Bicycling for Fun in the Pacific Northwest and occasionally beyond: Bicycling Boise to Lewiston Prelude to the Northern Tier

I believe I'm ready to bicycle the Northern Tier. Riding from Boise to Lewiston will allow me to test that belief. I'll join my my co-adventurers in Lewiston for the Northern Tier. We'll be transported from Lewiston to Anacortes where the trip starts on 4 June.

Day -10 25 May 2016
Boise to cousins near Letha, Idaho
50.4 miles, 4:33 riding time, 881 ft elevation gain

I headed out to my cousins' near Letha, Idaho on what is the first leg of my local favorite century. I got there early planning to go to one of the grandkid's ballgames, but it was cancelled for lack of an umpire.

Squaw Butte near Letha, Idaho

Day -9 26 May 2016
Letha, Idaho to Mundo Hot Springs 3 miles off route near Cambridge, Idaho
74.1 miles 7:13 riding time 2,491 ft elevation gain

loaded bike and eager to start this adventure!

Cousins Judy and Phil see me off

Judy sent me off with a big breakfast, and I knew the back roads to New Plymouth. Catching River Road near Payette and Glascock Rd to Hill Rd and Cover Rd took me into Weiser mostly on interesting back roads.

back road on the way to New Plymouth, Idaho

Entering Weiser on Cove Road one of many back roads

In Weiser I had to return to hwy 95 and the ever increasing towers of camp trailers who apparently had at least 5 days off for their Memorial Day Weekend. After Midvale Hill I was ready to camp in the tiny town of Midvale, but I continued on to Cambridge where I joined the Trans Am route at about 1800 hours. I scoped out town looking for camping and ended up asking the clerk at the local grocery store where the Trans Am riders stay when passing thru. The clerk was quick to reply "out at Mundo Hot Springs where they eat at The Bistro". It was about 3 miles off route, but sounded interesting, so I headed out there. Mundo Hot Springs is about 1/4 mile off the Weiser River Trail. Its grounds are extremely clean. Setting up a single tent is $15, and a dip in the hot springs is another $5, but everything there including the showers closes at 2000 hours, so I passed on the hot tub. Management was very accommodating, and assured me there was time to set up my tent, eat, shower, and hot tub it. They waited for me a bit to finish my shower after 2000 hours. "The Bistro" isn't what I think of as a bistro. No interesting sauces or different meats. They offer a couple different hamburgers and a couple other sandwiches.

Campsite at Mundo Hot Springs

Breakfast the next morning was back in Cambridge at Mrs. G's - 5 pieces of bacon, hot cakes, and eggs- more what a hungry cyclist has in mind than was "The Bistro".

Day -8: 27 May 2016
Mundo Hot Springs to Riggins, Idaho
85.0 miles 7:48 Riding Time 3,280 ft elevation gain

After the climb over Midvale Hill and my first night sleeping on the ground, I was pretty stiff and facing what I thought would be the toughest day getting on the Northern Tier. The number of camp trailers going up the road increased as the morning progressed. In Council, I actually looked for a chiropractor, but they don't have one. I also tried riding the Weiser River trail for maybe 1/2 mile to escape the camp trailers, but the Weiser River Trail is just too rough and soft for anything but a mountain bike. So, it was back to US 95 for the climb up to New Meadows. There I rang Mike & Nicki's doorbell, but got no answer, so I headed on down to Riggins. Traffic after New Meadows was light. Most of the motels and campgrounds in Riggins were full for Memorial Day weekend, but I had hoped to stay with cousin Caroline. They were off on some holiday adventure, so without their knowledge I set my tent up in their yard. Although Riggins is a big outdoorsman's town, nothing served breakfast until 0800 hours, so I hung around town awaiting the first restaurant's opening and had a late start to the riding day.

The Little Salmon River between New Meadows and Riggins

A small contributory stream to the Little Salmon

Day -7 28 May 2016
Riggins to Grangeville

55.6 miles 6:51 riding time 4,887 elevation gain
I wasn't as stiff as the day before and enjoyed the mild downhill with almost no traffic to Whitebird where I had a snack and headed up the Old Whitebird Grade.

Starting up the Old Whitebird Grade - great to be on back roads again

Day -6 29 May 2016
Grangeville to Winchester, Idaho
55.6 miles 6:51 riding time 2,579 ft elevation gain

A quick breakfast at Taco John's and off to Old Hwy 7 and East Rd which put me on back roads to Cottonwood. It was a short day and I arrived at cousin Ken's and Patty's about 1400 hours thinking if they weren't home, I would ride on down to Lewiston instead of seeking camping at the lake, but they were home, and fed me a big dinner and breakfast. This reads like a tour from cousin to cousin's house, but visiting relatives and friends is part of the fun of local touring- which I won't get to do in the next phase of this adventure.

Looking across the Camas Prairie at Cottonwood Butte

Having crossed the Camas and Nezperce Prairie's I arrive at Winchester

Day -5 30 May 22016
Winchester to Lewiston
34.4 miles 3:07 riding time 890 ft elevation gain
After the big breakfast and send off, I headed down the Old Winchester Grade a favorite of Lewis-Clark Cross Country tourists and local riders.

Cousin Ken sees me off from Winchester - photo by Patty Mathison

view going down the Old Winchester Grade

another view farther down the Old Winchester Grade

At Culdesac I got back on US 95 but in this morning's Memorial Day traffic was light and the shoulder generally wide. At Sweetwater it was back to quiet paved roads to Lapwai where I decided to take Lapwai Road, a gravel back road into Lewiston.