Northwest Loop - Week Two

Northwest Loop

via bicycle with WomanTours

July 31 - August 30, 2009

Week 2

Dayton, WA to Halfway, OR

Day 8 Day 9 Day 10 Day 11 Day 12 Day 13 Day 14

Day 8 - August 8, 2009

Dayton, WA to Lewiston, ID - 68.9 miles

(back to beginning of week 2)

We were on Route 12 all day today except riding through Lewiston to the Comfort Inn. Pomeroy was the first town to have services at mile 36, and it had a nice courthouse that they are trying to save that has one of the few Lady Justices on top that is not blindfolded. We had a 2.6 mile climb to the top of Alpowa Pass, but the grade was only 3-5%. At the top of the pass we had 15 miles of downhill riding. However, we had a headwind and my speed stayed below 30 without using the brakes, and when the grade was less than 3% I had to pedal.

Garmin chart for today's ride

This marker points the way to the Lewis and Clark encampment 2.5 miles down Patit Road just outside Dayton.

The Lewis and Clark Expedition camped here on the Patit Creek in Columbia County, WA on May 2, 1806 on their return to St, Louis. There were 33 people and each is shown in silhouette in this diorama and is identified in a plaque above the site. In the close-up on the right you can see Lewis to the right of the dog and Sacajawea hanging her baby in a cradle board on a pole.

a scenic view of the Blue Mountains

Courthouse in Pomeroy

Lady Justice is not blindfolded

these decorations were along the road

the Snake River

we entered our third state today

just after crossing the bridge into Lewiston this Nez Perce statuary was along side the road

Day 9 - August 9, 2009

Lewiston to Kamiah, ID - 91.1 miles

(back to beginning of week 2)

We had a very enjoyable 5 mile ride along the Snake River on a bike path that went under several bridges. After leaving the bike path the road had a fairly constant uphill character with a 1-3% grade most of the time. At mile 30 we were suppose to turn on to the Winchester Grade Road and begin a 10-mile climb with predominantly 5-6% grades with some at 8-9%. I felt confident that I could make it, but knew I would be slow and the sag driver would have to wait at the top of the pass for me so I opted to ride around the mountain with Linda who was driving the van and pulling the trailer and didn't want to take the trailer on the road with all of its S curves. I stopped riding at the first sag stop at mile 20 just after a steep one mile descent and started riding again at about mile 55 on Hwy 95. There was still a lot of uphill until about mile 78 where we started a 10 mile descent. Again with a head wind I didn't have to use my brakes too much. We are staying in the Lewis-Clark Resort on Highway 12 tonight and are having pizza for dinner as Linda was busy providing support for the riders until about 4 o'clock. The company provides VERY good support for us at all times!

Garmin charts for today's ride

views from the bike path along the Snake River

She's Wild

me and 3 other riders

In order to cross Lawyer’s Canyon and other Camas prairie gorges, a series of high railroad bridges were built in 1908. This highway goes past two of them. Most were timber, but a metal structure 1599 feet long and 296 feet high was needed here.

this was along the road

we were riding along this route in Clearwater Canyon today

we stayed at the Lewis and Clark Resort

Day 10 - August 10, 2009

Kamiah to White Bird, ID - 49.2 miles

(back to beginning of week 2)

We started out on Highway 12 riding along the Clearwater River in Clearwater Canyon. After about 5 miles we turned onto highway 13, but we were still following the River. At the intersection of the two highways there was a great display explaining the region. It was cool in the shaded canyon, but at mile 21 we started climbing and were in the direct sun. A short distance outside of Grangeville about where our 2nd climb was to start there was a construction zone due to a rock slide. There were still 2 lanes, but traffic was reduced to one lane and followed a pilot car first in one direction then in the other. We were told to stay close to the cones and watch for construction traffic that sometimes used the inside lane. It was great as we really had our own private lane for 3-4 miles and traffic went by only when it was led by the pilot car. After the construction zone we had a much appreciated 7+ miles descent--it was great--and there was a great viewpoint at White Bird Hill. Some of us were staying at the White Bird Motel and descended into town to that motel; the rest of us including me had to climb up to the Hoots Cafe and Motel, one mile beyond White Bird.

When I checked in and started emptying my pockets I discovered I didn't have my billfold. I keep it in a velcroed pocket on my shorts, but it wasn't there, so I was sure I had left it in Grangeville at a service station where I had stopped to buy some ice cream. I called, but no billfold had been turned in. The sag driver drove me back to Grangeville so I could check with them in person, and I left my name and address. I got back with just enough time to shower and catch the van shuttle ride back to White Bird for dinner. After dinner i was in my room making a list of all the calls I had to do in the morning to cancel my credit cards and freeze my credit on the credit agencies since my social security number was on my medicare card when someone knocked. One of the riders gave me the good news that one of the construction workers had found my billfold in the construction zone and had tracked me down by calling the only number he found in there. He got my niece who had my itinerary and told him where I was staying. He then called both motels and left a message. The sag driver for the next day then drove me back to Grangeville at 9 pm to the motel where "Boots" was staying and I retrieved my wallet which will not be carried in a velcroed pocket again. Several people had prayed for me, and God is GREAT and he always answers prayers but in His time and according to His plans not ours.

Garmin charts for today's ride

pictures from the info displayed at the intersection of Highways 12 and 13

today we were on the Nez Perce trail and actually rode through their reservation

Clearwater River and Canyon

viewpoint on the descent

views from White Bird Hill

Day 11 - August 11, 2009

White Bird to New Meadows, ID - 63.4 miles

(back to beginning of week 2)

This morning the riders at White Bird rode up to Hoots and Linda fixed breakfast there so those of us staying at Hoots wouldn't have to descend and then climb again the hill we rode last night + the road into White Bird. So we all left from Hoots stayed on Highway 95 all day. Today we followed the Salmon River and, of course, we did more climbing. The climb was never steep, but with a head wind it was very difficult and even when we had an occasional descent we still had to pedal hard. Several of us sagged in at very points--I quit at mile 45. The sag driver needed more help so she went into New Meadows and had Denise bring the van out to pick up riders and bikes.

Garmin chart for today's ride

the Salmon River from a bridge we rode across

Some 15 million years ago Salmon River ran across great Miocene lava flows and started to carve this deep canyon. Then this part of the earth’s surface gradually rose. As the mountains were rising, the river cut down into the older rock below. Many other rivers cut similar gorges. The Snake flows through Hell’s Canyon—deepest of them all—8 miles west of here.

several boats ran the rapids as we were riding past

the sign in front of this bridge announces that we are entering the Mountain Time Zone

waterfall along the highway

Day 12 - August 12, 2009

New Meadows, ID - REST DAY

Wikipedia info

back to beginning of week 2)

We stayed at the Hartland Inn B&B & Motel in New Meadows. Elizabeth and I had private rooms in the house which they call "the mansion" on the 3rd floor. I kept my bike in the stable as I didn't/t want to take it up a narrow stairway to the 3rd floor--getting my luggage up there was bad enough.

Two of the riders have a summer home in McCall, Idaho, on Payette Lake which is only about 12 miles from New Meadows and Nancy invited us all over to her and Ed's "cabin" for dinner on our rest day, and Ed and Kay's husband Bud would grill burgers for us. We could swim or boat on the lake or just relax. At 1:30 we left New Meadows either in the van, Subaru, or Nancy's husband Ed's pickup and were driven to the lake cabin. Because of my sun allergy I wanted to stay out of the sun and give my skin a day of rest so I didn't swim or go boating in the jet ski, the canoe, or Ed's larger boat, but it was very relaxing to be outside where I could enjoy the beautiful lake, the pleasure of everyone's company, and get a little bit of data entered into my computer. First we had some delicious snacks then about 4:30 we had hamburgers or veggie burgers with all the fixings, potato salad, and deviled eggs. Then they laid out all the ingredients for banana splits and we made our own concoctions.

The Hartland Inn and a picture of my room

Payette Lake

Ed taking several of us for a ride in his boat

Linda drove the jet ski around the lake several times with different people as passengers

Mary, Pat, Hille, and Nancy

Bud cooking the hamburgers and veggie burgers

Nancy B. in one of the hammock chairs

Day 13 - August 13, 2009

New Meadows to Cambridge, OR - 47.2 miles

(back to beginning of week 2)

God smiled on us today.

The first 5 miles were basically uphill but were only 1-3% then we had primarily downhill or flat roads with only occasionally short uphill sections except for one 1.8 mile section with a lot of 5-6% and some 7-9% grades at about mile 30. The wind was strong but was basically a cross wind with a little bit of tailwind depending on which way the road turned until the road turned west about 7 miles before the end then we had a head wind. It wasn’t bad, however, because the road was mainly flat and I wasn’t tired. Cambridge is a VERY small town with a population of less than 400 but the Frontier Motel is nice..

Garmin chart for New Meadows to Cambridge

we have been passed by a lot of trucks carrying logs and today we saw a sawmill

Ramsey purchased a decorated gourd today

Nancy N.. bought a tu-tu

this snake was crossing a side road as I rode by

the farmers here use both round and square bales for their wheat

we are still riding through the Blue Mountains but we are in a wide valley rather than a narrow canyon

Barb composes songs as she rides and she sang the 3rd one for us tonight as Nancy J. danced

Nancy N. wore her tu-tu as a hat

Day 14 - August 14, 2009

Cambridge to Halfway, OR - 57.5 miles

(back to beginning of week 2)

It looked like rain today and there was a strong head wind. I only rode the first 7 miles. I was climbing a 7-8 grade and the hill+ the wind stopped me in my tracks. I got off and started walking up the hill and could hardly push my bike up the hill against the wind.. At the top I thought I would be able to get going again, but the van and trailer came along, and I decided to hop aboard. I should have got off at the top of the pass (4141 feet elevation) and ridden down the 8 mile descent and into Hell's Canyon and might have even made it all the way in from there as we changed directions when we crossed the Snake River and came back into Oregon--instead of going N we started going SW and the wind was in our favor. However I stayed in the comfortable van with two other riders and Linda and Denise. We had to turn around and go back to Cambridge because when one of the riders needed a pump Linda couldn't fine the one that should have been in the trailer, and when we were at the top of the pass someone who had been staying at the same motel last night came by and told us we left a pump at the motel.

We are in another very small city tonight-- population 337 in the 2000 census. Halfway is located in Baker County, Oregon, and took its name from the fact that the post office, located on the Alexander Stalker ranch, was halfway between Pine and Cornucopia. The Halfway Motel that we stayed in was very nice.

Garmin charts for Cambridge to Halfway

Pictures of the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area managed by the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. Hugging the borders of northeastern Oregon and western Idaho, this national showcase holds 652,488 acres of beauty and adventure and is the deepest river gorge in North America. It has scenic vistas that rival any on the continent, world-class whitewater boating, spectacular mountain peaks, vast reaches of remote wilderness for hiking or horseback riding, diverse and abundant wildlife, and artifacts from prehistoric tribes and rustic remains of early miners and settlers. It was carved by the great Snake River and plunges more than a mile below Oregon's west rim and 8,000 feet below snowcapped He Devil Peak of Idaho's Seven Devils Mountains. There are no roads across Hells Canyon's 10-mile wide expanse, and only three roads that lead to the Snake River between Hells Canyon Dam and the Oregon-Washington boundary.