Wyoming!As I entered into the town of Cokeville, Wyoming I rolled into a Flying J truck stop, went in to get something to eat and fill my water bottles. When I came out there was a gentleman sitting at the only table. I asked if he would mind me joining him and he said not at all. His name was Don and he is a long haul trucker. He told me about his career and about a heart attack he suffered years ago. After treatment and modifying his diet he was able to return to his job as a long haul trucker. We chatted about my bike ride and he commented that he should get a bike as it would be good exercise for him. He was heading to Portland and stopped so he could do his laundry and rest a little bit. After about a 30 minute conversation he stood up to go get his laundry and then pulled his wallet out and handed me a $20.00 bill telling me that he wanted to support me on my journey!!! Wow!! So many incredible people out there! Thank you Don! I'm now in route to Rawlins, Wyoming to rejoin the TransAM trail. I took US Highway 30 until about 3 miles outside of Little America, Wyoming when the road ended and I was forced to get onto Interstate 80. This is not what I was expecting or planning. I rode as fast as I possibly could to get to the exit for Little America. I asked one of the ladies at the front desk if there are any other options for east bound travel other than the interstate and she said there really isn't. I checked online to see if I can legally ride on the interstate and it appears that I can plus I checked with the Wyoming Highway Patrol and they said it's fine so long as I stay as far to the right shoulder as possible and maintain safe riding practices. He didn't recommend riding the interstate at night which I would never do. So the next 144 miles will be on the interstate...wish me luck! I've officially passed the 1,000 mile mark!
Miles to date 1,040.1
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Spent the July 4th holiday in Pocatello and like most of the west it was HOT! Having logged over 800 miles on the ride so far I contacted a local bike shop in Pocatello (Barrie's Ski and Sports) and arranged to get Bobnick a tuneup before heading out Wednesday. While waiting for Adam to complete the tuneup I looked around the shop and struck up a conversation with a gentleman that was also getting work done on his bike. Ralph is 82 and still rides his bike on a regular basis. We had a great conversation and he also gave me some tips for getting back onto highway 30. While on my way to Lava Hot Springs, Idaho I came upon a gentleman on a 4 Wheeler that was stopped on the shoulder. He had ran out of gas and was waiting for his wife to bring him some. His name is Ken and he is also a cyclist from the local area. He asked if I was planning to stay in Lava Hot Springs that evening and I told him probably so. He told me that he and his wife were going out of town but I was welcome to pitch my tent on his property if I wanted to. He gave me his address and told me he really hoped I would stop by. His wife arrived with gas for his 4 Wheeler and he also led me to a different road to get into town so I could stay off the busy highway. I decided to take Ken up on his generous offer and WOW what a beautiful place it was! Ken and his wife were just leaving as I came up the road to their property. The generosity and kind hearts of people is incredible. They said I could pitch my tent anywhere including on the patio. There were some gusty winds moving through so that's what I ended up doing. The next morning I headed out to Soda Springs and am now in Montpelier, Idaho. I should be crossing into the state of Wyoming on Saturday!
Miles over the past 3 days - 104.9 Cumulative Miles - 913.1 Haven't posted to the blog in a few days because wifi was hard to find so this will be a longer post covering the past 3 days. It's started to get really hot but that doesn't take away from the beauty and peacefulness along the ride! A lot of holiday travelers on the interstate but hardly any traffic on the frontage road to Burley, Idaho! Miles today - 42.0 Cumulative Miles - 716.5 As I rolled into Rupert, Idaho I took a break at a city park to relax a little because I couldn't go on due to a train on the tracks that was going nowhere fast. I just love the history of all the small towns I'm going through! The next 35 miles or so were so peaceful! Long rolling hills and only saw 4 cars along the entire 35 mile stretch! As I got closer to American Falls I came upon dirt roads going through some wind farms. Really incredible to see these close up! It was in the mid 90's and I wasn't sure where I would be sleeping that night. I did a search for campgrounds and found Indian Springs RV and Campground in American Falls. I called and asked if they had any tent sites available for the night and they said they did but the office would be closing at 6:00. It was about 4:30 and I was still 15 miles out of American Falls. Not sure of the terrain ahead I didn't know if I would make it by 6:00. I told them I would call them back at 5:30 and let them know where I was at. Unfortunately, Google maps took me way off course and there was no way I would make it by 6:00. They said the office would be closed but just knock on the door and they would assist me. I rolled in about 6:45 and they were awesome! Offered me water and although they had closed down the kitchen they said they had some incredible cookie ice cream sandwiches and it was HEAVEN!!! I was beat, hot and ready to relax and this was the perfect place to do that! Miles Today - 60.4 Cumulative Miles - 776.9 My next destination was Pocatello, Idaho. On the way I came across this facility...a sure sign I'm in Idaho but never knew there were special potatoes for chips!
The temps are really climbing, all my electronics need to be charged and I was really wanting (and needing) a nice relaxing shower! I found a cheap hotel with wifi and decided to stay put for the July 4th holiday! I'm working on mapping out the next section of my ride which will take me into Wyoming! Miles today - 31.3 Cumulative Miles - 808.20 Enjoyed a nice, relaxing ride from Bliss, Idaho to Twin Falls, Idaho. Special thanks to Dave, one of my blog readers for recommending this route! It was gorgeous and I really like Hagerman a lot. Good old small town America feel to it and when I stopped off at a local coffee shop it really brought that feeling home. Natasha was so pleasant and fun to talk to plus she has a fantastic outlook on life...thanks Natasha! After my "liquid determination" I was spoiled by incredible scenery for much of the ride! One thing about Idaho there are so many rest areas on the back-roads. Took a break and made some adjustments to Bobnick. Miles Today - 48.4
Cumulative Miles - 674.4 After a day of thunderstorms, heat and heavy winds, today was a day that I was able to enjoy the wind at my back for much of the day! It was so peaceful riding through Idaho farm country! Waving to the farmers as they worked their fields, the young kids riding 4 wheeler's giving me a thumbs up! I was originally going to stop in Hammett where this cute "guard kitty" kept an eye on the entrance of the only convenience store in town. After some snacks and water I decided to keep going and headed out for Bliss, Idaho. I've driven I-84 so many times but took old highway 30 and it was beautiful! Amazing what you see when you get off the interstate highways! It added about 9 miles compared to the interstate but it was so worth it! Rolling into Bliss I was really tired and sore. When I stopped and checked my mileage for the day I understood why! I had gone 71.8 miles which was my single greatest mileage day so far!
Miles Today - 71.8 Cumulative Miles - 626.00 After a break in Boise to see Nick, visit friends and rest up, I'm back on the road! The first target destination was Grand View, Idaho. At the recommendation of one of my blog readers, I took Idaho Highway 78 going through Murphy, Idaho. It was very hot and a relentless head wind made this 45 mile day seem much longer. I made it into town and was sitting outside a local store when I noticed a cyclist coming up the road towards the store. It was the only cyclist I saw the entire day. He pulled in and we introduced ourselves...his name is Brian from Jackson, Wyoming and is riding to Washington State then across the northern tier to Maine. About 5,000 miles! A severe thunderstorm alert had come across my phone so I contacted a hotel in town where I stayed that night but with the conditions in the room I think I would have rather taken the risk of being struck by lightening!!! That said, it was a pretty intense storm that ignited several fires in the area.
Miles Today - 45.5 Cumulative Miles - 554.2 After leaving Unity, Oregon I rode 66.4 miles to Vale, Oregon. There were some moderate climbs but much of it was flat or downhill so the miles seemed to go by quickly. This brought my cumulative miles to 448.10. I stayed overnight in Vale and the next morning had a wonderful conversation and coffee with 2 lovely ladies (Carol and Linda) at a local coffee shop. My goal was to make it to my hometown that afternoon which would mean a day of about 60 miles. Knowing the communities I was in helped to make the distance between towns seem shorter. When I came across this in Nyssa, Oregon I knew I was getting close...lol! Then I came up to the Snake River and I could see the welcome to Idaho sign on the other side...yay! It felt so great riding into my homestate of Idaho! I've been on this road so many times in a car and while on my bike I was seeing things I probably had driven right past on numerous occasions including this...an actual drive in movie theater still in operation! I rolled into Meridian, Idaho around 4:00 and rode to my bosses house to pick up my vehicle and headed home for a couple days of rest and visiting! Nick and I were able to hang out and have lunch...he is so excited about his new job at Rock Creek Shooting and is absolutely loving it! Thank you Phil and Rex for bringing Nick on to help at your incredible new facility! I stopped into my workplace and visited with some of my co-workers which was awesome! Sorry I missed some of you :( I've already ran out of water twice so I got 2 more bottle cages and 3 insulated bottles to keep the water cooler longer. Getting rid of gear I don't need and checking over Bobnick. I'll be heading out across Idaho early Sunday morning in route to Breckenridge, Colorado...my brother's home state.
Miles Today - 60.6 Cumulative Miles - 508.7 When I left John Day I knew my path was going to be changing as I am making a detour to go through Boise. Once again, Oregon dealt me 2 mountain passes in the same day. My goal was to make it to Unity, Oregon but about 12 miles out, still climbing in mountains and I was out of water. With little choice, I kept pedaling on. I finally rolled into Unity and could immediately tell the services were very limited. I did a quick search and there was only one hotel/rv park and no campgrounds. I called and the lady told me they didn't have any vacancies. I explained what I was doing and that I was out of food and water. She was very helpful and gave me directions to a restaurant that was open for another hour or so. The restaurant was called, The Watering Hole. When I entered the restaurant there was only 2 gentleman in the place. I sat down at the bar and the bartender asked what I wanted and I asked for the largest water she had and she kept them coming! I ordered a sandwich and engaged in a conversation with the two men. They were amazed with what I told them I was doing and wished me well. I asked the bartender if there was any place in town that I could pitch my tent for the night and she suggested behind the community center about a block up the way. I asked if she would mind filling my water bottles which she did with a smile! She was so awesome! Thank you! I pitched my tent and was out like a light. I was awakened at 4:00 AM by a chorus of what seemed like dozens of different birds. The RV Park/Hotel had a small cafe that opened at 7:00 so I tried my best to go back to sleep to no avail. I was reliving everything that happened the day before trying to make plans so it wouldn't happen again. About 6:45 I packed up my tent and sleeping bag to head over for breakfast. When I walked in, the same two gentlemen from the night before were there. As we enjoyed our coffee one of them told me that they have been coming to Unity from Salem each summer for tbe past 14 years. Having seen the limited amenities of the small town I was puzzled and asked him why. What he told me would have Nick drooling...lol! They come down to kill the whistle pigs, gophers and rats on ranchers and farmers property. Why would Nick love this so much? The property owners provide all the ammo as in unlimited until the problem is resolved. That's right Nick, unlimited ammo to shoot to your hearts content! Now that is right up Nick's alley! The gentlemen said they've been shooting all their lives and I told them if they ever get to Boise that they need to visit Rock Creek Shooting (www.rockcreekshooting.com). We finished our conversation, paid our checks and I headed out for the next leg of my ride.
Miles today -50.8 Cumulative Miles -381.70 Today was a short day as far as mileage is concerned but long thanks to the 95 degree temps! I rode from Dayville to John Day Oregon which was relatively flat with just a few modest climbs. To keep my mind off the heat I put my headphones on listened to music while riding along the John Day river. I was noticing a lot of the lyrics mirrored how I'm feeling about this journey...here are a few of them. "So often time it happens, that we live our lives in chains and we never even know we have the key" Already Gone by The Eagles "When your hourglass runs out of sand you can't flip it over and start again. Take every breath God gives you for what it's worth" Don't Blink by Kenny Chesney "His sight has turned inside himself to try and understand the serenity of a clear blue mountain lake. And the Colorado Rocky Mountain High, talk to God and listen to the casual reply" Rocky Mountain High by John Denver "So If you're tired of the same old story, oh turn some pages" Roll with the changes by REO Speedwagon "When the water's high, when the weather's not so fair, when the well runs dry, who's gonna be there, you find out who your friends are" You find out who your friends are by Tracy Lawrence. I'm about 180 miles from my home town of Meridian, Idaho! Don't know the exact date I'll be rolling through but it's in sight and I'm looking forward to seeing Nick and my co-workers at Office Value!
Miles Today - 31.8 Cumulative Miles - 330.9 After a much needed rest day it was time to get back on the bike and continue on to Dayville. There was a very steep climb just out of Mitchell, the rest of the ride was awesome! I was about 4 miles outside of Dayville and came upon two cyclists, Ian and Jim. Ian was from Scotland and is going cross country East to West. Ian waved at Jim (who is a young 81) and when Jim waved back, lost his balance and took a tumble. He had several cuts and had hurt his collar bone. Ian was waiting with Jim until his wife and ambulance arrived. I stopped at a local cafe for lunch and then headed into town looking for the Church I saw on the warm showers app that lets cyclists stay in the Church as they are passing through Dayville. When I went into the Church there wasn't anyone there but there was a sign to check in with Rose at the house behind the Church. Rose accompanied me back to the Church, gave me a tour and told me about the history of letting cyclists stay since the 1970's. They have several thick binders that have all the thank you notes that cyclists have ever written. Pretty cool!
I was the only person in the Church all night which was kind of weird. They have a shower, washer/dryer and kitchen so I was able to eat, shower and do laundry! |