Day 29: August 3, 2024 - Council, ID, to Riggins, ID
End: Riggins, ID
Miles: 61.4
Feet climbing per mile: 37
Record of the day's ride: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/208558248
When my alarm went off at 5:00 I pressed the snooze button. When it went off ten minutes later I turned it off and slept until 5:30. As I got up I thought the I would still be able to be on the road at 6:30 as planned. Instead I did not leave until 6:50. Even with all the packing I had done the night before it took one hour and twenty minutes to pack up my campsite.
It was 70 degrees as I began the day’s ride. I had earlier tasted and smelled smoke and saw that the air quality index was 77, whereas the previous day it had been less than 50.
From Council to New Meadows I dealt with two of the three Hs: headwinds and hills. Furthermore there was no shoulder. Traffic was light to moderate, and on the early steep climb I found it difficult to keep track of traffic approaching from the rear while struggling with the ascent. I therefore acted like a pedestrian and rode against traffic. If the approaching vehicles moved over I would continue riding. When I saw they were not moving over, usually because there was traffic approaching in the other lane, I would pull off the road and stop. I found this strategy quite successful and will use it again when needed.
As I left New Meadows I saw a sign indicating construction ahead. Often construction works in my favor because there is sometimes a closed lane in which I can ride without having to deal with traffic. In this case there was no construction. Instead the road now consisted of new asphalt with a generous shoulder, although the yellow and white lines had not yet been fully painted.
Not too long ago I spent a night in Halfway, Oregon. Now I was halfway between the equator and the North Pole.
This was the first time I had ever seen cows fighting. Or were they young bulls?
The final 20 miles were all downhill. There was a curving segment without any shoulder on which I took the lane while racing down the hill and holding traffic behind me. After a while I found a place to pull over to let the traffic past. I was glad that all the drivers seemed to have been understanding of my situation.
After leaving New Meadows I dealt with only the third H, heat, but only during the final ten miles.
This was a rock formation unlike any I had seen on this trip.
I continue to be amazed by the open space.
When I arrived at the Riverview Motel about 1:30, I was told by Valerie that checkin was not until 4:00. But then she told me that mine was the first room she had cleaned and that it was available and and on the ground floor.
During my ride I realized that the last time I felt good on my bike was during the first half of the ride the day my rack broke. That was eight days ago. I also realized that the four rest days due to smoke and the five rest days waiting for the new rack were actually stress days, not rest days. So I decided I would take a rest day in Riggins.
After I checked in to my room I walked down to the river.
Here are the stairs up to the motel.
I had dinner at the Seven Devils Bar & Steakhouse. While sitting at a bar enjoyed conversation with Ryan and Lynn who told me about a nearby beach where there’s swimming in the Salmon River. What a treat that will be!
I went to bed (at midnight!) looking forward to a true rest day.
See all of my daily routes here: Cross Country 2024
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