July 3 Pocatello to Idaho Falls, Idaho

As falls Idaho, so falls Idaho Falls

Whew… this is a big country.  We’ve pedaled almost 1,000 miles already and we haven’t even crossed two states yet.  Today was an easy 65-miler from Pocatello to Twin Falls.  We were up early and on the road by 7:30 to take advantage of the cool, still air.  We zipped through the first half, did one SAG stop, and then zipped through the second half.  We cruised mainly through agricultural terrain with some very pretty small towns scattered along the way.  On Sunday morning, the only traffic was people going to church.  The only excitement was provided by several dogs that decided to chase after us.  Even they were lazy – they’d chase the first rider and then lie in the shade and bark half-heartedly.

With the help of the National MS Society, I’m getting more press coverage for our fund-raising efforts.  Yesterday, the Idaho State Journal — the daily paper of Pocatello — had a very nice article about me and the trip.  You can read it at: http://bit.ly/mxizT5

This would be a great trip to play Roadkill Bingo on.  You pick seven animals and the first player to spot five dead on the road is the winner.  So far, I’ve seen deer, fox, coyote, raccoon, snakes (several), skunks (saw a few, smelled more), bobcat, and what may have been a possum.  Suellen actually has a business idea centered around roadkill.  She thinks there’s enough roadkill in Colorado that she can collect specimens, have them stuffed, and then sell them to middle schools and high schools for their science projects.  I’ll put her in touch with Science Mary.

I want to give a special shout out to my buddies, Johnny G. and Jill, 11-year-old twins (almost 12) from Castle Rock, Colorado.  Johnny G. and Jill have a big map and are following our progress across the country. They also sent me a tin of very special, very tasty home-made brownies.  They were so good that I didn’t share them with anybody (except Suellen, of course).  Special note to Johnny G. — Brush up on your chess skills. Learn the Ruy Lopez opening.  I’m ready to play.

Late breaking news – there was a little more excitement than I knew about today.  One of our Dans (we have four Dans on the trip) took a tumble after bumping wheels with another rider in a pack.  Fortunately, it was mainly road rash and Dan was able to ride the rest of the way.

Day’s distance: 66.1 miles (106.4 km)
Average speed: 16.3 mph (26.2 kph)
Day’s climb: 760 feet (231.6 meters)
Total distance: 996.8 miles (1,604.2 km)