The weekend finally arrived when Ron and I were going to head out to Idaho. Crazy how fast it came, I had spent so much time figuring out how and what to do with the kids and then the packing for them that our packing was done last minute. The bikes were packed up a week before we left-a wonderful couple drove, pulled the trailer with over 40 bikes the entire way for all of us. Ron and I left the house early thursday morning...early, like before kids were even up. The plan was for all the kids to be up and ready to go by 6:30 with all school stuff and then over night bags. This was my biggest worry. Our plane left at 6am, thankfully I could get in one call and was reassured they were all up and ready to go. With sports practices, school dress, camp and soccer games the kids were the hardest to pack. Once we were off it was just the best trip ever-just Ron and I and no worries about the trip as it was all planned for us. We arrived-staying at the Couer D Alene hotel right on the lake, the beginning and end of the race, a perfect place. We could walk to town for food and enjoy the beauty of the lake with a small park with trails. The days were fast but so nice to not have the schedule and responsibilities of house and family-a break! (so thankful for moms driving my kids around these first days!!)
Unloading at the hotel....cool crisp air, not a smidge of humidity-beautiful!
The hotel was the big tower over looking the lake...although we got a small room on the back side. The park/trails were behind the waterfall, a little peninsula of trails and rocks. Thursday night we explored town a bit and just a quick bit of dinner before crashing in our beds-long but great day, although I did manage to come down with a cold.
Friday was a free day and a group of us headed up to the Hiawatha trail. An old railroad-now just a dirt road up in the Mountains with tunnels and tressels to ride through and over. A beautiful ride-all down hill. You rent Mountain bikes and then they drive them to the trail head for you. When you get done with the ride they bus you back to the top to your car...with the bikes.
One tunnel was over a mile long-no end, no light at the end of the tunnel for real! All the bikes had lights which you needed.
You can just see one of the bridges that we would eventually get to.
The trail was beautiful but it was the last weekend it was open to there were a lot of people riding today. We got to the end and there were over 200 hundred people with bikes waiting in a line to be picked up. Thankfully they had a couple buses and trailers-although waiting in such beauty wasn't too painful.
Friday night we all had dinner all together as a group at a local Mexican Restaurant...yes there were many opinions and conversations about pre-ride food but it all worked out. Then we walked to a small young life building and had a fun party/gift exchange/pre-ride talk.
The is most all of us Saturday morning before the ride. About 10 more riders left early riding the ferry across the lake for a shorter ride. A rainy cold morning, somehow non of us were complaining-I think the cool weather was a great break from all the heat we are used to.
Pre-ride shot....maybe the only time I was halfway smiling. We rode around the lake and tackled some pretty big hills. The weather cleared and actually the first 50 miles was beautiful. Unfortunately the last bit was just plain tough, more hills, tons of wind and some busy highway riding. I had one flat along the highway and one other rider lost their rear shifter early on in the ride. He continued to ride and was my motivation-if he was still riding with two gears I had better finish!!
Top of a hill and a dealing with some bike issues-glad the guy behind me is still smiling.
We ended up with 7 of us in our group-they were all great...so nice to have a pack to stick with.
Crossing the lake-actually on the trail.
This first part was just beautiful, with the big sweeping downhills it made the uphills okay.
This was our group at the finish line. We crossed at mile 90 and then decided to follow a local lady who also rode with us around town for another 10 miles to round out the ride to 100 miles. It felt pretty good to finish up seeing those numbers on the bike computer.
We ended right at the hotel-again prefect location, all we had to do was just walk our bikes back to our room. The area had Oct fest and the ride gave us free food tickets so we ended with a brat...not really my meal choice after a ride but tasted good. Some shopping and some ice-cream and then back to the hotel to hit our soft bed. Lots of time with adults and plenty time spend just hanging out and having great conversations...but in the end the quiet hotel room was just the best. Sunday morning we had to have bikes down to load early. Ron rode down to the local breakfast dinner for a huge pecan/cinnamon roll to share-delicious. We enjoyed one last walk around the property before loading in the vans to head back to the airport.
We arrived home after midnight night. All the kids were dropped back to the house Sunday noon. They did so well-lots of stuff but all were sound asleep in bed. So thankful for wonderful friends who drove them to and from school and practices. Thankful a friend took my older two back home to get warm clothes for the weekend camp as a cold from moved through while we were gone. God watched over all of us!
Brayden and Becca made it to New Life Ranch friday night and saturday for our Church Youth Retreat. Fun times/late nights.
The younger two stayed with friends the rest of the weekend-they ended up with a lot of free time as Tulsa was hit with a lot of rain cancelling Metro Bash...for the second time and then all the soccer games.
We couldn't have done it without all the help I received from our Metro Friends!! They made my kids smile all weekend long.
