Coeur d’Alene visits

Yesterday AM I bid former neighbor Bill, his dog, and cat adieu and headed east for Idaho. First up was riding MT Coeur d’Alene followed by a visit to Andy & Jen in the city of same name.

Last year on my annual MT C d’A ride I met local Tim @ the TH by happenstance. He introduced  me to his loop ride. Today i was on my own to make the correct closed logging roads to ride to rejoin the trail. For your info the ride went like this: Ride up trail 257 to intersection w/ logging road, turn left and ride to rejoin trail 257 dropping down into the “hole” where tr 22 climbs out. Ride 227 to new piece of ST and climb out of the hole. Turn right on the decommissioned logging road climbing and noddling out of drainage. Turn left on more traveled logging road to where 227 crosses the rd. Turn right and grunt and hike a bike to junction of Caribou ridge. Turn left on Caribou dropping down until right turn on new ST. Follow worn bike track to jnct of 257, turn left back to start. Vicious day, not overly long but taxing climbs. I sweated profusely which was unusual. Ride was 18.79 miles climbing 3281′. Chilled off w/ a quick dip in name sake lake.

Off to join Jen @ C d’A market. I spied their cool orange air cooled VW camper. Then I spotted Jen at the same time she picked me out of the crowd. She owns Mountain Madness soap company that makes hand made soap w/ lye. She keeps creating more mixes and configuration, some seem such a shame to actually use. I said hello to the woman who sewed my apron I bought 2 years ago.

A young woman perused Jen’s soaps. I learned she was heading to Evergreen state college in Olympia to study sustainable agriculture. She is pretty sharp, articulate, well spoken, and well read. She is top drawer intellect. If you know about Evergreen you will understand her qualifications. Recently read book: Atlas Shrugged. For a high school senior. Wow. We held each other’s attention for many minutes. Ah, opportunities missed. Ah, Emily.

Jen gave me 3 bars of different fragrance soaps that are adding a wonderful smell to my van. I helped Jen and Andy tear down her booth. They took me to dinner @ Moon Time, the parent of the Elk in Spokane that I like. A short walk returned us to their house for more conversation. I really enjoy them.

I slept in their driveway. I was awakened by rain on the roof causing me to get up to throw the rain cover over the bikes. later I was treated to a city flock of wild turkeys pecking their way thru the neighborhood.

Two nights previously I twisted my back that caused me pain and discomfort such that I could not stand straight up. Early today I called Dan the chiro and scored a morning appointment. I visited w/ Jen as long as I could then dashed off back to Liberty Lake for the treatment. Damn SI joints.

Next was visit to stereo installer for XM solution. I opened the box to see steps to update the programming via internet thru a computer. Denis fished out the receiver from under the dash and I let the program update which so far appears to solve the cutting out problem If so i have an issue w/ tech support @ Crutchfield: I bought $110 of unneeded hardware.

More next: I drove up to Sandpoint to visit the Greasy Fingers bike shop that per Dirty Fingers is a rip off of his web site. I wore the Dirty Finger jersey. I walked around his small shop displaying the Dirty Fingers logo on the back. I asked Brian about this shop to which he replied he had no comments to make. I realized that I had no dog in the fight between shops and should not have interfered. Let the shop owners and their posses duke it out. Brian I learned is president of the local mtn bike club during our conversation. He  commented that the local USFS have been supportive of the club’s trail work. I learned of a new trail that I am going to ride tomorrow: Mineral Point.

Next weekend is an IMBA trail care crew visit in McCall, ID lead by Steve and Morgan whom I have met several times. I might go thru McCall to participate. I finally started planning a route to Sun Valley where I might get caught up in the Leaf Peeper color change as I might be too far away from CO to catch prime.

Just finished laundry in Sandpoint. Need to buy groceries then head to Mineral point. So many places to be at the same time.

Out of here.