evel kneivel land

evel kneivel land
Originally uploaded by rod lewis

To Boise, Idaho
405 miles (5,975)

Before the flat tire set me back three-quarters of a day, I was to have stayed with another friend of a friend in Halfway, Oregon. I knew that I’d have no fun trying to make up the miles I’d lost, so I decided to do it over a few days. That meant that I couldn’t make it to Halfway as planned. I still wanted to meet them though, so I rode to Halfway today on my way to Hell’s Canyon, used a public phone to contact the Bryans, and drove to their house in the foothills for a wonderful 90 minute, relaxing visit with friends I’d never met.
Then it was on toward Hell’s Canyon. Once I crossed into Idaho, I followed the Snake River downstream (North) to the Dam through outrageously beautiful scenery in the deepest canyon in North America. Along the way, I saw a log floating near the bank of the river and fantasized that it was a huge fish. As I got closer, I saw that it WAS a catfish, belly-up, and walked down to the edge to see that it was at least 8 feet long. All my life, I’ve heard of these monster catfish in rivers like this, but I had no idea if it was just Rural Legend, or if there was truth. Now I know. But of course, you still don’t.
The winding, once again “magic motorcycle miles” to the dam, is not a loop, and I think it was the only road I’ve traveled so far, that I had to return by the same road I took. That is, if you don’t count my rejections by the back roads in Colorado, and New Mexico.
Returning from the dam, I crossed back into Oregon for a few miles on rt. 71, and then back over to Idaho through another 29 (yes, it was really 29!) magic motorcycle miles to catch rt. 95 South to I-84 and on to Boise.