I choose hotels that are close to the trail I want to ride the next morning. Just one intersection to navigate to get to a safe bike path along a really busy road then
down a ramp to the Boise River Greenbelt.
When the “natural path” began, it was time to find the paved trail:
Thank you, Ada County, that 1.6 miles stretch is really bumpy.
A deaf bike rider and I ended up at this spot at the same time. Pretty soon, we were making gestures to each other that these guys are crazy and riding bikes is much better. To get in position to “ride the wave,” you could swim upstream to a ledge or scramble onto the rocks and walk upstream, paddle over and carefully go over the edge and set up. The guy in the red sweatshirt was two-footed jumping from rock to rock.
The northwest section bordered Boise State University:
Great trails, lots of connections on both sides of the river. The trails extend beyond the Greenbelt going all the way to Eagle and south as well. I would ride here again. 31 miles.
Despite a chilly morning, it was a great day to explore a new bike trail. OC&E = Oregon, California, and Eastern: a rail way that served the forestry industry in this area which declined in the 1980s, and was given to the state in 1992.
The trail intersects with A Canal Trail, just 4 miles long, I rode both spurs.
The OC&E is 110 miles long. However, only the first 8 miles to Olene is paved. Three bicycle touring guys on mountain bikes passed me. When they got to the end of the paved section, they weren’t sure where the trail continued on the other side of the road. The guy on the left is coming back to join his buddies. The rest of the trail has varied surfaces, hard-packed dirt, sand, rocks, ranch land and hills; close all gates behind you. No thanks, this is where I turned around.
This farmworker rode his dirt bike out to the field and was moving very long irrigation pipes and hooking them up.
22 miles altogether and I was done by 10:15. Time to load the bike and drive on. Boise ID, here I come.
On Thursday I forced myself to put away the embroidery and started making piles.
By late Saturday morning, I was almost ready to leave.
A 4 1/2 hour drive to Klamath Falls OR. Great referral from Whitney to get pizza from
About a week ago, Adrienne sent me a text, “… Please tell me you’re not camping but staying in lodging.” Oh Ade, I think I’ve finally found my preferred style of bicycle touring. Better than self-contained camp-all-the-time bicycle touring. Better than an RV for sure. Tonight I did not set up a tent or convert a small couch to a bed. I did not hook up the water or cook dinner. Nope.
Brenda and Lillie rode over from the east side of I-5. Barbara and I met and rode. Cheryl and Jonathan also rode, roundtrip of 2 miles maybe. Agueda also came by. Fun group to chat with.
I needed a portable project, found one in the embroidery drawer, got the 3 colors of floss ready and other supplies, not intending to start on it at all. A week later, I have three of them embroidered and one quilted.
Glory is quilted. Liberty is basted, has blue lines drawn, ready to be quilted. Rabbit is basted and needs the blue lines which disappear when a light mist is sprayed on.
The Personnel and Public Employees committee reviews and interviews applicants for positions on City boards, commissions and committees. In addition to that, the Active Transportation Commission had to first present their 2022 report and recommendations before it could go to the City Council. This afternoon was the meeting, 3 pm today, City Hall, agenda item #7. Jennifer Donlon-Wyant, Transportation Planning Manager began.
Ali Doerr-Westbrook, ATC Chairperson, made the presentation.
JDW (as she’s informally known) took this picture of Ali and her supporters in the audience: Isaac Gonzalez/ATC Commissioner, BarbaraL, me, Ali Doerr Westbrook/ATC Commissioner, Deb Banks/ATC Commissioner and Executive Director of SABA, Jim Houpt/ATC Commissioner.
More about BarbaraL. Bless her heart, she was the only person (out of 134 people who receive an email every Saturday with information and the ride schedule) to volunteer to attend this meeting at City Hall. She had to work at the downtown library today and I wanted to attend the SABA staff meeting in the morning, so we left at 9 am and rode to downtown. Before the P&PE meeting started, I rode to the library and was able to lock my bike in her office. Off to the meeting, then the ride back to … Chevy’s on the River. Stacey and Elaine rode over to meet us. Thank you BarbaraL for being an in-person advocate for active transportation. Guacamole freshly made for the table: