Date: 2007-06-04
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Miles today: 0.0

5-29-07Riggins, Id72 miles today3467 miles totalWe started the day off in Kooskia at a local cafe and had breakfast. I had two eggs and three french toast...and lots of coffee to get me going.We had a 4000 foot climb just ahead of us today.We started riding in the Pacific Time Zone, but when we crossed the Salmon River later in the day, we went back to Mountain Time.We left Kooskia and started seeing quite a few mule deer along the Clearwater River...another of the beautiful rivers in this area. We also saw lots of geese and some had little gooses with them.It turned out to be a very gentle incline for the first 15 miles, then we started climbing for real. :-))I'm still having problems with the crank on my bike. It's not enough to cause me trouble, but I've heard a grinding noise every time I climb a hill since about Illinois. Maybe I can have it looked at by the company that built the bike in Eugene, Or. I'll be there in about a week.We ran into two east bound riders about 5 miles and 2500 feet into the climb.Their names were Bob and Tom (I think) and they are brothers. Bob was only going to Missoula, but Tom was going to Yorktown, Va.He was the second Trans Am rider I've met from Atlanta.We talked for about 40 minutes before they headed on.While we were talking, another rider came up by the name of Peter, who has already rode west on the Southern Tier Trail and is now heading back on the Trans Am Trail. He has rode 5100 miles and was riding with a heavy load.We also got good news about the rest of our climb....the map is wrong. It's not 5100 foot elevation to the summit like the map says, but 4300 feet high. That's a big difference and saved us 800 feet of climbing. :-))We rode on and came to Grangeville. That's a pretty nice city with lots of services. We just stopped and had a soda before heading on.I had a strange feeling today about the weather. This is the first time in what seems like weeks that we haven't had to worry about the weather...AND it's warmed up!!I even saw Mrs Gorp's legs for the first time in a couple weeks. Maybe it will get cold out again. Ha!! ;-))We had been hearing about the busy road near White Bird from east bound riders since back in Yellowstone. They actually had me a little concerned, but it turns out that we've been on much worse roads with lots worse traffic. Boy are those east bound riders in for a treat. ;-))It was actually a fun road for us and there was some construction going on, so we even got to ride on some smooth new asphalt.The area we rode into today is a lot more arid than we've been in for a while. It must stay fairly warm too because there were some blooming roses already. We've been riding in areas where the tulips are just starting to bloom.We started riding along the Salmon River and were riding slightly uphill all along it's shore.We saw three caves in the mountain on the other side of the river and wondered what they were all about.We found out later when we came up to a gold mine and the miner was out front working on some equipment.We stopped and talked to him for about 30 minutes. His gold mine goes straight into the mountain for about 700 feet. His dad started mining it in the 1940's. He said the caves we saw were made by some Chinese men back in the 1800's when they were searching for gold.We headed on and came to Riggins...tonight's destination.It's only got about 400 residents, but the sign says it's the white water capital of Idaho.We got a room, then went and had dinner. My dinner tonight was a small one which consisted of a reuben sandwich and a salad. I guess the higher temperatures interupted my normal ravinous self. :-))Mrs Gorp was happy again because there's a laundry here. That helps me because now my clothes are clean. ;-))She also rescued a kitten and found it a home while I was writing my journal.Now she's out buying me some donuts.It's tough fending for myself out here on this bike trip. ;-))Another great day on the Trans Am Bicycle Trail. :-))5-30-07Cambridge, Id81 miles today3548 miles totalWe got an early start because the heat is here. I made 2 pots of Starbuck's this morning while I packed up. I also ate a muffin and a banana that Mrs Gorp bought last night.We headed out of Riggins. The temperature was in the 40's, but felt kinda warm.We left the Salmon River and started following the Little Salmon River. Even the Little Salmon River is a pretty big and fast flowing river.We were climbing gradually for the first 13 miles. We got to a cafe and went in to eat breakfast. I had a good omelette with homefries, toast and lots more coffee. :-))We spent about an hour there. There was one guy at the counter with a knife on each hip and a pistol on a shoulder strap.Mrs Gorp bought a few postcards about Idahoans. One was an Idaho double date...two guys in a pickup with their two dogs in the back. The other was an Idaho designated driver....with a drunk on the back of a horse and a dog in the saddle. Well, Mrs Gorp liked them. :-))We headed on and started a steeper climb to about 4300 feet.I liked it better when we got back up in the trees. It was too arid for me in the river valley.We ran into a young east bound rider from Corvalis, Or. I think he's looking for a riding partner because when we told him about all the eastbounders we've seen in the last 4 or 5 days, he got excited and was hoping to catch up with some of them.We headed into New Meadows. There was an A&W there and I had a hamburger and fries. Mrs Gorp had a rootbeer float.We headed on and I was ahead of Mrs Gorp when a silver colored fox ran out near me. That bugger had the longest tail I've ever seen on a fox...a very beautiful animal.The road was narrow in places and the traffic still moved along at a high rate of speed, so we really had to stay alert.We pulled into Council and stopped at a cafe. I had a fish sandwich and a salad. Mrs Gorp had a huge piece of coconut cream pie.I think she's starting to live for desert. :-))We talked to a couple in that cafe and they just didn't think riding a bike across the country sounded like too much fun to them. :-))We still had another 23 miles to ride to Cambridge...tonight's destination.It was starting to get pretty hot out, so starting early is working.We had one more big hill to climb, then it was an easy ride into town.We came back down below 3000 foot elevation and are back in a more arid part of Idaho.We got a room and walked down to the library to check email, then went to the cafe and I had a reuben and Mrs Gorp had apple pie. :-)) Nah, she finally ate something other than desert today...she had a hotdog.It's too hot to eat too much right now.This is the first day in about 4 days that I've had cell reception, so I caught up with some calls to family and answered a couple voice mails.Another great day on the Trans Am Bicycle Trail. :-))5-31-07Richland, Or68 miles today3617 miles totalWe're in Oregon!!!Today started off early because of the heat. We wanted to get most of our ride in before it got too hot out.We were at the local cafe in Cambridge, Id at 6am and on the road before 7am.I was riding along and came up to a small stream and a buck mule deer hopped out in front of me. I got my camera out and got one picture before he got too far away.He had a medium sized rack that was in velvet right now.We started out at about 1800 feet high and climbed to the first pass of the day which was 4131 feet high.It was fun once we got to the top and headed downhill. I was going about 40mph and started getting bugs in my mouth, so I had to keep it shut for a while. :-))We came to one of the only two services today and stopped and had a soda.We headed on and in about 6 miles, we came to Brownlee Dam, crossed it and entered Oregon. This was the only state we entered that didn't have a welcome sign, so we couldn't get our pictures in front of the "Welcome To Oregon" sign. :-((We were welcomed to Oregon in another way...with the high heat of Hell's Canyon. I couldn't imagine being here in mid-summer.We rode along the Snake River and and I kept seeing some large fish near the surface. I was thinking they were tarpon ;-)), but they turned out to be carp.We stopped by the second services and had another soda before climbing to the summit of the next pass.This pass seemed much harder, but it might have just been because it was getting so hot out.I took off my helmet and my bike gloves to get rid of my "bicycle" tan.My hands are so white where the gloves are that I look like I'm wearing white gloves when I don't have any on. :-))We finally got to the summit, then had a fast ride down to Richland...our destination for the day.We got a nice room, then walked up to Annie's Cafe and had chicken fried steak for dinner. I stopped by the grocery on the way back and bought a quart of chocolate milk for desert. They didn't have any Ben & Jerry's ice cream. :-((Today ends the second month on this adventure and we only have 452 miles left to the Pacific.Another great day on the Trans Am Bicycle Trail. :-))