August 1, 2015 – Sunny, 95 degrees

Miles Today: 70

Miles to Date: 4,933

States to Date: 20

 Vickie Nelson and her friends at the Rocky Mountain Red Brick Inn got my day off to a good start – bacon and eggs, biscuits and gravy, fresh fruit, yogurt and delicious coffee. The difference between a B&B and a Super 8 is all about quality and presentation. Vicky placed her fresh cooked food in beautiful bowls. Since I was eating before the usual 8 a.m. time she let me sit in the kitchen where they were preparing things for the other guests. I liked it much better than sitting in the dining room.

I was on the road by eight, pedaling north on a cool morning that wouldn’t stay that way for long. Idaho is big on historical markers and I enjoyed learning about how the area’s history; the Mormon settlers, the fur trappers, the Bear Creek Massacre where several hundred Shoshoni Indians were slaughtered, and the railroad expansion. The most fascinating area was Red Rock Pass – the easiest pass I have traversed to date. The gentle ridge defined the limit of the ancient Bonneville Sea, which used to cover the entire area to the south and has now shrunk to the Great Salt Lake.

I passed several small towns with elaborately carved metal welcome signs. By noon I was ready for a break and stopped at the Little Rock Cafe in McCammon for a terrific burger and fries topped of with a noteworthy cinnamon roll. While I was eating, a throng of Mormon’s arrived: nineteen extended family members celebrating their eight-year-old son’s confirmation. I chatted with the parents while our seasoned waitress handled the rush with aplomb.

My nemesis the wind reared its head for the last twenty miles into Pocatello, but I landed in town before four and took a writing break before meeting my warmshowers host for the evening. My official host was Caitlyn, a college student just back from a three-week cycling trip to the Northwest. But Caitlyn directed me to her parent’s house, my de facto hosts. We had a terrific homemade pizza and beer on the patio. After Caitlyn and some friends went out for the night, Kathy, Mike, and I talked until ten. The sun never seems to set out here.