Crusty Cassette

A few more pics

Hell?

That's Scott suggestion for the title of this blog.

Don't take him wrong. He loved eery minute of Sunday's Bite the Bullet Day Tour. The hotter the better; the steeper the better. For Scott it's not an adventure unless he's suffering.

So what level of Dante's Inferno do you suppose we were on?

At 107 degrees, we might safely argue we were all in hell. But for some there were tailwinds, low traffic, swimming and lotus petals to eat. Others found ourselves and our bikes mired in melting road tar.

Taking on Devil's Slide must have intimidated Lance and Debbie for they chose to drop the Bite the Bullet race. I swear I was out of the room when the decision was made. Don't blame me.

But this route is my favorite. How to get the club to ride it without going for a century? Make it a Day Tour. Sean suggested we start in Lapwai rather than Culdesac and add Garden Gulch. Excellent. 68 miles and 4000 feet of climbing. I wanted a crowd and despite the late start (9 am) and the forecast of over 100 degrees, we got one.

Dave Tibbals and Leanne driving SAG, Corrie and Linda, Mike Riddle, Tom Witt and his friend Brad, Tamra, Helen, Rory, Lee Bauer, Bill Warren, Sean and Carol (who joined us by car at the top of the hill after deciding it was too hot to ride) and Josh, Carol's so-in-law, Scott and Jen and Chris. I'm surre I've forgotten someone I just don't know who. Someone help me out here.

While I'm thinking of it. I've got to post Chris's picture. He'll be disappointed if I don't. So here it is, Chris.

This year's Bite The Bullet Winner

Just as I expected it took us a full hour to ride Garden Gulch in pleasant but already warm temps. We broke into several groups climbing the Old Winchester Grade and Leanne did a great job going back and forth and even planting a jug of water near the top while she went back to check on others.

I usually do this ride with only two bottles of water. I hadn't needed a refill in Culdesac or hadn't thought to do so. Half way up the hill I was short of water. That should have been a hint of what was to come.

But the fact of the matter was this temps were just fine all morning and even a cool touch to the breeze on the Prairie. We regrouped at the top, filled our water bottles with water and gator ade and munched Linda's coffe cake.

The Lakeside Cafe in Winchester was already busy when the first of us arrived. The last half chose to buy snacks at the grocery and headed out while those inside waited 45 minutes. One cook and one waitress were not quite enough. And the day heated up.

And the snackers had given up and decided to steal a march on the rest. Tom's friend, Brad, decided he had had enough and took a leisurely trip back down the hill to wait back in lapwai. Linda, who had been worrying about the heat, suddenly found her will and went on with the first pack.

I waited toward the back leaving with Dave. We soon caught Bill Warren just past the lake. Bill's not been riding much and though I warned him this was not an easy ride, decided to do the full meal deal.

He found out that keeping up with Sean and Mike over the rollers to Reubens was more than he had bargained for. I dropped back to ride with him and even gave him a pull until we caught and passed Lee Bauer. But we couldn't sustain the pace and soon watched lee hammering by us. Lee stayed out in front of us all the way down Magpie.

Bill was riding strong on the flats but those rollers, oh, those rollers slowed him down. And there was Leanne when we needed her and that water.Bill lives in Moscow and had just arrived when we rolled out. He filled four bottles of water and pulled out his fiver. I hope we were able to cover Leanne's gas for this trip--we couldn't have done this ride in the heat without her.

At the cottonwood creek intersection near the bottom of Magpie Bill and I found the entire crew basking in the shade which gave some relief from the burning air that sought to change cyclists into crispy critters fried in their own juices.

Chris said he was going around highway 12. That was the option I had proposed for anyone wanting to miss that hill back of CuldeSac. Cottonwood creek takes you pretty far south again. I don't think riding highway 12 through Spalding would add any miles and might actually be shorter.

So that's the plan, I asked. Chris shook his head. No, he seemed to say increduously. The crazies are riding Cottonwood. He looked at Scott. And Sean and I knew I'd be climbing that hill today.

Whatever ring of hell Scott's in, I must be there too. I could have gone with the bail out group. Really I could have. I've ridden Cottonwood Creek before. Why should I do it on such a hot day? But no.

While we were climbing a couple of miles at 5 and 6 percent with stretches of 10 percent in century plus temps, the other half cruised down Highway 12 with very little traffic, stopping to swim off a dock and cruising along the probably shady old highway from Arrow to Spalding.

Sean had already gone when I got to the top above CuldeSac. Tom Witt was right behind me and we headed down Garden Gulch. I was wasted. Somewhere on top I had thought I might ride on home for extra miles. Now my only thought was coasting down Garden Gulch to Lapwai. That was going to save me.

Tom and I started down Garden Gulch but what had been a paved road this morning was now two oil slicks. My tires rolled up road tar like rolling up a snowman. It wasn't getting better and I called for the turn around. Before I could get back to solid pavement Scott and Jen came rolling through ignoring my shouts to stop. Jen figured it out pretty quickly but Scott had to go just about as far as I had to get the idea.

We did manage to warn Dave in time and he headed back to stop Mike and Josh. We waited in the heat cleaning off our tires enough so they'd roll, worrying about descending to CuldeSac with no brakes but I never thought to take a picture of mine or anyone's bikes. You'll just have to trust me, we were in the tar pits of hell.

It's actually further to Lapwai going through CuldeSac and though it is mostly downhill, I was wasted. Down to only hot gator ade, the last couple of miles were not fun.

Nor was the couple of hours I spent cleaning my frame and derailleurs and tossing both tires--fortunately they were both at nearly 4000 miles. Tom, however, had just put on a new tire. Bet he tried to sandpaper the tar off that baby.

Still everyone seemed happy despite having been sorted out for swimming or the tar pits. We'll do it again next year starting earlier and we will definitely arrange for SAG.

Thanks to everyone for joining me on my favorite ride.

For the Ride of it. Corrie.

I set out bright and early for the 8 am Easy Does it ride today. It was a perfect summer morning. Janet was ready to start at the Corps parking lot when I arrived. I was surprised that there weren't any runners for the usual 8 am Seaport Striders run, but then Janet reminded me that Lance and Debbie and the rest of the Striders where off on the Mt. Misery relay today. We'll have to ask Lance and Debbie about that! It wasn't long before we saw Corrie,followed by Nikki and Darlis.

We talked about a route and our group of girls where going to ride to the Rose Garden before the 9 am breakfast meet up and Corrie was going off towards the Casino. It was nice to chat with a new rider and Darlis gladly filled us in on her busy life. She has been getting her education-special Ed. degree from LCSC. She graduated this Spring and is currently putting her resume out. She was glad to have an Easy Does it Ride as she hasn't been riding much. We picked up a doggie friend at the Rose Garden and Janet was especially drawn to the Roxie (her grand-dog) look-a-like. The dogie had no collar and happily followed us all across the bridge. We where afraid the dogie was going to keep following us but a lady had seen him cross the bridge with us and planned to call the Helping Hands group (takes care of strays.. not the pound) We proceeded to Main Street Grill and found the access easy, including outside seating so we could watch our bikes. We had a great breakfast... which was on the house as we had quite a wait, which the waitress explained was unusual. We didn't complain much and gave her a good tip, after our free breakfast.

After breakfast we separated. Darlis went off to the bike shop and home. Nikki went to go get the truck from Mike and off for kayaking and Janet, Corrie and I went to CLarkston Farmers Market. Apparently Lewistons market is on Wed. and you need to arrive early at Clarkstons market. I managed a pick up a few home made cookies and a home made baked potato sack.

After the Farmers Market tour we split up again. Corrie headed home, Janet went for a few more miles on the bike path and I headed up towards Evans road before heading home. On the way I managed to pick up a small flower pot at Pats Garden Center and even a yard sale before arriving home.

The Easy Does it breakfast ride was great. If you enjoy a leisurely early morning ride followed by a wonderful Sat. breakfast join us again. I've planned another breakfast ride on Sat. July 12. We'll meet at 8 am at the Corps in Clarkston. Ride easy (10-12 mi/hr),plan to meet for breakfast then off to more riding or home.

More pictures

Carol Writes:

This ride goes right to the top of my most beautiful ride list. We started with the green fields and distant mountains of the Prairie, descended a beautiful canyon with basalt cliffs and lush vegetation. We ascended along a creek (grave creek?) that tumbled over rocks and cooled our warm limbs. Along side were endless wildflowers, beautiful butterflies and lots of birds, hawks, eastern yellow? Ask Scott. We descended again to majestic vistas of snow capped mountains, river, valleys. It took your breath away (we were descending…it was the scenery). There was some more ascending and another ride across the prairie but I’ll have to defer on the rest.

Someone said at the beginning, “Who’s going to blog this ride since Corrie’s not along?” I said I’d give it a try.

As all epic journeys begin, we started early, (leaving Lewiston at 6:30 am) and there was a change to plan B when we left our cars. Lake Road out of Fenn was closed to through traffic. Our route had us parking at Tolo Lake. Instead we parked at the turn to Lake road and traveled the abandoned railroad bed into Fenn and then got back on our trail. Scott had our route programmed into his GPS. We had some fun thinking what it could say to let him know he was off course.

We did see a couple of dogs at farm houses. I realized quickly that I was in the best group. Scott directed Sean to take my left and he took the right as we came up to a farm house. The dogs were only interested that we keep on moving and not loiter in their territory. Except for one HUGE yellow dog, they weren’t really intimidating. Although Doug, taking pictures and so bringing up the rear met a black dog that was tired of telling us to move along I guess.

Our first descent to Graves Creek was on paved road. We stopped at the Weis rock shelter and received our history lesson. The cave had been backfilled so that we could not enter and deface it, thus preserving it for future generations to wonder what it was like inside just as we did. I don’t understand that logic. This descent was beautiful with the basalt cliffs and cool trees. It was very shady most of the way making a little cool but not too bad.

The ride had a total of 7000 feet of climbing in 63 miles. I was doing fine at mile 20, but then we started our first significant ascent. Doug was riding in front and would stop in a shady spot and wait for the rest of us. The breaks were welcome. Our perfect weather had turned a little too warm with the amount of effort we were expending. I’m not sure when I got off and started walking my bike, it was before the 3rd cattle guard I think. Scott gallantly joined me. We broke to eat some lunch. I couldn’t eat my PB&J but managed a few chips and drank .. oops … Jen’s sport drink. The bottle looked like mine but when I went to put it back on my bike, mine was still there. Shortly after that I mounted my bike and my hamstring started cramping. I walked a good piece of this unrelenting incline. I was finally able to get back on the bike. Sean had been keeping me company walking at this point. Close to the top we rounded a corner to our cheering, encouraging companions. We were at about mile 28!

This next two mile at the top of the ridge revealed some of the most diverse and prolific display of wild flowers I have ever seen. We had all colors all in the same meadow. I wondered if the whole area had been covered in those wildflowers before our ancestors began plowing up the fields and paving roads.

At about mile 30 we rounded a corner to the breathtaking view I mentioned earlier. We had almost a 10 mile descent to the bottom of the White Bird hill. We were coming in from a canyon once removed from the new grade. It is indescribable. Doug shot lots of photos so look at them.

At the bottom I found a pay phone and called a friend of mine in Grangeville in the hope that I could get a ride up White Bird Hill. She didn’t answer, in an act of desperation I left a message with the time and my request anyway. We rode into White Bird and I found a breeze and wire table outside a restaurant. Doug chivalrously offered to keep my company. I already felt guilty for holding everybody up while I walked my bike. (I had 40 miles, it was about 2:30) I’d brought some sudokus to while away the time as I’d feared I wasn’t up to this whole ride. I wistfully watched my companions cycle away and ate my PB&J sandwich and did a sudoku. Suddenly a friendly voice called my name. My friend from Grangeville had gotten my message and found me in White Bird. I was so glad to see her. We motored up the old white bird grade to let the group know I’d been rescued and they wouldn’t need to come back for me. They were pretty far up the hill and looked to be doing well.

I helped my friend weed her flower beds back in Grangeville and waited for Sean’s call. I started to get worried when hours had passed. I realized finally that my bike computer and cell phone times didn’t match and they had actually been riding 45 minutes less than I initially thought but I was still getting concerned. I called Sean and he calculated they were 15 minutes from the vehicles so I rode over to the Mexican restaurant and enjoyed the ride. I did two more sudoku’s under a tree outside Syringa…..Finally about 6:00 pm. The last 23 miles were “grueling” was the word they ascribed. Doug assured me that I’d made the correct decision to skip the final climb. The group had over 7 hours of riding time, and had been on the road 10 ½ hours.

We discussed that this ride should be an annual event. We then had a nice meal, a round of margaritas and headed home. We arrived home about 8 pm. Next year I’ll make it up White Bird AND Graves Creek.

Scott called for an epic ride with the classic greek. Eureka. My first response was that the classic greek should go get back in the pool.

Ride up Whitebird on a mountain bike? Why would I want to do that. Nevertheless it did have a certain "I've never done that" appeal. But Kendrick sounded more like the recovery ride I had in mind following I Made the Grade.

Looks like the B&L crew plus Doug and Carol for this "adventure."

Here's Doug's email:

Hi all,

Wow what a ride yesterday! I have to say that is the hardest day I have put in on a bike so far. But everyone had a great time and the scenery was incredible.

Lots of pics here

Pictures from Scott's Hammer Creek Loop Route

Doug

You will note no complaints about heart rate and "can't climb" today. Must be that Doug just needs a little more adventure to stimulate him.

Corrie