Biking Across the 'Desolate' Desert
July 15, 2008—Riding through the hot, desert of western Idaho on Monday, Nathan Beach says he was able to appreciate more fully the green landscape of Michigan, where the Sea to Sea rider lives.
"During my 22 years of living in Michigan, I have heard numerous people make comments along the lines of 'Wow, it's so green here' or 'There are so many trees'," Beach writes in his blog that, together with 63 other blogs, is linked on the home page for the Sea to Sea 2008 Tour currently headed across Idaho toward Utah.
"After rides like today, I can understand why people have this reaction. Today, we rode through an arid desert full of sage brush, short grasses, and stones and sand," says Beach.
"While I sincerely appreciate the variety of scenery—biking through a desert adds a change of pace—I certainly couldn't imagine how depressed and desolate one could feel living in the middle of a desert."
Clair Elgersma, spokesperson for the tour, says Monday's ride was pleasant and not as demanding as some have been over the last two weeks as the tour has traveled southeast from Seattle, Wash.
"When we rode on Interstate 84, the shoulders were very smooth and the wind was on our backs so we sailed along at 18-20 miles per hour. It was a delight," she writes in her blog.
Doug Lutke, who is riding Sea to Sea along with his wife, Joy, says that he has already had 11 flat tires on the trek. "At the rate of flat tires, I will have close to 40 flats" by the time the tour finishes on Aug. 30 in New Jersey. “The average for the total group is about 23 flat tires per day,” says Lutke, of Dorr, Mich.
Tuesday's ride will take participants from Mountain Home, Idaho, where they spent Monday night, to Gooding, where they will set up camp near the Gooding High School.
—CRC Communications