Sierra Leone update

Hello everyone, Another 92 degree day in Makeni, 8 degerees north of the equator. We had an interesting walk through town last night. I was looking for a pair of croc’s to wear home allowing me to leave my sneakers and boots in Maboleh Village. Couldn’t find any but did see dried bats and monkey meat for sale. Only 20,000 leones for a monkey quarter (just like a chicken quarter only bigger). That would be less than $5. It was as dark as charcoal and looked positively unappetizing. The dried bats, same price for a handful made me gag. I also purchased inner tubes for our pastors bicycle, 20,000 for two. 4300 leones = $1. I will also be buying some tires, 11,000 leones each. Good price. Today in the village we finalized some building plans for the holy, holy, holy latrine (3 holer, duh). Local workers will be getting the granite for the founation and will also be bringing sand from the river and cutting bush sticks for shoring up the foundation. This will save us a lot of money, since we don’t have to buy it at the local store. We also purchased school supplies in Makeni. The village primary school, grades 1-6 has 227 children with no supplies. For $69 we purchasd 105 theme books, 6 boxes of chalk, and 20 personal size slates for the children in grades 1-3. Yes, they still use slate boards, and do a lot of rote learning. We bought lunch for all the children, 227 and the 6 teacheres and principle. Total cost $7. There is a group here from Minnesota and we have joined with their leaders for dinner tonight. They are going great work in a neighboring village, building a clinic, (approved by the gov’t) and providing solar power. Now they will be able to keep medicines that need refrigeration (insulin) and are authorized to give innoculations. we were able to purchase a bed net for every family to prevent mosquito bites during the night. Thank all of you at CrossPoint church for your donations. The villlagers greatly appreciated them. Most homes now have more than one. This is very important for the villagers. I gave a demonstration on how to use the grinder we brought here. We made peanut butter, which they had never eaten before. There eyes were as wide as saucers at the first nibble. They absolutely loved it. I showed them how to dissasemble, clean and reassemble it. They will be grinding corn, rice, coffee and ground nuts (look like our Spanish peanuts). Hopefully they will be starting a business and make money grinding grains. I suggested they make Corn bread from the flour we made from grining corn. They really like that idea. They also thought it was good they we eat corn bread in the USA. A little boy, about 8 yrs old came to us with a small Greyish Eagle Owl, that was soon to fledge. It must have fallen from the nest. He carried around all day, and I am sure it won’t make it throught the night. Several children also carried around small rats as pets. At least I think it was more than one. One was blind and just clung to their clothing. Yech. We will be heading home on Thursday. I guess to cool weather. what a contrast.

I will add pictures when I return to tnternet here is slow.

Bike along the Mohawk – Day 46 and 47

Chicks can fly

More donations, more Buzzkill T shirts.  Three more cyclists have donated and requested the now famous, in demand BuzzKill T shirts.  Your donation helps prevent the spread of Malaria to people in Sierra Leone.  Click on the link on the top left of the blog page to donate on line.

Item on note:  This was the last day we have to do laundry.  Sorry Kathy, I will be bringing home a load of dirty cycling clothes.

Day 46 from Liverpool to Little falls New York was a good cycling day.  Almost 18 mph for 78 miles.  The roads were quiet with little traffic in the morning as we cycled close to the old Erie canal.  This was ladies day.  All the women decided to ride together and they set a mean pace.  Who said Chicks couldn’t fly?  At one point I sprinted ahead to get a picture of these cycling femmes.  By the time I put the camera away and got back on the bike they were gone.  I sprinted very hard for quite a while until I finally caught up to them.  Thankfully they were slowing at an intersection or they would have beaten me to the first rest stop.  Take note:  Use restrooms in New York.  The policeman didn’t like us using his canal for a latrine.  Almost got arrested.  Boys will be boys.

Gene and John had 3 more flats.  6 yesterday and 3 today means they may be in first place for the most flat tires.   The last two hours of riding took us through some more great small towns.  How bad can a town called Herkimer be?  And, there is an East Herkimer.   The roads also had more debris along them causing several of the group to succumb to flat tires.  Staples caused more flats than any other debris today.  Strange.

I did see some more birds today, all pretty common.  I was surprised when a Pileated Woodpecker flew in front of our group.  I impressed them with being able to name it as it flew.  Some people are easy to impress.

Mohawk River at Little Falls New York

Little falls is wonderful little town that once had a cheese factory, bicycle factory and other manufacturing.  Unfortunately today the factories are closed and it has become a retirement, bedroom community.  The Mohawk river flows through the town between the main street and the Erie Canal.  Lock 17 is here. It has one of the highest lifts of any canal in the US at over 41 feet.  It takes 50 million gallons of water to fill it and it only takes 15 minutes.  We watched while a small boat was lifted to continue the journey down stream.

A small pleasure craft awaiting a lift in Lock 17 on the Erie Canal, Little Falls New York

We had lunch at a small bar and grill in town and got all the good news from the locals.  The limited menu included a few sandwiches and a mushroom stew.  The stew was a chili base without the meat and beans.  Mushrooms were in their place.  We had this and two beers for $5.50.  Too bad we weren’t here last night, there were fireworks and a parade celebrating canal days.

Saturday morning dawned cool and fresh.  The 50 degree temperature quickly warmed as we started the climb out of the Mohawk Valley and bade goodbye to Little falls. 

There was a long easy climb for the first few miles.  As we crested the large flat plain above the valley, we had a beautiful view to the west of the Mohawk River Valley.

Looking west into the Mohawk River valley and Little Falls, New York

After we crested from the morning climb, we entered a section of road with brand new paving.  It was like our tires turned to steel blades as we skated across the ice smooth surface.   The new surface made for a rapid, safe descent to our first small town and rest stop at Karen’s produce stand.

We entered the Erie Canal bike path once more as we moved along both the canal and the Mohawk river. 

A forgotten lock on the old Erie canal near Amsterdam, New York

There were beautiful estuaries and wetlands that I’m sure provided nesting for many birds.  The nicely paved path meandered through the woods, wetlands and along the locks.  We also passed an old lock that was a part of the original Erie canal.

 

I backed off my usual pace and decided to ride easy the last few miles along the Mohawk River.  It was quiet and quite lovely with the river on my left and the wooded marshes on the left.  I paused frequently to take a picture and enjoy the quiet beauty.

The restful pace will be do me good so that my muscles are ready for the two major climbs we have tomorrow to Brattleboro Vermont.

Mohawk River near Latham New York

 

Little Falls New York

The Erie Canal, Day 45

Erie Canal Pittsford, New York

We started out on a cool, overcast day which was just about perfect for cycling.  The roads were good with wide berms.  We entered the bicycle path along the Erie Canal after only 5 miles.  It was paved for the first 6, then was hard packed gravel.  There was a charity ride with lots of cyclists passing us.  They are a Christian group that raises money and refurbishes wheel chairs to send to people in need all over the world.  Great idea and a much needed service.

After about 15 miles on the trail, I was ready for the macadam.  You just don’t get a lot of roll for the effort on gravel trails.  The ride along the canal was very nice.  We saw a lot of Blue Winged Teal, Canada Geese and other common species. 

Ken, Tom and Ted at Pittsford Station on the Erie Canal

We left the canal trail after 25 miles to spend time on rural roads in the New York countryside.  It was very much like central Pennsylvania.  It was lush from the cool, rainy summer.  The rolling landscape with the old mountains were deep green.  Corn was the crop of choice, although we did see one field of cabbage plants yesterday. 

The day remained cool and the skies only cleared late in the day.  The population is getting more dense as we skirt major cities like Rochester and Syracuse.  We are passing through many small towns which are quite nice.  I haven’t seen a lot of the ubiquitous strip malls with the nail salon, tanning salon and other chain stores.  SubWay is by far the most prominent chain, which has eaten its way into convenience markets all along our route.  There are many small, family owned restaurants and the fare , as reported by the riders, has been very good.

The other problem with riding on roads with more people and cars is that there is more debris on the wide, well maintained shoulders.  Two of our friends, Gene and John, had six flat tires today.  On incident was caused by a dry wall screw going through the tire, tube and then being bent as it exited adjacent to the rim.  It hit the rim with enough force to cause a burr to appear where it exited.

It is almost unbelievable that we have had only one day of rain and a morning of misty drizzle since we began our escapade 44 days ago.  Tomorrow is expected to be in the high 70′s with favorable westerly winds.

Site of Cold Creek aquaduct that carried the Canal over Cold Creek

I used the new wheel that I borrowed and everything worked out fine.

Tom’s strained quadracep is healing nicely and he was able to ride with us much of the day.  I expect the three PA boys to be a team once again.  Its good to have the third person taking his turn at the front of the pace line.

Thank you all for the new donations that I have recieved for team Spokes 4 Nets.  Every dollar helps prevent the spread of Malaria.

I enjoy your comments, so please continue to respond.  

Tomorrow we ride to Little Falls, New York.

Locks along the Erie Canal

Day 27 Sioux Falls South Dakota

Greetings from our last stop in South Dakota.

Standing water near Sioux Falls, South Dakota

This was our last full day in South Dakota.  The scenery continued with thousands of acres of corn and soy beans.  It is obvious the weather has not been good for the farmers this year.  We were told the spring was too wet to plant and then there was a very dry May, so the plants had a slow start.  June and July has been too wet and the crops aren’t growing like they should.  We saw a lot of standing water where there should be plants crowing.   The water is black and you can smell the rotting vegetation as you ride past the bogs.  The water birds like it.  We saw lots of plovers and ducks.  Most of which I couldn’t identify.  There are acres and acres of these wet bogs where no crops are growing.  Riding through this area for several days gives one a vivid picture of how much this impacts the farmers harvest.  We some some areas where 20% of the field was a muddy bog, or totally under water.  Multiplying what we saw by the total acreage in South Dakota, and one can appreciate the downstream effect of the harvest, the rancher’s profit, and prices at the store.

I have seen some of the largest farm equipment that exists.  I think it is interesting that a lot of these behemoths remind me, structurally, like the grasshoppers that we have seen.  Both of them move methodically through the fields, stripping it of its bounty.  Both are part of the food chain, one delivering food the silos for the masses, the other consuming the grains only to be fodder for a higher life form. 

We are passing more small towns.  The rural roads we are riding very often parallel the steel ribbons that carry the long trains of coal and products to the east, returning with manufactured goods.  The towns are usually around 12 miles apart.  I learned this is very consistent throughout the midwest, because that was the distance that the steam engines could travel on a fill up of water.

Grain silos along the railroad tracks, near Sioux Falls, South Dakota

This is my first time riding day after day across the same type of landscape.  Ted, Tom and I are always together, and usually in a pace line.  We have become very familiar with each other’s style of riding and can predict a move or reaction by watching for triggers.  Tom dips his head to look in his bar end mirror before making a move and he always slows down a bit.  You have to be alert so you don’t cross tires with him.  Ted pushes bigger gears and keeps an aerodynamic profile.  On a long ride it is important to drink and eat before you are thirsty or hungry.  You will see a rider, continuing at his pace, deftly reach for his stores in his rear shirt pocket while maintaing a straight line.  A need for a drink is signaled by holding the water bottle out to the side for the folling rider to see.  It is important to signal the rider behind you so they don’t get too close and contact your wheel.  Almost 100% of the time the rider that touches their front wheel to the other’s rear wheel is the one to go down.  A flick of the hand off the handlebars indicates you are ready for a break from the front.  The rider then peels off, usually to the left, and the next rider takes their turn at the front.  Depending on conditions (wind, rough road, heat) the time at the front can be several miles (with a good tail wind) or just a few minutes if it is hot and their is a head wind.  The professional riders take only a few seconds, 10 to 15, when they are at the front of a paceline.  This is very evident in the television coverage of the Tour de France.

Here are a few shots of today’s ride.

A small river near Mitchell, South Dakota

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rest stop at grain silos, 30 miles from Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Power grid, somewhere in South Dakota

The last days of South Dakota

Thanks everyone for the donations.  I just recieved word of another $350 donation for insect treated bed nets for people in Sierrea Leone.  Your donations are saving lives.  Please consider a donation if you haven’t already done so.  The NothingbutNets campaign, the United Methodist Church and I thank you.

July 16 we rode from Pierre to Chamberlain, South Dakota, 84 miles.  It was a very uneventful day, but was a nice ride along the very wide Missouri River.  For some reason Huck Finn kept popping into my mind, even though he drifted on another river many hundreds of miles away.  Everyone seemed down and unmotivated to ride hard.  Some people were suggesting the dinner at China Buffet was the reason.  Too much fried food and not enough carbs.

The road was rough and once we left the banks of the Missouri, there wasn’t much to look at.  Although the countryside is quite lovely, bucolic actually, with many herds of grazing cattle and vast stretches of verdent grasslands.  I did see a deer in a hollow, but no other wildlife.  We entered Chamberlain tired and hungry.

The Missouri river from the buttes east of Pierre, South Dakota

We left Chamberlain at 7:30A.M. and arrived in Mitchell at noon.

I saw a beautiful hawk on a fence post just outside of Mitchell.  Can anyone identify it?

Unidentified hawk on a fence post, Mitchell South Dakota

We are now in Mitchell, South Dakota, home of the famous (some people here would like to believe) Corn Palace.  Why isn’t this in Iowa or Nebraska?  Today was an easy day of 70 miles with only one small climb at the beginning of the ride.

Chamberlain South Dakota from the Butte above the Missouri River

We were in Chamberlain yesterday.  It is a very quaint midwestern town that is dieing a slow death.  The box stores in Mitchell, 70 miles away is drawing the dollars from the shops in Chamberlain.  The Chrysler/Jeep dealer is closed as is many other stores.  We had a great breakfast and a good dinner last night at the Anchor Grill.  Lunch was at the Derby.  An eclectic little place that was a strange combination of restaurant, saloon and living room.  There was an old piano which Scott Joplin should have been playing.  Stacks of newspapers, childs toys and a laptop were on tables around the long narrow hall.  The tap had 3 local brews and a sign announced another 15 brews from mid west microbrews.  We had excelent sandwiches on a choice of rye, sourdough, wheat and white. A pint and half a sandwich fetched a mere $6.00.  Not as cheap as the two dollar pints in Rapid City, but still a bargain.  Some people got haircuts for $8.00 and a history lesson of the town.  The bridge in the foreground was closed yesterday amid great consternation by the towns people.  Apparently the D.O.T closed it without notice, and it is not to be reopened until December, 2010.  There will be a hearing in a few days.

One of our stops today was at the store in the picture.  You can buy anything you want at Mac’s.

They had cattle prods, syringes and needles to vaccinate animals, chips, candies, spam, drinks, chain saws, bailing wire, tools, gasoline and too many other things to mention.  We were glad to tour leaders didn’t buy the cattle prods.

Farm and convenience store near Chamberlain, South Dakota

We had another day of wonderful weather.  Sunny and 75 degrees.  It just doesn’t get any better than that.

There a lot of concrete roads in the towns and outskirts. The problem riding on concrete roads are the expansion joints.  It doesn’t take many miles until the ta-dump, ta-dump, ta-dump every few seconds starts driving you crazy, not to mention the numbing of the hands and the additions stress on the butt.  We rolled along at a very nice pace until we reached 10 miles from town.  I don’t know why we don’t learn to control ourselves, but we saw targets ahead and had to catch the riders ahead.  Just like the Tour de France, we can’t let a breakaway get out of hand.  We finished the last 10 miles at a blistering 21MPH.

The last few days were easy and the mind tended to wander beyond the grassy plains.  I began seeing other cyclists with names befitting their riding style.  There was the Hunchback of Notre Dan; Upright Ursulla, Tommy Tuck and Wobbly Willy.  We are fortunate that almost all the riders are doing a great job and riding hard.  There are few problems and just about everyone is getting along just fine.

There is a rodeo in town tonight but I decided not to go.  I am sitting here icing down my hip.  I took a bad fall coming in to Mitchell on the concrete street.  My front tire got caught in a open crease that seperated the main driving lane from the gutter next to the curb.  As best I can figure, when the wheel went into crease, it stopped the bike very quickly.  Unfortuately I didn’t.  I was launched to the right, bouncing once off my hip then doing a header (yes, I did have a helmet on) into the sidewalk.  I was in a great deal of pain.  I landed very hard on the hip.  After a few moments of writhing in pain and getting the deserved attention I generally crave, I began reviewing the parts of my body that were sending messages to the brain.  Everything seemed in tact.  Several people were with me and a few men from a quick lube came to my aid.  The men wanted to call 911, but Ted had the sense to suggest they wait until they find out what my injuries are.  I’m glad Ted had the sense to do that.  If an ambulance showed up, I would surely have gone to the hospital, and then had to deal with the America by Bicycle and lots of hassles.

Ken writhing in pain. Mitchell, South Dakota (a reenactment)

After it was determined that I really was alright, we decided to do a reenactment for the record.  This picture is a recording of the event.  I am amazed that I wasn’t hurt and that there was absolutely no damage to the bicycle.  I had the mechanic check out the bike and he concurred.  A crash like this usually ends with a broken collar bone.  I’m glad I prayed for safety this morning.

Tomorrow, it’s off to Sioux Falls and our last day in South Dakota.  Can’t wait for cheese and brats in Wisconsin.  I hope I can find a cheese head to put over my helmet.

Here are some random pictures I hope you enjoy.

Corn Palace, Mitchell South Dakota

Ken at the Corn Palace, Mitchell South Dakota

Ken and Tom at the half way point across America, outside Pierre South Dakota

Much of the ride followed the Lewis and Clark Trail

Wild west silhouette outside Pierre, South Dakota

Ted riding through the rock spires near Mt. Rushmore

Mt. Rushmore South Dakota, July 2009

Days 15 to 18 Welcome to Riverton, Wyoming

Ted and Ken at Idaho Falls, Idaho

Today started with a cool, crisp air.  We had 86 miles to ride with 5000′ of climbing.  We left the hotel at 6:30 am.  Arm warmers and knee warmers were needed as the temperature was in the low 40′s.  We left town and decided to take 1 mile intervals in our pace line.  It was great, 20 miles flew by as we left the suburbs and entered farm country.  That’s when everything changed.  The evil west wind blew steady at about 15 mph.  It felt like a 60 knot gale. The wheat waved and flowed with the wind reminding me of a sci-fi movie with some evil tremor waiting to pounce on us.  It was just that pesky wind.  Then we caught our first glimpse of the Rocky Mountains.  The sun was rising behind them so all we could see was the dark shadow beckoning us to enter their tortuous realm.  Then we were teased all the more as the road turned and we paralleled them for miles.  As the sun rose further we began to see the green hues and the patrols of evergreens guarding the entrance to another adventure.

Gene surveying the Snake River gorge prior to entering the Rocky Mountains.

Our first good view of the Snake River, which we had been following for many days was at our first rest stop.  It was a beautiful scene.

After a smoth and fast 2 mile descent, we filled our water bottles and began the first major ascent in the Rocky Mountains.  We climbed for 15 miles to Pine Creek Summit, 6,764′.  The descent was awesome to the town of Victor, where we had a deli lunch, and a brief respite before we began the most challenging climb of the tour, to Teton Pass 8,431. The climb to Teton Pass is 12 miles.  The last 3.5 miles had a consistent 10% grade with some sections of 15%.  It was truly the hardest climb I have ever done.

Ted, Ken and Tom at the Pine Creek Pass, Rocky Mountains, Victor Idaho

A highlight of the climb was passing through another state.  We were now in Wyoming.

The view from Teton Pass into Jackson Hole was breathtaking.  As we stood at the summit, a trim athletic cyclist summited from the Jackson Hole side. He was doing hill repeats training for a big race that was coming up.  We were in awe of  his accomplishments.  As I mentioned this was a very difficult climb.  Many of our team had to walk their bikes to the summit.

Ken at Teton Pass, 8,431' Jackson Wyoming

The descent in Jackson was also 10% with long straight sections.  I stopped one third of the way down to cool my rims.  I was breaking a lot, even though my speed was over 40mph.  The rims were too hot to touch.  There was a lot of traffic and the berm had a lot of debris, so I was comfortable getting ito my tuck and letting the bike fly.

We stopped in the town of Wilson, checked out a bike shop and headed to our hotel in Jackson.  Ted was very happy to be at the bottom of the mountain.

Ted was happy he made the harrowing descent from Teton Pass and gave his friend a hug.

Day 16 we headed out of Jackson towards Dubois, Wyoming.  Our first sightning was a pair of Sandhill Cranes.  Unfortunately, with the exception of one deer and one moose.  It was the only animals we saw.

Sandhill cranes, Teton National Park, Idaho

Tom, Ted and Ken at the Wyoming border, Victor, Wyoming

The Grand Tetons defy desctiption.  Their craggy, snow capped peaks and sheer walls were awesome.  I with the pictures could capture their rugged beauty.  We stopped many time to get pictures of this spectacle.  We saw many other cyclists who were riding across the USA.  Most of them were carrying their gear ontheir bikes.  They were laden with tents, sleeping bags, clothing and food.  One cyclist was carrying his son on a tandem with 100 pounds of gear on a trailer he was towining.

Grand Tetons, July 2009

After the breathtaking ride through Grand Teton National Park, we ascended the mountains to cross the continental divide. Due to road construction we were shuttled 5 miles up the pass.  I did get to draft one of the construction vehicles that we were required to follow through the areas we were allowed to ride.

Flat bed truck shuttle to Continental Divide, Dubois Wyoming

Ken drafting the pilot truck through construction

After the descent from the continental divide, we entered sleepy Dubois. Population 932.  It was a real cowboy town.  One street and lots of shops.

Honky Tonk in Dubois Wyoming

Today we rode to Riverton.  80 miles at 19.2 mph.  It was a fun ride and it was good to be off the bicycle by noon. I had a major bike problem today.  The freewheel froze us, turning my bike into a fixed gear.  I rode to the sag wagon, and the mechanic had a new wheel changed, with my cassette in less than 10 minutes.  By the time I got to the motel this evening, my wheel was fixed. The cassette changed back to my wheel and I am now ready for the 120 mile ride to Casper, Wyomng.

We have been extremely fortunate with the weather.  Every day has been sunnyt.  A little windy and a bit warm but no one complains about sunshine.

Thanks for the new donations and please continue to pass the word: “Buy a net and save a life”.

Day 14 with a challenge ahead

Irrigation channel, Blackfoot Idaho

Day 14 from Blackfoot to Idaho Falls was an easy uneventful 33 mile day.  Almost too flat.  We didn’t need to be sitting in the saddle for 2 hours.

We did get to see some birds, including a great view of the American White Pelican.

American White Pelican on the Snake River, Blackfoot Idaho

We also had a nice walk along the diversion dam that channels the Snake River through a hydroelectric plant.

The falls are pretty impressive. 

 

 

 

Idaho Falls diversion dam, Idaho Falls, Idaho

 

We will only be spending a few more miles in Idaho.  Irrigation is a necessity here and it is truly amazing to see how effeciently, at least to a layman’s eyes they use the water.  This area would be a desert without the water.  There are concrete channels 20 feet wide, small dirt channels and furrows in the field, all to get the precious water to the plants.  Again today we passed thousands of acres of potatoes, wheat and corn.  I couldn’t help think about the bags of potatoes I see at Giant and Karns, then looking at the fields thinking how many plants it takes to fill a 10lb. bag of potatoes.  Then I look at the field and try to figure how many bags of potatoes could the entire field fill.  Too hard for my feeble mind.

So now we leave Idaho.  As the light winds blew across the fielsds, it almost appeared that the fruited stems of wheat were bowing their heads to us as we passed them by, bidding us a fond farewell.  Idaho had an amazing diversity of landscape and although the high desert plains with open ranges was inspiring, I am not sad to leave the hot and windy terrain.

I’m sorry about the order of pictures.  I’ll try to do better next time.

Thanks for checking up on our ride and don’t forget to “Buy and Net and Save a Life”.

Long day ending in Blackfoot

Today was a long day of 109 miles from Burley IDaho to B lackfoot.  I saw several more birds to add to my list.  I confirmed some sitings  from my brother Jay, the birding expert of the family.  I saw an oriole, pelicans, sage thrush, and immature golden eagle.  In addition we continue to see osprey, cormorants and killdeer.  The Snake River ecosystem is teeming with bird life.  I am only disappointed we haven’t seen more mammels.  We do see a lot of dead snakes. Oh well.

We rode at 16 mph and had a great 5 man team doing 1 mile intervals at the front of a great draft line.  Yesterday we were at Shohone falls, 4 miles east of Twin Falls.  The falls are magnificent. It was worth the effort to ride to the bottom and have to ride back up out of the gorge and the fact that I had a flat tire riding into the parking lot.  There is a pesky plant here that has a “goat head” thorn that seems attracted to bicycle tires.  Many people have gotten flats from them getting embedded in their tires.

Shoshone Falls, Idaho

From Shoshone Falls, we rode another 50 miles to Burley.

Today’s ride was rather flat and the scenery changed from the farm land to open range to the beuatiful plain surrounding the Snake River.  As I mentioned earlier, we saw many birds and enjoyed the change in scenery.

Tomorrow, we ride only 33 miles to Idaho Falls. It will be a pleasant rest day after today’s 7 hour time in the saddle.

Here are some pictures for you to enjoy.

Tom leading the pack. Gene in the middle, Ted and I at the back

 

The pace lines made the miles fly by faster.  The roads weren’t terribly smooth.  The method of paving includes a stone chip overlayed with tar.  I’m sure it provides good traction in the winter, but it certainly jars the arms, legs and bicycle.

Interesting hut type building with sod on the roof