101 miles lay between a sleepy bike team and a long-awaited rest day in Idaho’s capital city. In addition to being our last official century of the ride, today is a very special day: I4Kristmas! The fact of this being our second to last rest day is also a bit sobering in regard to the end of the ride approaching, but it is also quite necessary following four high-mileage days and plenty of mountainous terrain ahead in Oregon. Oh yeah, it’s also finally time for Barbenheimer! We saw ‘Barbie’ during the rest day and decided to watch ‘Oppenheimer’ the following day in Ontario.
All smiles on I4Kristmas morning. :)
Ride Overview
Mileage: 101.4
Elevation: +2548’/-4897’
General Direction: Proceed to U.S. 20 and head west for 56 miles, turn onto westbound I-84 at the town of Mountain Home and stay on for 40.4 miles, upon entering Boise take exit 54 for Broadway Ave., then use the roundabouts to transfer onto Fort Street to reach the stayover.
Points of Interest: Rocky Mountains, Little Camas Reservoir, Boise National Forest, downtown Boise
Strolling through downtown on the rest day.
Tales of the Trail
The first half was lonely. Continuing right from where we left off on U.S. 20 the day before, the course remained mostly flat save for some rolling hills, and multiple minutes would pass between cars on the road. The sounds of Christmas music rang from our speakers through the morning air as we pushed through the bare countryside and into a smaller range. A long descent beginning at mile 44 ate up a few miles and took us into the town of Mountain Home, the access point to the only way directly into Boise: Interstate 84. A lunch stop at McDonald’s refueled the teams stomachs and spirits as the temperature reached into the 90s.
Another tank pic!
The second half was crowded. Nothing but desert peaks could be seen on either side for miles as the shoulder of I-84 became our home and workplace for a few hours. Honestly, most will agree that the traffic isn’t really much of an issue, it’s the minefield of debris on the shoulder itself that we constantly have to watch for and dodge. Flats and frustration were a common cocktail on this stretch, as the heat, noise, road conditions, and lack of much else to look at made it grueling. Usually, it’s the very small pieces of debris such as a piece of glass or a stray metal wire that are the culprits for the flats during these portions, and today was no exception. A rest stop halfway through this forty mile segment was our only break, and the push into Boise was quite stressful given the exit ramps and navigating onto the main spur and into the city itself. Nevertheless, we did it, and arrived at Immanuel Lutheran Church in the afternoon. At this point, a few of our riders including Paul, Sam M, Patrick, Sam R, and myself have all completed a quadruple century, or four century rides back to back.
To catch a license plate . . .
Patty and Adam cruising along the interstate.
Punctures can come from quite small objects and pieces of debris. Try and find the metal wire between my fingers.
Our host Carolyn made us feel right at home, and we started off our stay with a plentiful community dinner and showers at the nearby YMCA. We were also given generous donations by the church for meals and snacks for the van. In the evening, we had our official I4Kristmas gift exchange, with many interesting gifts to say the very least. From here, some riders explored a bit of downtown, and everyone settled in for a long night of good sleep.
Jaylen, Paul, Sam R, Sam M, and Nabeel enjoying dinner the first night. Did I mention it was plentiful?
Another I4Kristmas in the books! Every one of these gifts has a story.
A few of us checking out Pie Hole, a local and heavily stickered pizza joint.
The Rest Day
‘Barbie’ was first on the agenda for today, and the team caught a mid-morning showing after grabbing some breakfast from the church or a local café complete with some fun games of Guess Who. We all enjoyed the movie very much, and afterward decided to split up to explore town, fix bikes, or just chill at the church. In the evening, we were invited by Hillview United Methodist, another local church, to their community dinner where we ate a delicious and variety-filled meal, engaged in some fellowship with parishioners and guests, and completed an emotional and very meaningful Portrait with Claudia, a church administrator. A quick van cleaning took place when we arrived back at Immanuel Lutheran, and we slept soundly. Oregon is tomorrow - our second to last state if you can believe it.
Claudia and the Bike America Team after she shared her story at Hillview United Methodist.
Cyclist’s Corner
Today’s Rider: Jonathan Yuen, Assistant Ride Leader
How are you today? It was a day. it was a good century, definitely not the easiest but not the hardest either. The morning sunrise was gorgeous and seeing Idaho and having the road to ourselves in the morning was nice. It’s definitely one to be proud of, especially the feat of navigating the interstate shoulder for 40 miles.
In your opinion, what makes a good I4K teammate? Someone who exemplifies our mission both as a cyclist and a member, someone who looks out for others as well as cares for themselves, someone who understands the bigger purpose of our journey, and someone who is there for others when they aren’t having a great day. I don’t think there’s any one thing that makes one teammate better than another; we all bring something different to the table. Honestly, everyone on our team is a great teammate and fills their role well.
Where was the best ice cream you’ve had so far? I haven’t had much ice cream, mainly milkshakes. The one that stands out to me the most was the coffee shake I got from Red Rooster Sandwich Shop in Meeker, Colorado. A close second would be the huckleberry shake from Frostop in Ashton, Idaho.
How have you improved in handling the bike during the ride? In general, I would say my overall comfort with the bike; it feels more like an extension of my body than before. Doing a lot of no hands riding helps with this a lot, as well as knowing that I trust my feet on the pedals. Even if I hit a bump or pothole, I know I can manage my balance and not fall. One area I’ve improved a lot in is looking back without swerving to the point where I can look back without hands and still go straight. A lot of this, I think, came from skiing and trusting the uncertainty of that in a sense. A lot of people’s hands get sore from long descents because of gripping the bars, so I strive for the opposite where I’m able to keep my arms loose the whole time.
If you could snapshot one favorite or at least special sight, place, or moment in your mind that you’ve experienced on the bike, what would it be, where was it, and on what ride day? The morning we left Meeker (Meeker to Vernal), I remember pretty clearly that I was riding with Jean, Adam, and Olivia. We were going through the canyons, flying with tailwinds, there weren't a lot of cars, and the sunrise was gorgeous. Going from darkness to seeing the sunrise was amazing and allowed me to live in that moment enjoying that scenery. The way that it hit some of the gorges, the cows, and horses, the river, all of it. Its also the day I found my first plate which was special to me. Honestly, that was my favorite ride day of the ride. Doing 112 miles, the longest ride of my life, and having all those elements just made it feel like a huge accomplishment.
In ten words or less, how will you remember this ride when we complete it? Life-changing, friendships, purposeful, kindness, sonder, accomplished, rewarding, family, beautiful, forever.
Please visit the rider profiles page on the website to learn more about this year’s riders! :)
~Dictionary of I4K~
I4Kristmas: One of the I4K holidays. Traditionally celebrated on July 25th and involves a Secret Santa-like gift exchange consisting of one small bought gift and one side-of-the-road gift. Christmas music and decor is optional but encouraged.
