We started cycling from our hotel which was adjacent to the Boise airport – very convenient. The 32 mile Boise Spur begins at the airport and connects riders to the beginning of the Idaho Hot Spring (IHS) route.
Our hotel will store our bike boxes until we get back when we will again check them as baggage when we fly back to Indy. This is the first time we’ve used bike boxes and a trial run for future tours.
We kicked off the ride with a “well hello legs” four mile climb. It was on pavement and gradual so no biggie. At the top of the Highland Valley Summit there’s a little store and the tag line is “it’s all downhill from here.” Made me laugh.😂
We followed along Lucky Peak Reservoir and were treated to stunning views.
At 23 miles the route becomes dirt and the Boise Spur ends at the junction of Middle Fork Road and Cottonwood Canyon where we began following the Middle Fork of the Boise River.
As we were wrapping up the Boise Spur we met Andrew, Scott and Daniel who were just finishing the IHS loop and shared some helpful route intel. They looked worn, weathered and happy.
Middle Fork Road turned out to be a very exposed (little shade), washboardy and sandy road which made for very slow going. Plus apparently Boise is experiencing its third hottest summer on record. It’s a dry heat but whew it’s hot!
Around the 50 mile mark we started looking for a campsite. We’re on public land so we can “stop and plop” just about anywhere and camp (with some restrictions).
On our first night we were looking for shade, water access for cooking, filtering, maybe a quick dip and lastly, a tree to hang food to keep away from the bears. Mission accomplished.
We were sound asleep before dark and it was a no tent fly night. There’s nothing like running river water, cool mountain air and a good day of cycling to get peaceful sleep.
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Keep Calm and Pedal On 