Rusty Crank Coast to Coast Bicycle Tour across the USA on the ACA TransAM Route

TransAm Day #49 July 15, 2018 Missoula, MT - Powell, ID  58 Miles Ride Time 4:29 Hours Tour Total  Miles 3555 details at: https://cyclemeter.com/4b2d99e24f1383f2/Cycle-20180715-1040-83220 I slept great last night on the floor besides the grand piano, where I bumped my head, at Warm Showers host Bruce’s in Missoula. I got up, shaved, and folded all our laundry. Afterwards, I lubed my chain, inspected, and cleaned my bike. A French cyclist was Skyping with his family about the World Cup. I’m wearing my new socks.  I pedaled over to the Buttercup Cafe for breakfast. There was a marathon in Missoula, and locals were cheering. Missoula is the most northern point on the TransAm. From here I head south and west. I’m now on ACA TransAm map number three. There’s a little over two weeks left in my trip. I was in Missoula thirty years ago, and camped for several days alongside the Rattlesnake River, outside of town. Missoula is a special place, and I enjoyed be...

TransAm Day #50 July 16, 2018 Powell, ID - Apgar Creek Campground, ID 59 Miles Ride Time 3:38 Hours Tour Total  Miles 3614 details at: https://cyclemeter.com/4b2d99e24f1383f2/Cycle-20180716-1129-76120 I slept well in my tent last night at Lochsa Lodge in Powell, ID. I was exhausted and fell asleep in my clothes at 8pm Pacific Time. I had a little too much to drink. Along with my meal, I drank three 24oz Irish Quilter’s Death Ales. They were stronger than I realized. Plus I had a bottle of Moose Drool Ale back at the picnic table. I slept for ten hours. The birds woke me up early this morning. Rich’s tent was near mine, and he snored all night.  I had breakfast back at the lodge, and the WiFi was suddenly working. I was able to update my blog and social media to let everyone know that I was well. I learned that Blanka the Dog got the roadkill antelope bones that I sent her. She had sniffed my left hand cycling glove, but didn’t devour it like Loki. I got w...

TransAm Day #51 July 17, 2018 Apgar Creek Campground, ID - Grangeville, ID 59 Miles Ride Time 4:45 Hours Tour Total  Miles 3670 details at: https://cyclemeter.com/4b2d99e24f1383f2/Cycle-20180717-0907-01934 I slept nicely last night in my tent in the Clearwater National Forest Campground at Apgar Creek alongside the Lochsa River. Eileen was upset this morning about there being no toilet paper in the bathroom. We paid $14 for the campsite.  Fortunately there were no bears last night. I had tied up all of our food in a tree with my extension cord. I was asked what I would have done if a bear had come, and I demonstrated my terrifying bear yell. Another person in the campground responded with their own version, but it didn’t leave Scott and Eileen shaking like mine did.  I used my spork last night for the first time. I ate spaghetti cooked on Eileen’s stove with Ragu sauce. I built a fire to cook the four hotdogs given to us earlier in the day. One o...

TransAm Day #52 July 18, 2018 Grangeville, ID - Riggins, ID 52 Miles Ride Time 3:44 Hours Tour Total  Miles 3723 details at: https://cyclemeter.com/4b2d99e24f1383f2/Cycle-20180718-0707-92346 My tent was comfy last night in the Lions Club Park in Grangeville. The bright baseball field lights were turned off about thirty minutes before bedtime for a little bit of star gazing. I camped in the designated bike corner and there were no sprinkler issues. Scott and Eileen woke up before me, and for once had their tent and gear packed before mine. Cows were mooing in the nearby field. I grabbed a quick bite to eat at the Conoco station, and headed south out of Grangeville on US highway 95, aka the Nez Perse trail.  I passed fields filled with wheat, alfalfa grass, and hay rolls. It was hazy from forest fires, and the visibility was poor. I am still following Lewis and Clark’s route. Whenever the route is a tight squiggly line on the map I know there’s a steep hill...

TransAm Day #53 July 19, 2018 Riggins, ID - Council, ID 62 Miles Ride Time 5:37 Hours Tour Total  Miles 3786 details at: https://cyclemeter.com/4b2d99e24f1383f2/Cycle-20180719-0845-41456 Last night was the most beautiful camping experience yet. I slept on a beach alongside the Salmon River at Shorts Bar Recreation Site, outside of Riggins. I was surrounded by the steep valleys of the fork between the Salmon and Little Salmon Rivers. I had set up my tent up in the wind and used large rocks as weights to hold the corners down. The wind finally settled down, and I did my best to keep the sand out of my tent. Scott, Eileen and I sat under the stars drinking beer and eating pretzels. The big dipper was up above, and I could see the Milky Way. It was one of the most spectacular places I’ve been on this trip.  Eileen and Scott were still in their tent when I left this morning. The beach was heating up quickly. Rather than backtrack into town for breakfast, I gam...

TransAm Day #54 July 20, 2018 Council, ID - Oxbow, OR 66 Miles Ride Time 5:15 Hours Tour Total  Miles 3834 details at: https://cyclemeter.com/4b2d99e24f1383f2/Cycle-20180720-0725-75407 I camped last night at Courthouse Hill Park, in Council. The grass there is manually watered and there were no automatic sprinklers. My laundry was dry on the line and I had fresh clean clothing this morning. I once again left before Scott and Eileen were through with snuggle time. It was still chilly out, and I started my ride wearing a sweater. I wanted to beat the heat.  On my way out of town, I stopped at the Shell station for a fake cappuccino, an orange juice, and a prepackaged cherry tart. I sat out on the curb as the sun was coming up and looked at all the sores on my legs. I haven’t had this many bumps, cuts, scrapes, and abrasions since I was a kid. That said, following yesterday’s shower and shave, I feel like a new man. Even my ears are clean.  Yesterda...