A Wonderful Family Meal

STATS

Pollock, Idaho to Cambridge, Idaho

Distance: 71.2 miles

Elevation: +3,832 ft/-3,835 ft

Another night where I peaked my head out the mesh wall and saw an amazing starry night. These moments out west will be missed greatly. I slept the remainder of the night. This is becoming a common theme now. I was in no hurry to pack up now that I’m with a really awesome group of people, but after I ate some oatmeal, I hit the road before the crew. There was still a nice portion of Hells Canyon left to complete, but the monster canyon walls shaded the sun from entering down below. The traffic was light early on, which allowed for some care-free riding, but as the hours went by, I was forced to keep an eye on the white line ahead of me as traffic picked up. Somewhere along the way, a song came on that I must have replayed four times in a row. I balled my eyes out the first two times, but I’m not really sure why. You just really feel incredibly free and euphoric every day with just so much to see and think about. I would urge anyone with a lot on their mind to take a long bike ride, maybe it will help for you too.

Eventually, I arrived to New Meadows, the first town of the day. I noticed a coffeeshop and scooted over there for some caffeine. The employee informed me the customer in front left a few dollar tip, and ended up using that as payment for my coffee. I wasn’t sure who to thank, so I thanked both of them. Upon closer inspection, I noticed the man look at the employee in a way like, “That tip was for you, not him”, so I went back up and left a tip to even things out. I sat down to enjoy the coffee, gave Liz a call, and was out the door in an hour.

The next stop was 25 miles away, so I figured this would be a great lunch break. On the way there, I noticed on the map a bike trail indicator in the direction of the main route, however, it indicated a gravely road. Using my best judgment, and stories of others taking alternative paths in the past, I decided to stay on route, even though the shoulder was small and traffic was moderate to heavy. That being said, I told myself I would push a bit faster to accomplish this section quicker just to get off the busy road. I felt damn strong, and I’m wondering if it was the coffee, or just the desire to complete the section. Probably a combination of both. Towards the top of the climb, I enjoyed another wonderful Idaho view, then absolutely booked it down the hill. Occasionally, and every biker would attest to this, you get POUNDED by a fly or beetle or some large flying bug right in the face, and my first reaction is always anger. DUDE THAT HURT, BRO.

The first stop in Council was a coffeeshop, and I was really hoping for free wifi, A/C, coffee, and hopefully a day old scone to dunk in my coffee. Sure enough, I found all these fantasies, and even had a good convo with the locals as well. One thing I’ve noticed about myself on this trip is how much easier striking up a conversation with someone has become. Not only does it make the trip more exciting, but also usually turns into moments you’ll never forget about that specific town. I sat there for probably two hours, and took advantage of the free refills. After the third cup (small mug people), I realized I should hop on up and get on the road.

I was once again presented with the opportunity to hop on the gravel bike bath, and I thought to myself, “Why not?” That was enough convincing for me, so I pulled a right turn and hopped onto the trail. Quickly, I realized this was a mistake. The trail would have been much more pleasurable for a mountain bike or geologist, because ain’t no way I was smoothly navigating over those rocks on the trail. I turned around, but was happy I tried. After a painfully hot and exhausting climb, most of the ride was a steady descent into Cambridge, where I was meeting the crew. As I pulled up to the RV park, Dex and Kylie already had their bathing suits on ready to launch themselves into cannonball formation. I quickly dropped all my belongings and joined them. We relaxed poolside for a bit, showered up, and consumed a comfort meal put together by Wayne and Patrice. Baked beans, chicken and apple sausage, crackers and cheese, and IPAs to wash it down. I was in legit heaven. Anytime you have a home cooked meal like this on the trip, you remember the feels for a week straight. We all walked away pretty stuffed, and tidied up for bed, even though the sun was still out at 10 PM. Tonight was the first night in a while I slept without layers, which means as we lose elevation, the nights will begin to be a bit warmer. I prefer cooler nights, but all is well. Tomorrow we enter into our final state, OREGON!

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