BENDISH

LEAVING IDAHO 

Spent a great few days chillin in McCall, ID.   My seat post had unexpectedly loosened and I hadnt realized it for a while I guess - which brought havoc upon my knees.   Problem fixed but the lingering swelling and pain took its toll.    Decided to bail on my super spring loop tour as it involved a lot of climbing on dirt roads and put me out only 10 miles south of McCall after a good 120 miles of riding.    Oh, well - cannot do it all.

  Took a shortcut along some nice wide open spaces west of McCall to avoid going anywhere near Boise.   I am not a fan of cities and the traffic and congestion that it brings.  It seems that all of Idaho is burning and I managed to skirt yet another fire - smoky vistas have been a common theme lately.

Did manage to get in some nice open dirt roads on the way out of Idaho along the western border into Oregon.

Took the Kleinschmidt Grade down from Idaho into Hells Canyon Res which is the border between Idaho and Oregon - great two track steep grade descending a good 2000+ feet into the gorge.

Cooling off at the res - even here they have problems with gigantic carp fish populations. 

Just another sign of the obvious dry conditions and the constant fires burning in the area.

Crossed the old Oregon Trail route near Baker, OF, that the settlers took many many moons ago to reach new lands.   The original trail has been graded over and only a few tracts of the trail exist today.   Gives me flashbacks of playing the old game on my Apple IIGS so long ago.

Date:  September, 18, 2012
Weather:   Hot as Balls
Health:   Bordering Insanity
Food:  1/8 Block Cheese; 5 pieces of bread, 2 packets of ramen noodles, 2 packets of mustard
Next Landmark:  Baker City, Oregon
Pace:   Extremely Fast
Rations: Meager
Miles Travel:   5000+

Somehow I stumbled upon one of America's first ever scenic Bikeway!     No way!     I was wondering why people had all of a sudden started waving at me and being so nice whilst passing the cyclist on the road.

Funny - I have no recollection of this scenic small sized tourist town....   hmmmm....

Heading into John Day National Monument.  

Very scenic canyon ride.   I really do miss the desert.  

Checking out the cool fossils that have been preserved in the heavily eroded volcanic ash that was deposited many many many many moons ago from the volcanic activity in the nearby Cascade Mountains.

Shh,....   sunrise after steal camping in the park.   

This is one fossil that I am SOOO  thankful did not become extint - The Chocolate family flower.

Easter Oregon reminds me of the deserts of Utah and the south western states.   This state really has a lot to offer!    I luv OR!

Meet Tony - the way cool retired police offer that decided to make a life change and cycle across the states.   He just got a new hip less than a year ago and here he is pushing it up an exhausting hill.   Way to go!

The painted hills are another branch of the John Day National Monument.   

The colors were spectacular in the late afternoon glow.  

All the hill sides are actually made up of clay that shrinks after the extreme heat of the area evaporates all the moisture - leaving this weird popcorn like topography.

Being silly

Enjoying the colors!

This is what happens when you shear the bolt of your rack.   Fearing that too much weigh will cause the other bolts to break resulting in a catastrophic failure of the rack - I decided to put everything in my backpack and cycle the remaining 60 miles to Bend.    That really made for a sore bum.

Well - all ended well.  I am here in Bend, Oregon chillin with my good friend from Boulder - Rebecca.   Will spend a few days here with her until returning to the road early this week to carry onto the coast and south to San Diego, CA.   

Check out a google maps estimate of my route so far.

I-Da-Ho

Finally made it to New York!   No really, I have no idea why there is a mini Lady Liberty on Lake Pend near Sandpoint, ID.   As much as I loved Canada - it just feels good to be back in familiar territory.   I have met so many great and friendly people already since being back stateside.   Big thanks to Bob Johnson in Bonners Ferry for letting me crash in his yard.   Besides the occasional river bath and hotspring, I hadnt had a proper washin up and laundering since Whitehorse, Yukon - which is a hell of a way.

Heading south from Sandpoint I passed the night at Furragut State Park which was chuck full of great single track riding and a nice beach to take a dip.

Northern Idaho is really an impressive place...  the towns are cute and the people are friendly....  plus the landscape is quite amazing!    Spent a bit of time in Coeur d'Alene haning out with Randy - a warmshowers host nearby swapping stories and dreaming up new adventures.  

Was tempted to take a dirt road up and over the lake, but decided I wanted to camp on the water and enjoy the sunset instead.

Heading south thru Idaho I decided to take a less traveled route past Elk River Falls and down to the Dent Reservoir Recreation Area.   

This long bridge is listed as one of America's Greatest Engineering feats.   It crosses the reservoir along the Elriver Back Country Byway.    Idaho is chuck full of Byways...   already I've travelled the Wild Horse Trail, Pend Orreille Byway, Lake Couer d'Alene Byway, the White Pine Byway, the Northwest Passage Byway and before I leave I have yet to travel the Hells Canyon Byway.....   that's a ton of Byways.  

Farmers burning their fields after the harvest.   When I first saw the smoke - I thought it was from the wild fires that are burning in the area.   I had tried the day before to go up towards Montana and the Jerry Johnson Hotsprings but was luckily informed before I got there that the springs trail had burned.  

After turning around quite disappointed,  I ended up meeting Hermilo, a fruit vendor, whom let me stay in his yard.   He is originally from Mexico but has been a resident here for over 8 years.   It sure was great to practice my spanish and meet such a generous person. 

The ride down White Bird Summit was a hell of a downhill.   It inspired me to finally fix my back breaks which I have to admit havent been functioning properly for over a month.  

Once down in the Salmon River Canyon the main fire that I had head about became apparent.   This particular fire burned over 15,000 acres and was still going strong. 

 Chatted with a few of the firefighters whilst watching the helicopters grab giant buckets of water from the Salmon River to dump over the hot spots.

The fire made its way all the way down to the main highway 95.

Stayed in Riggins, Idaho with Richelle - the owner and operator of the Current News local paper.   Riggins is located right on the Salmon and is the river rat's gateway to some serious rafting!

The next day - unfortunately for the firefighters the wind pick up and changed directions.  

The smoke was setting in the valley and could be seen/smelt all the way over to McCall.  



McCall is a cool little town a few hours north of Boise.   Staying with Stacy and Robbie for a couple of days recovering.   For some reason my knees have started to act up again and am in dire need of a rest.   Thanks heaps guys for telling me be the chick on your couch for a few days.   Spent an afternoon at some really nice hotsprings north of town. 

Will be heading west from here  - arriving in Bend, Oregon in about a week or so.   Hope to spend some time there with friends and of course hit up a few hotsprings along the way as well.

Check out goolge maps for my route so far.

JASPER, BANFF and into the US

 JASPER and BANFF NATIONAL PARKS!!!

 Finally the slog across the plains made it all worth while.  The scenery along the highway 16 and along the scenic parkway 93 thru the parks were some of the most spectacular I have seen from a bike.

 Took the winding and twisting road up to the Miette Hotsprings.  Good for a soak...   if you have not yet noticed I am a hotsprings nut!

Cutest little sheepers following its mother timidly.

Roadside chillin.

Met another cyclist - finally!   in Jasper - Wes and I were both keen on chillin ourselves for a day.   Had a great time eating chicken and drinking beers on a park bench in town.   Doing Jasper cheap cyclist style.

"Can I get some of you toothpaste?"   will never have the same meaning!    I was duped by another traveler!

The highway  south to Banff from Jasper is one of the most scenic I have ever seen.   I snakes along beautiful rivers with spectacular waterfalls all the way up to the Columbia Icefields and back down again.

The color of the rivers here are unreal!

Some paintbrushes alongside the road. 

Storms a brewing - managed to miss all the storms that day - it seemed that it was either raining ahead of me or behind - some day as just lucky!

The flat peaks reminded me so much of Boulder, CO = yeah Bolderites!

Morning mist/fog.

 Making my way to the the glacier.

 Finally at the top!

Parents, watch you kids!   I luv signs!  

The way back down.

Formation in a canyon - hole in the rock of Marble Canyon.

Sunset

The next day I was not so lucky and the storms caught up with me.   This is what is looks like to dry your socks after getting completely soaked by an early snowstorm.   Could only travel about 20km that day and ended up camping at Bowline Pass because it was too cold and dangerous to go down the hill.    

The next morning was a more of the same, but a little better.

Time to head to town and lower ground where the sun is shining and the layers can come off!

Or to Banff town and the most crowded hot springs I have ever been to...

Banff on a holiday weekend is crazy!   

Left town on the main interstate and headed towards Kooteney National Park.   They have constructed a few overpasses here for the animals to travel safely over the highway.

I luv canyons!

Burn area in the park. Spent the night at yet another hotsprings - Radium. 

Meet Daisy - my cow friend.   We are going to California where happy cows live.  

Cute Cafe outside of Whiteswan Hotsprings.

Ma, have you been hanging out in Canada?

Great pools and a great soak with amazing people.  Met the three Spaniards below - they are traveling in an awesome van. 

We stayed up late and caught a glimpse of the Northern Lights - best light show I have ever seen....   too bad I didnt know my camera could take long exposures until yesterday....

Some of you know what I'm talking about!   Frosty Boy - everyone gets a lick!

Crossing the border into the US.   Never before have I been drilled so hard to get back into my own country.   Where do you work?   Have you been arrested?   Did you pack your own bags?   Where do you live?   All questions I really did know the answers to....   good thing I didnt loose my American passport.

Canada was great fun but it is good to be back in the states!   Met a really nice fella by the name of Bob in Bonners Ferry. He let me crash in his yard - first shower and laundry since Whitehorse!   Good welcome back the the US.

Not sure where I am going yet - but will figure it out sometime soon.

You can check out my travels so far on  Google Maps