Day 39: Riggins to New Meadows, ID

35.5 miles, 2346 ft ascent, 3:32 saddle time, elevations:  min 1726, max 383 ft

Ascending the Little Salmon River canyon in the rain
 
Today we planned a short day, which was fortuitous because it rained all day and it was cold (50 F).  You can see me in the photo above wearing my high visibility rain gear.  I don’t have a lot of photos because it is difficult to motivate myself to stop, remove my gloves, move the handlebar bag cover to get to my camera, and take a picture.  About the first 25 miles were a gentle uphill grade of 1 to 4%, and then it leveled out.  The terrain gradually changed from the unique smooth slopes, to rocky forested slopes, to meadows beyond the top of the canyon.    The following sequence of photos shows the transition.





Numerous creeks feed into the river, some with cascades like this one.

Cascading creek feeding into the Little Salmon River

Bicycle touring is a great experience, but there are some downsides.  One is that I have little control over my diet because I have to eat what is available.  I have eaten way too many burgers and fries, and breakfast sandwiches.  There are been some unexpectedly good restaurants in some of the bigger towns, but the little towns generally don’t have much to offer.  One thing I really don’t understand is why, when eating in, a  cappuccino would be served in a paper cup.  First of all it isn’t a proper cappuccino because it is basically an americano with frothed milk on top.  If they ask what size you want, it is a sure sign you are not getting a proper cappuccino.  Brian just laughs at me when I start ranting about this, but I am sure some of you can sympathize.

I am eating a LOT of Fig Newtons.  They provide a good carb boost, are readily available, easy to transport, and I had forgotten how good they are!  I also buy an apple and/or banana when I can get them to have for the road.  I keep emergency rations in my panniers at all times because there aren’t always towns with services on the route.  A good staple is small tortillas and either peanut butter or packaged tuna (or chicken).  Neither need refrigeration, they are compact, and don’t get crushed in the pannier.  I also like bagels because they also resist crushing and are filling.  

Tomorrow promises to be rainy in the morning, but should clear up in the afternoon.  There are no good breakfast options in town, so we will ride 24 miles to the next town and meet for breakfast.  

This is for Dylan, Olivia, Jackson and Liam.  In a couple days I will be in Oregon; the last state on my westward journey.

Where’s Grandpa?









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