Day 14
I woke up at 4:45am after a solid 8 hours of sleep. I knew today was a 60+ mile uphill and wanted to take advantage of the cool morning temperatures. The CA group was up as well and we waved saying, "See ya soon!" I loved the ride today. The temperature was perfect and I felt rested and strong. The uphill grade was super manageable and I was able to keep my speed between 11-14mph most of the day. You know you're feeling good and getting stronger when an entirely uphill day feels almost easy! My legs are getting stronger. I know, that's hard to believe. My brother Dave has called my thighs Thunder Thighs my whole life... but who's laughing now? My former personal trainer Cesar used to laugh and say, no, they are PYTHONS. I feel like I've lost a few pounds, but toned up a little too. Difficult not to on a trip like this I suspect.
My mind wandered all day but really I was in the moment enjoying the slight uphill climb along the Lochsa River.
Lochsa River. Miles and miles of this.
I might be 3000 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, but this beach will do!
The views were incredible. I went swimming and had a great picnic lunch. I knew I had the option of going about 65 miles to Powell (it looked like a few services) or climbing over Lolo Pass into MT (but that would be an almost 90 mile day). When I arrived in Powell (really only one resort), I pulled in around 2pm after the 60 mile climb hoping to get lunch. The CA crew was there (Margie, Terry, Mike and Ray) and they decided to camp there for the night. What a place! Great amenities and they let us set up our tents for free! Most people rent cabins here. We got $5 showers and ate a great meal at their adorable log cabin lodge. We all showered and Ray made stronger margaritas than last night (YUM!). The group engaged in a variety activities... checking in on Facebook (first internet in a couple of days), horseshoe playing and billiards. The CA crew has a blog and I encourage you to check it out here.
Lochsa Lodge
View from back of Lodge. See, I am ROUGHING it Mom and Dad! ;)
