On Thursday I called to check in with Mark. He seemed to be in better spirits than during our previous conversations, albeit very sore still. We chatted a bit about where I was, his foot, etc. and what my plan was for getting to Denver. After I heard about the accident I had planned to drive straight through to see him, but when we spoke he encouraged me to take my time and see a bit of the country. "I'm not going anywhere," he said. "Take your time."

Yesterday, after a quick breakfast I left Ontario, Oregon for the short ride to Boise. Once in Boise I got a cup of coffee and called my friend Brad for directions to his house. Brad, his wife Amber, and son Jack live in a fantastic mansion on the outskirts of Boise. Many thousand square feet, a great pool, and a wonderful view of the foothills off the back patio. It had been more than ten years since we'd seen each other so we had a lot to catch up on. Sitting poolside and chatting, it was nice to take it easy after the previous day's ride.

On my way to Boise that morning I thought I might change my plans a little. Mark & I had planned to stay in hotels for the entire trip so we could keep the bikes light on gear and also make regular updates to the site. Also, I hate camping, or at least I thought I did. Then I started to think about that - why do I hate camping? I couldn't really come up with a good reason. So after I said my goodbyes to Brad I drove to REI (got lost along the way, a 20 minute drive turned out to be an hour) and geared up with a tent, a sleeping bag, and some straps to keep it down. Earlier in the day I'd run in to a few French guys who told me that Redfish Lake and the drive up to it was spectacular and that it should not be missed. I made it my destination for the day.

The ride on ID 21 was fantastic. I was 15 minutes outside of Boise and the road went to 2 lanes that followed a meandering creek. The road was full of switchbacks and hairpin turns - I think I might have scraped a peg once or twice. Did I mention I love the GT?















Another 30 miles and I arrived in Idaho City, which from the name you'd think it was a metropolis, but it's actually quite tiny. Not sure I'd even call it a town. I stopped at the general store to get some food for the night and outside I met a few guys on dirt motorcycles. They explained to me that this was a big weekend for Idaho City, as it was the starting point of the final qualifier for the American Motocross circuit. 300 of the best dirt bike riders in the country were there, attempting to qualify to represent the US Team in Chile this year. Think of it as the Olympics for dirt bikes. What luck, I thought, that I would happen to be passing through right at the same time!

I drove a few (short) blocks to the check-in building and was directed to a man named Gunny, the AMA representative. I sat with him for 10 minutes and he explained the whole thing, the structure of the race, the intensity level and endurance the riders have, and the economics of the circuit. I filmed the interview - you'll have to wait for the RideA2B DVD to see it!

On the road again and aiming for Redfish Lake, but with 40 miles to go it was getting dark and I didn't want to set up camp by flashlight. I found a campsite on the side of the road and followed the path down to the river. Someone had been nice enough to leave a perfect fire pit for me too, so I built a fire, set up the tent, and had some dinner.















Well, dinner is a stretch - Doritos, applesauce, and pineapple rings.






















After the fire died I sat by the river and watched the stars come out. It was so peaceful. I tucked in around 11 and it was still pretty warm, maybe in the high 60's. I woke up at 6:10 and it was 41 - in my birthday suit and shivering, I tiptoed my way to my panniers and found some warm clothes, then hustled to break down camp. I was back on the road by 7.

The ride from camp to the lake was unbelievable. This is not a heavily trafficked road anyway as there is no civilization to speak of but at 7 in the morning there was even less. Switchbacks and long stretches broke the ride up nicely, and I watched the sun rise over Emile Grandjean peak.















I arrived in Stanley, ID 40 minutes later, a town with no paved roads. Chance does not handle well on dirt, especially when loaded up like she is right now, so I bailed out of there in search of an open restaurant and gas. With both of us filled I pushed on toward Redfish.

This was a bit of an anti-climax to be honest. Everyone along the way talked it up so much, and I was expecting it to be a lot bigger than it is. I mean, it's beautiful and serene, but so are a lot of lakes. One thing I will say: since it's glacier-fed the water is very clear, so you can see the fish swimming right next to the shore. That was pretty cool.















Galena Pass was my next stop. Again, everyone I talked to spoke highly of it, and it was AMAZING. Reaching more than 8,000 feet at the summit, the lookout spot is at 7,000 or so, but the entire valley and the mountains that tower above it are all in view. It was incredible.















I met Tom (from Olympia, WA) and his daughter Kristy (from Sun Valley) and we chatted for a while. Kristy gave me some pointers about Sun Valley and guided me to the Starbucks. Most of you know I get cranky without my coffee.














25 minutes later I rolled in to Sun Valley, the favorite wintertime destination of the stars I'm told. That much is clear by the multi-million dollar homes and golf courses that abound. Quite a bit different from the Idaho I've seen so far.

I'm not sure where I'll end up tonight. I want to camp again but I'm in need of a shower too, so we'll see.

More pics in the gallery...

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