Day 23: Thursday, June 18, 2015

Stop to Stop: Syringa, ID to Steelhead Inn, Lucile, ID

Underway: 6:55 am    Off Bike: 5:30 pm    Ride Time: 6:26 hrs    Stayed At: Motel
Miles Traveled: 74     Total Miles: 1,595.0      Weather: Sunny, warm, calm

First Things First: First money found by the side of the road – $10; First switchbacks; First lemonade stand; First haircut; First barber who gives away free beverages – including beer!; First motel.

Mile to Mile: Great travel day today. Cheese (Mark) and I headed out first down 15 miles to the next town – Kooskia – and spent time packing up some junk to send home (mostly cold weather clothes and unused stuff. The other two guys showed up in a little while and we had a leisurely and big breakfast to fuel us for a big climb up ahead. We said goodbye to Clown (Shawn) as he peeled off to go north while we were heading south and west. Dragon (John) took off down the road and we never did catch up to him. That left Mark and I to pound out the miles today.

After a tiring and challenging climb we kept pedaling up, down and around some beautiful countryside until we stopped to refuel and get haircuts in Grangeville. We let a little of the heat of day cool off before heading for another big climb and terrifying 8 mile steep downhill. Fun but mentally challenging because you have to stay focused and keep pumping the brakes to avoide hitting terminal velocity which, on this hill would probably be 120 mph. We survived and coasted into Whitebird mid afternoon to see if Dragon stopped here or kept going. We couldn’t find him but suspected he kept pounding another 30 miles under ideal travel conditions.

We continued on another 15 miles and stopped at a very nice and comfortable motel where we made ourselves at home. If you get this way on the TransAmerica Trail, the Steelhead Inn right on the Salmon River is an oasis worth stopping for a break. I may not want to leave tomorrow.