from the big Seattle city. Along side highway 12 was the sign painted below regarding wolves. I stopped and had to take a photo. There is a lot wrong with this sign. I'll just leave it at that.
Highway 12 from Kamiah, ID to Lolo, MT, essentially, is one long winding road, with limited services and only remote access to the national forest north and south of the highway.
Always have to take pics of the road signs showing the miles to go. 147 to Missoula!
Some rafters going down the Lochsa. Looks like fun and nice and cool.
If you look closely... EI EI EI OO. I dunno... OO is not OH to me. But hey still makes yah laugh! Love finding this stuff on the road.
So, let me tell you about a little known physiological quirk I have. If I am out on a bicycle tour and I see another lone soul or group touring, I get goose bumps (aka goose flesh). You're pedaling along, slogging the miles, in your own world and up ahead is another fool like you coming your way - and a big wave and "morning" is exchanged, I get cutis anserina (the goosies!). Its silly I know.
So I am about two hours into today's ride and I run in to Matt and Tim heading the other way on highway 12. I'm chilling on the side of the road, leaning against the guard rail and along they ride and all of a sudden they cross the road to my side and say hello. It was cool. But they approached so quickly I thought they were going to rumble with me and the Burro. Matt (on the left) was from Colorado and Tim was from Switzerland. From what I could tell- they were just riding together for a few days - they met a while back on the road. I really enjoy this stuff - adventure cyclists are a large clan and its always neat to chat with them on the open road.
So my destination is Wilderness Gateway Campground. And I roll in about 2:30 in the afternoon. The campground is quiet - its Sunday afternoon. I find my reserved spot- B11. My spot is back a ways well into a lot of trees and shrubbery - this makes the hot day feel even hotter since its muggy with all this vegetation around. I set up camp. I'm in to camp early today, I'm setup, time to relax.
Camp Slogger
I tried to take a quick snooze in the tent, but it was stifling. Out I go, from the tent and set up my sleeping pad on the picnic table. Grab my book and read, snooze, read and snooze some more. Life is good.
After a few hours, the temps come down a hair and I'm getting hungry. This morning in Kamiah, I planned ahead for tonight and grabbed two Sierra Nevada Pales from the reefer and buried them deep in the middle of my pannier, wrapped in paper and extra clothes so I would have them to drink in camp tonight. Quick to the beer! Unwrap them... cool enough to say, oh yah, this tastes good.
So the menu for the night is Yaki Soba with Salmon - a la backpacking dehydrated sealed packets.
It was not too bad really. Seemed to fill me up on the calories and had ok flavor.
I put some music on the I-phone. Finish dinner and do some reading and route planning for tomorrow. Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues is one of my favorites.
My reading for the trip was Slaying the Badger - about Lemond and Hinault and the 1986 Tour de France.
After dinner and two beers I take the Burro for a jaunt around the campground. The camp is about 10% full really. Nobody here.
Boulder Creek
Still love my horns on the burro.
I hit the rack about 8:30. Down for the count.
Today's stats:
Distance: 56.78 mi
Time: 4:24:50
Avg Speed: 12.9 mph
Elevation Gain: 1,339 ft
Calories: 2,851 C
Avg Temperature: 83.9 °F
Click the View Details below for all the data.
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