Day 11--July 1--Mountain Home to Twin Falls
Miles Ridden 97.0
Avg Speed 17.1 MPH
Climbing 2350 feet
Total Miles Ridden 760
Miles to Go 2869
Yesterday I reported my first flat. Last night I checked my tires before going to bed (Our bikes stay in our rooms) and had another flat. I changed it but that delayed going to bed until almost midnight....with a 4:50 wake-up call and 97 mile ride coming up. 30 miles into the ride today I got another flat. It seems I had wheeled my bike through a patch of "goatheads" which are a local weed with small super sharp burrs that are almost invisible but can stick to your tire and eventually cause a flat. While checking my tire for goatheads I also ended up with one stuck in my thumb where it still resides.
Flats can ruin your cycling day but not today. We again had beautiful conditions with pleasantly warm temperatures, 12% humidity, some tailwinds, good, empty roads and lots of varied scenery. The ride to Twin Falls followed the Snake River valley and took us through rugged desert (we were only about 20 miles from the Nevada border) and farms along the river.
We climbed above the river and ended up at the Snake River canyon at Twin Falls where Evel Knievel attempted to jump the gorge in with a rocket powered motorcycle in 1974. That sounded like a dumb idea back then and viewing the site today it looks like he must have been suicidal. (or maybe it was all a big scam). For those too young to remember, he killed the power just as he hit the air and ended up parachuting down the middle of the canyon and collected millions.
The bridge over the gorge is one of the few in the country where it is legal to base jump and a number of people jumped off the bridge and glided down while we were there.
Tomorrow we have a short day going to Burley, Idaho and have the option of riding down the very steep roads into the canyon (and back up) to see the two falls the city is named after.
A Union Pacific freight train along the Snake River
An osprey high in a a dead tree. We yelled but could not get it to fly.
400 foot high rock formations along the river just west of Twin Falls
The first one is off the bridge
His chute opens
The second jumper getting ready to land
Avg Speed 17.1 MPH
Climbing 2350 feet
Total Miles Ridden 760
Miles to Go 2869
Yesterday I reported my first flat. Last night I checked my tires before going to bed (Our bikes stay in our rooms) and had another flat. I changed it but that delayed going to bed until almost midnight....with a 4:50 wake-up call and 97 mile ride coming up. 30 miles into the ride today I got another flat. It seems I had wheeled my bike through a patch of "goatheads" which are a local weed with small super sharp burrs that are almost invisible but can stick to your tire and eventually cause a flat. While checking my tire for goatheads I also ended up with one stuck in my thumb where it still resides.
Flats can ruin your cycling day but not today. We again had beautiful conditions with pleasantly warm temperatures, 12% humidity, some tailwinds, good, empty roads and lots of varied scenery. The ride to Twin Falls followed the Snake River valley and took us through rugged desert (we were only about 20 miles from the Nevada border) and farms along the river.
We climbed above the river and ended up at the Snake River canyon at Twin Falls where Evel Knievel attempted to jump the gorge in with a rocket powered motorcycle in 1974. That sounded like a dumb idea back then and viewing the site today it looks like he must have been suicidal. (or maybe it was all a big scam). For those too young to remember, he killed the power just as he hit the air and ended up parachuting down the middle of the canyon and collected millions.
The bridge over the gorge is one of the few in the country where it is legal to base jump and a number of people jumped off the bridge and glided down while we were there.
Tomorrow we have a short day going to Burley, Idaho and have the option of riding down the very steep roads into the canyon (and back up) to see the two falls the city is named after.
A Union Pacific freight train along the Snake River
An osprey high in a a dead tree. We yelled but could not get it to fly.
On a bluff overlooking the Snake River Valley 40 miles east of Mountain Home
400 foot high rock formations along the river just west of Twin Falls
Looking up the Snake River gorge from the Twin Falls bridge.
The Twin Falls Bridge. Evel Knievel took off just to the right of the bridge.
Base jumpers getting ready
Base jumpers getting ready
The first one is off the bridge
His chute opens
The second jumper getting ready to land
Just so you know, I read about your adventures everyday down here in Brasil. Hi there!
ReplyDeleteHi Alison!
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