Day 7: Emmett to Lowman, ID

Traffic, wildfires, and long hot hills – but still fun as all get out! Today marked Bree and Kyle (from KEEN) and Bree’s fiancé Brent (yes -- they got engaged in the Boise Airport!) first day of riding with the group. To make the day even more special Suki from Idaho Conservation League and her friend Sharon also rode with us, it was fantastic to have such great energy and enthusiasm infused into the ride, not to mention Suki’s fresh legs setting the pace for us!

We saw more traffic (and mean drivers) on ID Hwy 55, then we have encountered before or since, then hit the hottest steepest climb to date. And to add to the pain caves we were dwelling in on the climb, there was a clear view down to the Payette and all the rafters and kayakers, frolicking and floating down the cool, clean river. Talk about the quickest way to make a hot cyclist bitter! (Just kidding… kind of).

In fact, most of our day was spent riding along various parts of the Payette River. We saw bits of the North Payette, the river protected from damming by ICL and Idaho Rivers United, then camped along the South Payette and where we enjoyed Pine Flats Hot Springs one of the BEST hot spring I’ve ever been to – it was nestled in a cliff above the river with bathwater perfect water (and no sulfur smell).