We slept in until 7:30 am since we are planning a recovery ride of a just little over 40 miles and we have another big climb tomorrow. The gentleman who made us burgers last night at the Cafe promised us fresh coffee and breakfast burritos. So after “Pack and Pray” (well friends, our usual 100 pushups and 4 minute planks every morning are out the window on this tour), we went for some breaky and wifi to check on wildfire updates and weather.
We haven’t had any cell service or wifi since we left and that can be problematic. No internet. At all. No way to check weather, wildfire activity, check in on family, play Wordle or Connections, identify flowers or answer any one of about a hundred questions I have throughout the day, including “is that bear scat?” So when we can get connected we have a lot of catch up, including weather forecast. Nothing’s changed. It’s still hot out.
Back to the breakfast burritos. Eric, the cook, shared with us that he and his wife got married in the exact same spot we camped last night by the creek. It’s just that special.
He also let me try out his fly pistol. Eric’s pistol has a Co2 cartridge and some other supplies to go with. Aim, fire and the fly is obliterated. Once I got my finger on the actual trigger it was all good. Apparently I need to go to the firing range and learn now to find the trigger. Got ‘em! Another fly that won’t land on someone’s breakfast burrito.
Burritos were 💯 so back to the gravel roads for an easy spin through the mountains and hopefully a soak in Worsick hot spring later in the day near our planned camp spot.
I said it was a recovery day and it was in more ways than one. About 10 miles in, I reached back to make sure my Chaco sandals were still rock-strapped to my seat bag and one was gone! Not. Good. At. All.
I quickly turned around wondering how far back I’d have to go. I knew it probably popped off as I was bombing down a hill over chunk rocks and bumpy washboard. Sure enough, 1.1 miles back my lone sandal was recovered. Whew! A recovery day in more ways than one.
The plan was to lay up as close to the start of the eight mile climb up Dollarhide Mountain as possible. Worswick Hot Spring appeared to be the perfect destination, except we got there about 4pm, the sun was out and it was blazing hot.
Nope! Not a day for hot springs. We then proceeded to cycle by Smokey Bar Creek but the water certainly wasn’t flowing Iike the Middle Fork of the Boise. When we finally found what might be a suitable spot somewhat close to water, there were so many cow pies left from open range cattle, the flies formed a welcoming party we REALLY didn’t want to join.
Without many choices left, (and without Eric’s fly pistol) we decided to pitch our tent and went strait to the water to rinse off and filter water. What does Tom see? A snake in the water. Really?
After throwing a rock in the water to encourage Mr. Snake to move along downstream, that snake stuck his head out of the water and looked right at Tom as if to say “Hey I was here before you”.
When I went back later to see if the coast was clear so we could cool off in the water, some sort of giant water mammal was swimming to shore toward our tent, maybe a muskrat, a beaver, a river otter? I have no idea because I have no cell service and I can’t check Google to find out. 😂
So instead of sitting in the hot spring, or a dip in cool creek water we took a two mile walk down the dusty road just to get away from the flies, the snake and muskrat thingy.
Ya just never know what you’ll find and recover on a bike tour. No matter what, there will be a story to tell and I guarantee it will get better every time you tell it.
Thanks for following along friends, family and neighbors.
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Keep Calm and Pedal On 
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