62 miles

We started our day with coffee at an espresso hut about 2 miles from our campsite. Bryant is going to ride with us for a while today. We’re headed the same way, and he seems eager for company. He’s a 23-year-old kid from Santa Rosa, CA. He graduated last year, majoring in political science. We sat with our coffee and chatted for a while, and when we got up to go, he noticed that Danielle’s back tire was flat. She found a curved, thick gauge wire (maybe part of a fish hook?) to be the culprit. Once it was fixed, we were rolling again.

We were on US 93 almost all day, which was a real mixed bag. We started with a quiet country road, which was nice, and when we reached Route 14, we stopped at a post office so I could mail home a couple lbs of stuff – my fanny pack, which I haven’t really used, a spare long sleeve wool top, and my front headlight, which doesn’t cast properly over my handlebar bag, so is effectively useless. I still have my headlamp and a backup light if I need visibility. 

US 93 was buttery smooth, and somehow we were cruising at 20 mph for most of it. The shoulders were narrow to non-existent, but traffic was mild. There were a fair number of large trucks, which was scary, but we only got honked at twice, as we got closer to Whitefish. There were some great views on Farm To Market Road – we passed a massive field of yellow flowering crops, and got to watch some deer bounding through it, as if on cue. 

We got to Whitefish around 6:00 pm, and ate some amazing food at a place called “The Wich House”, as recommended by a warmshowers host. I drank a beer and remembered immediately that I don’t really like beer. It always seems like it will be refreshing, and sometimes it is, but usually it just makes my body feel gross. Tonight we are staying at Whitefish Lake State Park. They have a dedicated hiker/biker site, which has nice amenities—plenty of electrical outlets and a repair stand in addition to the usual bear box, fire ring, and picnic table. We made a fire, with a good bit of difficulty due to wet wood and no kindling, but we eventually got it roaring and it felt nice to sit around it. 

Tomorrow our plan is to ride to Apgar Campground, after doing some poking around in Whitefish. It felt so good to take a shower tonight. I haven’t showered since we left Angie’s house.