We left Newport, WA, on Friday, June 28, and enjoyed the relatively easy 30 mile ride into Sandpoint, ID. The easy ride and early arrival added to the "rest and recovery" planned for the following day.
Sandpoint is a very interesting town. Located on the banks of Lake Pend Oreille, the town has a population of approximately 10,000. Being the largest town in this part of Idaho, it is very much a vacation destination for both citizens of the U.S. and Canada who live in this general area.
Sandpoint is a very lively town, with a number of local brew pubs and restaurants which cater to the younger amongst us ... and since I am chronologically placed in the "elderly" classification, the "younger amongst us" comprises a large percentage of the population. But the large number of bike riders, kayaks-mounted-on-car-racks, etc., seems to indicate a very active population of locals and visitors. Very interesting town, and my experience in Sandpoint belies my general bias regarding towns/people located in what I consider "the hinterlands", as the general vibe is not that dissimilar to Southern California beach towns.
Anyway, the day-and-a-half of rest in Sandpoint did indeed allow for rest and recovery.
Sunday brought us to Noxon, MT ... a 52 mile ride from Sandpoint. Included in the 52 miles was a 14 mile off-the-main-highway rural road that provided, for me, an other-worldly feeling due to the vastness of the scenery and the massiveness of the ice-age formed mountains. Truly awe inspiring. Truly a humbling experience, even for my massive "Leo" ego. Again, I find myself thinking how fortunate I am to be able to experience all of this.
At the same time, I am reminded of just how thin of an edge we all live on in regards to our health and mobility.
In an email exchange with a good friend I learned of her biking accident, which has resulted in multiple broken bones, an extended stay in the hospital, and current confinement in a wheelchair. Please understand that, for on old woman (her words, not mine), she is extremely fit and athletic ... she finished the last El Tour de Tucson 102 mile distance in a little over 5 1/2 hours. But for a nano-second, resulting in her crash, she is now temporarily scooting around in a wheelchair. A reminder for us all to celebrate our good health.
Today Kim and I head off to Libby, MT, and should be arriving at Glacier National Park in a few days ... then off to Missoula. After Missoula I will be heading westward toward Seattle. On the way I will be making a short stop in Post Falls, ID, for a visit with a high school friend (Phil Beckhelm), a then-close friend I have not seen in probably 45 years. I think if we both are wearing our hearing aids, then we should have some joyful conversations.
So, here we are in a landscape that is most foreign to us both (Kim being from Atlanta, and I from Tucson), so I suspect the coming days will continue to fill our hearts with awe and gratitude.
Yep ... life is bountifully good.
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