Idaho Falls, ID

It's been so long since I've posted, I don't even know where to start. There have been so many amazing rides since Denver. Between Estes Park and Grand Lake, CO, we got to ride through Rocky Mountain National Park on Trail Ridge Road, the highest paved road in the US at 12,183 feet! It was breathtaking. Literally, I couldn't breathe. The views were pretty good, too. I climbed with Ellen, James, and Janine. Reaching the top was kind of overwhelming, and emotions flowed. The remainder of the day consisted of a 4000 foot descent and a beautiful ride out of the park. Our 94 mile ride into Vernal, UT, was a mentally challenging day for many people, I think. I had a lot of trouble with the last 30 mile leg of the day. The next day into Flaming Gorge was absolutely incredible, but so physically demanding. I rode with Will for the steep climb all morning, and then met up with James, Andrew, Beau, Sonya, and Tony after lunch to finish out the day in the ridiculously hot gorge. Camping by the reservoir that night was pretty cool, and we got to "bathe" in the not-so-clean water. The ride into Jackson, WY, was one of the best days yet, with an easy 30 mile climb followed by 55 miles of mostly downhills through a beautiful canyon along the Hoback River. And then our day off the following day was another fantastic day. We spent the two mights in Jackson with Jim and Emily Ambler, who are perhaps the most wonderful and interesting people I've ever met. They let 30 strangers sleep in their garage, on their lawn, on their deck, even in their living room. They provided us breakfast, lunch, and coffee, and drove us into Grand Teton National Park to look for bison. Which we saw from extremely short distances! It was unbelievable. We went whitewater rafting on the Snake River that afternoon, thanks to Colin's awesome initiative. I may have strained a shoulder musle in the process, but it was totally worth it. Mary's parents so generously treated the entire group to an evening at Chuckwagon, where we enjoyed an authentic Wild West dinner and show.

Yesterday we left Wyoming with two mountain passes through the Tetons and entered Idaho, our second to last state. We've had two great days in Idaho Falls at the First Presbyterian Church, where the congregation and Habitat staff have been so welcoming and hospitable to us. After a build day this morning, I got to go running around the falls with Ellen and Will, which is a rarity that doesn't always feel good but that I always get excited about. Our route for tomorrow's ride is up in the air for the moment, as wild fires might throw us off course. We have already learned that roads in this area of the country are not so easy to come by. It could turn in to a very long day...