Whew, it's siesta time. The desert in the summer really drives home why no-one does anything between 1 and 6 in hot climates.
It's 3 Pacific / 4pm local mountain time, and hot. I changed time zones today!
The ride was good but I am fatigued today so I'm glad it was short. Got out at 7:35, entered Hell's Canyon immediately, and then reached the end at 9:05, 15 miles later with 1:17 on bike. It's a really pretty canyon and has neat dams. When I rode it in 2014 it was overcast, and in 2003 it had apocalypic locusts in the road the flew to face height as we approached them, it was insane!
I have a hard time knowing if comparisons to 2003 are accurate. That was my first tour when 7 college budies from Iowa road from Astoria to Boston with 3 Renegade Juggling Clubs each. I remember it as being very hard and extreme. Some things were objectively worse - we carried WAY too much weight and were poor and ate out of dumpsters. But, we also had never been out west before, so the extremes of Oregon were new. We also biked across Wyoming on that trip, which was INSANE. That trip is why I moved to Oregon 3 years later, btw.
Thing is, I'm a middle school teacher, and the defining feature of 10-13 year olds is they have no perspective so EVERYTHING is a big deal. Every day they get holder their capacity to feel increases, so every day could literally be the best or worst days of their life so far, over and over and over again. It's a lot to be around 550 kids who are basically raw nerves.
Anyway, I've biked across the US something like 4 times, 2-3 major solo tours, 23 RAGBRAIs, etc. I've ridden in 110 actual temps, 120 degree head indexes, 80 miles through Wyoming with no water, dry camped, days in wildfire smoke, bears, traffic, everything. At this point little phases me - so when I think about 2003 being super hard, is it just because I have perspective now and in 2003 I didn't yet?
One thing I enjoyed doing this morning was trying to time travel in my mind to all the other time I've ridden. I mean more than just remembering. The past is easier because it's bookmarked, the future is hard - but if we are like rivers - both always existing and always changing - and time is ... not an illusion but also not exactly what we think it is... and we are our past and future selves at all times, then it's fun to try to access those past and future selves. Biking is a particularly good doorway for it, since it's puts you physically and mentally into a similar situation as you have been before and will be again.
So that's how I spent my morning...
Finished the Canyon at 9:05 and then about 30 minutes later made it to Gateway Store. There I ate the biggest breakfast burrito I've ever seen. Way too big, had some coffee, and then tried to ride up a scorching 7 miles hill with that thing in my stomach.
The hill out of Hell's Canyon is legendary. In 2003 it was 100 degrees and we almost died. In 2014 it was wet and rainy. Today it was 90+ but a couple hours earlier in the day than 2003 so with the lower sun angle I was able to stop occasionaly in shady tree spots to cool off. I was able to access the river once to soak my shirt as well. There was a slight tailwind, which on a climb just make it hot.
I reached the top at 12:30, 24 miles in with 2:38ob, so the climb took me an hour and a half. I didn't feel great, but I only had 15 miles of downhill to Cambridge with a slight tailwind for 40 miles total and 3:28 on bike, arriving at 1pm Pacific Time.
Now I'm chillin' in Water Tower park. I've soaked my shirt a few times, drank a lot, and iced my legs with frozen pees (good trick, you can eat them afterwards) and thinking about how much I like siestas. I could have gone farther today, but the routing doesn't work out well if I do and I can use a break.
In 2003 we met The Keg here, a man shaped like a Keg with smaller biker legs, who was... very strange. He carried a full tarp and giant stakes. A storm came through that night and ripped it apart. In 2014 I was cold and wet so I talked myself into a church. Today, I'm just hot and trying not to fall asleep (again). This is a rad town though, cyclists are officially allowed to sleep in their city park and there is water and a bathroom. Thanks Idaho! The next two towns I'm staying in are the same way. Idaho kinda rules for that.
Oh, I also got word that there are two brothers going to Missoula a day ahead of me so I may run into them. Ken from yesterday said I'd run into two other Westbounders soon, but I haven't yet.
Tomorrow I ride 48 miles to New Meadows. It may rain, and be about 85 degrees. After that the heat breaks and highs are in the 70s, but I'll be on my way!
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