Just For The Hill Of IT

This was the day for that ride Susan found for us…We rode from our campsite down to Hammer Creek that we had scouted for yesterday to get registered and collect our t-shirt.

Even the Sheriff was there to support the 36 of us who rode the course.

We were early so we pulled up a rock and got comfy while waiting.

I was glad to have gotten a photo of the lunch being set up because I forgot to get one at lunch! After the ride we had a fantastic lunch with lots of choices of food and beverages.

As we were waiting for the start, our ‘friend’ Marvin arrived with his family. You will recall that we met Marvin at lunch yesterday at Red’s. Of his family, only he is the bike rider. We asked for a photo and when I told him to remove his sunglasses from hanging on his shirt because I wanted to have Major Taylor prominent in the photo, he was surprised that I know who Major Taylor was! In the late 1800s/early 1900s Major Taylor was the first (only?) African American bike racer and was among the top racers and considered the best sprinter. Google for more info if interested for more.

The three of us…

Marvin’s family - son, wife and who he calls his manager (his band I suppose)…

Finally we were ready to get started. Riding back toward where Susan and I are camped, we had a fantastic, heart warming send off by many of our camping sisters. Here Bev takes our photo as we arrive.

The ride passes through some of the route we had done in the past couple of days and the country side is beautiful. As we rode higher into the hills, the beauty increased and we so appreciated the expanse of green mountains, valleys, and several horse and cattle ranches. I did not stop for many photos as I feared starting again on a hill! This is at least one that Susan took.

We climbed, climbed and climbed some more. It IS a ride up the switchbacks to the top! At the top we had treats of several kinds of cookies, orange wedges, Gatorade and fresh water. And a porta potty ;’-). 

What goes up will definitely come down, and I was a little anxious about the steep downhill ride. I fretted for only the first few moments and soon found I can easily stay in control with these new disc brakes I have! A LOT better than the rim brakes I had on my old bike. Susan got a photo of me going down some switchbacks.

I got a photo of Susan being approached by a free roaming bull…. They separated happily.

Our return to camp found us both quite tired so we quickly took showers before we totally ran our of steam. Then I got a chair massage by Pam which really relaxed me. 

New shirts were our reward and Jayne took our photo for posterity.  

The ride was definitely a challenge but we did it well, and now want to come back to do it again! This was the 27th year for this ride and it is always held the first weekend of June. If Deb does another SOTF event here next year, we will come for the event and the ride ;’). 

On the drive toward home we saw what we had climbed - or at least most of the switchbacks. GO US!

BACK TO WHITE BIRD FOR BREAKFAST

Today, an easy relaxing day with a little bike ride. We had lunch yesterday at Red’s River Cafe, and thought this would make a nice short ride for breakfast this morning. Being one of two cafes in town, with the other one opening on only some of the days of the week, this was a busy breakfast place. Food is good and plentiful and the owners & servers are very friendly. Our event leader had told us of their great breakfast sandwich, but having our tasters set for other selections, we ordered the sandwich to take with us. It looks delicious.

We ate our breakfast at the only outdoor picnic table and enjoyed a conversation with Marvin Dixon who is a drummer for “Joe Rock Show Band” and was here to ride the ride we are doing tomorrow. More about the ride later, but Marvin loved to talk and spent a lot of time chatting away while we waited for our food to come to our table.

Across the road from Red’s is what truly looks like, and I am sure is, a typical western saloon. 

It has at least two stars ;’-).

After breakfast we headed back the way we came, but took the road that passes camp in the other direction, across the bridge over the Salmon River. We wanted to check out tomorrow’s ride start at Hammer Creek Recreation Park. Oh, about that ride.

Susan found this at the General store yesterday, has called and talked with staff and we will register and (hopefully) get our semi-reserved t-shirts at 8:00 tomorrow morning.

The ride will take us 13 miles uphill on switchbacks (thank you eBikes) to the top, then basically coast all the way back to camp! Having to register early in the morning, we needed to know how far it is and how long it takes to bike to the start (about 1.5 miles/10 minutes) so to know what time to leave camp.

Today’s route had us on the other side of the river from yesterday and gave us some slightly different things to see and enjoy.

This unique “sculpture” is at Hammer Creek Park (where the ride will start).

Old farm buildings always catch my eye.

An expansive bucolic scene on the last leg of our day’s ride brings a feeling of peace. 

As we approach camp, there it is across the river, we see the bridge that brought us over the river and will take us back.

I will be sure to let you know how tomorrow’s ride goes, and I think it will be fun.

Swifwater RV Park at White Bird ID

Fortunately it got better over a little time! But —Gravel. Soft gravel. We got stuck pulling into our assigned site and Susan did a heroic job of rocking us back and forth the SEVERAL times to get us out of there! The photos do not show the real picture but may give just a little idea.

After successfully freeing us from the gravel ditch, and upon being directed to basically the same spot, Susan said “no, I don’t think I want to go in there again”. So the helpful owner and camp hosts put their heads together and moved us over one and told Susan to drive onto the grass (what little there was) as it provided a bit harder ground.

Here is our van in the second spot. Rather crowded together, and the only reason we have room with no one parked on our right is because of that soft ditch-making gravel.

The only good thing I came up with at the beginning was that there is good, fast, free WiFi! As I started with … fortunately it got better. We had our first meeting - “meet and greet” - that first afternoon. There are 24 of us camped here and all the women we met are really nice and fun to be around. It was then shaping up to be a good event.

The next morning, and each morning thereafter, we have hot beverages available at the picnic shelter. Always nice to wake up to that, meet a few people we merely had heard names of the day before, and not need to turn on our stove for coffee & tea.

The Swiftwater campground is right on the Salmon River which right now is high and moving fast. That means no fishing on the river, but a few women are planning to research some small streams or rivers nearby. Hopefully that will happen and Susan will get a chance to do some fly fishing.

Bridge near our camp, crossing over the Salmon River.

The second day here we would do a bike ride, and I was sure there would be no bike riding available to me/us. We took a rode suggested by our group leader, Deb (our wrangler), who said there was little traffic and it would bring us to the town of White Bird. So off we went.

Leaving directly from camp we got some glimpses of the river as it narrowed along our way. Here is where we can see it fast moving,

More soft mountains as we rode along the quiet country road, and in just a very short time, we arrived in White Bird.

I thought this was an interesting fire escape. On Studebaker Ln. ;’).

Cool old gate and fence too.

Small town churches are always picturesque. 

We continued our climb onward,

We came upon the cutest little girl with her horse, and though we both missed the best ‘pose’, it was still charming to see her with her best friend enjoying each other.

Our friends at camp told us we would come to the battlefield if we continued on past town. Curious to see that, we continued on.

The first sign assured that we would not be walking any trails.

In 1877 the Nez Perce were victorious in the Battle at White Bird.

The trail we did not take.

A bit more riding uphill to round out some mileage and Susan ends it with a smile.

At the top of our climb we looked down on a rather large ranch.

Time to head back and shortly after mounting our bikes, we came upon Simone. She is from Switzerland and is cycling the Trans America route across the US from Astoria Oregon to Washington D.C.. Young, fit, and well equipped with good gear handsomely packed on her bike. It was a highlight for us to meet and chat with Simone, and a highlight for her to meet and chat with us ;’-).

Lunch at Red’s River Cafe in White Bird and back to camp ended our fine day. The miles were fairly short but we did a lot, saw a lot, experienced a lot, and feel it was a very full and fun day.