White Bird, Idaho to Lowell, Idaho -- 70 miles

We woke at 4:00 am and were out by 5 am. We used the headlights and taillights again to see and be seen. We rode along the old route 95, which has more switchbacks and a grade that is more manageable, but is 5 miles longer than the highway. It was a nice ride in the cool morning air, with sweeping views of the canyon.

After the 11-mile climb, we arrived at the top of the pass at about 7:30 am. We rode down past the open prairie, and stopped in Grangeville to buy orange juice. As we were leaving, we had a brief conversation with a local man who was amazed that we had biked up the pass from White Bird. On the outskirts of town, we met Gary Furman, who has worked at the Nez Perce National Forest Service station for the past 20 years and does lots of biking. We gave him a brochure after telling him about vertebral subluxation. The road from here was a twisty downhill, one of the most fun that we have ridden. 

We stopped in Kooskia to eat lunch and pick up some groceries. Lorraine spoke to a bike tourist from Scotland who had been on the road since May 1 and was ready to head home. The road from Kooskia followed the Clearwater River and was quite scenic. We arrived at the Three Rivers Campground at about 2:00 pm. Lenny met Jim Avey and his friend from England, Ed. Jim is 56 and a retired pipefitter from Cincinnati, Ohio. After telling them about the Ride, Jim asked for a brochure.

Lorraine met Pat Barnett and his son Mitchell when we first got here. We talked about bike touring and about vertebral subluxation. Lenny invited him over to our campsite to check out how our bikes were set up. His wife Patty came over with their 2 children and told us more about her experience with chiropractic. They have a ranch in Nez Perce, Idaho and are real nice people. Pat said he was so impressed with our commitment that he would like to make a pledge to our cause. Lorraine cooked up a concoction of rice, peppers, onions, and beans, and then we prepared for bed. The people in the camper next to us were talking so loud that we didn’t actually get to sleep until 10 pm - way past our regular bedtime!