Day 12 -- July 2nd -- Twin Falls, ID to Burley, ID

Miles Ridden: 45.0
Avg Speed: 16.3 mph
Avg Heart Rate: 122 bpm
Climbing: 1,760 ft
Calories Burned: 1,911

Waterfalls ... Tailwinds ... Scavenger Hunt (not) ... Short Day ... Back with the Boys

I got to sleep in this morning.  We did not load the truck until 8:30 ... those couple of extra hours of sleep felt good.  The late departure was on account of the short day (only 38 miles on the official cue sheet).  There were two optional diversions early on ... Shoshone Falls and Twin Falls.  Both falls sat the bottom of the canyon so we descended for some great pictures.  What goes down must come up ... the climbs out, while relatively short, were among the steepest we have had so far.  Shoshone was a little longer of a climb and maxed out around 10% grade.  Twin Fall was not as pretty as Shoshone, but had a mean 15-17% climb out.  It was an eye opener for some who had to walk.  I lowered my gear and climbed out without any issues.  My knee felt pretty good ... still some acheyness and tenderness here and there, but improving.

Shoshone Falls from Overlook

Shoshone Overlook to the East

Shoshone Overlook to the West

Shoshone - Canyon and Power Plant

The Niagara of the West - After the Descent In

Shoshone - Mist

Shoshone - More Mist and Smaller Falls

Shoshone To The East

I Was There

The Last Shoshone Photo

Snake River and Canyon at Twin Falls

Twin Falls ... Carved into the Rocks

Twin Falls is Used to Generate Lots of Power

Mark and Katie Take a Break at Twin Falls

After another few miles we crossed over the Snake River again on the Hansen Bridge.  A Suspension Bridge was originally built in 1919 (see postcard below).  It was replaced in 1966 by the current concrete structure pictured below. We stopped at an overlook just prior to the bridge to marvel at the 400-500 feet drops above the the canyon and river.  Later in the day we would tell a tall tale of how Toronto Mark tried to save "Little Jimmie" the dog from falling over the edge, and in so doing dropped all our scavenger hunt items.

Taking Pictures on the Rim ... "Hey Where's Little Jimmie?"

Hansen Bridge

Snake River from Hansen Bridge

500 Feet to the River Below

How Long Did It Take to Carve This Canyon?

Hansen Bridge Looking East

One Last Picture of the Bridge and Snake River

The Original Bridge ... Cost Only $100k to Build

We hovered close to I-84 along some nice frontage roads past farms.  Lots of potatoes and wheat.  With a nice tailwind, we made good time and enjoyed the chance to chat and soak in the surroundings.  The wheat fields seem to flow like a river with the wind.  A couple of tiny little dogs gave chase at one point ... too cute.  The only SAG provided fresh water and an opportunity to chat strategy (or lack thereof) on the scavenger hunt.  Our ABB staff had provided a list of 16 items to collect.

Riding the Flat Lands to Burley ... Note the Westerly Wind

We quickly arrived in Burley and got a feel for how hard the helpful wind had been blowing when we turned into it for the approach to the hotel.  Burgers and milkshakes were on order at the neighboring Perkins. Mike Munk provided a useful drive chain maintenance talk mid-afternoon.  A heart pasta dinner was followed by the scavenger hunt presentations (look for pictures of that in tomorrow's blog).  As expected, the "Geldings" (a slant on the Thoroughbred name folks have given us ... we said that as husbands we were all geldings), did not fair well in the scoring department, but we did win the most laughs each time we mentioned that our item "Went over the cliff with little Jimmie."  We did manage to score a few points.  It was a fun evening with some very creative skits and items.

A Clean Bike is a Happy Bike

Dave and I both cleaned our bikes and clothes while we had the chance.  The next two days should remain flat and the winds look to stay in our favor.  80 miles tomorrow into Pocatello.  We ride into Idaho Falls for the 4th of July.  After that the big climbs of Wyoming loom.

Good night moon ... good night waterfalls ... good night tailwinds (please come back tomorrow) ... good night fields of wheat ... good night little Jimmie ... good night Joel (feel better) ... good night Amy (take good care of the gee's)

Day 11 -- July 1st -- Mountain Home, ID to Twin Falls, ID

Miles Ridden: 100.1
Avg Speed: 15.5 mph
Avg Heart Rate: 123 bpm
Climbing: 2,640 ft
Calories Burned: 4,326

Trains ... Cows ... Canyons ... Century ... Improvement

The highs and lows of cycling do not just apply to climbing and descending hills.  Today's 100 mile ride did not start well ... a definite low.  An early breakfast at 5:30 had us loaded and ready to go by 6ish.  I held off leaving to ride with Mark, Dave, Jeff, and Joe.  Mark had some issues with his new Garmin and we did not head out until almost 6:30, long after almost everybody had left.  It became quickly apparent that my knee was not going let me ride the boys today.  Even though it had felt better last night, within a few miles it was hurting.  I pulled back to ride at my pace.  It was a lonely first 20 miles.  Hurting with no one to pass and going kinda of slow (so I thought) had me pretty bummed.  The landscape provided me lots of opportunities for pictures ... lots of trains, clouds, farms, sprinklers, plateaus, and the constant flow of the river.  My knee seemed to get better with each mile that I rode.  Just before the 1st SAG stop I hooked up with Gary from Connecticut.  I was surprised to see so many of the other riders there.  I guess I wasn't moving so slowly after all.

Early Morning Solitude ...

   

Ridges and Plateaus a Plenty

Another Early Morning Train

Cloud Cover Gave Off  Some Interesting Colors

Quiet Roads and Gentle Scenery ... Time to Think

The Open Road

More Solitude ...

The Old West

Our route paralleled I-84 but stayed on some nice quiet back roads through a few small towns including Glenn Ferry, Bliss, and Hagerman.  From the first SAG I road out with Margot and Gary.  We stayed together for awhile until I pushed on after one of  the climbs.  Margot has finally launched her web site ... check it out ... Margot Cycles America.   The route continued through the valley with great views on each side.  By this time my knee was not bothering that much at all and I was increasing in speed and strength.  After turning on a very remote and great cycling road, I came upon the gang.  Mark had gotten a flat and was busy executing the 6 step process that Mike Munk had tutored us on the night before.  I pressed on expecting them to pass me soon enough.  More great pictures along the road.

Sprinklers Everywhere

The Valley Stretches Long and Far

More Great Views ...

I stopped in Bliss at a "stinky" store (see picture below).  I had forgotten the lows of the early morning and was now on a cycling high as I was riding very strong and having a great day.  I met up with Kim and Tom from Washington.  Kim is riding for World Vision.  They pushed on while I went inside for a Monster.  A little while later, Margot and Gary arrived and then the gang of 4.  I headed out with Margot and Gary and rode with them past some great overlooks and fossil beds.  Turned out that Dave got another flat at the store ... he had one yesterday and another one in our room last night.

A State of Bliss ... Well a Town Anyway

Stinky's ... Monster for Me, Chocolate Milk for Mark

Fossil Beds ... Great Views

Me and "Leo"

The Sign ...

Margot and Gary at the Fossil Overlook

Valley Floor

Margot and I took a few pulls and cruised into the second SAG in a local park in Hagerman.  I was really feeling great at this point.  Margot, Gary and I pulled out of the SAG together, but I was feeling itchy and pushed on ahead.  I was on fire and was just flying down the road.  After the longest climb of the day, I caught up with Tom and Kim, but just kept going.  The scenery changed over to cows and lots of them. I quickly reached Twin Falls and the Snake River Canyon.

A Few Horses Too

Cows, Cows, and More Cows

Another Cow Farm

Hello Bessie

The Start of Snake River Canyon

The View to the East

More of the Canyon

The canyon is where Evil Knievel tried to jump in a rocket car.  You can still see the ramp formation he used.  Impressive formations and sights all around.  Note the golf course built right into the bottom of the canyon.  The bridge into Twin Falls is pretty impressive too.  People BASE jump off of it.  I did not see any, but Gerrard snapped a few shots when he crossed over.  I followed the path on the rim and meandered the local streets to watch my odometer hit 100 before rolling into the hotel a little after 1:00.  A few other folks including Bob, Mark from NJ, Beth, Margot from California, and Rick headed to Tomato's for a light lunch and a nice cold Fat Tire (beer).  Rick rode with ABB on their Cross Country Challenge from San Francisco to Portsmouth.  After a nice nap, we headed to dinner at the Golden Coral.  That was in keeping with the cow theme for the day ... hrrrrrrrr.

The Bridge Into Twin Falls

Great Views From The Rim

Now That's A Golf Course

Another Angle of the Bridge

Me On the Bridge

View from the Bridge

Evil Knievel Jumped Here

Yet Another View of the Bridge

Evil's Plaque

BASE Jumper from Bridge

Tomorrow is a very short day ... only 38 miles into Burley, ID.  We will spend some time soaking in the sights at Shoshone Falls and Twin Falls.  It is also time for a scavenger hunt ... we have temporarily changed our name to the "Geldings" for the fun competition.  I will predict a victory by Sandy's team.  To summarize my day ... "Looking good, Billy Ray! Feeling good, Louis!"

Good night moon ... good night Snake River Canyon ... good night trains ... good night Devin Marie (Margot's new niece) ... good night flats (at least Dave can say that) ... good night cows ... good night girls (hope you had fun at the drive-in) ... good night Mike (have a great 4th) ... good night Besh (feel better) ... good night Nana