Day 9. Panhandle Campground to Sandpoint, WA, 70 miles

What a great day.

I brushed my teeth at the edge of the river and watched an eagle make morning rounds over the bank. Better view than my bathroom mirror, including a notable absence of toothpaste spatter.

The morning’s riding was A++. It was cool and sunny at my 6:30 start, with the road mostly flat as it ran along the Pend Oreille river, sometimes swelling up into the woods above it. I’ve been trying to attend to Kurt Vonnegut’s exhortation to remark, when occasioned, “well if this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is,” as a form of gratitude. And I have had several occasions on which to dorkily say that out loud so far (once on video, never to be viewed), at least a couple of them this morning. Probably I also had a tailwind; that’s what they feel like.

There were some very cool rock formations and the entrance to the promised grotto, but I decided not to try verifying its beauty because I was alone, and it was dark and slippery-looking. I choose to believe.

Truly going south along the Pend Oreille will remain some of my favorite riding of the trip. LeClerc Road FTW! I crossed the river at Usk for a hot minute to stock up on snacks at the gas station across the bridge, then popped right back to the other side for more super chill river riding.

My ride took me through the Kalispel Reservation, which was beautiful and lush. A little Googling tells me the Lower Kalispel reservation is on the tribe’s homeland, though its 4600 acres is a paltry sliver of their original territory and has proven resistant to cultivation.

Idaho greeted me roughly, not just because I was turning east, away from the tailwind and the river, but because the rudely steep incline it welcomed me with was on the busiest road I’d seen in a while with a terrible/no shoulder. People were mostly polite, but one lady yelled at me. MEAN.

I was actually hot! And had to apply sunscreen to more than my face! I had almost forgotten what it was like to sweat while not moving. Practice for the plains, but with a shade handicap I will not have.

The riding turned lovely again, and I practically glided through Sagle into Sandpoint on a roadside bike trail that led to a WHOLE DANG BRIDGE across Lake Pend Oreille just for pedestrians and cyclists. I think the footbridge must be the old car bridge, but I kept getting alarmed by the ample room and thinking I must be in the wrong place and a car was going to smoosh me.

And then! With rain threatening (pure bluster, it turned out), I arrived at the end of NT map 1 and the ludicrously charming, cozy, and welcoming house of my Warm Showers hosts, Steve and Judy. I’ll spend a rest day here with them and their perfect pets (more photos to come duh) before heading to Montana.

Had an absolutely wonderful visit with Kendall, who took me out to dinner and gave me a walking tour of Sandpoint, from art walk to beach to ice cream (bourbon honeycomb yes please). It was a joy, and I’m looking forward to visiting her at the plant nursery where she works tomorrow. Expect many flower photos.

Postscript: I forgot to share this video from the other day of an adorable passel (actually called a surfeit!) of skunks crossing the road.