Day 10 – Show me a sign

June 27, 2018
Day 10 – Boise to Mountain Home, ID – 54 miles, 1,590 vertical feet

First things first. That is an actual sign that you will find in Mountain Home, ID if you are proceeding east on E 10th North Street and in one block, your Garmin tells you to make a right to proceed south on N 18th East Street. I swear, I have not been drinking.

After a wonderful recuperative rest day, the ride organizers gave us a gift of another easy-peasy day of only 54 miles with very little climbing. And so, with a relatively late 8:30am load and go, I found myself calmly at the back of the peloton. I was next to last to pull out of the parking lot and rode solo for much of the first half before SAG 1. This let me catch up on some reading (audio books, played through the frame mounted Bluetooth speaker). I just finished Jake Tapper’s The Hellfire Club, which I thoroughly enjoyed and today I started Lawrence O’Donnell’s Playing With Fire – so alternating fiction, non-fiction. I find this to be both a productive use of “alone time” as well as a diversion from having to listen to myself think.

It was back to the interstate again for 11 miles, but by now I-84 and we were old friends. Stay to the right, no pacelines, rear blinkers on high, watch for debris, etc, etc. Oh yeah, and put Lawrence O’Donnell on hold. Sorry Lawrence. I’ll get back to you later.

SAG 1 was located at a major truck stop, the Boise Stage Stop, with a distinctive tacky western feel. We stayed only as long as necessary and then continued on across a long stretch of pretty desolate flatland. The entertainment was provided by a series of ironic street signs: Ocean View Ln, Seabreeze Ln, Ditto Creek Rd and so on. At one point we passed what looked to be a rusted out boat hull. I mentioned to Tom that the last time there was water here was 100 million years ago. “That’s why it’s rusty,” Tom quickly retorted.

I should mention that we are honored to have Tom Gjelten on our ride. Tom is an award winning correspondent for National Public Radio (NPR) and we rode together and talked for the next 28 miles or so. Although Tom enjoyed all of the weird signs, he was especially energetic at the corner of Martha Ave and Ditto Creek Rd. (Tom is married to Martha Raddatz, whom you may recognize as the Chief Global Affairs Correspondent for ABC News.) Anyway, in spite of lolling along, Tom’s room still wasn’t ready. (Mine was.)

This was our first “truck stop” layover outside of the main town with not much around. Still we managed to head over to Wingers for lunch and later to AJ’s for dinner, where the dessert pies were out of this world. No nightcaps – it’s an early night tonight. Tomorrow it’s back to work with a tough 97-mile ride to Twin Falls with over 3,000 feet of vertical.

Say goodnight, Tom.

Click on the first picture below for an annotated slide show for more about today’s ride and don’t forget to click on “Where’s Jeff” at jeffblye.com

Really should have brought my clubs.

Hey folks, this lot is AVAILABLE! Hurry.

Look how nice…

…this neighborhood is.

Brad is all smiles this morning.

Continuing up and over the Boise River

The Boise River seems, …um, … tamed.

Photo op at the top.

Here we go again, … for the next 11 miles.

Nice shoulder. Whew.

Signage Day.

Wanna get weighed?

SAG 1 – sells … FIREWORKS!!

Um, … seriously…? Maybe 100 million years ago.

Back to Old Highway 30.

Tom really liked this sign.

… so we stopped to record his next land purchase.

…and OVER the highway this time.

More imaginative signage.

A whole lotta nuthin’

Quick water stop.

I swear I wasn’t drinking.

Oops, …

Wearing my new outfit. Hopefully it will fit better by the end of the ride.

Our little oasis as the sun sets where we came from.