Day 11: HuckleBerry Shakes, Nez Perce, Camas Prairie, Hail

Day 11: Monday June 16th, 2014
Winchester, ID to Kamiah, ID.  44.7 miles.

The sound of the raindrops hitting my tent at 6:30 am woke me up. Not motivated to pack up in the rain, I slept in. That worked out well. By about 9 am, the rain let up and things were drying out fast. I had breakfast in the tent (bagel, PB & J, bananna, apple), then packed up under the canopy of pine trees. 

Campers from across the way stopped by to say hi and see what I was doing. They were friendly folk, up from the Los Angeles area, making their annual trip to these parts as they have been doing for over a decade. Their father/grandfather who lives in Ontario, OR near the border of Idaho, and not too far from Boise, was the primary reason they visit the area each year. But, they also can't resist the beauty of the outdoors.

They told me of a great reservoir they planned to visit for excellent fishing, near Baker OR. Now, Baker isn't too far from Union, where Todd lives, and happens to be where Paizano's Pizza is located ("The best pizza in the world", according to my brother Jay). We chatted back and forth a bit. I was feeling ancy. Then, the son brought over a bottle of Stone IPA as a gift to me for my travels.  I was thrilled, and thanked them.  Adding that bottle of beer to my load was a challenge. But, I knew it would come in handy later. So, by gosh, I was sure to make it fit!

Then, just as I was about to leave , Diana came by to say hi, recognizing that I was on tour.  An analog photographer, she worked in Old Town San Diego for many years making textiles and other artistic things for the Bazaar Del Mundo. It was nice meeting her and chatting. 

Clouds were looming, and I knew that it was a matter if time before it started to rain again.  It was also in the low 50's (F).  The town was just a few blocks away.  By the time I was rolling out of the campground, I knew I could eat again, so I did. Calamity's was the place, the only place, across from the post office. I sat at the bar and had a big meal. Then, as I headed out of Winchester, I saw a sign out in front of a market advertising "Huckleberry Shakes". On a cold day?  Why not. It was delicious, and I ordered it up with a side of hand warmers, knowing I would need them down the road. 

Then, I was off. My target destination was Kamiah (pronounced "Kam-e-eye"), still within the massive Nez Perce reservation.  

I would traverse across the elevated fertile Camas Prairie with farming 

dominating the landscape, hovering around 4000 feet, before descending sharply into the Valley of the Clearwater River at Kamiah. 

Along the way, a cool train trestle caught my attention. 

It spanned across a river-cut gorge in the prairie known as Lawyers Canyon, and 

was a joint venture between the Northern and Union Pacific railroads.  All through my route, connections were being made to Lewis and Clark, and the name of this canyon was no exception. 

As I pressed on, the sky seemed darker gray in places, with brighter skies in the distance. In some areas, the hills looked whitewashed from the rain falling. I rode up Hwy 7 for about a mile and a half, heading straight for one such area. A few drops smacked against the extended arms of my rain jacket, warning me of what I was headed into. 

Luckily, my turn onto Hwy 162 came quick, with brighter skies ahead.  With the streaming bands of rain now at my back, still teasing me with occasional drops, I knew the storm was following me.  I pedaled fast to try and outrun it. I felt like I was pulling ahead, the raindrop frequency against my jacket decreasing. Then, a dip in the road with a bit of a climb on the other end slowed me down.  As I crept up the hill, the drops came faster. I was losing ground. Finally, the top of the hill, and a flat stretch to increase my speed. As I picked up the pace, the drops kept coming.  Then, a 90 degree turn in the road to the right  that put me running perpendicular to the direction of the storm. The distant gray streaks were now upon me, and the drops were getting bigger. Water was bouncing off of everything; my phone, the handlebars, bags, my helmet. I was in it.

The drops coming faster and faster. Another 90 degree turn to the left, but the storm was no longer behind me. A small incline ahead put the surface of the road in my view and I could literally see where the rain wasn't falling. The edge of this downpour was right in front of me, 100 yards ahead. But, the cloud over me continued to move at my pace, or a little faster as I came upon the next little hill. I watched the interface between rain and dry road fade away. The sound of the incoming hydrometeors increased in pitch. It was starting to hail. BB-sized. 

My rain gear was holding up. Only my hands and shoes/feet were wet. Then, up ahead, the sign I had been waiting for, "Steep Grade". I had reached the point in my ride where I would descend steeply down into the Clearwater River gorge to my destination for the day. It was still raining. 

But my downhill ride was fast. As I dropped over 1000 feet, the rain let up and warmer temperatures greeted me. I was still riding fast, and now my rain gear was flapping in the wind. Beads of water were racing across everything before leaping behind me. It was like riding a bike through the final drying stage of a car wash.  By the time I reached Kamiah, all but my gloves and water-logged shoes were dry.  Here's a photo of downtown Kamiah. 

With rain in the overnight forecast, I decided to book my first hotel room of the trip. I needed a place to dry out my shoes, and my wool laundry from the laundromat. While doing laundry, I met the shop owner, Rhonda. She was a nice lady who told me lots about Kamiah, the town she has lived in for over 25 years.

Kamiah, situated on the Clearwater River, is a popular place for fly fishing, river rafting, and the like. Every Labor Day, the Chamber of Commerce flips the bill for a huge town BBQ, free for all. The town commemorates this and other events with murals painted on the old buildings around town. The one below depicts the town BBQ. 

Of course, Lewis & Clark are included too. 

I retired to my comfy, dry, warm motel room. I had a lot going on in there. I was drinking the beer given to me by the Los Angelinos in Winchester, charging my backup battery, GoPro, two front headlights, and my phone. And, the ironing board served as a drying rack for my clothes, with my shoes resting on the vents of the heater.