Day 9 - Wed/Jun 25 - 40 Miles South of Blackfoot ID to Idaho Falls ID

Today was designated as our "rest day". This was our flattest ride so far with a tail wind and total climb of less than 600 feet. We had actually hoped to ride a few miles into tomorrow’s route, but an unexpected trip to a car dealership to address a "check engine" light took our support away for the afternoon. We decided to stop when we got to Idaho Falls for a total ride of just over 66 miles for the day. The weather was relatively cool again 58 – 78 degrees. We ran into two riders who were riding across the country – going east to west – against the weather. One guy started on the east coast and the other joined later and was stopping in Boise ID. They were doing their ride unsupported, which meant they we carrying about 40 pounds of gear. The guy started on the east coast had been riding for 37 days. They said they ran into some strong head winds in Wyoming that made progress slow. This should mean we will have tail winds…I sure hope so.

We reached Idaho Falls by 1:00 PM even though we were late getting started again since we had to travel back 40 miles to the previous days finish point. There were no great sights on this route until we arrived at the hotel where there was a water fall on the Snake River (total drop of approximately 10 to 20 feet), quite impressive.

Matt's bike was having problems shifting, he thought from the tail light incident. Larry found a bike shop in Idaho Falls and called ahead to secure a time for our bikes to be serviced. When we arrived in Idaho Falls, we headed to Bill’s Bike Shop to have them take a look at our bikes. When we arrived they moved our bikes to the front of the line. They didn’t find any problem with my bike and Matt’s was shifting like new within a short time.

The service to the support vehicle took all afternoon, so Matt and I headed to the hotel. Just a couple blocks from the hotel we found a micro brewery and took the opportunity to sample a couple of their best and grab a meal. It was right across the street from the water fall so we spent an hour or so enjoying the weather and the sight.

Larry reached the hotel by 6:30 PM, the support vehicle ready to take on the rest of the trip. We used the rest of the day to take a nap, do laundry, clean the bikes and grab another meal…we have two big climbs back to back starting tomorrow. Hopefully the weather will hold and the only force of nature we will battle is gravity.

I took a commanding lead in the flat tire competition as I started the morning with a flat before we even left the hotel and had another one about 10 miles from the end of today’s ride. Matt – 2 flats/1 tire; Gary - 4 flats/1 tire.

Day 8 - Tue/Jun 28 - Twin Falls, ID to 40 Miles South of Blackfoot, ID

After modifying our schedule by adding a day to the ride to allow us time to recover before our big climb into Jackson Wyoming on Thursday, we ate a big breakfast before departing Twin Falls. We decided to put in 100 miles today and then the last 40 miles to Blackfoot and an additional 30 miles to Idaho Falls tomorrow. We rode 88 of the 100 miles on the shoulder of Interstate 84 and 86 (straight east). The balance of the ride (15 miles) was on State Hwy 37 & 39 (mostly north). There are limited on/off ramps on the interstate in this section of the state. With a wide shoulder, smooth surface and what I would call a low amount of traffic, we made good time. Did I mention that we had a tail wind? We covered 103.6 miles in 5 hours 1 minute.

The total climb for the day was 2,335 feet. It felt good not having any big climbs today. The temperatures ranged from 63 to 83 degrees - a relatively cool day. The maximum elevation today was 4,526 feet. We have three more big climb days - two come within the next five days. Tomorrow should be a relatively easy day, but this could change depending upon the weather. There are chances of rain both tomorrow and Thursday.

When we left Twin falls this morning, the flat tire count was a dead heat between Matt and I - one each. Just 8 miles into the ride, I managed to get a flat and blow a tire. Larry was there in no time with a new tire and we were back on our way. Matt managed to hit the rumble strip and his tail light bounced into his rear tire, throwing it out of true. One quick phone call and Larry showed up with our spare rear tire. A mile later, and Matt picked up a screw in his new rear and the competition for the least flats drew even again - 2 flats and a blown tire each. Without Larry's support, it would have been a much longer and hotter day.

When we got to the hotel, I put the truing stand that I have been carting across the country to good use. Within a few minutes, Matt's wheel was trued. Without the truing stand, we would be looking for a bike shop to get Matt's wheel trued. This would have costs us the better part of a day if you could even find a bike shop. Now we will be heading out in the morning with Matt back on his own wheel and a spare in the event we need one.

The scenery today was not as impressive as yesterday, except for one gorge, unless you like to look at cars and trucks like my grandson Sammy. I couldn't help but think of that as I biked down the interstate.