Day 8: Ketchum - Stanley

We wake up at 7:30am. We pack and head out for breakfast at The Rustic Moose. We have granola and yogurt and veggie-moose hash (+coffee & OJ) for $30. Good and expensive but a lot to eat.
20 to 11 we start a long climb to the Galena Pass and the wind is not our friend. First thing we conquer is the Phantom Hill (see the picture at left). When looking back, it is obvious that we are going uphill, but looking ahead it looks like downhill.

We continue up and down on fairly sloped hills. At 2pm. we are at Galena Lodge for lunch. We have half a sandwich (turkey) and Idaho salad with roasted potatoes ($3.95 + $ 6.95). We have ridden 40.6km in 3:05.

Ten more kilometers to go and we are on the top of the summit (elev. 8701'). We make it in an hour and twenty minutes. The last kilometers are pretty steep, and we take a break every few minutes. From the summit we have a spectacular panorama looking down to the valley and the Sawtooth mountains.

Descent from the pass is relatively short and steep. Thereafter, we have a significant headwind and some light rain. We cross the Salmon River, the legendary "River of No Return" (see the picture below). The Sawtooth Mountains can also be seen in the distance.

At eight we are in Stanley (elev. 6260'). We rode 103km today in 7:20. The average speed was 14.1km/h.

The evening program consists of combined laundry and dining, actually in the same premises. We order a Gardener Pizza (size medium) at Papa Brunee. We have beer (Alaskan Pale Ale) with it. While the clothes are in the drier we visit Kasino Club across the road to listen to a local band (for $3 cover charge). Around 11pm. we return to our cabin that we rented for $93. This is the most expensive accommodation we have in the whole trip.

Day 9: Stanley - Garden Valley

There is a beautiful fog outside when we wake up at 7:30am. We prepare breakfast in the cabin: coffee, OJ, sandwiches and yogurt. At 10am. we are on the road. It is still foggy. We start to downhill but soon start climbing to the Banner Summit (elev. 7056'). After riding 41.6km in two and half hours we are on the top. We take a short break, and meet a couple of riders that speeded ahead of us in the last kilometers of ascent.
Next 60 miles are going to be the most fun in our trip; it is all downhill and the view is gorgeous. It takes us 14 minutes to ride the first 10 kilometers! The road winds between high slopes at both sides, the other one rocky, the other one woody. Later the South Fork of Payette River joins us.
At quarter past four we are in Lowman (elev. 3820'). There's nothing there, but a guy at a parking lot selling cold water and soda. At the edge of town we find a to-be motel with cabins and a restaurant, supposed to be open in the Spring 2005. Luckily there is someone in we can inquire about lodging options in Garden Valley, which is between Lowman and Banks, another 38km away.
We have already made 96.4km in five hours, but we push on. We keep following Payette River and the ride is still spectacular. At 7pm. we are in Garden Valley (elev. 3143'), and pick the first motel we see, Garden Valley Motel, for little more than 70 dollars. It is pretty new two story log building. The only option available in our price range is a smoking room. We are reluctant to pay an extra twenty dollars for another bedroom, even if the hostess recommends a suite with a full kitchen.

We rode 134.3km in 7:20 today. The average riding speed was 18.3km/h.

We watch TV to see our men's medley team disqualify in Olympic games. The US commentators do not even mention there is a Finnish team involved; they only focus on the top teams, Australia and Russia.
Then we head out for dinner. There is one restaurant in town. The motel hostess informs us about a couple of other places about a mile away "that way" on the highway. The places out of town sound more interesting than the place in town. We keep on walking the road "that direction" quite a while before we realize the place(s) we are looking for are not by the highway, but in the tiny town, Crouch, one mile off from it. Some kids driving by shout "Nice car!"

In Crouch we choose Carla's Kitchen, and have a vegetarian pizza and a veggie burger for dinner enjoying live music played by an old-timer in wheelchair. It is also a Friday night, so the place is crowded. After dinner we visit the bar next door, Dirty Shame Bar. We have Alaskan Amber and Black Butte Porter, Deschutes Brewing Co., Bend OR), and finish the night with Fat Tire and Guinness. Then we have a long hike in the dark back to the motel. There are no kids driving by and shouting anymore.

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