Start: Pocatello, Idaho End: Idaho Falls, Idaho
Mileage today/cumulative: 67 / 991
Elevation Ascended: 726
Weather: Sunny, 59° at start; sunny, 79° at finish 3D Relive Video (approx. 1 minute)
What a difference a day makes. Yesterday: head winds and crappy roads. Today: little wind and nice farm roads. There was a slight dreaded east wind when we left Pocatello this morning but we tricked it and headed north toward Idaho Falls. This was also our first day with a total elevation gain of less than one thousand feet. We were pretty happy about that after yesterday’s slog, so everyone in our group agreed to an active recovery pace today – not too fast, not too slow, keeping our heart rates low and comfortably spinning our legs. We were all looking ahead to tomorrow’s ride over Teton Pass (elevation 8,431′), so nobody wanted to go hard on today’s flat stage. It was a low key and entertaining ride, especially when our friend Nikki taught Bev the Potato Song and my wife kept tormenting, oops, I mean serenading us with the chorus.It goes like this. You’re welcome.
Today was our last full day in Idaho. We didn’t have any expectations about this state, other than potatoes. There are a lot of those but we also saw the Snake River, beautiful gorges, cool waterfalls, and a wide variety of livestock. We met very nice people who gave us lots of encouragement, even while openly questioning our sanity. We’ll put Idaho in the rear view mirror tomorrow afternoon but we won’t soon forget it (at least until Minnesota or wherever we’ll be in another 14 days…).
Wyoming and the Grand Tetons await, so it’s time to rest up. Tomorrow is guaranteed to be epic!
Our cool pace line group from Pocatello to Idaho Falls.Setting a nice casual pace on a beautiful Idaho morning.Dave Stabler, AKA Super Dave, who was also a Pulitzer finalist for his work at The Oregonian. I’m trying to pull everyone back up to him.Team Pea selfie at Idaho Falls.Team Pea in Idaho Falls.At Idaho Falls with our friend “Booze Alan” from Austin, TX.We’re not sure this restaurant was prepared for locusts to descend at lunchtime. Hey – who ordered the steak sandwich?Both hands on the bike ma’am. Safety first.
Start: Burley, Idaho
End: Pocatello, Idaho
Mileage today/cumulative: 87 / 924
Elevation Ascended: 2,397
Weather: Sunny, 64° at start; sunny, 81° at finish 3D Video
While we waited to pay our lunch bill yesterday, a nice woman asked us a few questions about our trip. She was very interested in what we were doing in Burley, Idaho, unlike her husband, who was a ranch man of few words and appeared disinterested. He stood about 6’4″, large and solid as an ox, with weathered skin. When he learned that we were riding to New Hampshire, he said, in a Sam Elliott voice, “why, you’ve just begun”‘ then for good measure, added “you’re in the real thing now.” No explanation. No smile. No well wishes. Just that comment.
After today’s ride, I believe the rancher. This was a get your head straight, put it down, and get it done kind of day. Flat, straight roads without a turn for 20+ miles and nothing to see but more damn potato plants and sagebrush. About ten miles on the Interstate and who knows how many on the frontage road. Even the Relive video couldn’t make it look pretty. Headwinds for every one of the 87 miles. Two miles of dirt road where the State of Idaho tore up the old asphalt, grated it, then were too damn lazy to repave it. Halfway through that stretch I was yelling “What the f*** Idaho? It’s called asphalt!” as my arms were being jack-hammered to a pulp keeping my bike upright. Bev got through it faster than I did but she was also just trying to remain upright as she powered through. The road condition was new to the ABB staff since last year and by the time anyone arrived upon it, there was no detour available. We’re in the real thing now. We both said it was one of the harder days so far and we’re looking forward to climbing Teton Pass in a couple of days. The mountain stages are nearing!
These are NEVER a good sign. Photo credit Hao-Tong YanThe remains of our pace line group, from L to R: Greg, Alan, Marty (plus Bev), with 15 long miles to goMiles and miles of this today. Photo credit Hao-Tong YanTeam Pea plus our pal Alan, headed toward a grain silo. Photo credit Marty Stabler.
Start: Twin Falls, Idaho
End: Burley, Idaho
Mileage today/cumulative: 46 / 837
Elevation Ascended: 1,824
Weather: Sunny, 60° at start; sunny, 78° at finish 3D Video
Today’s ride was oddly short due to the fact that we’re riding in the middle of nowhere and there are a limited number of towns with hotels. We could have avoided this by signing up with a tour company that pitches tents for you anywhere but that wasn’t gonna happen. We love having a hot shower and comfortable bed every night – and always a place to get a cold beer!
We’d become accustomed to nice tailwinds the past few days and were hoping for more of the same today. Alas, it was not meant to be. Yesterday we had a few five-mile splits averaging around 25mph+ on flat roads. Today we were lucky to maintain 15mph on similar terrain due to strong headwinds for the entire ride. The only thing to do is make yourself as small as possible and spin faster in a lower gear.
Our planned route was only 39 miles with the option of adding seven miles with side trips to Shoshone Falls and the Twin Falls that the city is named for. We went to both (they’re the parts on the video where it appears that we’re riding into the Snake River Canyon). The Shoshone Falls were, by far, the most impressive, and we even caught a double rainbow over them. From there, we were about a mile upstream from Evel Knievel’s jump site. Each person in our riding group could remember his failed attempt to jump the gorge in a steam-powered rocket (1974) and for a few of them, Evel Knievel was their childhood hero. We were all disappointed that the jump site itself was not accessible by bicycle but it didn’t keep us from staring at the gorge in disbelief and wondering what it must have been like to witness the attempt. Evel Knievel was a brilliant self-promoter and one fearless dude.
After leaving Shoshone Falls, we continued on to the Twin Falls, which turned out to be a misnomer because one of the “twins” has been permanently dammed up and there is really only one fall at Twin Falls and it’s not particularly impressive. They should be required to rename the city of Twin Falls to Solo Fall.
From there, it was headwinds through miles of barley, corn, hay, alfalfa, and potatos. The alfalfa had been freshly cut and made my allergies miserable. It’s no wonder I’ve never been a fan of the stuff. The wheat fields are beautiful and each time we ride by them, someone starts singing “amber waves of grain” from America The Beautiful. We’re riding from sea to shining sea, we’ve begun to see spacious skies, the purple mountain majesty are only a few days away, and the fruited plain lies beyond them. We’re basically experiencing the entire famous first verse of the song from the seats of our bicycles.
Finally, we encountered our first “rural traffic jam” when a cow got loose and was running down the county road we were on. She kept successfully evading the two ranchers and a large SUV that were trying to corral her but we were eventually able to continue on after she ran down another road. It was a comical scene because that cow tasted freedom and wasn’t going to be fenced in again without a fight. Two ranchers, a loose cow, and five bicycle riders in Lycra shorts on an Idaho road… there must be a joke in there.
Tomorrow we ride on to Pocatello and resume our typical mileage. We slowly increase our elevation over the next few days before we conquer the Tetons.
Shoshone FallsTeam Pea at Shoshone Falls – another great moment!The view of the gorge looking toward Evel Knievel’s jump site.The misnamed Twin Falls. You can see the dam to the right of the one and only waterfall, where the “Twin” used to flow.Amber waves of grain. Photo credit Marty Stabler.Cyclist in barley. Photo credit Marty Stabler.Cow on the loose!!!Bev at today’s only SAG stop.
Start: Mountain Home, Idaho
End: Twin Falls, Idaho
Mileage today/cumulative: 97 / 791
Elevation Ascended: 3,020
Weather: Sunny, 60° at start; sunny, 75° at finish 3D Video
Today’s ride was another fast one for much of the route. We had the good fortune of moderate temperatures, favorable winds and a strong group to share the load with. We spent nearly the entire ride today with them, making a 97-mile day a bit easier and more fun. We both worked hard today and are feeling the satisfaction that comes from a strenuous workout.
The route took us through more farmland as we continued to follow the Snake River and finally crossed it when we entered Twin Falls, where we rode over the Perrine Bridge, which spans the Snake River Canyon. The views were impressive and we spent a lot of time hanging out there. The ABB staff told us that they’re unaccustomed to such good conditions on the ride into Twin Falls. We’re not taking anything for granted and we’re enjoying it while it lasts.
We crossed this smaller river that included a fish ladder (the luge-looking chute on the left) so that the salmon can swim upstream and bypass the dam.Hot Wife at a Snake River Canyon scenic overlook.Below the Perrine Bridge over the Snake River.Team Pea and some of our fellow riders at spot overlooking the gorge.Team Pea selfie at Snake River Canyon.Such a cool bridge to ride over!Hot Wife celebrating our welcome to Twin Falls, Idaho.
Start: Boise, Idaho
End: Mountain Home, Idaho
Mileage today/cumulative: 53.5/694
Elevation Ascended: 1,589
Weather: Sunny, 64° at start; sunny, 80° at finish 3D Video
There’s a saying that any day on a bike is a good day. If so, then 54 miles on flat, open roads with fresh legs and a 10+ mph tailwind for the entire ride is a really good day. After a slow, six-mile warmup on a greenway bike path, the pace picked up and we sailed to the finish, happy to have the wind at our backs. Leaving Boise, we climbed about 500′, giving us a nice view of the valley looking back at the downtown skyline. Then it was 12 nice miles on Interstate 84 East and our only SAG stop for the day at a truck stop. I got a few questions about our funny looking shoes and some truckers said that riding our bikes across the country was a great idea.
We enjoyed our two nights in Boise but we were itching to get back on our bikes after a rest day. We were ready to roll and spent the morning singing On The Road Again. As we left our room at the Courtyard by Marriott, we passed a room full of people attending a training session, eyes already glazed over at 8am, staring at their binders of material. I thought “I’m so glad I’m riding my bike another 3,000 miles to the Atlantic Ocean instead of sitting in that room.” One has an element of suffering but the other would be torture.
Today’s route was bigger skies, open roads, and lots of sagebrush. We also come across something odd. In the middle of a landlocked state, in the middle of nowhere, with no signs of civilization nearby, we saw a street sign for Ocean View Lane. It was a real sign, perhaps placed by a climate change believer or a seismologist with a crystal ball. Or maybe someone just had a good sense of humor. Regardless, we took a photo of it.
Because we finished the ride so early and it appears that the wind never stops here in Mountain Home, Idaho (another misnomer because there are no mountains to be found, probably created by the same person who named Ocean View Lane) , we were able to hand wash our shorts and jerseys and dry them in the relentless wind. This worked quite well and Bev even got creative, drying our socks by clipping them to the outside of our room’s A/C unit. It was a total white trash look but it worked.
Tomorrow we move on to Twin Falls, Idaho and the route promises to be more scenic. It’s a 91 mile ride, eventually crossing the famous Perrine Bridge that spans the Snake River Canyon, nearly 500 feet above the river and near the site of famous daredevil Evel Knievel’s unsuccessful 1974 jump across the canyon. It should be another epic day!
Yep – it was flat and wide open. We were grateful for favorable wind.Doesn’t everyone pull of the Interstate at a truck stop?Nice roads with no traffic.Our friend Nikki looking for the ocean view…After Day Ten, this doesn’t look weird at all.
