Crusty Cassette

Corrie wimps out!

Read the Full Story

Snow in the Waha's persuaded me the Winchester Century was probably not a good idea. Steve lost another relative and was coming to town for a funeral at 2, but wanted to ride.

So I gave up my plan for Winchester and called for Reverse Lapwai with Garden Gulch added. That was over 60 miles and meant starting early--7 am early. Steve will tell you we are all lazy here in Lewiston as compared with the virtuous inhabitants of Boise who don't mind getting up before dawn and putting on cold weather gear when you know full well that the day is going to be warm enough for shirt sleeves.

Dave Tibbals did the Boise thing and drove down from Moscow. He was swilling coffee at the boat launch when I arrived.

Carol rode down Lindsay Creek to join us for the least pretty section, the 18 miles on 12 to Arrow Bridge and then into Lapwai. Sean and Carol were taking turns with grandparent duty. Sean joined us in Lapwai for the best section of the ride up Garden Gulch and then back to CuldeSac on Cottonwood creek road. Low traffic allowed us to pair off and own the road. The trees aren't yet blooming nor the has the grass started greening yet, but it is still a pretty draw. Lost in conversation the gently climb was done and we found ourselves headed down to Culdesac about 10:30.

We'd had a stout headwind out to arrowbridge and that wind still had a bite to it.

Sean left us at McIntosh and Steve pulled off just before Southway. Dave and I, however, had other plans. The day was just warming up and we weren't ready to get off the bikes. We crossed the blue bridge, had lunch at Taco Time and headed south toward Buffalo Eddy. Dave needed 38 more miles for a century so we didn't quite get to the petroglyphs, but almost. We had to stop for me to change my flat rear tire. Couldn't find a puncture weed or cut but at least my replacement tube didn't go flat immediately.

The weather for Devil's Slide will seem hot if it really gets near 80. This afternoon was nearly perfect. Up river the wind actually favored us a bit and was nothing like as strong as it was once we got back to the green belt trail.

I ended up with 105 miles. My computer insists it was really 106.5 but I'll go with the GPS.

Dave and I are thinking about the Lilac Century. I think Roy and Jim McCracken are interested. If the weather looks good the end of April, that should be a fun ride.

For the ride of it.

Dark clouds, a 50% chance of rain, and a bit of a breeze couldn't discourage 14 riders from joining the Sunday 1 pm ride today.

I counted 14 initial starters and we did run into Mike Warnock pedaling furiiously over Clemans running from the rain. He turned about and joined us back to Critchfield.

So who was there, let me count them:

Marcia Banta and Ellen Kundrat had planned their own ride but joined us saying we needn't wait for them. They kept up pretty well until Ellen, objecting to the side winds, turned back at the foot of Critchfield.

Scott and Jen have become regulars for this ride even though we rarely make Scott hurt. He made me hurt a bit on Clemans today. I needed to get the heart rate up and I saw 174. The calculators tell me my max should be 168. I've hit 176 before. Strangely Garmin's Training Center insists my max today was 210. I'm still alive, so I'm figuring that must have been a glitch in the software.

Mike and Nicki showed up on the tandem. Ellen objects to letting Mike set the pace.

Lance reported rain on Tammany which sent us off toward Evan's Road fighting a pretty stiff head wind and dodging a drop or two of rain.

Lee Bauer can't get into his fields up at UnionTown so he joined us again today. He's pretty dedicated.

Jim McCracken was back after suffering leg cramps yesterday.

Linda and I rode down but when Lance insisted we have McDonald's stop, she accepted a ride home. My foot is feeling fine and I'm at about 70% so I didn't want to be "carried" home. I set off up 13th and did get caught in a shower but got under cover. Wet pavement made in necessary to clean the bike, though.

Sean and Carol don't usually join us on Sunday preferring to ride a bit earlier but this week they had reason to join us.

John Arland has returned to cycling. He and Sean had ridden mountain bikes at Hell's Gate at 11. John used to race mountain bikes and ride us into the ground on road rides but five years of soft living (he just farms, you know) have softened him up a bit.

John gets a little help

We gave John the royal treatment including making him adhere to the rule that the new guy gets all the flats. Good thing Sean was along to help him change that flat. His CO2 was questionable and the new tube had sealed itself on the inside.

We had headwinds almost everywhere we went out to Evans and up Clemans, but the return trip made Sean feel like Superman.

It's great to be back on the bike with the group and what a group it was too.

For the ride of it. Corrie