More Photos

We were climbing that first hill out of Boville headed toward Elk River. Climbing this hill feels like leaving this world and entering another. Boville is right on the edge of the Idaho wilderness. The reflectors are mounted six feet high on slender metal poles for visibility above the snow banks. We won’t see any snow banks today though Linda might have wished for one or two. It might not be over 100 yet, but with a 10 am start, we’ll definitely be returning in the heat. The ride is 27 miles out and back though Cliff’s computer showed 56 total miles (I usually have to check his computer just to keep him honest, but today I had forgotten mine). Linda and I have toured Yellowstone, Teton, Glacier and Waterton Parks. I find this ride and the dozen or so miles we do on the South Fork of the Clearwater to rank with those for beauty and wilderness feel.

Our Huckleberry Ride always proves hot and exhausting, yet we often have the largest turn out of the season. You earn your huckleberry’s on this ride. Linda is blessed with poor memory. She wanted to know if there were hills between Boville and Elk River. Yes. The pavement is good. The traffic is fairly light except for sexy little red sports cars buzzing back and forth and those pickups with four-wheelers hanging out of the bed and on trailers.

Ben rolls up his sleeves

So who showed up on this hot day? I had spent too much time trying to sort out a route for Cliff and my long ride next Saturday so I had gotten behind in prepping to leave this morning. Of course, I forgot the maps and my computer. Cliff had turned in three centuries to my one this week and the group didn’t seem interested in starting to ride. Mike and I rode off in frustration at 10:15. I wasn’t having a good day yet.

Linda had put in Lapwai Loop on Saturday and found today to be pretty challenging especially the heat. She rode with Dave quite a bit. Apparently Dave had to confess to his Dark Tibbals heritage. Something about bordellos. They also had higher level conversation regarding CS Lewis. And Dave used to be such a regular guy!

Cliff brought Debbie with him this week. I figured that was a good sign that he hadn’t tacked on a few extra miles. He noted that his legs were feeling his three centuries. I didn’t feel sorry for him. Debbie had a flat on Saturday and had forgotten her pump. She reported the tire undamaged but I forgot to ask if she had remembered her pump today.

Mike and Nicky are regulars on this ride. Sometimes we get a nice pace line going behind Mike. Today, we were so spread out that several groups left at different times from Elk River. Cliff and I rode with Mike and Nicky for a time but we stopped at Boville for a cold pop and got dropped.

I didn’t know Paul and Jane but their bikes were equipped with aero bars and a drink holder with straw like Bruce’s. Wendy recognized them. I heard that they do triatholons though I didn’t get to spend time with either.

Regrouping in Boville

Carol is another Triathlete. She rode to Kendrick with us on Saturday but had come down fulling expecting 112 miles. She didn’t complain though. Today she brought her husband and son and started in Boville. I asked their names perhaps twice. Sadly, I can’t remember them now.

What would this ride be without Lance and Jan? I hadn’t expected to see them. Lance was on call he said but at Boville the report was that Jan had already started out and that Lance was running behind. He had shuffled his on-call time. Frustrating day for Lance, though. Jan had a broken spoke which sent them both back to Deary for the car. They showed up for ice cream at Elk River and Lance rode back with Jane.

Ben and Tamara showed up on individual bikes instead of the tandem. Ben’s bike was a cross and weighed a good deal but that didn’t keep him from hammering ahead on all the hills even trying to catch Chris now and then. “I’d have kept going,” he told Chris. “Except you don’t have a granny gear.” Tamara hung right in behind Ben and Eric and Sean and passed me when they caught me on a hill. It was all I could do to stay in touch.

Sean and Eric, lacking good sense, started at Sean’s house at 7. They were trading drafts between the top of the hill out of Kendrick and Deary when Linda and I passed them in the truck. They had half an hour to make the start. I wasn’t worried figuring they just make the corner and keep going. Instead they took a break at the corner convenience store waiting for the group to start. They whined a little and made a brave show of being tired and hanging back but they were out in front setting the pace before long.

Carol Ellis and a friend and had gone to church and then driven up. They’d ridden to Boville and back while waiting for Sean and Eric. I saw no point to starting a 1 in the heat. But Sean and Eric didn’t complain about not getting to ride back to Lewiston.

Laureen hasn’t done her century yet. Cliff says she didn’t so any interest in joining us for a century either. He told Wendy she should work one in for Laureen in August. Why does everyone want to do centuries in the heat? Wendy parked in Deary to add some extra miles. As if that weren’t bad enough, she gave her keys to Paul and Jane to move her car and then rode on to Moscow in the hottest part of the day. I’ve got news for you Wendy, that’s not OCD. That’s dumb.

At least Chris had sense enough to take a ride back to Moscow. Of course he had to have a dizzy spell in the grocery to convince him. You might try drafting now and then, Chris.

Pam didn’t seem to be bothered by the heat. Nova Scotia probably didn’t do much to prepare her for today’s ride but she cruised right along on those tiny wheels.

Lee probably thought this was a cool day in the mountains. He says his tractor cab isn’t air conditioned. He trains for the heat every day.

Lee enjoying a day off the tractor. Heat? What heat?

This has been pick on Corrie week. I’m not sure why except the snarling pack must have smelled weakness on the Deary to Deary ride. First Cliff adds 20 miles and gets himself a century on a day when I feel lucky to have finished 80. Then he adds 43 on Saturday for his third century of the week. But there I was arguing for the shorter course on Saturday. Just a weany.

And then Sean and Eric pull their stunt. I had just talked to Sean on the phone Saturday afternoon. Did he tell me he was planning a century? No. I’m supposed to believe Eric just showed up on his door step at 7 and they decided to ride to Deary?

And then there’s Wendy. She didn’t plan a century and then just casually does one making sure she’s not even 1 mile short just to rub it in. Doesn't show much reserve or self-control, I think.

What’d I do?

Just a weany, I guess.