Bikecentennial - Summer 1976 - Part 2

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Bikecentennial - Summer 1976

Eastern Oregon, Idaho and Beyond

June 25 Mitchel	Today was our longest day. We did 75 miles over a large hill that was nearly 5000 feet tall.
June 26 Clyde Holliday State Park	We're in pretty country and I've got the most outrageous suntan/ sunburn. Weird experience today. We were resting by the side of the road and up on the fence post jumps this peacock....
June 27 Unity Reservoir	This heat is getting to me....It was a rough 45 miles today. Byron's and my morale seems to be falling a bit. Today we biked over Dixie Pass in the Blue Mountains. It was weird to go from semi-arid to coniferous and back to semi-arid climate all in one day....The two Englishmen, Andy and George, are very interesting. They're over here on an adventure program with the British army. They're paid to bike across the country! We've gone 709.7 miles so far.
That day was the closest I came to quitting. I believe I was suffering from heat exhaustion of some sort. I also remember being amazed by the two Brits. They'd sit around a campfire late into the night consuming large quantities of buttered toast and gin. Next day they'd be up early, ready to go!
June 29 Brownlee Dam in Hell's Canyon	Last night [at Bishop Springs] didn't go so well. The tent we made with a bike fell over. The ground was rough and hard and thorny. Today all went well until we got to Hell's Canyon. My freewheel gave up. Byron and I spent an hour and a half rebuilding it....Oh yea, we're in Idaho!!!
July 1 White Bird	...Today we came down the Salmon River valley. It was beautiful. After lunch, however, the wind picked up and we had to pedal hard in 3rd or 4th gear to move ahead at all.
July 2 White Bird Hill	We're just below the top right now. It was a nice ride up. I feel good....I'm pretty sure we'll make it to Missoula by the Fourth.
July 2 Five Miles Beyond Kooskia?	We got to Grangeville quickly after an hour on top of White Bird Hill. Their Fourth of July parade was just starting. We stayed there quite a while....Tomorrow we're shooting for the base of Lolo Pass.
July 3 Powell	83 miles today and two hours in the hot springs!...Gordy and Byron went trail biking and I finally tried it...Lolo pass tomorrow and then on to Missoula!
Copyright 1976 & 2002 by Richard Rathe

Part 2

Outside Mitchel, OR

White Bird "Hill"

Salmon River Country

Gordy Takes to the Trail

Jerry Johnson Hot Springs