Thursday 21 July 2011

Day 77 Lowell to Grangeville

I popped my head out of the tent at 6AM to find that nearly everyone had gone. However
Ellen and Kelly were still atound so we all, including Dolo took a leisurely breakfast at 6 30AM in the cafe across the road from the campsite. Today's ride was only 48 miles with a tough climb back up into the clouds at the end but we saw  no good reason to rush.

As we passed through the Nez Pearce Indian reservation we called into the library in the town of Kooksie. On the wall was this amazing 3D plasticised poster (taken with a lentiltastic lens according to Art expert Ellen) for recruitment to the National Guard. Somehow I managed to generate sufficient charm to persuade the very nice (but camera shy) lady behind the desk to try and get me a copy. After sevetal telephone calls without success she decided that even though she liked it herself she would let me have the offiice copy, for wbich I am very grateful. Thank you, it's now posted to the UK.

Thereaftet we bumped into Zac and West, did the hill ( Ellen did it twice for fun ) and I was also overtaken by Zac at a very high speed and then West at a slightly less high speed, but I dont care cos I am a RECREATIONAL CYCLIST and speed sucks.

Tonight we are back to the delights of camp food.

Miles Today 50
Total          3942







Day 76 Powell to Lowell (Guest Blogger Hadley)

Today's ride looked like this: ~~~~~~ (top view - twisty road paralleling the Lochse river).

Rob got a flat.  This was especially crappy since he only just bought new tires a couple of days ago - grrr!  But the crappy situation was made much less crappy because Rob allowed me, while he put a new tube in, to use his brand new and cherished  MINI TRANGIA STOVE to boil up water to make us a cup of hot peppermint tea.  The TRANGIA STOVE works like a charm... and a midday, roadside cup of tea is a very fine thing indeed.

I polled a number of group members on some of the thoughts they were thinking as they rode today.  Several said they were admiring the colours and sound of the river, and the pleasant sensation of a slow but steady downhill ride.  Dolores was hatching plans to seek out a guidebook to help her identify the "botanical gems" that line the road.  Kelly was thinking back to one particular epic and challenging 80+ mile ride in Kentucky.  David was focusing on riding as safely as possible, after a scary encounter with an aggressive truck.  And Rob revealed that he was thinking 90% mischevious thoughts and 10% thoughts about the trees.  I asked him if there was any mixing of the two kinds of thoughts (leading to mischevious thoughts about trees) but he firmly responded that NO, he keeps the two very separate in his mind.

Now Rob is using his TRANGIA STOVE to boil up water once again, providing bedtime tea and coffee for a number of us. 

*** special and non-biking-related note! ***  Congratulations to Mr. Vince Johnson for placing third in the super-challenging 16km "Seek the Peak" run up Grouse Mountain in Vancouver!!!  Rah!!!

Miles Today  66
Total          3891