Thursday June 15, 2023
Day 13
Wild Goose campground to Lochsa Lodge, Powell, Idaho
67.45 miles. 2,279 total accent
Totals: 675.3 miles. 23,937 total accent. 58.14 hours in the saddle.
Yesterday was such a special day and its experiences have changed me forever. I feel such a sense of peace, spirituality and connection with the earth. Disconnecting, unplugging and being off grid is something many of us never experience.
As we prepare to leave our beautiful campsite at Wild Goose, a pair of ravens glide above. Today will be the Next Best Day Ever!
A few miles out of camp is Three Rivers Resort where the Lochsa, Selway and Clearwater rivers converge. Greeted by a handsome Australian shepherd, we enter the lodge for a delicious cup of coffee. Outside, workers are busily loading kayaks and river rafts onto trailers. Oh so colorful!
Mile after mile of the Lochsa river with creeks and tributaries joining, we climb on.
Sadly, the roadside is littered with bottles, cans and trash. Some, of course, could have accidentally fallen from a vehicle. But when we came upon a label taken from a piece of clothing and placed on a historical marker, that was no accident. Removing it, I felt a bit of dispair but decided however small my effort, it was the right thing to do.
“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” Vincent Van Gogh
Stopping periodically allows for more discovery. While Drew launches the drone to capture the river from above, I hunt for new things and the forest does not disappoint. I find mushrooms growing on a branch, a face that looks like a rabbit and in the stone, what appears to be the faces of wolves running. It reminds me of Bev Doolittle’s paintings.
Onward we go following the Lewis and Clark Trail.
Many of the signs talk about the Lewis and Clark expedition and how harsh these trips were, oftentimes resulting in many deaths. And yet, the explorers returned, expedition after expedition. Why? Weren’t they afraid? What drove them? And then I think about those who don’t like change… who want everything the same day after day. The homesteaders. We need both but just as the homesteaders abhor change, the explorers grow tired of the predictable, patterned life. I think of my friend Sue Skarin McClure. She’s pushes hard on the bike, seeking new horizons. Being an explorer doesn’t necessarily mean you have to travel someplace. Sometimes, it’s finding new horizons from within…pushing limits. I am reminded of the year I ran with the Loma Linda Lopers. The plan was to learn to run ‘correctly’ so my sister Janice Crandall and I could do events together, meeting somewhere in the USA. She lived in Texas and rowed on lakes there. I cycled for exercise. The first week at the Lopers, they had us run a mile. While I was doing centuries on the bike, running a mile was quite humbling!! I got set in the 12 minute pace group and trained as instructed, returning the next week to run 2 miles. Week 3, 3 miles. Wow! This was so different than cycling. One of the trainers explained, you have the engine but running requires a different chassis. That sure made sense! The initial goal was to train so Janice and I could do 5Ks together but each week, I returned to the Lopers and the miles grew. That’s when I got curious. How far can I run? The group trains for the LA Marathon which occurs each spring. Can I run 26.2 miles?? Each week I trained; each Sunday I ran with the Lopers. I was not only curious about how far I could run but where were the edges of my world? The borders? The limits? So many people shared horror stories about ‘hitting the wall’. Two weeks out, I was terrified and came to the resolution that either I would make it or die. The day came and it rained. I was so grateful as I perform better when cool. At around mile 23, I saw people stumble to the curb, crying in agony. No. I’m not quitting. I still felt good. No blisters or sore spots. I mentally put on blinders like on race horses and looked forward, tuning out all the suffering happening around me. Then I turn to the left into the wind and driving rain. “How bad do you want it?!” I saw the finish line. Tears and rain saturated my face. I was soaked. I hear my husband shout “Nike” and I know he, my son and brother are there. I was victorious. Later that evening while legs elevated, watching TV, a program about ultra marathoners was playing. Run 100 miles? Ah, no. I realized no matter what you do, records are made to be broken. And perhaps competing against yourself is the best challenge.
Down the road, a river guide was putting on his dry suit. Today is his day off so he is planning to do what he loves most without the responsibility of customers. He is full of life. A nearby sign tells about the river conditions. At the edge of the river, several colorful kayaks launch and are on their way!
We check our phones for reception and still have none. It’s been 24 hours with no connectivity. So strange.
We are no longer seeing dead things on the side of the road but we can smell them. And then we saw a committee of vultures on a sandbar on the edge of the river. They were HUGE and so beautiful. There was probably 12 of them. They flew off before we could capture a photo.
The pines are showing inches of new growth-bright green. When the sun hits the branches in just the right way, the tips lights up and is amazingly beautiful.
Next, another first time experience: following the pilot car. We enter another construction zone and once again are called to the front of the line. This time, they want us to follow directly behind the pilot car with the vehicles behind us. We start out slow and eventually get rolling. Wow! It’s a great draft! At one point, I think of Denise Mueller who paced behind a dragster modified for salt flats reaching 184 mph. Well, we didn’t even get close but sure had fun!! And arrived safely on the other side!
At mile 67, we arrive at Lochsa Lodge. Cyclists can camp behind the general store for $10. There is water, power, ‘real’ bathrooms, a restaurant and guest WiFi!! They are on mountain time so it is now 6 PM instead of 5.
Between working hard on the bike and no connectivity, I am behind on posts so I place a quick message on FB so let everyone know we survived Highway 12.
It’s has been in the low 60’s all day so we set up the tent and prepare for the night before it gets cooler. The mosquitos are hungry and are finding every inch of exposed skin. The bathrooms have wall heaters in them. So nice to change out of the bike kit in a warm environment.
We opt for dinner at the restaurant and there’s a gluten free option for their burgers. YES! We can only eat half our dinner and save the rest for breakfast.
Back to the tent for refuge from the mosquitos.
Tomorrow, we climb Lolo Pass. We’ve heard it is a suffer fest so a good night’s sleep is essential.
Thank you for joining us. We are well and are having the time of our lives!