Bear Den RV Resort - Grangeville, ID

This morning it was rainy and chilly at the campground high in the mountains. Chris took off early anyway since he had a lot of miles to ride today, and August and I didn't waste any time leaving after breakfast in the RV since there wasn't much to do in the wet conditions.

I was looking forward to being back in communication with the outside world. We found this bumper sticker at the lodge yesterday that really sums up the general feeling of being in a wilderness area where you get no cell phone signal, no internet, and not even a radio station.

This sign greeted us shortly before we arrived at the campground last night. Rather foreboding, especially for a cyclist! You'll be happy to hear that Chris traversed those 99 miles today without incident.

We caught up with Chris shortly before a tiny town called Lowell and stopped in for an average lunch at the restaurant there. No word on why the population number changed?

Afterwards August and I kept on to Grangeville. It is fun traveling the same road as Chris and imagining what his ride is like. The first 70 miles was basically a downhill coast for him, on a road hugging the beautiful Lochsa River the entire way. It's a very shallow river, and many times I wanted to park the RV and go do some wading. I didn't see that working out very well with my klutziness and Auggie, so I'll put it on my list of things to do once he's big enough in a few years.







The last 20 miles of the drive was a very steep and very long uphill. I started to feel quite sorry for Chris. The good news is that we had finally re-entered cell territory, so I sent him a text to let him know we were rooting for him, knowing he would get it right about the time he started the ascent. At least he was rewarded with an amazing view that would make anyone feel like a champ, understanding that it was your own two legs that had taken you up that far.

We had a few hours to kill, so we found the park in Grangeville. The play equipment was age-appropriate for Auggie, and there was a family of nice kids that didn't mind playing with him even though he was a little younger than them.

We found Little Kid Paradise, a big dirt box with dump trucks, fire trucks, tractors and other vehicles to push around the terrain. I remembered how much I would have gone nuts for this set up when I was a little one and could easily understand his glee.

If amount of dirt on a child is a measure of summer success, this guy is winning!

Eventually we got a site at the Bear Den RV Resort, a really nice place on the edge of town. I talked with the owner a bit, a friendly guy who visits Indiana often in the winter when he drives truck. He gave us a prime spot next to the laundry and shower house (I think he felt bad for me having to lug the toddler around!), and invited all of us to a family dinner he was having tonight on the deck. He has four daughters and the whole extended family seemed to have a great time at their cookout. We have met some truly salt of the earth folks on this trip.

Speaking of fine folks, it started storming when Chris was a couple miles from town, and a kind farmer stopped and offered him a ride in. We don't mess around with lightning, so he was happy to accept. Funnily enough, the farmer had already heard of him as Chris had happened to have stopped and talked to his father-in-law (also a farmer) a few miles back. Word of outsiders travels fast here! Idaho, you're on par with Kansas for friendliest residents so far.

We took the RV to the car wash here tonight to start de-griming it in preparation for selling in just over a week. It's shining like a bright new penny. It's too dark to take a picture, but trust me that The Lep is looking fine. Now, it's getting late and we've got laundry to finish so I will sign off.