It’s kind of weird how when you’ve been on a bike for 7 days straight, knocking out 100 miles isn’t really that hard. The day started early at Clarette’s Restaurant in Walla Walla at 6 AM but they were a little slow getting us all served quickly for the first rollout at 7:15. Our group rolled out at 7:30 sharp and the sun was already starting to heat up the day. Though we had a lot of climbing today, it didn’t seem all that bad – the climbs were just long and sometimes hard to see with the naked eye. The fact that we had a nice tailwind was a game changer for us today. We made good use of a pace line most of the day except when we had sustained climbs where it’s pretty much every man for himself – we all climb at different speeds.
Our guides are doing a superb job of spacing out SAG stops and managing the flow. They are very well coordinated and really work hard together as a team. We went through 2 small towns in Eastern Washington – Pomeroy and Waitsburg, as the hay and wheat fields faded in the rear view mirror. Lunch as at Mile 55 on the side of the road next to a grain silo and we made quick work of that and were back on the road in 20 minutes lest our legs begin to “freeze” up
As we got closer to the Idaho state line, we soon find ourselves looking up the sides of mountains after a thrilling 9-10 mile long descent from the high desert. Hitting speeds over 40 MPH on the descent can be a little unnerving with cars and trucks passing close by. But all this riding has been very therapeutic for me. I am so thankful to have the opportunity to see God’s creation this way
Crossing the Snake River between Clarkston, WA and Lewiston, ID was yet another milestone as we hit our 3rd state. We stopped briefly for pictures and had a few cars honking their horns as they drove by – I presume that’s a common site for them. So today’s ride was slightly over 100 miles with about 4,800 feet of climbing – a great ride overall.
Another quick, P2P profile – Brad and Scott – 2 guys from Florida doing the ride together as they both have 2nd homes in Big Sky, MT where they are neighbors. Brad is an entrepreneur and Scott runs a business for a family office out of Chicago. Both really good guys and fun to ride with.
Tomorrow we head to Kamiah, ID on an 80 mile ride with over 5,700 feet of climbing. Hope we have a tailwind!