The forecast for Cambridge, Idaho today is a high of 103, so we were up at 5 and on the road by 6:30. Curiously, when we crossed the Salmon River Wednesday, we went from Pacific time back to Mountain time. The lower half of Idaho is on Mountain time. Thus the sun was just barely up when we left. Also, it was only 52 degrees, which was really cold compared to what we are used to. We kept stopping to add clothes.
I know you can't see anything in this picture, I just wanted photographic proof that we can get up early if we have to.
After a long climb, it was downhill most of the was. We crossed back into more arid landscape. We are having to go south to get around Hells Canyon, the deepest canyon in the U.S.
At 9 am we stopped at the 7 Devils Cafe in Council, ID. (No relation to the 7 Devils Bar & Grillwhere we dined in Riggins). I had 2 eggs over easy, hash browns and 3 pancakes, priced at $4.77. Look at this bill:
Marie had one egg, one pancake and bacon, for $3.77. I told the waitress that the prices were too low. She said all the locals complained when they raised the price of coffee from $.75 to $1. Most, cafes and bars are decorated with trophy animal heads, and also 2 signs: "no shirt, no shoes, no service" and "We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone." I find the latter to be aggressive. There is no legal significance and it certainly isn't compatible with traditions of Western hospitality. Sometimes there is a bit of an edge out here. Like the home and garden we passed yesterday in the forgotten and forsaken town of Lucille, stating "This property is protected by the good Lord and a gun." One would think, if they had the faith they proclaim, that the Lord's protection would be sufficient.
It's hard to tell from this picture, but this a bodacious downhill. The mountains in the distance show we are still in wide open spaces.
We arrived in Cambridge at the ridiculous hour of 11:20 a.m. with all 48 miles for the day done. By this time it was probably 85 degrees. First order of business was to get our tires pumped up. Even though the town has a population of only 350 people, there was supposedly a bike shop. After inquiring at a few of the retail shops on the Main Street, we were told that Tom operates a shop out of his home garage two blocks away. When we got there, there was a multi-family yard sale to benefit the rescue squad (Tom is also an EMT). His wife provided the air pump and we chatted with the folks hanging out at the yard sale, including Emily and Naomi, pictured below:
That's Tom seated. Being on the ACA Transamerica route, they are very accustomed to helping out long-distance cyclists.
Our B&B is lovely and our innkeeper Sheila is so sweet and accommodating. As you can see from the photo, we are near the edge of town. We are also 3 blocks from the city center. It's a small town. When I made the reservation, she initially said she was fully booked due to this weekend being the county fair and the annual rodeo, but then she said, you can have my room and I'll sleep in the basement. Talk about someone who will literally put herself out for you!
We got a private guided tour of the town museum from a retired history teacher from the town's high school. Here people thank you for visiting their museum. The museum was cool inside. I'd love to visit the county fair and maybe see the rodeo, but not in 103 degree heat.
It looks there will only be extreme heat two more days, so we'll be out early again tomorrow, headed for Halfway, Oregon.
If this post has some formatting issues, please disregard them. I kept losing the network connection while composing this.
Now for your daily dose of culture, I will share this brief poem, whose sentiments resonate deeply with me: