Biking across the country is a lot of fun (believe it or not, we speak from experience)! This doesn’t mean that every day is one of idyllic, wide-eyed discovery and picture-perfect routes, though. Today was the hottest day of the ride so far, which admittedly narrowed the team’s focus to the much less romantic goal of getting to our stayover as fast as sustainably possible and avoiding the worst of the heat. Efficiency was the name of the game, and we learned a lot about overcoming yet another aspect of this uniquely multifaceted adventure that we call I4K.

Ride Overview

Mileage: 66.6

Elevation: 2,181’

Ride Dedication: Tammy Sterling-Dober, lung cancer

Points of Interest: Clearwater River, Waffles n’ More, McDonald’s of Lewiston, ID

Quotes of the Day

“I’ve never had the opportunity to eat burgers all the time, and now I will.” - Joey

“I think you lose all credibility if food starts falling out of your mouth.” - Anthony 

“We have a fifth beneficiary! You ever heard of the Neal Foundation?” - Neal 

Tales of the Trail

As you all know, one thing the riders of I4K are famous for is our amazing artistic ability. Olaf put that to the test this morning with his activity — pair up and draw your partner. Once we were done waving our paintbrushes (dried-out Crayola markers) around our canvases (pages ripped out of a notebook), we stood around in a circle and proudly revealed our masterpieces to an appreciative chorus of “ooh”’s and “aah”’s from our teammates. 

Once we all pocketed our drawings, we rushed to roll out in hopes of beating the worst of the ongoing heat wave later in the day. Lewiston, our destination town for the day, is intimidatingly known to be one of the hottest cities in Idaho, and the team did not want to wait around to confirm that fact. 

Thankfully, our mileage today was on the shorter side and our route on a gradual downhill. We made quick work of the first 40 or so miles, helped by the colder morning air and the cooling effect of Clearwater River, whose serene currents accompanied us all throughout. 

The landscape transitioned to arid, rocky hills, and the heat started to hit by the time we reached the second rest stop. SAV provided the only shade for miles and our Welch’s Fruit Snacks were melting in their packaging (the epitome of tragedy). All we could do was eagerly envision reaching the haven of our air conditioned stayover.

The last stretch threw a handful of mechanical issues, traffic-ridden interstate riding, dodgy construction, and bumpy bike trails at us, all while we baked in the 100 degree weather and squinted against the boiling sun. Nevertheless, we persevered and made a much-needed reroute to grab some (preferably cold) food. Some of us stopped at the local Waffles n’ More, while others opted for the convenience of a McDonald’s. Either way, we were satiated and fueled for the final climb to our destination at First United Methodist Church. 

The kindness of our stayover hosts was incredibly refreshing — literally, as they generously offered us ice water and drove us to take showers and a dip in the pool at the nearby aquatic center. They also gave us the authentic Idaho experience and donated a delicious potato bar dinner! Not only did we enjoy a scrumptious meal straight from the source, but we learned that a lot more can go on a potato than we’d initially thought. 

Lastly, a massive thank you to the church for donating to the cause. It was exceptionally heartwarming to meet with and feel the support of the members of Lewiston today — these are the interactions that impact our cause the most as we journey across the country. We approach tomorrow with the expectation that it will be hotter and harder, but we also tackle it armed with over fifty days’ worth of well-earned experience and knowledge. 

Cyclist’s Corner

Today’s Rider: Izzy Perpich

How are you feeling today?

Today was the hottest day we’ve had on the ride, which was challenging physically and emotionally for all of the riders, and for me in the van today. It can be hard to get motivated when it’s so hot out, but I think we did a really great job, and we were able to cool off this afternoon and have a nice brunch in downtown Lewiston Idaho! So that was good. But yeah, I’m feeling pretty good. Feels like we’re almost nearing the end of the ride here, so that’s a weird feeling, because time just doesn’t feel real here. But all in all, I’m doing alright, considering all things. 

Which chore have you been doing for the team during the ride? Can you share your process doing this chore?

For most of the summer I’ve been on dinner chore, so I have been responsible for cooking pasta and lentils for the group, or rationing the donations from stayovers that are generous and donate food… Olaf is my chore partner, and the times that we’ve made dinner, we usually engage in “choir,” or like, singing. We really just like drop the pasta in. Olaf usually takes position one, I follow in position two. I guess you could call me the sous chef… We put the lentils in first because they take longer, and we season them, but I don’t know exactly what seasoning because it’s all Olaf’s. We make sure everything is nice and salted. Then we get going on the pasta, and then we put vegetable oil in so the pasta doesn’t all stick together. Then we heat up the marinara in the microwave — really excited because Olivia and I just bought alfredo, so things are gonna look different here on out! Then we portion everything out for as many people as we have eating dinner, and then we say “bon voyage!” Wait no, “bon appetit!” We say “bon appetit,” not “bon voyage.” But now I’m actually on breakfast chore! Breakfast chore is a lot easier honestly because it takes less time… For the past two days when I’ve done it, I ran upstairs, I boiled water, I went back down and packed my stuff then I went back up again. I got the bowls ready, I took out the raisins and all the other oatmeal condiments. I portioned out the quick oats, and got everybody ready for their first meal of the day! [Olaf and I] also do policing, which is making sure that we don’t leave anything behind. So after we’re done with morning circle, Olaf and I run back inside the stayover, and we look in all the rooms to make sure we left nothing of value behind. And also, that we made sure to leave the stayover just as we found it! 

What’s the best food you’ve eaten on the ride so far?

Where do I begin? I’ve had so many delicious things. One of them I thought about recently, I think it was Mexican food in the middle of Wisconsin? It was on the side of the trail, that was really good. We got Brazilian bowls in Missoula from Five on Black. Those are a couple of highlights. 

Do you have a favorite team memory?

I have a couple, but one of them, for team bonding, was the “Why I Ride” circle where we just discussed our deeper reasons for participating in the ride, and got to know each other a bit better. I feel like it was a huge transitional period in the ride, where I felt like we really became family in that talk we had. But yeah, recently without really being able to ride, it’s been nice to participate in some stuff off the bike, like swimming in the river when we were at Yellowstone. That was really fun. 

Is there anything you’ve learned during the ride that you didn’t expect?

I feel like being from Chicago, I’ve not been exposed to the idea that people always have good intentions. It’s kind of this idea that you should avoid talking to strangers, you shouldn’t be too friendly with anyone because you might get taken advantage of. On this ride, there’s been so much generosity from complete random people, who don’t even know us at all but they’re just so willing to help. Even though there’s no real personal reason, maybe, for them to do so. It just shows a lot about humanity, and how we all are able to lend a hand, and how we’re all very connected and united. I think that’s really shifted my perspective on how I will approach people in my future, and how I’ve learned to interact with people. Like yes, I believe it’s important to be cautious, but also being a kind and outgoing person who is giving is something that goes a long way. A little can go a long way… Also, sometimes health insurance can cover a bike fit! 

What’s the first thing you’re going to do when you get home?

I think I’m gonna go jump in Lake Michigan. And pet my cat.

(A reminder that any unfamiliar terms can be found in our handy I4K dictionary.)