Bike Across America- Day Eight

Monday, June 26, 2017

Start: Ontario, Oregon
End: Boise, Idaho
Mileage today/cumulative: 64.5/640.5
Elevation Ascended: 1,568
Weather: Sunny, 65° at start; sunny, 90° at finish
3D Video

We crossed our first state line right out the gate this morning, a half-mile from our hotel in Ontario, Oregon, a town overrun by fast food chains and big box retail. This also allowed us to add one more state to our cycling map. When we crossed into Idaho, the scenery completely changed and within minutes we were on country roads riding through fields of onion blossoms, corn, lettuce, lavender, and basil. It is also bison and black angus country – yum! The terrain reminded us of East Tennessee, with lots of rolling roads and we joked that all 1,568′ of today’s elevation was gained ten feet at a time. There was no “serious” climbing today and it appears that will be the case until we ride through the Grand Tetons National Park and over the Continental Divide in about a week. Near the end of today’s route we rode past the Idaho State Capitol, which was pretty darn cool. The pace was moderate and a bunch of us rode into downtown Boise as a group, wearing our America By Bicycle jerseys. That was also a pretty cool sight. Our hotel is less than a block away from Boise State University’s football stadium, famous for its blue field. If you look closely at the end of the route video, you can see the field.

The miles on this trip have flown by and neither of us can believe that we’ve already completed the first leg. Sure, there are four more to go but we’re really enjoying the entire experience and wish that it weren’t going by so quickly. This group of riders continues to bond through shared experiences and mutual encouragement. Our legs feel good and we seem to be getting a little stronger each day. That’s not to say we don’t feel fatigued, but that magically disappears after a hot shower and joining friends for a cold beer and comparing notes from the day. Still, we’re ready to hang out in Boise tomorrow for our first rest day. A day with no alarm clock and no butt butter. It’s going to be a beautiful thing.