Day 60: Bad Hills + Bad Wind + Bad Tire + Bad Decisions = BAD DAY

Lewiston, ID to Dayton, WA

Stats!
Miles biked today: 69.3 long, difficult miles
Total miles biked on trip: 2143.0
Max speed: 31.0 mph
# of hours we rode today: 12

Today I woke up feeling a little bit sick, and the weather was dreary. Dean suggested taking another rest day, but I said we'd have to climb that last mountain sometime, so it might as well be today. I had a bagel to try to settle my stomach, and off we rode.

Because we knew it was a long way to our lunch stop, and up a mountain at that, we stopped at the grocery store to pick up some snacks and gatorade for the day. It was a good idea.

The first 10 miles were great, and beautiful. We rode alongside the Snake River. It was a gray day, but you could still see the hills reflected in the water.

We soon hit Alpowa mountain, however, and things turned south. It wasn't a particularly hard climb, in terms of how steep it was -- no worse than Lolo, anyway -- but I was still feeling a little sick, and it made the climb very challenging for me. And, in fairness, we started at about 500 ft. and climbed to about 2800 ft., so it was a pretty tough ride. We had to stop and rest a lot and I got dizzy a few times. We walked some of it. It was so hard that we discussed stopping for the day at Pomeroy, the town where we planned to have lunch.

We finally climbed the mountain, and Pomeroy was about 9 miles away. Those 9 miles were pretty great, after an arduous ride up, but it was very windy, which slowed down our otherwise gleeful descent. The clouds broke up, too, and the sun came out.

In Pomeroy, we stopped at the first place we saw to eat, and got a lot of food (as per usual). We talked about whether or not to stop there, and looked at the map. It was mostly downhill or flat for most of the rest of the way, except for another pretty big climb (about 1,000 ft.) right before Dayton. There were no towns in between. We decided to go for it.

As soon as we got on the road, we noticed that the wind had gotten worse. Much worse. But it was still mostly downhill, and we just pedalled through it. The wind got so bad that we had to stop for a break a few miles out of Pomeroy -- it's exhausting to fight the wind! Dean checked his phone and saw that it was after 4 p.m. already!! I was shocked, thinking it would be around 1 p.m. We took a long time on that mountain!

Once again we discussed staying in Pomeroy. We could just turn back, get a motel, and be done with the day. We checked the weather and saw that winds would be light tomorrow. It was already close to our normal quitting time. But I could see in Dean's eyes (or thought I could) that he wanted to press on, and I really didn't want to go 4 miles back up the hill to Pomeroy, so I said I thought we should keep going.

TERRIBLE DECISION!!

The wind didn't calm down for the entire flat/downhill portion, so we never got a break. We had to fight for every inch. There wasn't much shoulder, either, and we had a few close calls with cars.

We were hungry and tired, and we ate our entire package of Pepperidge Farm cookies and drank most of our gatorade. Not rationing = terrible decision #2.

The long ascent at the end of our trip started earlier than we expected (based on our elevation maps). We went up and up and up and up. Once again, I needed a lot of breaks and to walk. Dean could have biked the whole thing faster and with no breaks at all, but he was super patient with me, and I really appreciated it!

We both were having problems rationing our water, and came close to running completely out a few times. I think we were both thirsty a lot throughout the day, but we didn't want to drink our fill and have nothing left. We were, after all, already out of cookies to keep our sugar (and mood) up.

Just as the sun was setting, my tire went flat. This was my first flat of the trip. Of course it happened today, when we had less than 10 miles left after a hard slog. Oh, well. Dean fixed the flat for me, but it took a really long time. He's getting to be a pro at fixing his own flats, and can do it really quickly, but my tires proved to be more of a challenge. I can't change a flat to save my life -- it requires way too much physical strength -- so I was grateful he was there to help.

While Dean was fixing the flat, the sun really started to sink fast. We had a decent break while the tube was being changed, and it was dark and we were tired and grouchy, and I just became determined to get to Dayton as fast as I could. I put everything I had into it, and didn't stop once from the time of the flat until we reached the (very fancy) hotel.

This was especially challenging because we could see the top of the big hill from the flat-changing site, and were anxious to get over it and make the descent into town, a few miles down. Psych! We had about half a mile of downhill, followed by an even steeper uphill to a new peak. Oh, LORDY.

But I really wanted to just *get there*, and Dean did too and I wanted to stop slowing him down so much, so we powered through to Dayton with our headlights now on because it got so dark. It was also FREEZING on that downhill! But we made it to town, stopped at the first hotel we saw (fancy, as I previously mentioned, so that's nice), and found the only place still open and serving food.

We are now well fed, have a roof over our heads, and are completely exhausted. I think we might actually take a rest day tomorrow, just to recover from this one rough day.

Days 58 and 59: An Unrestful Rest Day, and an Unplanned Rest Day

Still in Lewiston, ID

Stats!
Miles biked yesterday: 12.5
Total miles biked on trip so far: 2073.7
Max speed: 24.0 mph
Raindrops fallen today: so far, zero

Yesterday we had just about the least restful rest day possible. We went to get Dean a haircut, rode out to buy vitamins and books, did laundry, and rode 5 miles (all up a HUGE hill) to pick up my new wheel. That uphill ride was brutal, and on a very busy road. We really didn't get much rest at all.

However, rain was predicted for the whole night last night, and for the entire day today. Given the weather prediction, we decided to take today off as well. We are definitely relaxing today. Tomorrow should be clear.

I'm a bit worried, though, since I haven't seen a drop fall today. I'm worried it will fall tomorrow instead, while we're climbing our way out of this valley. Boo. But once we get out of this valley, we should be finished with the brutal climbs for good. I am looking forward.

Tomorrow we should be back on the bikes and heading into Washington state. Almost there!

Day 57: Po-tay-to, Po-tah-to

Winchester, ID to Lewiston, ID

Stats!
Miles biked today: 45.1
Total miles biked on trip so far: 2061.2
Max speed: 29.0 mph
# of times we've turned down "fry sauce": 6
# of times we broke the speed limit today: 1 (we went 28 in a 25 zone!)

First of all, thank you for all the comments congratulating us on hitting 2000 miles! We are feeling pretty good about it. Since we took a few car rides, we won't hit 3000 on this trip. We only have about 450 miles left! Time flies, and we will be sad and glad when the trip is over.

Dean and I woke up this morning still feeling the pain from yesterday. After yesterday's crazy climbs, I was sore all over. We were tired, despite eating everything in sight yesterday, and Dean had a dehydration headache. We did not feel like getting on the bikes today, but we were bolstered by the promise of a mostly-downhill ride and arriving into a big city (Lewiston), where we planned to take a rest day.

We had breakfast at the Lake City Cafe, where we were once again offered jojos and fry sauce. One thing we've noticed about Idaho is that with every meal there are at least 5 or 6 potato options (french fries, steak fries, potato wedges, tater tots, hashbrowns, jojos, baked potato etc.), and we are always asked if we'd like fry sauce. Apparently, jojos are really thick fries and fry sauce is basically thousand island dressing. But the potato theme is definitely apparent here, as seems appropriate.

Our waitress was asking us about our trip, and seemed shocked when we said we were riding cross-country. She asked how far we'd go each day, and we started by saying that it depended on where the towns were situated, the weather, the terrain, but at least 30 .... She broke in and said, "30 ... MILES?!?!?" We said, "Well, we usually average more like 45 or 50..." and she cut us off again to say, "50 MILES?!?!?!?" That was nice. We felt very athletic. :)

As we were leaving Winchester, the roads reminded us of the roads we'd ridden in western Virginia... until we turned a corner and saw that we were at the top of a massive butte, overlooking several valleys, as far as the eye could see. The view was SPECTACULAR, and we had a 15 mile ride down the butte, with amazing views all the way.

In fact, the first 22 miles went fast and were almost all downhill. Unfortunately, it seemed that once again our planned lunch spot was closed, so we ended up each having a gas station hot dog, thinking that today's ride was downhill anyway, so we wouldn't need much of a lunch.

However, we soon hit the only big hill of the day -- about 1000 foot climb over 4 miles. We ended up walking about 2 miles, as it was a tough hill and we were still beat from yesterday. It was hot, hot, hot and sunny! I got burned again, but at least no heat rash.

After that big hill, it was all flat or downhill, and we rode into Lewiston through Hell's Gate Park along the Snake River. When we got settled, we went to La Boheme cafe and had the world's best late (real) lunch. I had the best salad I'd ever had, the best sandwich I'd ever had, and the best Italian soda I've ever had, and I don't even think the hunger played a role in that judgement. Everything there was really fantastic, and Dean agreed.


We are very much looking forward to having a rest day tomorrow! We bought some local Idaho huckleberry wine just for the occasion!

Day 56: A Blessing in Disguise -- Under Deep, DEEP Cover

Kamiah, ID to Winchester, ID

Stats!
Miles biked today: 45.6
Total miles biked on trip so far: 2016.1 (woop, woop!)
Max speed: 33.5 mph
# of granola bars eaten between breakfast and lunch: 12
Net elevation gain: over 3000 ft.
# of feet climbed, gross: um.... maybe 7000? a LOT, anyway
# of map corrections we will suggest to ACA: 3 VERY IMPORTANT ONES

We started off today feeling pretty good. My bike was all fixed up, and we got on the road at a reasonable hour, on a sunny day.

The Lolo Pass climb had given us confidence in the Rockies and we felt like we could tackle our next climb pretty easily. Boy, were we ever wrong.

I'd say today was the hardest day of the trip so far. Dean thinks it was Day 6. I think Day 6 was a harder ride, but it was only 20 miles. We couldn't stop today after 20 miles, oh no. Either way, today was really miserable.

First of all, the climb was longer and steeper than Lolo pass. Lolo was 8 miles and steep, but bikeable. Today (Big Butte, haha) was 11 miles, and so steep we had to walk probably at least a mile of it, if not more. It really wore us out.

As we climbed, I got really dizzy. I had to stop and sit down a few times. I'm not sure if it was the altitude or hunger or what, but I got dizzy a lot today. Luckily, on our way out of Kamiah today, we bought some granola bars and gatorade to have as emergency food, since we had run out a few days ago. I think they helped with the dizziness.

They also came in really handy because we were insanely hungry! We hadn't anticipated that the climb would be as hard as it was, and we had just planned to have lunch at the next town, 27 miles into our ride. But after our 11 mile climb, we were already more than ready for lunch (and, it was lunchtime! our slow climb took quite a bit of time). So at the top of the mountain, we finished the gatorade and had a couple of granola bars, ready for the long, slow descent into Ferdinand (the lunch town).



Well, after about 0.6 miles worth of downhill, the next portion of the ride was rollercoaster hills. It was just one steep hill after another. Even when we got a break and had a less steep hill, we were so tired that it felt just as bad. But the elevation map we had didn't show any of this! I couldn't believe all the tough hills they omitted. It was a real struggle, and we had to stop for several breaks, and walk a few more of the hills. And, of course, eat a few more granola bars for energy.

As we approached Ferdinand, I was so tired that I said to Dean, "Let's just stay here tonight." He agreed. We had originally planned to go to Winchester, but we were so exhausted that it seemed like an impossibility to go the extra 16 miles to get there. Just a mile out of Ferdinand, we saw a billboard for both a B&B and a restaurant in town, the very ones that our map mentioned. But when we got into town, we learned that they'd been closed 6 months. Nooooooooooooo!

We talked to some locals who were outside working in the yard, to ask if there was anywhere nearby to eat, or even a grocery store. The response was, "8 miles down the road!" Noooooooooo! Clearly schadenfreude isn't confined to North Dakota. But at least they refilled our water bottles -- we'd run out a few miles earlier, and it seemed we'd have to go to Craigmont if we wanted anything to eat, and we'd have to go to Winchester, after all, for a place to sleep.

Thankfully, the ride to Craigmont was slightly less steep. It was still hilly, and we were still exhausted (and now our spirits were broken, too), but we made it to the Prairie Cafe somehow.

There, we ate everything. We ate so much that the waitress kept trying to bring us the check, and we kept trying to order more. We had sodas and appetizers and sandwiches and fries and a whole pitcher of water and malted milkshakes. As we rolled out of town, our stomachs were hurting. But think of it this way: we rode 36 very difficult miles and it took us OVER six hours. We were eating an average of 95 calories an hour, and burning about 1000 calories an hour. We were rightfully hungry. Though we did overdo it a bit.

However, the mega meal we ate gave us the energy we needed to power the last 8 miles to Winchester. We are here, we are clean, we have a place to stay, and all is right with the world. At least this corner of the world.

Despite the difficulty of the day, I still marvelled at the beauty around us. Also, we learned that goldenrod STINKS. It smells terrible. Or whatever those fields of yellow flowers were. They smelled awful, and there were a lot of them. Pretty, though.

The blessing in disguise was breaking the spoke yesterday, and breaking it when I did. Three miles in was no big deal to turn back. We were riding with no food at all on us yesterday, not knowing that our planned lunch stop was no more, and not knowing how tough the ride would be. If we'd made it 10 miles, we probably would have pushed on to Winchester, rather than turning back, and with a broken spoke and out-of-true wheel, the ride would have been much harder and we wouldn't have had anything to sustain us. So I am grateful that I broke the spoke early in yesterday's ride.

The wheel held up great today, and all we need is for it to get us to Lewiston tomorrow. I hope it can! In Lewiston, we'll take a rest day to get the new wheel and also just to rest. We need it after today!

Day 55: No Spoke, Untrue

Still in Kamiah, ID

Stats!
Miles biked today: 10.8
Total miles biked on trip so far: 1970.5
# of spokes broken: 1
# of awesomely nice Idahoans encountered: 2

So we set out this morning, ready to conquer our last rocky mountain of the trip. After that one, we have one more pretty serious climb, and then it should be smoothish sailing.

We had great weather, and started out strong. About 3 miles into the climb, we heard the dreaded snap! and SPROING! Oh, no. We pulled over immediately and found that I had indeed broken my first spoke. And it was on the drivetrain side (the side of the back wheel that has all the gears on it). To replace a spoke on that side, you need to remove the entire gearing freewheel. We thought we had the tools to do that, but they fit Dean's bike and not mine. No tools.

So we spent over two hours in the hot sun, first trying to remove the freewheel without the right tools, and later trying to get the spoke out without having removed the freewheel. We finally got the spoke out, after Dean rode back into Kamiah to get some needle-nose pliers and wire cutters from the hardware store. But we couldn't get the replacement spoke in.

When there's a missing spoke, the wheel immediately goes out of true, wobbling and rubbing the brakes with every turn. Riding without a spoke is essentially riding with the brakes on, and you can only ride a limited about with a missing spoke before another spoke breaks. I was unwilling to climb a mountain with an extremely out-of-true wheel, especially when the nearest bike shop is 100 miles away.

We rode back down the mountain. I was very anxious on the ride back down, because I was worried another spoke might go, but we made it okay. We called several local bike shops, looking for advice, or thinking maybe they could overnight us the tools we needed or even a whole new wheel.

The lady at the motel gave us a deal on a double room (the only room left) and called around to see if there was anyone around going to Lewiston for the day who could pick up some tools for us. That was a really nice offer. Unfortunately, no one was going.

The last bike shop we called, Ride On Bicycles (for some reason, not listed on our map), really, REALLY came through for us. Scott, the owner, offered to just ride down to Kamiah (100 miles away!) and fix the wheel for us when he got off work at 3 p.m. And he did! He drove more than an hour and a half, brought all the tools we needed, and charged us exactly NOTHING for it. He wouldn't even take gas money. But I bought a whole new wheel from him. I needed it, anyway, and we'll be in Lewiston in a few days, so we'll pick it up then, and I won't have to worry about broken spokes for the rest of the trip, I hope. Joe at Revolution Cycles in Rockville mentioned that my spokes were worryingly tight before we left, so I was lucky to have made as far as I did with no breaks.

So I am bummed that we didn't make 2000 miles today, but really glad my wheel is all fixed up, and glad we met Scott, the nicest guy in Idaho. He must be, right?

Also, there are amateur MMA fights going on right next to the motel, and Dean and I have tickets for ... 10 minutes from now! Normally, I really can't handle watching MMA, but when in Idaho, right? I might have to watch through my fingers.

Ok, we've got to run. But back on the road tomorrow!

Day 54: In Which Dean Says, "I'd Really Like a Prosthetic Butt"

Lowell, ID to Kamiah, ID

Stats!
Miles biked: 33.4
Total miles biked on trip so far: 1959.7
Max speed: 27 mph
# of butts in pain: 2

After yesterday's long ride, neither of us wanted to get out of bed this morning. But we did, anyway. We immediately decided just to go to Kamiah, both because strong headwinds were predicted in the weather, and because we both figured we couldn't make it another 80 miles today. Sometimes we are just slaves to town placement. But I think we were both glad for the short day.

Aside from the wind, we had perfect weather. Low 70s and sunny! We love that! After about 15 miles into the ride, the scenery finally started to change. We are seeing more buttes and fewer mountains. Tomorrow we climb Big Butte on Fort Misery Road. We've had a lot of laughs about that one already!

It's still amazingly pretty. I think Idaho is the prettiest state we've seen so far. Yep, I'm surprised by that, too! I mean, Glacier NP was really stunning, but it was manicured. Idaho is straight wilderness.

We saw a ton more butterflies today -- Idaho must be some kind of butterfly Mecca. And more waterfalls, too. We are just in awe of the views every minute. I am truly enjoying every bit of this section of the ride, even with headwinds.

And, of course, our butts hurt. Today they hurt right away, from the first mile. It's just something you deal with as best you can, but on days like today it can be distracting and frustrating. We took a lot of breaks.

We encountered one real jerk on the road today, who honked at us from the moment he could see us until long after he'd passed us, and he flipped us the bird to boot. I don't know what his deal was. We were riding on the shoulder, minding our own business. People like that can ruin your whole day. On the other hand, motorcycle tourists have been almost universally great to us. They are friendly, interested, and warm when we meet them, and even when passing on the roads they wave to us. I think it is a shared understanding of the tyranny of cars (trucks especially). And that we are both generally loathed by drivers.

I know that I feel terrible about being jerky to bikes in the past. :( I will be much better from now on!

Day 53: No Time for Losers, 'Cause We are the Champions!

Lolo Hot Springs, MT to Lowell, ID

Stats!
Miles biked today: 87.3 (a new record!)
Total miles biked on trip so far: 1926.3
Max speed: 27.5 mph
# of Rocky Mountains climbed: 1
# of butterflies passed: 371
# of waterfalls passed: 22
# of rainstorms: 2
# of time zones crossed: 1 (we are now in Pacific time!)

Today we had the bike trip that I had fantasized about before we left. We started out by climbing a mountain, and then did another 80 miles to boot. We passed tons of waterfalls and beautiful scenery. It rained, but it was a warm rain that cleared up after awhile. Even after almost 90 miles of riding, we felt good. That was the kind of bike trip day I imagined we'd have, back when I was young and idealistic.

We started this morning with an 8-mile climb up Lolo Pass, our first rocky mountain climb! I was a little nervous, but we were actually able to bike the whole thing – no walking! We did have to take several rest breaks, but otherwise it was very manageable. Okay, we sweat buckets and I was seriously huffing and puffing. But I was BEYOND thrilled when we reached the top. We have one more big climb to make, probably two days from now, and then we'll be out of the rockies.

We stopped at the Lolo Pass Interpretive Center for a bit, just to rest and refill our waters (it was HOT), and we were excited about the 5-mile, steep descent. Unfortunately, we got stuck behind a truck carrying crushed cars. It took the entire lane and went down the whole mountain at 15 mph, so we had to go 15 mph, too. There was no road shoulder, and the road was too winding to risk passing in the other lane. We probably could have at least gotten into the 30s (mph-wise), but instead we had to brake for the full 5 miles, and I was worried I'd blow out a tire. Very frustrating.

After that, the route leveled out and we were going either flat or very slightly downhill. There was no wind for most of the ride, which was nice.

About 20 miles into our trip, we got to the Lochsa Lodge (we rode the entire day along the Lochsa River), where we had a big lunch. We knew there was nothing for 65+ miles after the lodge (as far as services go), since the ride was through the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. When they say “wilderness,” they mean it. So we made sure to eat lunch at Lochsa, and we stocked up on supplies at the general store.

We weren't sure if we'd end up camping at the campground 60 miles in, or if we'd make it all the way to Lowell. Either way we'd need at least one more full meal, so we bought Chef Boyardee Ravioli, Doritos, Famous Amos cookies, and Gatorade. It's the shelf-stable dinner of champions! We learned early on that if we pack fresh sandwiches in our bag, that by the time we pull them out of our steam oven waterproof panniers, they've become swollen, botulism-infested deathwiches. So we don't do that anymore. And we try to eat as much protein as we can, so beef ravioli seemed like a good pick.

Aaaaaanyway, we were ready to hit the road again when it started raining. We debated just packing it in at 20 miles, but it was only noon and it seemed silly to quit so early, when we had started with such high hopes for the day. So we got going in the rain, and it cleared up pretty quickly. It had only really showered, and we were dry again in no time.

The ride, in general, was amazing. I felt like we were in a pine maze. You could see a wall of tall pine trees in front of you, a wall of tall pine trees to your left (past the river), and a wall of tall pine trees to your right. The road kept turning, but all you could see were pine-covered mountains. And tons and tons of butterflies. And waterfalls. And flowers. And rocks. But, really, the scenery didn't change much. Beautiful pine maze all the way.

As we rode, it was mostly warm and humid, but we'd occasionally feel these bursts of cold air … from the river, maybe? They were really cold bursts. After awhile, we could feel the warm breeze and the cold breeze on us at the same time, coming from different directions. Of course, that meant....

It rained again. And this time, it wasn't messing around. It POURED. The wind blew. The rain was falling so hard that it actually hurt when it hit my skin. I thought it might be hail, it stung so badly, but Dean was pretty sure it was just rain. We looked at the sky, and there was no sign of it letting up. After we passed the campgrounds at about 25 miles in, the next option was at 60 miles. So we rode there. All in all, it was about 10 miles we biked in the POURING, miserable, windy rain (about an hour).

We got to the campground and decided to go ahead and eat our feast of Boyardee ravioli, doritos, and cookies at the communal picnic area, where a few hiking groups were hiding out from the rain. There was a couple at the table next to us from California (they had a car parked in the lot... cheaters) and they had white wine, fancy granola, and crackers with fancy cheese. The girl looked at us and whispered to her boyfriend that we were eating (imagine disgusted tone) “Chef Boyardee... eww.”

One thing that I have learned from this bike trip is not to be quick to judge. I was at a picnic shelter, eating Chef Boyardee from a can, wearing a purple, ill-fitted bike shirt over a longer, soaking wet orange bike shirt. I was clutching the canned ravioli like it had magical powers to bestow upon me. Dean asked, “So... what is the difference between a bike tourist and a vagrant?” Not much. I have been seen in public very oddly dressed, eating disgusting foods with gusto, with crazy and tangled hair, with really odd tan lines, and very, very dirty. I've worn my bathing suit top like it was a real shirt on laundry days. So I am going to try really hard not to judge, now. If you catch me saying, “What on earth was she thinking?” about someone, stop me and remind me of this moment, when I was judged for my sauce-stained face and bike-greased legs. Also, I spilled ravioli on my helmet. It wasn't my finest hour.

I wanted to say to that girl, “Look, you California trustafarian, I didn't just roll up here in my SUV filled with gourmet snacks. No! I biked here, 60 miles, over a mountain, through the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, and through two rainstorms. I earned this Chef Boyardee ravioli. Did you earn that brie and those Wheat Thins? No. So shut it.” But I didn't say it.

When we pulled into the campground the skies were dark and cloudy as far as the eye could see. We were worried we'd have to stay at the campground and set up our tent in the rain. While we were in the picnic shelter we kept an eye on the sky, and eventually saw a patch of blue open up to the west. We were still feeling good, and we really wanted to break our distance record today (not to mention that we didn't want to camp), so we got back on the bikes. Our butts were pretty mad at us about that.

Dean, smiling at the picnic shelter when the sun came out.

The next 15 miles (60-75) went pretty quickly. The last 12 were tough. We were getting tired, and we were just ready to BE THERE already. But it was a pretty ride. After the rain, there was a ton of fog on the water, and steam rising from the roads. It didn't diminish our visibility at all, it just looked cool!

Another thing we enjoyed about our trip today was all the fun creek, mountain, and road (etc) names that we encountered. Here are a few for your enjoyment:

Looks like there was a death in Lowell recently...

Ashpile Creek
Papoose Saddle
Dead Mule Creek
Indian Post Office Creek
The Smoking Place
Colgate Licks
Bear Oil & Roots
Russian Creek (it was rushing!)
Old Man Point
Noseeum Butte
Tick Creek
Bee Creek
Fish Creek
Horse Sweat Pass

Awesome.

Tomorrow we will head for Kamiah, ID. It's not very far, but there's a big mountain right past it, and we can either go 30 miles tomorrow or 80 (including a mountain). I don't know if we'll have the juice to do another mountain tomorrow. We might want to wait, and tackle it fresh the next morning (like we did today, and that worked out great!). We'll let you know how it goes tomorrow!

If you look closely here, you can see the rain falling!