~BunceMan's TranzAmerican Bike Ride~
Log Entry #12: June 19, 2005
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Day 7: Jerome, Idaho to Arco. Speaking of sharp objects. Left Jerome this morning with a nice tailwind for 20 miles. Turned right at Shoshone into a stiff head and crosswind on highway 20/26/93. Just past Richfield, I heard this click, click sound like I'd picked up a small branch in my spokes. It wasn't a branch or similar roadside debris; it was a small inch-long nail imbedded in my tire. Ever get a splinter in your finger or toe where you can see the length of the wood just below the surface of your skin. This nail was in my tire the same way. So I pulled it out ready to fix a flat, something I've done many times. Putting a bit of spit on the resulting hole, there were no bubbles or loss of air. I was back on the road.
Cloud shadows. Idaho's a big cloud state. And I'm watching the shadows of clouds moving like a black drape over the contours of some mountains in the distance until they roll over the top and disappear. The sun is bright and warm when suddenly a cloud shadow overtakes me and moves up the road ahead. There is not only a shift of lighting, but a discernable drop in the air temperature. Motor vehicles pass me and overtake the cloud shadow further up the road and emerge back into the sunlight. Cloud shadows. Not as fast as some things, but faster than me and the mountains.
Craters of the Moon National Park. Black chunks of lava strewn about the landscape for miles. Early settlers had a heck of time getting through and past the stuff.
The road today peaked out at about 5,900 feet in elevation. The last 19 miles to Arco was exhilarating ride back to about 5,300 feet with the wind at my back. Took me about 41 minutes.
Arco, Idaho has a tradition. Behind the town is a mountain with strands of eroded rock running along its face about 3/4's of the way up. Since 1920, the graduating classes of Butte County High School have gone up on these mountain rocks to paint their graduating years. I was told that many times a tire is tied to a rope and an individual is lowered down to paint the numbers, which can be seen from many miles away...
Day 7 mileage: 101 miles | Peggy Pics |