Bike paths usually present support challenges for staff and SAG as it's not always easy to access the trail from the street. And, from a rider's perspective the various turns and forks can be really confusing.
The first 2 miles of the path had riders on the Gonzaga campus, and then out onto and parallel to city streets. There was only one turn that could be confusing, and I was able to get to that spot as riders were making the turn.
Following that, a few riders talked about missing a few turns during the day, but no major bonus miles I don't think. I almost missed a turn early in the day, so stopped and marked the pavement for riders as they would approach so they wouldn't make the same mistake.
Weather was very overcast and in the 50's at the start. No riders were wet from rain today, because Mother Nature smiled and rained on only part of the route before our arrival. Made for happy riders. Temperature at the end of the day was 68 -- much cooler than last year riding to Priest River on the Cascades to Glacier trip when the temperature and route mileage were both over 100 that day. Today was just about perfect.
The first SAG was scheduled to be at a general store at Colbert, Washington. Riders were glad for the SAG but pretty disappointed to find the store not opened yet (9 a.m.) so they could get an espresso. The sign on the door said the business opened at 11:30, unusual hours we thought for a coffee shop/general store.
Today's route was beautiful (I'll need to expand my repertoire of adjectives by the end of the trip). After leaving Spokane the area was rural but populated early in the day. There were many homes, but also fields of wheat, lavender and peas. There were also small herds of livestock, including horses, burrows and alpacas. The logistics made SAG locations a little challenging, as facilities are usually pretty important to riders. The closed general store was a double tragedy for riders to deal with.
Early in the day I had time for a few photos before meeting the riders at the first SAG. These don't do the landscape just with the fields, mountains and big sky.
One of the benefits of running SAG is the immersion process to learn riders' names, plus being able to talk to folks at the stops and learn their story. This group is, as with most trips like this, diverse and have some interesting stories. This company also rotates roommates, which makes it easier to get to know everyone.
There is a spread in riding levels in the group. There was also a mechanical problem today before the first SAG, so the group was spread out by more than 90 minutes, which is a big gap. I backtracked at one point today to try to find one rider who had not gotten to the last stop. So, as with last year when I also (ironically) drove the SAG to Priest River, it turned into a longer day. But everyone got in safe and sound.
The chef prepared Alaskan sockeye salmon with dill sauce, new potatoes, fresh green beans and a fresh lettuce salad for supper tonight. We'll also be treated to breakfast prepared at the trailer tomorrow morning. Every meal amazes me what she creates from the back of a trailer!
I'll be riding tomorrow, 70 miles to Colville, Washington, 3,900' of climb. Check back to see how we do.
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| Priest River Lumber Mill |
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| Priest River, Idaho |
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