Friday, September 14, 2012

Day 17, 450 miles to Boise


Plan was to stop in Twin Falls, 350 miles.  But 2:00 arrived, the bike and Joe and I weren't ready to qut, so on to Boise, 450 miles.  That's a pretty fur piece in one day says Joe.  I was tired, so there we stopped.  Had a little medical surprise as I was unloading, a very swollen right elbow.  A nearby pharmacist said it looked kind of infected and directed me to a family/urgent care clinic a few miles down the street.  Not the kind of way to end a day, wandering around in a strange city with the GPS cutting in and out.  But we found the doc (Joe stayed on the bike, he can be squeamish) and diagnosis, after a ton of paperwork, classic case of bursitis of the elbow.  With the prognosis that I would live, a pie and ice cream dinner at Denny's across from the motel seemed in order.

Cliff faces in Weber Canyon, UT
About the ride - this is a VAST country.  Traversing three states today, Wyoming, Utah and Idaho revealed wide open spaces and big blue skies all around.  Wyoming has the endless prairies.  Entering Utah finds mountains to the East of Ogden and Salt Lake, magnivicant rugged mountains, small by Rockies standards but beautiful.  After all, Utah has world famous ski areas, Park City, Alta, Brighton, Snow Bird, to name a few.  North out of Ogden you run through high desert, sage brush.  Sweeping into Idaho finds green fields, irrigated where no water appears to exist.  Then eastward Idaho becomes very featureless desert.  The Snake River makes its appearance a number of times as Boise approaches.

The ride started with every layer of clothing I brought, six layers.  Long underwear, T-shirt, heavy shirt, fleece sweatshirt, leather jacket and vinyl wind breaker.  With heated gloves it was just right for a 6am high desert ride.  By noon, in Ogden, all the layers came off and it was T-shirt the rest of the day.  What a range of temperature and dress.

Idaho farm land

Dick and I said goodbye this morning.  He's headed South, back to San Antonio, me farther West.  It was a wonderful eleven days together in which we covered just shy of 2000 happy and safe miles.  We saw many of nature’s wonders of the Southwest together, met cousins, and just had a great time.  He’s a good traveling companion.  I hope we can do it again.

No comments:

Post a Comment