The team had a nice and quick day out of Boise, with low mileage and elevation gain. Unfortunately, a group dealt with flat tire issues, but we still made it to the stayover in a timely manner, and we crossed into Oregon, our 14th state of the trip! We were also graciously donated shower vouchers by Community in Action, and the showers at the truck stop were great!
Quote of the Day
Micah: “So if not based on logic, what is the foundation you live your life on?”
In unison:
Jason: “vibes”
Veronica: “feeling”
Sofia: “aura”
RIDE OVERVIEW
Mileage: 62.1 Miles
Elevation: 851 ft.
Points of Interest: Oregon State Sign, Mackey’s Pub House, Love’s Travel Stop
Ride Dedication: Donna Riccabona
Tales of the Trail
We had a normal wake-up in Boise, and everyone felt well-rested after a relaxing rest day. The day started fairly easy, with one group deciding to get coffee. The first stretch started on a bike trail, which made for some easy, gradual descending in the morning. The first rest stop was at a gas station, where some of Matt’s family were able to meet us and say their goodbyes, and the riders quickly fueled up before heading back on the road. The next stretch was an easy ascent leading into a fun descent, but unfortunately, the last group encountered numerous flat tires that prolonged the ride. Our next rest stop was at Tom’s Cabin, and we rested/fueled up quickly to get back on the road. The next stretch was really easy, as we had a gradual descent on country roads, and we made our last rest stop at EZ Mart, which was also a quick one. With the ride coming to a close, we crossed into Oregon as we rode over Snake River, and we took some pictures at the state sign – only one more state crossing to go! The first group had enough time to get food at Makcey’s Pub House, while others took naps at the stayover. When everyone was together, we made our way to Love’s Travel Stop to use their showers, and Community In Action, a non-profit organization, was gracious enough to donate us shower vouchers so we could shower for free! We shuttled back to the stayover, where we ended the night with some pasta for dinner, and Harbin and Sofia finally had a chance to read their birthday cards!
Thank you, Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, for giving us a place to sleep for the night and letting us use your kitchen for dinner!
Cyclist’s Corner
Today’s Rider: Hanxi Fang
How are you feeling today?
I feel pretty good. Today is only 60 miles, and we arrive at the church pretty early, and everything's just so refreshed. I feel I'm in a semi rest day today.
Which chore have you been doing for the team in the past week? Can you share your process doing this chore?
This past week, I did wake up chore, and this past week, there were a lot of camping days. The process is like, I set an alarm, and then I wake up 15 minutes before everyone else, but the thing is, because it's camping day, we were all in a tent. So sometimes, when my alarm was on, the whole tent was awakened. But anyway, I'll wake everyone else up by calling “wake up, wake up”. Although they prefer Harbin to wake everyone else up, because Harbin will usually say, “good morning, good morning”, which is more mild and oh, these two days, I've been doing the dinner chore. So when there's a food donation, I and my chore partner, we decide the portion you can have. When there's no food donation, like today, we just cook pasta and lentils and sauce and ask everyone to come and eat.
What’s the best food you’ve eaten on the ride so far?
I would say the day before yesterday, Matt's family, they donated a very, very good dinner. The chicken was impressive. It's so good, especially the skin of the chicken.
Do you have a favorite accessory to wear with your ride uniform?
Yeah, it's my wrist brace. I got a fracture from a fall more than a month ago, and without a brace, I can't bike now, but I can bike now, and I love my brace.
Any favorite team memories so far?
A lot of like, the whole family tree thing. Everyone's family, and we just call each other sister, auntie and you know, and also, the talk. The interesting conversations, like life stories when we are biking, it really makes biking a lot more interesting and easier, because especially when you're going uphill, if you're talking and listening to each other's story, you kind of forget how tiring it is.
Anything else you want to talk about?
Yeah, for example, I will say, I think after my crash, I became a much more safer rider, and I really learned from my lesson. One of the biggest lessons is that, like, I crashed 15 miles outside Champaign, which is silly, because I was too relaxed, because I think Champaign is around the corner. But the lesson I learned is that usually the accident happens when you are the most relaxed.