Three days, three centuries
After two days of being pushed by tailwinds, the wind gods must have decided we had a debt to pay. I thought we should have some credit after 2018.
We left Spokane in a headwind. After ten miles I wasn’t sure I could make it today. We turned onto a busy highway and I had to remind myself I’m doing this for fun. At mile 40 we turned onto a back road with rolling hills through beautiful forests and all was right with the world.
After five miles we turned into a state park, rolled down to Lake Coeur d’Alene and turned onto a paved bike path that would take us for the next 46 miles, crossing the lake on an odd stair step bridge (almost like a pump track) – I think there’s a photo in the 2018 post – and continuing along the river and through wetlands.
Along the way we saw lots of bikes (e-bikes are popular here), moose, sandhill cranes, white pelicans, a turtle, and a dark green waterfowl with a swan neck.
I stopped on this bridge to look out over the river. Another rider arrived and asked if I was looking at anything special. I said, “Just this”, as I gestured at the scene above.
At mile 90 we crossed the river at a point where we had access. With feet in the cold water, heaven was now complete.
“Home” tonight was to be the Kellogg Middle School. Due to a last-minute change in plans, we were moved to the high school, which has the backdrop you see above. Due to the wide angle of the lens, it is not obvious that the mountain essentially rises from the back door. With the extra wandering about to find the high school, we were approaching 100 miles so I explored the town a bit just so I could ride back-to-back-to-back centuries – 312 miles in three days; and still two more days of riding before our first rest day.
P.S. Today’s espresso beat the heck out of yesterday’s.
Half-fast Cycling Club 