|
|
||
|
|
Saturday, May 11 - Baker City, OR to Parma, ID STATS: 100.0 miles; 8:45 - 11:45 PDT & 2:00 - 6:30 MDT With an early start, I was able to churn out the miles - only the second time I've ever
accomplished a 'century' ride. With part of it downhill and much of it with a tail wind, I again
cruised at an incredible speed. Even with six hours in the saddle (and losing an hour switching
time zones), I had a chance to enjoy a few breaks. Outside Payette ID, I had a roadside chat with
Tim Connelly. He and his wife wer planting trees, and asked how far I was going as I sped by. I
grabbed the brakes and rolled back for a nice talk. Minutes later, an A-and-W sign in town
convinced me that a root beer float would be a perfect complement for another spectacular day. STATS: 63.0 miles; 8:30 - 4:00. I figured today would be hard, seeing families celebrate Mother's Day - all laughter and smiles - while I missed my family in Colorado. I remembered from the walk how the holidays were always the hardest to get through. Today, I had none of the energy I had drawn upon the first 560 miles, and my speed dropped 20%. The miles passed slowly to Boise, first through farmland, then semi-rural, then industrial, finally city. My day brightened when I hit Boise. First I stopped a cyclist for directions, and he gave me a
guided tour along the city's riverside bike path to a restaurant for lunch. Back on the trail, Austin
saw me looking at a map and stopped for a long chat. Further along, other friendly faces
cheerfully directed me along my way. Once out of the city, though, I faced thirty ugly freeway
miles to Mountain Home (for a day's total over ninety miles), up hills with a head wind. Since I
had nothing to prove by trying to bike 195 miles in two days (and could risk my health my doing
so), I stopped at the first rest stop and finagled a ride the last thirty miles. STATS: 60.1 miles; 9:45 - 5:00. In the end, it all boils down to attitude. If you are mentally tired, if you're down, the miles seem
empty. If you instead choose a positive outlook, you can enjoy even a miserable day. I admit, my attitude hit the skids yesterday. If I'd felt the same way today, I may have given up
on this trip. First, I failed to arrange a school talk for today or Wednesday. Then I hopped on my
bike and ran smack dab into an unrelenting 30- to 40-mph head wind, with the temperature headed
for the 80s. As I left Mountain Home, the scenery degenerated to a stark, flat landscape populated
only by rabbitbrush and tumbleweeds (and a sign, "FOR SALE: Five-acre home site"). The relentless
wind kept my speed under 9 mph, with twenty miles before my first town. Don't ask me how or why, but I still enjoyed being on my bike, eking out the miles. SMALL TOWN SIGNS: a diversified business in Hagerman: "Trader Jack's Sporting Goods and Floor
Coverings." Maybe they sell bearskin rugs? STATS: 75.5 miles; 12:15 - 5:30. Today was the 'rest' day I expected yesterday. Since my Hagerman High talk didn't start until 11:15,
I took the opportunity to sleep in, reaching the school with 90 minutes to spare - time to type in
my web logs. The talk went well - close to 200 students in the bleachers, listening to my anti-litter
evangelism. Afterwards, I launched myself and bike down the road, aided by a stiff tail wind. When I
was pointed east, I averaged over 23 mph. The few times the road veered south, exposing me to a cross
wind, my speed dropped to half that. STATS: 84.8 miles; 9:20 - 4:00. Today I struck off into unknown territory. From Rupert I finally left the track of our long walk,
heading south-west toward Salt Lake City. High thin clouds kept the day cool, and the tail wind
that gave me a speedy start died as the road turned south. The road climbed slowly through a
broad valley, bordered by snow-dotted peaks. And it was deserted! At one point, I rode
seventeen arid miles without even seeing a house. Last night I spent a relaxing evening with an old friend and her beau in Rupert. After so many
lonely nights in motel rooms, having company feels like a reward for my two-wheeled efforts. Now
I'm looking forward to the next two nights with friendly faces in Ogden and Salt Lake City. STATS: 79.1 miles; 9:30 - 5:00. As I pulled off the freeway, the exit sign said "Thiokol". My map showed no town along the road,
so I wondered ... Could it be THE Thiokol? When a sign at the bottom of the ramp mentioned 'Rocket
Exhibit', I knew it was - Thiokol, the company which makes the rocket boosters for NASA that sends
the shuttle into orbit. The facility was huge, spreading over five miles north-to-south and
disappearing into the surrounding hills. As I neared the far end of the plant, I spied a jogger
and called out a greeting. Dan Cooper jogged over to ask about my trip, and to tell me about the
rocket company he worked for. "We have 3000 workers here," he said, "that commute from as far as
Salt Lake City and Pocatello, ID." He also talked about the area, famous for the 'golden spike'
that completed the first coast-to-coast railroad in the 1860's. The day seemed like three distinct rides. I began with nineteen freeway miles, up and down hills
through a rumpled green landscape. Following that, I faced 33 remote miles down an agricultural
valley, past Thiokol, and through a wetlands region/migratory bird refuge. The finish featured
many miles through a suburban strip, a non-stop stream of businesses, houses, towns, and industry. SMALL TOWN HOSPITALITY: It seems at times that life in the small towns centers around the C-store
or the cafe, and my visits propel me into the midst of it. Yesterday in Malta I was staring at the
displayed menu, checking out the (limited) offertings, when a local clued me in. "The best thing
is to make yourself a taco. Go around the corner and grab a tortilla, and spoon some mixture from
the crockpot. There's a bowl with lettuce, one with cheese, one with tomatoes, and a bin with
chopped onions. The other crockpot has some great soup, and the bowls are right there." This morning I grabbed breakfast at Mollie's Cafe, a Snowville haunt full of atmosphere. When
Millie heard about my my bike trip, she comped my pancake, taking a chunk out of my bill to
start me off on a high note. STATS: 42.8 miles; 10:10 - 3:40. After another wonderful night with company (this time, cousins of a friend in Colorado), I
started with another elementary school talk. Horace Mann Elementary had over 300 kids pack
the gym to listen to my message. Then I was fighting unexpected hills at the base of the Wasatch
Mountains, heading south to the state capitol. Again, I pedaled through a long strip of suburbia,
a far cry from the remote, quiet stretches I had grown used to in Idaho and Oregon. My energy
level was low, so I stopped often - at a bakery for a scone, again for lunch, later for ice cream.
In the city I played tourist, stopping at the capitol dome and at Temple Square, before riding
(more hills) to my friend's house. All in all, a very short day to cap off two weeks of non-stop
biking. STATS: *** Cancelled due to lack of interest. Hey - this is my vacation, and I earned a day off! Instead of riding, I stayed an extra day with my SLC
friends, and we drove back near Thiokol to see the Golden Spike National Historic Site. The site
contained a few miles of tracks, old rail beds - and working scale reproductions of the engines that
took place in the original meeting of the rails. Park rangers showed off the engines, explaining all
the valves, levers, and pulleys. Later, both trains took demonstration runs down the tracks. Tomorrow morning my friends will drive me to Heber City, where I'll be on schedule for my last
week's rides. At this point, I'm scheduled to speak at schools all five days! | |