Category: Touring

I have 46 miles today to get to White Bird, ID. and this is a hard section with steep climbs over two passes.

The first climb up Lambs Grade Road has some 18% grades with an average of 14° and no shade. I soon realized that I forgot to refill my water bottles. Near the top there is a new house being built and was able to get water.

Now I’m in the plateau riding to Gangeville. I get food and drinks before climbing over the next ridge on Old White Bird Road.

My descent into the valley is on Old Route 95, a narrow switchback steep road to White Bird where Nancy has booked a campground on the Salmon River.

Two eastbound touring cyclists have also arrived to camp the night.

I left the Wilderness Campground thinking what a special place my sleeping spot was. I slept in the woods that humans have slept in for over 7,000 documented years. How fortunate this man of seventy from New England is to have joined this group of humans.

I ate a leisurely breakfast while the dew dried off my tent, packed up and continued riding the miles to tonight’s sleeping site, City Park in Kooskia, ID.

This is a lovely park in a small quiet town right on the bank of South Fork Clearwater River. The sound of the water flowing is peaceful.

This morning at 8 AM I ride off through the Nez Perce National Forest, a 90 mile section without any services except a few National Parks. I am breaking this section into two days. My next campsite will be in Kooskia, Idaho. There is food, and a city park campsite. This is also where I will once again have cell service.

Twenty miles out I pull over to change the map page and I notice a very loaded rider heading toward me. He stops and we begin a very nice conversation, he has very similar beliefs on life so we spend a long time visiting. He, Dave, is a Canadian and is finishing his tour. He will go into Missoula and head north to his home count. Last November he began his tour at the lowest point in Argentinia to ride back to Canada.

I pull into the Widerness Gateway Campground to find a site. One whole section was reserved for a wedding and this park does not have a camp host. Turn turn back to ask a man walking his dog some information about this campground. It turn out this very nice man explained that he has reserved all the campsites in the only one with potable water. He also invited me back to his RV to meet his wife and children, one of his daughters is getting married tomorrow at the pavilion. Family and friend were coming to stay at the campground but said that I am welcome to in a site and stay the night. His wife was preparing lunch and invited me to eat with them.

After lunch and tales of my journey I found my spot to setup my campsite. Today had many pleasant happenings.

I’m heading to Powell Campground where Nancy set up camp. This is a short day with one pass and 21 miles. Last night was cold and there is ice and frost on the tent and ground. I decided to let the tent stand to dry when the sun comes over the mountain to melt the frost. The air is cold so I went across the road  to the restaurant to sit in the sun and have some breakfast.

With a full belly I walk back to the campsite and pack up all my gear the breakdown the tent. With everything on the bike I head off to climb the pass and once again cross the border into Idaho. Just before the climb I take off my windbreaker, heavy jersey, and long pant. The temperature have now soared to 90°.

Reaching the top I now have a steep drop that tapers to a gentle roll down the the campground. Just as I turn onto Powell Park Road so does another cyclist, Craig, touring east. We visit and ride to the camp store and then two more come in, Jill and Santiago. The three are heading east and I am at my sleep site.

I spent an extra day in Hamilton because my phone is dying so a new phone is needed. The simplest things can quickly turn into nightmares. AT&T had a phone in the store so I tried to buy it. I logged into my account and gave them the code that was texted and my identity pin and also gave my license to the store staff to prove that I indeed am me. The salesperson and the AT&T headquarters were satisfied but because the scan didn’t scan my license I was denied purchasing the phone. After three hours of trying to convince AT&T to sell me the phone Nancy finally got them to agree to let them scan her license and I had the phone.

Today I left Hamilton to sleep in a campground in Lolo Hot Springs, MT. with my new phone. The first 30 miles were on a bikeway. In Florence I stopped for lunch at a small cafe, fish and chips with rhubarb pie.

Once in Lolo I began the climb to my campsite. I set up camp and walked across the road to the restaurant for dinner. When I returned to my site a woman from a neighboring site walked over to give me some home baked cookies. She and her husband are from Alberta, Canada and are visiting the area. This will be a nice night with the fresh cool air.

I began leaving Wisdom at 8 AM in the cold 37° air to make my way to Hamilton 73 miles away. The first pass was an easy climb to where I coasted into a valley where the hill still showed the charred remains of a forest fire 5 years ago.

The next long and steep climb was over Chief Joseph Pass with a 10 mile drop into the next valley twisting my way through hairpin turns with gorgeous views.

I ate lunch at an RV campground restaurant and set off for the next town, Darby, for an ice cream and iced tea. From Darby it was an 18 mile ride into Hamilton where I met up with Nancy. We stayed and will visit with Mark and LaDonna, friends of Nancy’s brother.

This morning I was fresh again, the rest day yesterday gave me recovery from the long grind into the wind. I left at 8 AM, a later start then I had hoped but still early enough for the 68 miles to Wisdom, MT. I would need to climb the two passes and the wind was not in my face so the climbs were easy.

It was nice rolling carefree and enjoying the scenery. The mosquitoes are horrendous and attack like riled bees. Nancy passed me just before Jackson, I waved her over and asked if she’d like to join me for lunch. The small town restaurant was a great find, my bacon burger was very good. The last twenty miles to Wisdom went by quickly. I am now staying at the American Legion’s camp hostel.

Leaving Ennis with fresh legs for the 8 mile climb over the pass between the Tobacco Root Mountains and the Gravelly Range.

I stopped in Virginia City for breakfast, Eggs Benedict was my choice. The next small town, Nevada City is another old gold rush town.

I met up with Roger and Scott, a father and son, who were riding the same tour and also heading to Dillon for the night. We stopped at a rest area just out of Twin Bridges, this small town park has restrooms and a small cyclist hostel. We arrived at 1 PM fresh and chose to continue the 28 miles to Dillion thinking we would be there by mid afternoon.

This is when the wind began to blow a steady 20 mph with frequent gusts of 50 mph. The rest of the day was a brutal battle into the wind. By the time I got close to Dillon my legs were ready to cramp and my stomach was reaching vomit mode. It took 5 hours pushing the gears I use to climb a 15% grade to reach Dillon.

I have been riding into headwinds like this for a month now. I’m tired of this shit. The strongest headwinds on the east coast have been put into perspective. Nothing I’ve experienced back east compares, I will never again complain about the wind when I get back to New England.

I rode away from Henry’s Lake a bit later than planned. The huckleberry pancakes were a treat but slowed the morning start. Nancy was rushing to go to a nature preserve and I was trying to pack and not forget anything. Once I pedaled away I began to relax.

My route, a detour around Yellowstone, was on rte 87 bringing me to the upper entrance of Yellowstone to connect with the TransAM route. Ten mile into the ride I was on the opposite side of Henry’s Lake and I could look across and see Nancy’s camper. Riding the wide shoulder I heard metal under the rear tire and a pop and hiss. The metal sliced the tread and the ¼” slit was spurting sealant. I laid my bike on its side and rotated the wheel until the cut bled the tire on the gravel shoulder. I took out my tools and plugged the hole then removed the valve core fed sealant into the tire. After replacing the core I pumped the tire, all this without needing to remove the wheel from the bike, and rode off down the road to the Montana state line. Tubeless rocks!

Today I found that elusive tailwind! It really does exist after all. This is the first tailwind I have had since Virginia as I began riding west.

I’m now in Ennis, MT. relaxing at a cycling hostel.

Rolling my bike out the door into a 35° crisp day I begin my 53 mile trip to Henry’s Lake, ID. It’s 6 AM and the rain is predicted to begin by 10 AM. Riding in the cold is a better option than riding in cold rain. Today I will ride through the Mesa Falls parkway in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest.

My first 30 miles were quiet with only a few cars and two touring cyclists heading for the east coast. I am in an evergreen forest with wet meadows and fields of flowers. A habitat for bear, moose, and elk, I only saw an elk.

The cold rain began as I was leaving the forest to connect with SR 20, a busy highway. Now, 47° and hard steady rain I pedaled on with frozen hands. I stopped at a gas station for warm coffee, warming my finger around the cup before drinking the brew. I also bought a pair of glove liners hoping to keep the cold from my fingers.

With only five miles to go the sun popped and the rain cleared. I arrived at the campsite and I clipped and leaned my bike up against the camper. Nancy and the dogs, Scooby and Moe came out to greet me. Today I felt much better so I hope this is the beginning of the end of my COVID.