Day 50: Riggins to White Bird; Time Zone Confusion

August 20, 2015

Notes:

1.) If you select the “Comment” link near the bottom of the page you can leave a message for me. I enjoy getting them.

2.) Climbing Today: 1,717 ft -- Total So Far; 119,676 ft

3.) Average Speed While Biking Today: 10.7 mph

4.) Mechanical Issues Today: none

5.) Miles Remaining to Canon City: about 1,269

6.) Miles Traveled to Date on This Half of the Journey: 731

7.) Money Found Today: $0.0

8.) Total Money Found: $0.21 (Will I find enough to buy a cup of coffee?)

The pace of things, along with the daily unknowns of road closures and smoke conditions, and possibly the smoke inhalation itself, is beginning to wear on me. I slept late this morning and didn’t wake until 5:00 am, and even then I was moving slow. Today was planned to be an easy day, to give me a chance to recover and get ready for 3 challenging days in a row. By midday on the 3rd day from now (in other words, Sunday), if things go my way, I will finally get out of the smoke. To do so I’m going to have to cross over Lolo Pass and enter Montana; word-of-mouth is that the air is smoke-free in Montana. Unfortunately, I'm still in Idaho and there is a significant fire in the next valley, and there have been evacuations and road closures on my route. I’m told that the smoke is thicker once I crest the next ridge, and I believe it because things have gotten worse as I have progressed. But first let’s talk about today's travels.

I left Riggins at 6:15 am. Or at least that’s what I thought. Apparently, not all of Idaho is on Mountain Time. So, when I crossed the bridge over the Salmon River at Riggins in the early morn, I re-entered Pacific Time. I never knew it; perhaps there was a sign, but if so I missed it in the smoky darkness of the early morn. I won’t re-enter Mountain Time until I reach the Montana border; all I know for sure is that I will be confused on the time for a while. Cue Chicago in the 1970’s; “Does anybody really know what time it is? Does anybody really care?” At the moment, whatever particular time zone I’m in isn’t much of a concern, as other concerns outweigh that little detail. So here’s a pic of the early morning smoke/haze conditions;

The Early Morning was Hazy From the Smoke

The smoke seemed thicker this morn than when I arrived yesterday evening. As I rode along I thought for a minute that it was raining cause stuff was occasionally hitting my face, but that was a bit of ash. The firemen I spoke with yesterday told me that the fires were caused by lightning strikes, and that this was almost an annual event for them. I passed by Lightning Creek, and that seemed appropriate, though one wonders how a creek could produce lightning.

As I rode along, the haze seemed to improve. The Little Salmon River merges into the Salmon River at Riggins, and the resulting stream is simply magnificent. It’s impossible to describe the wild beauty of the stream as it tumbles over boulders and falls off the mountain, so the best I can do is show a couple of photos.

I really had no idea how wild and beautiful eastern Oregon and Central Idaho is. It’s also a vast and lonely area, and a bicycle traveler must respect the power of this countryside or else pay dearly for not doing so. I’m just a wayfaring stranger in these parts, and I am TRYING to give the land all the respect it is due and earn safe passage in return. I was satisfied just having the challenges of dealing with the heat and the topography, and really didn’t need the wildfires to add to my adventure. But it is what it is; after all, it’s the unpredictable aspect that makes it an adventure.

Here’s a roadside description of the hydraulic mining process that was once used on the Salmon River;

Hydraulic Mining Process Once Used on the Salmon River

Looking across the valley, one can see the “scarp” that remains from former hydraulic mining here.

And here's a note about nearby Florence once being a gold rush town;

Sigh; it seems that everyone wants to get rich quick. Want to be a millionaire? Start working young and SAVE as much as is permitted in your 401K, IRA, Roth or what have you. The magic of compound interest will make you a millionaire soon enough. But folks would prefer to spend their money on the lottery in the hopes they will be the 1 in 10 million that strikes it lucky. You know who’s really rich? Those of us with the time and money to take a long bicycle tour, and who are wise and courageous enough to actually do so, that’s who is really rich. Travel the Transam route from coast to coast and visit and talk with the folks in the numerous small towns you pass through, and you will realize how rich you really are. Hey, I’m just sayin', that’s all. There really are things that money can't buy.

So, are you ready for today’s deer photos? Come on now, you knew there would be some. First, let’s set the scene by showing the deer across the Salmon playing on the sand bar.

Deer Playing on the Sandbar in the Early Morn

You can’t see them? They really were playing; scampering about on the loose sand and kicking up their rear heels. So here they are with my telephoto;

They Were Romping and Kicking Their Hind Legs Up, Enjoying the Loose Sand

Today’s Geology lesson is brought to you courtesy of the Salmon River Basin’s 15 millionth year birthday bash.

Happy 15th Million Birthday, Salmon River Canyon

The smoke does at least sometimes make for interesting sunrises.

The sunrise is Weakened by the Smoky Haze

I’ve been watching across the valley for wildlife, but I’ve seen none other than the deer (ho hum). But I did spot some mine shafts, possibly the very ones that legend says were used by Ponce de Leon to hide the King’s gold.

Yeah, I may be confused about that Ponce de Leon thing. I needed to get on a conference call and was planning to arrive in White Bird in time to do so, but by now you realize that plans on a bicycle tour are quite tenuous, and I was several miles shy of White Bird when the call was due. So I tried to phone in using my cell, and there was no service – zero bars, absolutely nothing. So I thought it was humorous that I had stopped near this sign;

Hard to Report Anything Without a Cell Phone Signal

How can you call 911 to report a fire when there is no cell phone service? They really ought to give the positioning of these signs a little more thought. Here’s the view as I’m rolling into White Bird using Old Highway 95;

Approaching White Bird on Old Highway 95

This columnar jointing outside of town was interesting – I just hadn’t seen any of that in a while;

I entered town via the old highway and enjoyed an exhilarating ride downhill for several miles. But I had arrived early as this was a short-mileage day, and no one was around at the White Bird Motel to check me in, and the 2 dining options in town weren't yet open, so I inquired at the hardware store for some place to eat and was told that the only nearby option was located on the new highway, 2 miles back uphill the way I had come! OK then, I needed food and I couldn't check into my room yet anyway, so I grunted my way back uphill and located Hoot's restaurant and enjoyed a leisurely 2nd breakfast. Then I rolled back down into town and waited at the White Bird Motel until the owner arrived.

The White Bird Motel was OK. The room was clean, I had a hot shower, and the AC worked. The TV didn't work, but I didn't want to use it anyway. There was a frig to chill my water bottles, so I was happy. They did have WIFI, but to get it you had to go and sit outside the owner's house. Even then it was weak. The motel, the restaurant nearby, and the general store in town all required cash. It's that kind of a small town. Cell phones work occasionally, but only for a little bit so you need to talk fast. All in all, it was OK. Good night everyone, I have a big hill to climb tomorrow...

Today's ride: 33 miles (53 km)
Total: 3,028 miles (4,873 km)

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