Day 16 Mountain Home to Gooding 99.9 km Uphill 2458 ft Downhill 1974 ft

Boy, who needs an alarm when all the tent zippers around you start zzzipping at 5 a.m. I resigned to the fact that sleep would be no more and joined the gang packing up. Still no dew in the morning. How sweet it is to pack up the tent and ground cover dry. I did take advantage of the internet being up (the internet was rather fickle last evening) and quickly checked my email….this put me back 5 minutes and the ‘team’ was ready and waiting for me. Tomorrow I’ll have to be ready early to make up for this. Although in my defense, we have been leaving at 7 a.m. and today they were ready to head out at 6:45 a.m. Go figure!

Paul & Teresa headed out just before us. Our instructions were to turn Left on 6th S St. John turned Right and we all followed (we have maps, but they are tucked in our carriers, only John’s is right in front of him). Paul and Teresa watched us with much amusement. We corrected our error, passed them and then we missed the next turn….after correcting It, we again passed Paul & Teresa. I’m so glad we can provide them with these light hearted moments. Once we got on Old Hwy 30/Old Oregon Trail Hwy we were okay.

It’s kinda cool to see how the farmers irrigate their fields when they want the hay to grow. What a switch from Southern Ontario were you rely on the weather report as to when you should cut the hay and then you prayer for no rain. It appears to me that the farmers in Idaho set up the irrigation pipes, water the field, then they cut. Imagine the work and time of having to constantly move the pipes. Maybe relying on the weather man isn't all that bad! At the half way marked we stopped in the town of Glenns Ferry and treated ourselves to coffee and cinnabuns. Now we need the sugar to kick in from the cinnabun so we can peddle thru the headwind that is attacking us. The guys handle the headwind better than Barb and myself. Today we couldn’t find the ‘sweet spot’ so the ride today was a tad more difficult for us but we still made it in 4 hr 16 minutes. My computer has us traveling 106km at an average speed of 25. Top speed 50km.

Some photos of the day:

We seemed to be going thru some badlands. Pete VN

Here is a photo of the river. It’s nice to see a patch of green grass in the midst of all the dry ground. On our way to Gooding we passed thru the town of Bliss. Another photo opportunity.
Tonight we are staying at Gooding High School. Our tents are parked under the trees, wonderful shade. When we inspected the showers we notice that there was a washing machine. Barb and I ask permission to use it and the answer was Yes. Bonus! So now our laundry is hanging up. We’ve had our shower, and I’ve heard that the internet is up and running. Life is good.
P.S. Gooding has a population of just over 3,000.
P.S.S. John has the inside tract. He already has the map for tomorrow. 130km with another climb of 1,000 ft. Guess I’ll set my alarm for 4:45 a.m. and then I’ll be all set to go by 6:30 a.m. Don’t tell the guys, I want to surprise them!

Till later, Cynthia

Day 15 Boise to Mountain Hope 89km Uphill 1971 ft Downhill 1555 ft

First off I must say that today was a sweet, sweet ride. No problems at all on the bike. I felt renewed, energized and ready for almost anything. I really believe that many people are holding us up in prayer and this makes the ride so much more doable. The relaxing day off might also have something to do with how great I feel.

Starbucks opens up at 5 a.m. and you can just bet who were the first ones there. John and Pete were at the door before the employees opened up. Barb & Andy quickly followed their cue. I chose to set my alarm for 5:09 (there has to be one rebel in the crowd), packed up a few things in my tent and then made my way over for the caffeine fix. Shortly after I asked Andy what time it was and he told me 6:50, so I quickly packed up a lunch, gobbled down my oatmeal, banana and juice, did the washroom thing, hurry, hurry only to find out he was joking. It was really 6:30. I guess that was repayment for holding up the pace line Sunday morning. Barb had another flat tire so after John had changed it we were off shortly after 7 a.m. It promises to be another hot day, thus the early start.

The devotional book elevation for the day looked really scary, but we hardly realized that we were climbing. Almost missed Pleasant Valley Rd, Gerry K caught that mistake before we racked up any additional kms. The Interstate hwy was free of debris and we sailed thru this section with the wind on our back. We came upon this truck and asked if he needed help (like we carry tools on our bike!...but Gerry had a cell phone if he needed it. He said everything was under control, so we carried on). We stopped for around 5 minutes at Walter’s SAG on our way to Desert Wind Rd. Then it was back on the bike.

We had one section that our pace line was working beautifully. Louie was pulling John who was pulling Barb. Pete was pulling me and Andy and Gerry drafted off of us. This section was the best. We had top speeds and everyone but Louie was riding in a ‘sweet spot’. Our devotion for the day described the ‘sweet spot. How fitting that you would read it and then we would experience it first hand. I’m told a coyote and a badger crossed right in front of us…..I was too busy concentrating on the wheel in front of me and missed this wonderful display of nature. Although I didn’t miss the dead raccoon that the person in front of me failed to call out. Andy, Gerry and I swerved and barely missed this wonderful specimen of road kill. As for the scenery, we noticed a lot of sage brush. The area we biked thru today was pretty desolate.Cory Nyhuis was just setting up his SAG station when we pulled in. We thanked him for the water, used the facilities and we were off. Just an additional note: we’ve been told the next two weeks will be very hard on us, with the extreme heat and the desert conditions that we are cycling thru. So we are not passing any SAGS, instead we stop and top off our water bottles. The trick is to stay hydrated. Pictured here are: Barb (Pete is 'busy'), Cory, Louie, Gerry, John and Andy

Arrived in Mountain Home before lunch. We stopped at a coffee shop, ordered yogurt shakes, followed by coffee and chatted with other cyclists as they came in. We probably stayed there for over an hour, then headed to Walmart to buy some cashola. I’ve misplaced my debit card, alas they will not give a cash advance on my m/c so now I’ve got to do some serious searching if I want to buy some cash.

Mountain Hope JR HS was just down the road. The gear truck had just arrived, so everyone pitched in to unload the duffel bags. I set up my tent, had a refreshing shower and then settled down in the cool hallway to type up this blog.

Mountain Hope is a nice community. This JR HS is quite impressive. When the temperatures reach the high 90’s -100’s F its’ a great to find relief from the oppressive heat in an air conditioned building (even if it is only the hallways and gym). Trees are something you don’t see much of in these hot, dry conditions.

P.S. Ralph never fear, I did find my debit card (so don’t go canceling it on me!)…it was in a ‘safe’ place. So now on my agenda for the reminder of the day.... I have a trip planned to Walmart and the post office. Then we’ll have the usual routine of supper, peloton and small groups before retiring for the evening.

I also want to give acknowledgement to Ed Witvoet. His work never stops. He is constantly on the phone or computer every evening making sure that the MT and police know we are coming thru. So far the daily routes have been fantastic. I know it has taken Ed a long time in planning to come up with the route and it shows. So, three cheers for Ed. We all appreciate all the work you’ve been doing.

Gotta go and see if the internet is working, and then it’s off to run some errands. Till next time, Cynthia
Average speed on the bike 28km Maximum speed 54.2km Bike time 3:14

Sunday, July 13th

Last evening was so cool that I slept like a log. Breakfast was being served from 8:30 – 9:30 a.m. and church didn’t start till 10:30. Lots of time to shower, blow dry my hair (no blower) put on my makeup (what make-up?). I tell you, it makes getting ready a lot faster when you don’t have to do any of these jobs. Although I must admit that around 20 cyclists all called out my name because they wanted to leave for the park and I was still making the last washroom run, putting away my lawnchair, zipping up my tent, etc. It was just like at home!

The 3 mile bike to the park was pleasant. This morning’s church service is being hosted by Valley Life Community Church (RCA) and Boise Rescue Mission. Valley Life Community Church started as a church plant 10 years ago. It has around 100 members. We were able to interact with several members from the church and share with them some of our experiences along the route. The service was wonderful and just like last week, we more than doubled their church attendance. Afterwards they treated us to a hamburger lunch with chips and pasta salads on the
side.
I was able to connect with my family on Skype this morning, just before they left for church. We still have a two hour time change so this makes it a bit tricky to catch them. Two weeks and counting till I see Ralph in Denvor. This is the longest time we have even been separated in our 28 years of marriage. I hope the next two weeks fly by.

Another pleasant, sunny day. I’ve found a cool spot under the canopy of the school so that I can type this in the shade. Bonus, even an electrical plug! All around the campground people are napping, talking, playing cards, sorting thru their gear baskets and some are still out exploring the many bike paths that Boise has to offer. Christina N relaxing with a book




Markus taking a much needed nap


Yesterday the sprinkler ‘thing’ happened again.
Note to self: never set up your tent under a light pole (way to bright in the evening)
: always check for dog do do’s before staking ones tent, or else you have to
do some scooping afterwards, right Don?
: before setting up ones tent in the prime location (closest to the school entrance) one should always check for sprinkler heads. Last evening 2 tents were soaked at around 7pm and then at midnight several more where forced to sleep in the gear truck when other sprinklers went off. Fred Folkers opened his tent to see what all the commotion was about, forgot that his rear flap was opened and almost ended up with an ennema.

These are some of the things I’ve learned on this bike trip. Can’t wait to find out what else I’ll be able to add to this list.

Now it’s time for some R & R. Peloton meets tonight along with small groups. Tomorrow we continue to climb. Salt Lake City….we’re on our way!

Till later, Cynthia

day 13 Ontario to Boise 104km Uphill 2400 ft Downhill 1815 ft

When my alarm beeped at 5 a.m. this morning I thought it was a cruel joke. Darkness was still all around me and I was still tired. So I rolled over and slept for another ½ hr. I’ll just pack my tent up super fast today.

Barb had a flat when she came in last evening, so John set about changing it and we were off by 7 a.m. We had only been on our bikes for 10 minutes or less when we came to the state line. Another photo opportunity. Idaho here we come.

The ride today is up and down. At 10 a.m. we happened to come upon a coffee shop, ‘Sandy Hollow’. They had the best cinnamon buns and the coffee was a great pick me upper.

Back to the ride. We had rollers and it didn’t seem that difficult. The area we biked through today had a lot of field crops that were irrigated by flood irrigation (ditches that allow water to flow to the crops in small amount). We saw sugar beet fields, beans, onions, corn, wheat and who could forget the fragrant field of mint. It was so fresh, a treat to my senses. One wrong turn had us miss a huge hill (so sad) but we did add around 3km extra to the day. Some local cyclists directed us back on the right path to Boise. They probably wondered how we'll ever find New Jeresy! I did have one moment of panic, don’t know why, but all of a sudden I couldn’t catch my breath. It was like I was hyperventilating. I was second from the back of a rather long pace line so thankfully the other riders didn’t realize what was happening. Andy stayed back with me till I was able to breathe normally again (it only lasted like 1 minute) and then we started to catch the gang, but it happened again. So we slowed down till the problem had corrected. The rest of the ride was uneventful. As we neared the town of Boise we are passing many equestrian farms. What an economical contrast to Huntington.

The line of cyclists keeps growing. We passed thru Hyde Park, a delightful village. Then we continue on to Boise. Tonight we are staying at Timberline High school. Another beautiful facility. The private showers were to die for, very private, lots of pressure and ever so clean.

I’m typing this at the Jiffy Clean Laundromat. Jean Hammond (a wonderful woman that has been following Gayle’s blog and came here to meet her) offered to drive us here. We are so thankful because the thought of getting on the bike and lugging our laundry 2 miles just seems overwhelming. That the internet is free at the Laundromat was an additional bonus. Should also mention that across from the high school we have a coffee shop, drug store, etc. No need to travel far this weekend. Tomorrow we need to cycle 3 miles to the park where they are holding the celebration service.

Temperatures ranged today, but it peaked about the time when I was setting up my tent (low 90’s F).

Jean is here waiting to take us back, so I’d best get this posted.

Till next time, Cynthia

Day 12 Huntington to Ontario 56.3km Uphill 1150 ft Downhill 1129 ft

Last evening as we where eating supper one of the cyclists tent was lifted up by the wind and tossed over the fence and the freeway. It was rescued by two cyclists and returned to the rightful owner. This sets the stage for the evening excitement. Around 11pm I heard a lot of commotion outside of my tent. The wind was gusting and blowing sand all over. Did I mention that we were camped in a football field at the highest possible point of Huntington? Ed W came around and mentioned that if you felt safer you could opt to spend the evening in the gym. Around 2 dz cyclists took advantage of this offer. I was situated in the inner circle of the camp. Bill & Mary D were my neighbours and when I overheard Mary ask Bill is they should go inside, my heart stopped. If they went inside and took down their tent then there would be no wind block for me. Thankfully they decided to stick it out. Most people got around 6 hours or less of sleep.

The time zone changed for us today. Just outside of Huntington we had to bring our watches forward 1 hour. Ed W has made the decision that since the day is very short we will start breakfast one hour later (7:30 am). Our group of 5 (minus Barb because she was sweep) left the campground around 8 am.

We started off with the first climb right off the bat. No problem. On route we took some photos of the changing scenery. We are following the snake river. The farms appear to be doing well. We saw a variety of vegetables being grown; radishes, onions, cabbage, etc. It reminds me of the Holland Marsh area. Below is a photo of one of the irrigation systems they use in this part of the country. Only two SAG stops today because the ride is so short.

We took a different route into Ontario because we wanted less traffic. Once we had located the high school that we are staying at, we headed out for a breakfast/ coffee joint. Julie, one of the SAG drivers is off today, so she joined us in this little adventure. The pancake house fit the bill. I ordered 3 crepes with a tad of whipping cream. Below is a photo of what the waitress brought out.We handed out a number of C2C business cards promoting the tour at this restaurant. Two hours later, refreshed and full we headed to the visitors centre to pick up a map of the city. Found out that this city is actually named after Ontario, Canada. Yep, the name was decided on with a coin toss between two gentlemen and one woman. Then it was off to the campsite to set up our tents, etc. After showers several cyclists headed to the local library to send out yesterday’s blog and hopefully work on today’s. How disappointing to hear that the library closed at 4 pm and we didn’t get there till 3:45. I quickly sent out yesterday’s blog (without proof reading it…hope I don’t have to make any retractions!). Rumor has it that the internet is still not working at camp. This frustrates the cyclists as well as the people responsible to set it up. Again the motto, ‘just go with it’. If a situation is beyond your control then make the best of it. ‘ It is what it is.’


It is nearing 6pm so that means supper time. I need to wrap this up and get going. Tonight will be early to bed (I’m nodding off already). Tomorrow is the last of the short days, so I hope to saunter along and just enjoy it.

Till tomorrow, Cynthia

Day 11 Baker City to Huntington 73.5km Uphill 1124 ft Downhill 2417 ft

Last evening during pelaton we were told that it was going to be a very, very hot day….high 90-100+ F. Our goal was to leave bright and early. It is quite wonderful packing up a tent that is dry (no humidity or dew in the morning). Today I’m biking with Pete, Barb, John, and Gerry K from Washington. Marti joined us 1/2 thru the ride. Andy is on sweep duty so he’ll be a late comer today. Pictured above are: Marti De Plessis, Cynthia, Barb Mellema

John likes us to warm up a bit before the actual ride, hence the climb up the WRONG hill right at the beginning of the day. I will admit that we all missed the US-30 sign but we like to blame these things on John, after all, he is the one reading the map.

Today’s ride was a breeze, everyone should make it in with out a problem. In fact, as I’m typing this up Andy came in, so that means everyone was in by 3:30ish. Once you were over the 450-500ft climb it was all downhill from there. You didn’t even have to pedal. Barb did have a soft front tire, but we managed to catch Cory on the way to his sag stop and after we, (John, that is) added air we were all set to go. Our We projects at home are defined as...I think of the idea and Ralph does all the work. I operate on the same mentality here at camp….We should pump up my front tire and either John or Pete does it. We have a flat….you get the idea.

First sag was Walter in his humble camper. He greeted us with a smile, told us where the facilities were….girls behind the first bale of straw, guys behind the second bale of straw. Walter even has toilet paper available along with a steady supply of hand disinfectant for us to use. After topping up our water bottles and a photo op of John pretending to be Lance Armstrong, we were off.

Second sag was Julie. She has no shade again today. It’s a long day for these sag drivers and we sooooo appreciate everything that they do for us.

It was a tad dicey on the interstate. We usually do not travel on the interstate but apparently when the valley narrows this was our only route. There was construction and I was grateful to get thru this one lane section with barely any shoulder before the traffic picked up. Andy said when they came to this section the construction workers told him to navigate thru the construction because they’d never get thru otherwise. Again, we appreciate all your prayers for our safety, we need them.

Imagine our surprise when we entered Huntington and some one had made a home-made sign welcoming our group to their town.We arrived shortly after 10 am and since the gear truck doesn’t usually arrive on site till after noon we found the local bookstore, grabbed a coffee and got to know the locals. What a riot. The women where invited to sit by the MAFIA table, which stand for Mature, Affectionate, Feminine, Intelligent, Articulate women.

This is a photo of the local women we sat with: Margie, Beverly, Mabel, Rhonda, Millie, Bev R and Sue.

I also joined some men for a bit and chatted about their lives. We found out that Huntington has a population of around 500 people, and that is counting the dogs and cats! 60% are either retired or on disability. They were grateful that we were staying at the local elementary/high school because that would generate funds so that textbooks could be purchased for the fall.

We also found out that there was a washing machine at the school, so Barb and I put dibs on the first load. Right now I’ve got the first load hanging on the back of the bleachers waiting for it dry so I can hang up the second load. We usually combine clothing so we have a full load. The wind is strong so it shouldn’t take long to dry.
The next two days will be relatively easy but sooner or later we have to get out of this valley and do some serious climbing. I haven’t looked ahead in the devotional book because it will just freak me out and as my son said, ‘Mom, it doesn’t matter what the elevation is….you still have to climb it. So don’t worry about it. Just do it.’ Wise word.

On my to do list for this evening is…shower (but at least today I will not have to stand in the shower with all my biking clothes on, spread soap all over, take off the cycling clothes, soap them down once more before actually washing myself…it really is a time consuming job but hey, if it’s the only way to get clean clothes you do it). I fear when I’m home that I’ll hop out of bed with my jammies on and just in the shower fully clothed. You can bet I’ll only do this once. Continuing with my to do list….hang up the second load, find internet service to post this blog, eat supper, pelaton meeting and get ready for tomorrow (which means, washing out the water bottles and refilling them and laying out my cycling clothes for tomorrow so that I’m ready to go. I should probably clean my bike chain as well….on that note, maybe we should clean my bike chain!

Maximum speed 60.8km Average speed 28.2 Bike time 2:40
Till later, Cynthia

Day 10 La Grande to Baker City Uphill 1443ft Downhill 817ft

I know what the town of La Grande is known for….the trains! They kept us awake most of the evening with their shunting back and forth. Just when I thought it was over, another train came by. I think the conductor saw all the tents and decided to blow the whistle on us (lame, but I couldn’t think of anything else to write).

I’m typing this in the Baker City High school gym. It is nice and cool in here, but very, very hot outside. Temperatures on my bike read 102F.

Today I’m biking with part of my sweep team. I think we headed out of town around 8:30am (we divided the sweep team into three groups and left at staggered times). Our job is to make sure everyone keeps moving and to report any mishaps, tire blowouts, etc.

Lois C, Teresa & Paul, Cynthia (Cory, a VIP... he tows the Portal -John ) and Lavonne K



The climb today was very gradual. We encountered no significant problems on the road. The nice thing about being on the sweep team is that it forces you to take your time because we are not allowed to pass the last rider that we come upon. So we managed a coffee stop plus another stop for a refreshment in a little town called Haines. The restaurant that we stopped at was very western….washrooms where addressed as Heifers and Bulls. Three men with cowboy hats sat in a booth. I wanted to take a photo but didn’t dare ask them. They probably thought we were an oddity in our spandex, just like we thought the cowboys hats where a bit over the top (don’t take offence anyone in the west, it just that in Chatham we don't see the cowboy hats very often).



I noticed this announcement on the bulletin board (something I would never see on the No Frills board in my city!).

Think about this, if her last name started with a D, would she still want a personal license plate?

One thing about taking your time is that you notice more. Paul saw this skeleton in the ditch. Not sure if it was the remnants of a deer or cow. We may have to call CSI Oregon to investigate.


It cooled down nicely last evening so I’m hoping for the same tonight. Tomorrow promises to be another hot one. I’ll find out for sure during pelaton tonight.

P.S. Last Saturday we hit our record of 33 flats in one day. We are over the 100 flat marker.

Till tomorrow, Cynthia