Day three: Arco to Challis 84 miles 2800 feet of climb. Day 3 Gallery I wanted to stay with Rikki and Doug and Rich today. At 5 I heard action in their tents. I stirred Linda and we rapidly borke camp. Linda chose to ride with Roberta and let us go. Rich wasn’t quite ready—I think he is tentative about his biking skills and often road behind us or way ahead. I joind Rikki and Doug and we set off into the first head winds of the trip. Miles and miles of flat, straight road, confused us. This was to be our first climbing day. Rich showed up tagging onto the end of a faster pace line and the four of us stayed together most of the day.

Each day has improved as a ride. Sunday’s was flat, barren, unchallenging. Monday, we found a compatible group and explored Craters. Today’s route, though it ran in endless straight stretches through desert terrain, had a skyline filled with the foothills of the Sawtooths, forested midway to the desert floor. Hhighlights included Leatherman Peak and Borah Peak, second and first highest peaks in Idaho respectively.

The most remarkable geology was not the hills or the Sawtooths, however. Fifteen miles out of Challis we dropped out of a valley through a twisting canyon ripped from the basalt. The road ran straight into an apparent rock wall like a Road Runner cartoon. I half-expected to magically pass through red rock. Instead a sharp left lead to a narrow descent through cliffs closing about us. The effect was startling enough we stopped to snap a picture of the mouth of this great drain for the valley above.

Road Runner

1. Saturday
2. Sunday
3. Monday
4. Tuesday
5. Wednesday
6. Thursday
7. Friday
8. Last Saturday