Tired as we were, we slept well last night. We now have our morning routine perfected. Betsy organizes the breakfast of granola, yogurt, and milk. I take down the tent and roll it up. We eat, then pack our panniers, and then visit the bathroom.
The first mile of the day required a climb to reach Old Priest River Road, which we followed for 5 miles to Priest River on US Hwy 2. We enjoyed splitting a second breakfast; It’s becoming a great habit. We rode north along the wide Pend Oreille River for about 20 miles to Sandpoint, ID. At a bike shop, Betsy bought a new rear view mirror, I got a stash of bubble wrap (used to pack bikes) and we both pumped up our tires and lubed our chains. On our way out of town we bought a tube of Preparation H at Safeway. One of Betsy’s bikes pals swears by it to treat saddle sores , of which I have several. I also stuffed pieces of bubble wrap in my bike shorts for more padding. We headed north around the west side of massive Lake Pend Oreille to Kootenai where we ate lunch.
US 2 Hwy continued north, then east around the lake. We passed by extensive wetlands at the mouth of Pack River. There were lots of grand views across the lake. After a stop for a cold drink at the Hope Marina, we biked east for 6 miles to the hamlet of Clark Fork. Here we ran into our trio of biker friends. We bought food and biked another 5 miles east along the Clark Fork to the Delta River Resort. Along the way, we passed by more large areas of wetlands (see photo). For $25, we got a delightful, shady tent site by the river and showers. Today’s ride of 65.3 miles allowed us to have more time in camp. This is a good daily distance for us. Also, the combination of Preparation H and bubble wrap made riding much more enjoyable!
