However, Wendy also was looking for a long ride with an early departure to allow time for some work in the afternoon. At 6:00 a.m. Saturday we departed while the air was still crisp and cool- one of the many advantages of an early departure. The air was still cool while we climbed the Old Winchester Grade which is "oh so green" this time of year. Chris had threatened to catch us after his late start- which we thought was possible if he dropped the others. Had we known Bruce was with them we would have anticipated being passed! At Winchester's Hi-land Inn we heard from motorcyclists that the sleep-in-ers had made it to the top of Webb Ridge. They asked if the sleep-in-ers were riding with us, which was an invite for us to have some fun at their expense. The story the motorcylists heard was that the late group was so tired from I Made the Grade the prior day they had trouble getting out of bed and were riding much slower than the rest of the group! We asked the help to give the late risers our encouragement should they make it to the Hi-Land Inn and inform them we'd napped over an hour on the padded benches while waiting for them. We'd left a similar message at Culdesac. Apparently they added our phantom nap to our departure time so the story would hold up under scrutiny. In both Culdesac & Winchester the help was suspicious of the tale though we thought it clever and a very good story.

The air was strikingly clear and clean with fluffy white clouds off to the south. Vistas of the Lewiston Valley were great as we climbed the Old Winchester Grade with everything so intensely green. As we turned East and North of Winchester, we thought we'd never seen such a clear view of the Bitteroots. Wind was never an issue although a mild breeze blew most of the time once we were on top. Coming down Magpie Grade, we felt the air warm and lose its invigorating coolness for the first time. Wendy claimed to be in inadequate shape for the ride, but she wanted no breaks other than a short break in Culdesac & lunch in Winchester. We were back at the boat docks by 2:05, allowing Wendy to get to her lesson prep and me to walk into the barracks at 10:00 p.m., unpack, and be ready for morning PT at 6:00 a.m. Thanks for rising early for this great century, Wendy!

Looking forward to a great Mission Creek Mountain Bike ride (Lewiston or Jacque's Spur to Winchester) on Saturday 3 July!

Steve