Today we woke up early to get a cool start on our long climb out of White Bird.
A quick note on White Bird for anyone out there reading this for info on the Trans Am. White Bird is not a good resupply stop. If you do use the general store check the expiration dates on what they have. I feel like I can stretch food pretty far, but a package of sliced meat a year out of date is a bit much.
The climb out of White Bird on old hwy 95 was not nearly as bad as the profile portrays. The car free climb was very nice.
The decent into Grangeville was a fun winding country road. We got into Grangeville in time to have a great brunch at Oscars.
We rode out of Grangeville through rolling farm land, then hit "the decent". That was one hell of a steep and winding down hill. We stopped part way down to let our rims cool off. Serious, a couple times I worried about going over the corner, with a weighted bike the brakes don't stop you too fast on a hill like that.
We resupplied in Kooskia and headed for our campground. We stopped into a restaurant/bar/tour company to ask if they had info on the fires. Turns out they did, and the forest campground we were planning to stay at was closed.
Plan B, sit at the bar, get a beer, and look for an alternative for the night. The bar tender was helpful in giving us a suggestion that was not as far as our original campground, but outside the limits of the restricted fire areas.
We rode out of Syringna with a new plan. However this plan was also foiled. Turns out there was already someone in the camp spot. Despite the spots size, the guy camping there didn't seem too keen on sharing it. So we rode on to find another one.
We ended up finding a fisherman's trail off a small pullout. This lead down to a rocky trail, then to a sandy spot. Getting the bikes and all our gear down the steep bank was entertaining, but not too bad. It has been a pleasant evening swimming in the river and lounging riverside on our private beach.
Trans Am Tally
Miles: 877
Flats: 4
Beers: 15
Live snakes: 3
From the Open Road,
Midnight Chocolate
Pictures:
Getting ready to go in the morning
Looking back over our road midway up White Bird Hill
Sunflower lined ride up old hwy 95
This girl is taking her dog coast to coast. No way!
Bikes lined up outside Oscars fine dinning
Grocery store, Music store, they have it all in Stites
Clearwater River
Fire sheet, no camping at Wild Goose
Syringa beer and replanning stop
Bikes on our private beach
River views from our camp
Steve hauling down one of their bikes.
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