Wutheringbikes Home -- TransAm Bike Ride
<< >>

Wednesday 11th August 2004

The Downhill to White BirdFrom Lowell, Three Rivers Campground to White Bird, Swiftwater RV/camping park. 58 miles on route, mostly uphill. Now we've done 3448 miles. Breakfast in cafe on the main road - the usual maple syrup (or is it just high fructose corn syrup with flavouriing?) and pancakes. Very pleasant anyhow, plus an omlette. Headed down the valley to Kooskia, where Steve had a puncture - well, actually the valve on the inner tube failed. This meant that we had lunch in Kooskia, a quiet town in wooded hills. From Kooskia the road starts off going uphill (after about 90 miles of downhill this was a bit of a shock). Initially we followed a beautiful wooded valley upwards, then the road leaves the river and gets much steeper. We sweated our way uphill for a couple of thousand feet, under a boiling sun, until we reached a plateau and finally got to Grangeville. Grangeville looked nice but we fancied doing a bit more, so over the hill beyond Grangeville we went, and down a hurtling hill, where we lost 3000 feet in very little time, to White Bird. We found the Swiftwater RV/camping park on the old road. The owner had spotted us earlier on and came back to let us in should we turn up. Which we did. She opened the shop for long enough to buy some food, which was eaten overlooking the big and swift river - the Salmon River I think. A very comfortable campsite (15 dollars).

Wutheringbikes Home -- TransAm Bike Ride