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.
