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July 2, 2026 – Day 20: Swan Valley to Jackson
Did I mention we did 82 miles yesterday?! After seeing the double rainbow, it started pouring. We were sheltering in the lodge But I realized I left the flap open on my fly so I had to run over to my tent and close it. Not too bad. Just a little damp inside. By 10:00 p.m. The rain had stopped and we made our way back to our tents to sleep. We left our bikes in the lodge.
I did not get up until 5:50. Gary was just about done breaking down his camp and ready to make breakfast so I scrambled to catch up. We were able to cook our breakfast in the lodge and make use of the nice bathroom. NO FLATS! Both my tires were firm and seemed to be holding air perfectly. The nightmare is over. Fingers crossed. We were on the road at 7:20 and immediately climbing! One cyclist flew by us and later on he was on the other side of the road going home.
Our first stop after 25 mi was in Victor. We went straight to the bike shop, Hops, where I bought two fresh inner tubes and we each bought metal water bottles. They keep the water cold. Butter cafe was recommended but they had a 20 minute wait so we found our way to Alpine Air Cafe where we had the best breakfast, burrito and coffee for 2nd breakfast.
Immediately out of Victor we started our next ascent. This one was over 10 miles, ending with 2-3 miles of a 10+% grade. The beginning was on the Old Jackson highway which eventually became a really nice bike path adjacent to US 22, but when it started getting really steep, the bike lane ended and we were on a narrow shoulder and traffic was ridiculous. At a rest stop, I saw another cyclists, but wearing regular clothes and his bike was just strapped with bags. Hillbilly style! I asked if he was doing the climb alone and he said no, Jesus is with me, so that was a relief. It was lowest gear and going 3-4 mph for 3 miles. At the top people were cheering us from their cars. And what an awesome view!
Right at the top of Jackson Pass, a bike path started that was far enough from 22 that we could not hear the traffic. It was absolutely gorgeous and I recorded it all in time lapse. Nothing but birds and chipmunks and wildflowers and trees. We saw some other cyclists and hikers. Although it was smooth asphalt, it had hairpin switchbacks so we were squeezing our brakes for dear life. Again, my hands were numb at the end but so worth it!
At the bottom, we were in Wilson, WY and there was a bike path all the way to Jackson. In fact there were so many interconnected bike paths we once made a wrong turn. I remarked to Gary that it felt a bit like Europe. And if you build it, they will come. So many cyclists and ebikers – more than we’ve seen since Davis and possibly more than that.
In Jackson, we stopped at the Albertsons and got sushi for lunch and turkey heros for dinner. The sky was very ominous and the forecast was rain. We called the Gros Ventre campground again and this time we were told that they have emergency campsites they set aside and start releasing at 5pm.
So we set out at 3:30 and made it the 13 miles to the campsite before 5. The ride was beautiful, on a bike path, with lightning in the distance and some occasional drops.
At Gros Ventre, they set us up quickly and an ultimately short lasting shower scared us so we set up our tents quickly. The site has a bear box, and then the sun came out again, so all worries for the day evaporated. All in all, one of the toughest climbing days: 4,878 ft to be exact and a not too shabby 66.7 miles!
July 1, 2026 – Day 19: Idaho Falls to Swan Valley
NUMBER SIX! We slept in a bit after last night’s feast and woke up just before 6. My first impulse was to check my tires. You guessed it: my rear was down to 20 psi. I figured the patch I did wasn’t holding. In the comfort of our motel room I removed the patch tube and verified that the leak was where the patch had failed. I used the tube I removed the prior day, patched it with 3 overlapping patches (to be sure!) and put the tire back on which is the absolute worst. My thumbs ache from doing this prior days as the need is so tight it is almost impossible to reseat. The skin on my right thumb cracked yesterday and is bleeding by the nail from reseating my tires. Hopefully, the 3rd time’s the charm. It was for my front tire.
We set off downtown and had a lox sandwich at City Bagel. Before long we were on the outskirts of Idaho Falls and climbing a multi-tiered hill. It was not bad, surrounded by windmills, but then we headed north and the road became gravel. This was unwelcome as Ride With GPS claimed the route was fully paved. Uphill was bad but going downhill on this rocky gravel was terrible. I almost lost control and fell on the sea of rocks beneath me, as my rear tire fishtailed.
After that climb and then the downhill, we were in Ririe where we had pretty poor Mexican food for lunch at Los Alberto’s. Then we were climbing again, this time on US 26. This climb went on for over 10 miles though it was more gradual. We were in the shoulder with RVs, trailers, cars and trucks whizzing by. At one point a super wide farm vehicle, going just a bit faster than we were pedaling, passed us. The traffic behind slowed and bunched up which gave us respite from the whizzing. Another time a truck carrying lumber that hung off to the right almost clocked me as it passed. It was apparently too much trouble for him to slow down and wait for the oncoming traffic to pass so he could move to the left. Easier just to honk at me and not even slow down! And some d!¢khead in a pickup rolled coal my way. So much for Idaho courtesy.
Gary and I both observed Barbie road kill. I saw two (one decapitated) and he saw three. We tried to imagine the car ride where the brother kept chucking out the sister’s dolls.
In any case, the views were spectacular and with a Philip Glass soundtrack, I kept cool.
In Swan Valley, we stopped at the general store for dinner and breakfast items. Our destination is The Park at Swan Valley and they have a lodge with a kitchen that tent campers can use. So we got pasta, seafood, pesto and broccoli plus a salad for dinner!
The dinner we (and by “we”, I mean Gary) was delicious paired with an IPA. We showered, washed our clothes, and set up camp beforehand.
Woody and Erica from the campground gave us some great tips for tomorrow so we created a new route to a campground 9 miles North of Jackson. Hoping to see Ann and Chris there in 2 days!
It was a long day of riding. 82 miles in all! And the universe sent us a message:
June 30, 2026 – Day 18: American Falls to Idaho Falls, ID
I woke just before 6 when the sun poked up over the Snake River through my tent.
Our tents were wet with dew, so we left them near the boat launch to dry a bit as we packed up our other gear. I checked my tires and my back was almost flat. What’d I do to deserve this?! I decided to change it rather than inflate and see how far I could get. I took the tire totally off the rim and… Aha! I found a staple size metal shard poking through. FIFTH FLAT, but who’s counting?Gary supplied a tweezer so I could extract the metal shard and I put in one of the tubes I had patched the other day. It was like a heavy weight was lifted. This whole effort took a while so we got a rather late start after making coffee and oatmeal. We hit the road just before 9.
We had decided a couple of days ago to rethink our route to Wyoming (Jackson in particular). Our planned route had a lot of climbing (unavoidable) but on many miles of unpaved surface (avoidable). We’re ok with unpaved, but not combined with steep climbs. So we made a new route avoiding the unpaved roads and found we could reach Jackson in 2 days from Idaho Falls.
I’ve been thinking about (surpringly!) Idaho and Idahoans. Regarding the latter, they are consistently safe and courteous drivers when it comes to our cycling, giving us room and passing carefully. I’m impressed! Plus, as I noted, there’s the Idaho Stop law. But we have seen very few cyclists! Today we saw one on a bike path taking it easy and a weekday warrior pounding it out on backroads. Regarding the former, southern Idaho has many similarities to Vermont. Livestock/agriculture, mountains and rivers, co-ops, windmills, potatoes (well maybe not so much VT).
We’ve been following the Snake River Valley for the last 3 days and first we saw lots of cattle and horses. As we got closer to American Falls and after, we started seeing more of the produce storage and processing plants.
Originally, we planned to camp in Blackfoot, but we changed that plan a couple of days ago and extended for 20 miles to Idaho Falls. The idea was to shorten the next two days which had steep climbs. We road on Frontage roads (Hwy 15) and backroads and even some dirt/gravel roads.
Through Blackfoot, there was a really nice bike path adjacent to the Snake River. I was half- sorry we were not staying in the Rose Pond campground we planned on, because the area was so scenic.
But we pushed on! It was a very long day. And to top it off, I checked my rear tire pressure and it was down to 22 psi! We cycled 84 miles to get to the Yellowstone Idaho Falls Motel. The people there are so friendly and interested in our trip. We washed our clothes and they recommended the Snake Bite Restaurant downtown. Excellent choice! With that extra ride downtown, we hit 88 miles for the day!
Swan Valley next, then Jackson!
June 29, 2026 – Day 17: Mindoka to American Falls, ID
I want to start today’s update, by recounting events from last night. Gary first noticed the raccoon warnings in the bathroom, but ultimately when we went to bed, we just sealed up our panniers with any food and scented items in them. At around midnight, I heard them and peered out my tent and saw them going at our garbage. I scared them away and tried to go back to sleep but then they knocked over my bike! I got out of the tent again and picked up the garbage, scared them away again, and brought my 2 panniers with food stuff up to the shower room. I thought that I foiled them, but in the morning I found my water bottle’s tip gnawed off and a bite mark in my handlebar tape!
We had to scrap our intended route for the day, which involved some unpaved trails north of the Snake River, because the trail did not appear to exist! The new route meant a 60 mile day instead of 52, but it was just as well, as it was paved and very pleasant. First, we had to backtrack a bit, riding into the wind, westward, along the Snake River, but soon we crossed the river and followed it, eastward, with the wind at our back.
Eventually, we were on the I 86 Frontage road, which was basically car-free and I drowned out the traffic noise, listening to the best of Traffic.
There were lots of cattle, sometimes in the road. They begrudgingly made way, only when we got very close.
We passed a Rest Area and thought we’d stop and eat the sandwiches we purchased yesterday. But we couldn’t access the rest area from the frontage road. We decided to just eat by the side of the road which wasn’t so bad except that I thought I left my sandwich at the campground. Fortunately, the sandwiches were huge so Gary shared his with me. And then just as we finished, lo and behold, I found the sandwich stuffed underneath some clothes in a pannier. After lunch, we had to climb a packed dirt road, where the frontage road was closed.
We also passed through a huge windmill farm. Gary and I marvelled at their beauty. Please don’t tell Trump about these.
When we got to American Falls, we tried to find inner tubes for my bike. The rear is losing air slowly though the front wheel seems to be holding. But alas, no tubes to be found. So we got some supplies for tomorrow and had dinner at M&J Kitchen.
We are camping at a free, primitive campsite along the Snake River tonight.
There is a boat launch, so I was able to go in (a bit chilly) and wash off myself and my clothes.
June 28, 2026 – Day 16: Twin Falls to Mindoka, ID
We slept in a bit, but today will not be a tough day: tail winds and 54 miles with some but not heavy climbing. It’s cool (high 40s so we are wearing thermals. The biggest concern is that the State Park that is our destination is fully booked.
We ate breakfast at the hotel and we were off by 8. By 9, we covered 10 miles and also connected with Lake Walcott State Park and, like magic, we were able to reserve a site. Apparently the reservation system lied! We took our first break overlooking the gorge at mile 10.
All morning, we rode on the service road alongside I 84. Apart from the freeway noise, it was perfect. Rolling hills with the wind blowing hard at our backs and the sun warming us. Almost no car traffic and those that passed us went slow and gave us plenty of room.
Until… Flats number THREE and FOUR! First my front tire went flat, so we changed it to one I bought yesterday at Bull Moose Bikes in Twin Falls. This inner June was juiced with some kind of self-healing slime they recommended. My rear tire had also been slowly leaking air, so I tried to fill it and the tip of the valve came off when I unscrewed the cap. I did my best to repair that and filled the tire to 55 psi but as soon as my bags were back on it was flat again. So I used the 2nd tube I bought in the rear tire. With much help from Gary we were up and running again with about an hour lost.
But the wind and great conditions prevailed and we were having lunch in Burley at Wingers around 12:30. We detoured from our planned route to avoid a gravelly dirt road and in Rupert we picked up some food to cook at the campsite and a sandwich for tomorrow’s lunch.
The rest of the ride was pretty easy and the last 4 miles or so was so beautiful along the Snake River.
Walcott State Park is a gem. The first thing I did was go for a dip in the lake and wash off myself and my clothes (biodegradable Dr Bronner’s). Now time to set up camp.
Gary took a shower and then we shot a time lapse of setting up camp. When I have reliable wifi again, I will share it! All that’s left is dinner: rice, beans, impossible burgers and ramen.
June 27, 2026 – Day 15: Jackpot, NV to Twin Falls, ID
We hit the Jackpot! We escaped Nevada unscathed! 7 days in Nevada and as soon as we crossed the border to Idaho, the scenery and vibes changed.
We slept in! Got up at 6:30 and we were both well rested. We stayed till 8 am so we could take advantage of the “make your own damn waffles”. We were back on Hwy 93 but in 1/3 of a mile we were in Idaho!
The road was better. The shoulder was wider and in better shape. We were enjoying the ride, rolling hills, but traffic eventually picked up and I was ready to get off Hwy 93. Our route had an alternative to Hwy 93, but some of it was dirt and with Gary’s rear rack still compromised, we opted to stay on 93 to Rogerson, where Helen’s cafe beckoned us. What a good choice! I haven’t had that good eggs and hash browns since Tom’s in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn (in the 90s!).
Not long after Rogerson, we made a left and found a paved route through the farmlands. This was idyllic. It was cool (low 50s) and windy and even some light rain but it was heaven. Beautiful cloudy skies and green farms and livestock and almost no traffic!
We headed straight to a bike shop and picked the closer independent one downtown, Bull Moose. On the way, we realized we were in Idaho and that means one thing to a cyclist: The Idaho Stop!!!! Cyclists can treat stop signs like yield signs and red lights as stop signs. More importantly, drivers in the Twin Falls area were so courteous and respectful. It was really a pleasure riding around town.
Bull Moose was fantastic. They were able to drill out the broken bolt in Gary’s frame (hanger) where the rack is supposed to attach. I was sent on a mission to the hardware store (twice) to get bolts to reattach the rack. It took a while but it was a chill place to hang, while they did the work. I also was able to fix the tension on my right pedal so I could clip in on both sides of the pedal and I got 2 new tubes, one of which they added sealant to in case I hit a burr, pretty common in these parts.
We still didn’t know where we were staying for the night. The campground we intended to stay Oregon Trail Campground had no vacancies. I had inquired in the warm showers app, but neither of the 2 listed hosts responded. We made the call to hotel it again with temps in the 40s overnight. Hampton Inn to the rescue! But first a late lunch at Koto Brewing. We debated the difference between West Coast and NE IPAs (no conclusion) and enjoyed their happy hour app (seared ahi tuna) and Korean BBQ broccoli tacos (me) and black bean burger (Gary).
After dumping our panniers at the Hampton Inn, we headed off with our remarkably light bikes to the Snake River. It was after 5 but still cool and dramatic skies.
We rode the path along the southern side of the river and saw the Perrine Memorial Bridge, the ramp that Evel Kneivel used in his ill-conceived attempt to jump the gorge and the remaining (half-)eponymous fall. Apparently one of the twin falls expired due to a damming experience.
On the way back to the motel, we dined at Redhawk’s on trout and (naturally, more IPA)
June 26, 2026 – Day 14: Wells to Jackpot, NV
We’re consistently getting up at 5:10 and today was no exception. We had packed up camp, bought sandwiches at the grocery next door and were rolling at 7:15.
We continued north on Hwy 93, knowing that there are no rest stops along the route until 3 miles before our destination. There was cloud cover all day. The wind, which mostly blew from the west, was neither friend nor foe for most of the day and then turned wicked evil at the end. Most of the day it was cooling us off, but also making it hard to ride in a straight line. By 11 am we were 40 miles into our 68 mile day.
All day, we were stuck in the narrow shoulder as traffic (there was a lot of that!) zoomed by closely at 70 mph, creating more wind! The shoulder, as yesterday was narrow and had a rumble strip. Sometimes we only had a one foot width to cycle on between the rumble strip and the edge of the road which often was sloped gravel. DOT NV is going to get a strongly worded letter from me when this is all over!
I noticed an uptick in road kill today. Maybe that’s because we were in a more hospital terrain for larger animals (lots more vegetation)? It’s not always easy to identify animals that are mauled as you pass them on bike, but I’d say it was mostly coyotes and deer. Interestingly, we passed two deer bridge crossings so deer could cross the road without getting mowed down.
As we approached Jackpot after lunch, we noticed two things: First, there were geological changes (large boulders) and then some white stone at the top of another hill
And secondly, we passed into Mountain Time!
The last 10 miles into Jackpot was dreadful. The wind got stronger and was blowing directly in our faces. Even on downhills, it was difficult to go 10 mph. And did I mention the trucks?! About 8 miles before Jackpot is the first rest area, Salmon Falls. Although we had just taken a break, we took another as the wind and traffic was zapping all the energy I could muster. I’m glad we did because it was somewhat scenic.
When we finally got to Jackpot and saw the dumpy RV site that we planned to stay in and felt drops of rains and saw that the temp was going to fall to 49, it was a no-brainer to decide to stay at the EconoLodge, which frankly was less “econo”, than I expected. Of course, it is situated up on a hill! And then guess what?! My front tire was soft – Flat number two! I’m blaming that for how slow I was going. It turns out that the puncture is identical to the one the night before in terms of placement, but we could not find anything stuck in the tire so I used my last tube and hope it gets me to Twin Falls tomorrow.
We had dinner at Cactus Pete’s. ‘Nuff said.
Tomorrow we say goodbye to Nevada! I don’t think I’ll be shedding tears.
June 25, 2026 – Day 13: Currie to Wells, NV
We both slept well, with our tents abutting an old cabin and we were up at 5:10, about an hour after the next door neighbor’s rooster started greeting the morning. The usual breakdown, breakfast making and cleanup ensued. We were so grateful to have a bathroom. Gary left a twenty for Steve as thanks. Steve popped out at 7 am to say goodbye as we hit the road.
We had more gentle inclines than downhills it seemed and I was consistently behind Gary all day. We both felt pretty tired and stopped every 10 miles or so to get off our bikes and eat or drink something. There was not even a rest stop the whole way and the shoulder was sometimes good, sometimes very thin and sometimes non-existent.
The wind shifted but was rarely behind us. Mostly, it blew from our left (West), but at the end of the 62 miles it felt like we were heading straight into it. Hwy 93 N is different than 50 W in that the latter went over several ranges, but 93 goes north in a valley between mountains. 93 seems as lonely as 50, so not sure why 50 gets all the credit as ” the loneliest highway”. Lots of truck traffic and traffic in general, which kind of sucked. There is a lot of monotony to the route and so I listened (when we finally had service) to my friend and ex-colleague, Alan Moore’s, ambient compositions on Spotify.
By 10 am we had covered over 40 miles and we got to Wells around 12:30 and went straight to the Municipal Pool, which is an indoor pool. We hung out outside and ate the lunch we had packed (sardines, hummus and cheese on ciabatta) and met a family driving from Sacramento to somewhere in Colorado. The mom was chatting us up as she has done some bike touring and really likes it. She gave us Trader Joe snacks.
We decided to head to the campground which is on the edge of town and has a laundry but, alas, no pool.
First Flat! When we were planning the trip, Gary noted on our RWGPS map that there is an Indian restaurant one mile from our campsite. So as we set off to fulfill this promise at 5:45, I immediately realized that my (fortunately) front tire was flat. We put in a new tube and used my Trek electric pump to inflate and voila! Indian here we come! Of course we ordered Bhindi (okra, also used in Iraqi cooking), in honor of Leonie Newman, my aunt and oldest living Mukamal relation, whose 92nd birthday is today!
June 24, 2026 – Day 12: Ely to Currie, NV
We basically woke up at the Jailhouse Motel when my watch alarm went off at 5:30. I had a weird violent nightmare that I kept returning to even after waking a few times to drink water and pee. It must have been the fried pickles from the Smash and Grab the night before.
We had the challenge of packing all our groceries and extra water so we both had a bit much strapped on our back racks.
We hit the road at 6:45 and quickly rode the 13 miles to McGill (our intended destination for yesterday). The Pony Express Fuel Stop supplied breakfast.
Around 8:00 we were on the road again, at a pretty good clip of 20ish mph. There was not much wind yet and the road was gently inclining down, flat or gently up. We agreed that 10 mile rest stops weren’t necessary, but maybe 15 miles. One break was at a proper rest area (only one), so we made the most of that.
We were still making great time and by 10 we had 45 miles done – more than we did yesterday! Rte 93 N seemed to have a lot more traffic than Hwy 50 and often the shoulder was very narrow with 1/2 of it being a rumble strip – great for tired and inattentive motorist safety, but a real drag for cyclists.
The wind picked up, and we had some slight inclines so we slowed at the end to 10-14 mph and arrived at Currie at 12:30. We made turkey and muenster sandwiches outside the now defunct Goshute Mercantile. Truckers seem to use the turn off for rests and to swap trailers, especially FedEx. So the idling has not stopped since we got here.
At one point NV DOT came by in a backhoe and dumped asphalt on some rust in the street. That was the main entertainment for the afternoon.
After relaxing in our camp chairs for a while, we pitched our tents next to one of the small cabins adjacent to the abandoned store. Our plan was to hang out in front of Goshute Mercantile at the picnic table and make dinner.
But storm-like winds started blowing and we had to huddle by the building. We were cutting carrots for our ramen feast, when Steve, a (the?) resident of Currie drove up and offered us water. We already had got some from the DOT maintenance yard next door so I said we are ok, but a few minutes later he came by and offered us the use of a bathroom with a shower that he just finished fixing up. It seems to be part of the RV site that is now defunct.
Steve told us all kinds of stories about the place. We learned that it is basically an extinct volcano and the stones and the nearby hills are volcanic.
We both took showers and then found the least windy place to make dinner: ramen with carrots & sardines and a second course of rice and chili beans with cheese.
So we went to bed clean, well fed and with good spirits knowing we have a similar day (a little more climbing but a little less mileage) tomorrow and enough water to get us there.
June 23, 2026 – Day 11: Illipah to Ely, NV
We were up at 5:10 and used the filtered water from the reservoir to make coffee/tea and oatmeal. With the water scarcity to think about, I had not washed my cookpot after last night’s Ramen. Standards are definitely sinking!
By 7:10 (yes, it takes time to pack up camp) we were ready to roll and did start rolling, downhill at first. Then there was a 6 mile climb to Robinson Pass, which ended at mile 20 and we took our 2nd break there, enjoying the apples that our friend Greg gave us the night before. With only 20 more miles to Ely (say “eely”), we knew we had enough water and then some…
We stopped in Ely to have lunch at Juanita’s and figure out what to do next. Schellraiser Campground (our intended destination) appears to be closed. But if we stay in Ely, we’ll have a 70+ ride tomorrow, albeit relatively flat.
After checking around for alternate places to stay in McGill, we came up short and rather than try to camp on the side of the road, we’ll stay in Ely today and push on to Curie (a ghost town) tomorrow. It will be a 76 mile day, but without big climbs or direct headwinds.
We decided to stay at the Jail House Motel on Main St in Ely and while we waited for the room to be ready, we rode over to the Nevada Railroad Museum. Apparently there is a state and a city museum in the same building. We went to the state museum, which was free and more modest, but the guy there told us the real excitement is the machinist shop, which cost $8 and is part of the city museum. We wanted to get our food shopping done so we skipped it and headed to the Ridley’s.
We needed food for lunch and dinner tomorrow and breakfast and dinner the next day. Tomorrow’s destination is Curie (ghost town) and the next day is a proper town, Wells, where we can get dinner. At this point we have covered about 570 miles of our journey!
June 22, 2026 – Day 10: Eureka to Illipah Reservoir, NV
We were up at 5:40 to get packed for a day that our plan ends in a primitive campsite. Fortunately, the Eureka Depot opens at 6 am on Mondays so we can have breakfast burritos before shoving off at 7:25.
Our 1st 5 miles was a long climb and it felt way hotter than the 68 degrees that my phone claimed. It took us 50 minutes to do the first 5 miles and 12 minutes to do the next! What a fun long downhill, but once it got flat again, I could feel that headwind slowing me down.
At this point it started to feel like a slog but we were much better about taking breaks and drafting. Also, knowing that we only are planning 42 mi today is encouraging. We didn’t get lucky like yesterday regarding a rest stop shaded picnic tables. But we did take an nice break for lunch at a pull out.
Again towards the end we had a very steep 5 mile climb. This one took a lot out of me. As we closed in on the campsite, we saw some actual cowboys rustling cattle. They had ropes and everything. There was a two one and a half mile dirt path leading to Illipah reservoir.
The campsites are up on a hill above the reservoir. I hiked down to get a swim and wash my clothes. The reservoir was very low and there was evidence of a more expansive lake: dried sea grass with dried out crustaceans (crawdads, crabs) embedded in it and caked mud that indicated moister times. There was a family fishing. The dad, Travis, chatted me up a bit. They had caught quite a few rainbow trout, which they apparently stock in the reservoir. The shoreline was very mucky and/or rocky, so getting in and out was treacherous. My foot got stuck and I almost fell. Overall not a great bathing experience, though the water was very cool. My clothes seem dirtier than before I washed them.
When I got back up to the campsite, Gary had already made friends with our neighbor who is also cycling across the country! His name is Greg. He is Dutch. And he is riding an e-bike with a trailer.
He’s already made a documentary about his last cross-country trip in 2022. He’s got an SLR an osmo like I do and two drones. He’s even carrying a pair of wooden shoes! He is very friendly and we spent the afternoon talking and sharing stories. He’s a remarkable person. Looking forward to seeing his documentary!
We decided to have dinner together. Meanwhile Gary had much more luck filtering water with his straw filtration system, than I did with my Sawyer squeeze filter, which only let the water through in drops!
At dinner, Greg offered us fruit, nuts, mac and cheese, carrots and macaroons. He was very generous and on top of our ramen and tuna, I left very full.
It’s quite tranquil and beautiful here.
No cell service (or wifi) tonight so today’s post won’t reach anyone till tomorrow.
June 21, 2026 – Day 9: Austin to Eureka, NV
Today might have been the most difficult day yet. I only managed 2 hours and 15 minutes of sleep (which my watch corroborates), so that was a contributing factor, but there also was steady climbing and, when there wasn’t, there was a strong headwind making the downhills and flats more exhausting.
We got up before 5 and Johannes was already packed and almost ready to go! We had heard the sprinklers would go off in the morning, so we packed up quickly and made our usual breakfasts (coffee for me and oatmeal). At 6 sharp the sprinklers went off and we had to move our stoves.
We got on the road at 6:45 and it was a grueling climb. By mile 20, I was pretty wiped, with 50 more to go! We tried to take turns drafting off each other, which we weren’t that good at, but it helped. The horizon always seems so far away, but eventually we get there and there’s a new horizon to chase.
There were no water stops or food the entire way to Eureka so we had to ration. My soundtrack for the latter part of the day was Abdullah Ibrahim, who sadly passed last week. We ate the lunch we carried at the only rest stop the entire 70 miles from Austin to Eureka.
Close to Eureka there were some cool rock formations.
In Eureka, we opted to stay on the Sundown Lodge rather than camp. We rode back 2 miles to get dinner and lunch and dinner for tomorrow at the Raines Market. No restaurants in Eureka are open Sunday night.
We used the motel laundry to wash our clothes, for a change. I’m already feeling much better. Shorter day tomorrow too!
June 20, 2026 – Day 8: Middlegate Station to Austin, NV
As soon as we were in bed last night, the sky opened up and the rain came bucketing down. Again, so glad we weren’t camping! The room we had in Middlegate was very funky. The AC blew in sand so we had to turn it off and there was a funky smell (I thought maybe a dead rodent?). So at 5:10, we were up and packing to avoid some heat and traffic. On the road at 6:40. We ditched our original route to Austin inadvertently and stayed on 50. That ended up being less climbing and offered us a breakfast stop in Cold Springs, where we also ordered sandwiches for the long ride to Austin. We called a few motels for tonight, but all were apparently booked!
The road (50) to Austin was down, then up and down. Some big gradual climbs but also some long downhill. We ate our sandwiches at Airy Summit, the biggest peak of the day.
The last couple of miles into Austin was very steep and I was wiped out with 62 miles for the day.
We decided to recoup at the town pool at Bert T Gandolfo Park. Immediately, we saw another bikepacker. His name is Johannes and he’s Swiss. He left NYC in April and is heading to SF!
So after considering an afternoon ride to Bob Scott Campground, which is technically closed, we decided to hang with Johannes at the park. They gave us permission to camp there! We will go down to town to get food for lunch tomorrow and get some dinner.
At Grandma’s House for dinner, we met yet another cross country bike packer. This guy, Steve, is from Cheshire, England and apparently was at Middlegate Station last night too. He’s heading to Eureka (same as us) tomorrow. The pizza at Grandma’s House was remarkably good!
June 19, 2026 – Day 7: Lahontan to Middlegate Station, NV
We got up with the dawn and saw a beautiful sunrise over the reservoir. The evening before got pretty windy. My tent almost blew away (Gary saved it) and we had to put big rocks on the stakes to prevent it. There were thunderstorms east of us (Tahoe and Carson City) but we got no rain. We made coffee and oatmeal and hit the road at 7:30.
On Hwy 50 again the riding was pleasant except for when the wind from huge trucks would make us wobble. Our first real break was at Wild Horse Cafe outside Fallon where we debated staying in Fallon for a short day or pushing on to Middlegate (another 55 miles!).
In Fallon proper we decided to push on to Middlegate, tomorrow’s original destination. It would be an 80 mile day, but we’d avoid camping at the Grimes Archeology Site or staying in Fallon, which would have been a super short day. We did take a break at the Archeology site but didn’t hike to see anything, except some cute hungry chipmunks.
Shortly after, though, the bolt on Gary’s back rack decided to give up the ghost and he had to fix it with a metal zip tie (I didn’t even know that this existed). But then the hard part. Two biggish climbs and, amazingly, 82 miles! I had a lot of water anxiety, and though I had enough, it was very warm. 🫤 Allman Brothers and then Neil Young kept me going. When Everyone Knows this is Nowhere came on, I felt all was right in the world.
As we got closer to Middlegate, the wind kicked up. Fortunately, it was mostly at our back. Unfortunately, it brought an incredible dust storm and just as we pulled into Middlegate, it reached an unrideable peak.
We opted not to camp and got a room for $40! This day was epic for us, in terms of endurance. Burgers and beers at the Middlegate Restaurant topped off the day (after a salmon, kale and rice plate we got way back in Fallon).
June 18, 2026 – Day 6: South Lake Tahoe, CA to Lahontan, NV
We got up at 5:15 and made coffee and oatmeal (first time) and packed up camp.
We were on the road at 7:30 to beat some of the heat. By 8, we had crossed into Nevada and saying goodbye to the lake:
Then we were climbing again to Spooner Summit. It was not too bad on Hwy 50: mostly two lanes and a wide shoulder. At one point the right lane was closed (DOT fixing drainage) so we had a de facto protected bike lane!
The downhill from Spooner Summit into Carson City was electrifying! I barely touched my brakes and Garmin says my max speed was 36. I would have guessed 40. But it went on and on!
Carson City seemed to be strip mall after strip mall till we got to the old town which was very nice. Gary had his derailleur adjusted at The Bike Smith (no charge!) and we had a delicious lunch at Heidi’s Family Restaurant (turkey sandwich for me and shrimp chili relleno for Gary). I think I left one of my credit cards there. Oops!
After that we stopped at Dayton and Stagecoach on Hwy 50. It was hot, high 90’s so we were chugging Gatorades. In Stagecoach, we bought frozen burritos to have for dinner. The owner of the market asked if we were with that other group, heading to Savannah. He had a visitors log which he wanted me to write our story in. He also asked me to make it funny! We also stopped again at Lahontan Market, 2 miles from our campsite. Weird place. But I got a Coors Banquet tallboy in honor of Miles. It was barely cold.
As soon as we got to our campsite (lucky 13), we jumped in the lake. Fish were also jumping!
We re-planned the next couple of days to avoid camping on the side of the road and reduce our hydration fears. More on that later!
June 17, 2026 – Day 5: Kyburz to South Lake Tahoe
Slept till 6:15, but it wasn’t especially restful. Maybe I sleep best in a tent! We were on the road (Hwy 50) at 7:15 and it was all steady uphill for the first hour or so. Our first 5 miles took an hour! Before 9, we got to the Strawberry General Store, a great place to stop especially for campers. We had a proper coffee and breakfast there. They had some other cross country riders pass through yesterday, heading to Savannah.
I stuck with The Clash to motivate me, as we were back on Hwy 50 till the summit. If I had to sum up the ride it would be this:
At the summit, we got some respite from the whizzing cars and trucks, by getting on Johnson Pass Rd. We had a great view of Lake Tahoe from the top at Echo Summit Lodge.
Then we had some crazy steep downhills. My wrists hurt from breaking so hard. That led us into Meyers where we had very pleasant bike paths alternating with a bike lane on Hwy 50 all the way to Lake Tahoe. By 1pm we had set up camp at Campground by the Lake and then lunch at Sprouts Cafe (had a huge Cali Nicoise salad and a Deschuttes Pilsner). Next stop was Lake Tahoe itself where we lounged and swam.
Tonight, Curt, a rider we met 3 days back, invited us to join him and his wife for dinner. And we just got back from a lovely dinner with Curt and Nora. We all had salmon and quinoa. Such a fun night. 🙏 Just realized though that I forgot to take a picture…
June 16, 2026 – Day 4: Placerville to Kyburz
Despite sleeping in a bed, I did not feel well rested when I got up at 5:20. Best Western had a big breakfast buffet and I filled up on oatmeal and yogurt. The good news was by stopping early last night, we could avoid the detour we had to get to the campground that we had planned to sleep at last night, and instead take the El Dorado Trail all the way to Camino. What a great choice! It was paved and beautiful. A very serious runner gave us some good route instructions and we stayed on the El Dorado Trail till the end. That runner was booking because every time we stopped, he would pass us. Granted we were going steadily (and slowly) uphill the whole way but by the end of 10 miles on the path, when he turned around, he was ahead of us! In fact, we went a little bit too far on the last bit of the El Dorado Trail, which turned to gravel, and then dead ended at the freeway so we had to backtrack that part, but it wasn’t so bad.
We took some back roads that paralleled Highway 50 into Camino where we stopped for a second breakfast at a very sweet Cafe.
We decided to stick with our plan and spend the night in Kyburz, at the Sierra Inn. We called ahead and found out that there are not any food options nearby, so we’ll stock up for lunch and dinner in Pollock Pines at the Safeway. Carson Road, From Camino to Pollock Pines was so beautiful.
Leaving Pollock Pines, we had a back road for about 6 miles with some extreme grades! We stopped for our sandwich lunch on Peavine Ridge Rd, just off the 14 (!) miles on highway 50 to Kyburz. Give ‘Em Enough Rope (The Clash) was my soundtrack.
We were dreading the ride on Highway 50, but it turned out much of it in the beginning was downhill so we were able to move quickly through it. There was shade in some places. And even when we were climbing it wasn’t as bad as we had anticipated. Yeah obviously there was some jackoffs that buzzed us or honked, but most of them were respectful. Even so, a little scary. Sometimes when there’s a cliff to your right and cars moving at 55 mph to your left. The cliff to the right was above the American River and every so often we had gorgeous views of it.
At the Sierra Inn they gave us a first floor room where we could roll our bikes right in. And immediately, we walked down to the American River and cooled off there. What a gorgeous place.
June 15, 2026 – Day 3: West Sacramento to Placerville, CA
Got another early start today. On the road at 7. It was easy because the truck stop abutting the camp was very noisy starting at 5ish. By 7:50 we were having a very civilized breakfast at Steamers in Old Sacramento.
After breakfast we hopped on the American trail bike path, which stretches about 20 miles North towards Folsom. There are so many cyclists. Lots of recumbents, too. Two pretty serious cyclists stopped to say hi. One, Greg, is following me now on Strava. The other, Curt, offered us his house in South Tahoe! Very nice indeed.
We took a dip in Lake Natoma, just south of Folsom. At 12:30 it was 87° when we got back on the American River Bike Trail, crossed Lake Natoma and got on the Johnny Cash trail (fitting for Folsom).
After the Oak Parkway Trail ended, we got on a stroad (look it up) and it was culture shock. No more nice cyclists, hikers and runners, just a sea of SUVs in this mad heat. At a T-intersection, all sides had a red light so we went through. We violated no one’s right of way. Some clown in his Suburban started honking at us so I gave him the Red Hook middle finger (aka the bird). When he caught up to us he started lecturing us about how we are giving cyclists a bad name. What I should have said (and am saying now): “Ok, but you give humans a bad name.”
We were pretty wiped by the intense heat and stopped more often. Once, at a berry stand where the woman there offered us a shady seat behind the stand as we gobbled our berries.
We made the tough decision that we would not make it to Camp Nauvoo as planned and focused on a motel near Placerville instead. A shake at Jamba Juice helped perk us up and we set our sights on the BEST WESTERN in Placerville, where they have been very accommodating.
June 14, 2026 – Day 2: Napa to West Sacramento, CA
We woke up early (5:30) at Skyline Wilderness Park, both of us having slept pretty well in spite of (or because of) the prior night’s festivities. Not only Gary’s party at cousin Michael-Tori and my picnic with the Ernish-Loutitt-Handley + Krupa crowd, but there was a Quinceañera party at the Social Hall by our campsite!
We had breakfast burritos at the Monticello Deli and then started the long and winding climb up Monticello Rd. It was about 20 miles of climbing. Yes there were some downhills but the road was winding and steep. Music definitely helped on the long climbs: Grateful Dead in the morning and King Crimson in the afternoon.
Lots of trucks with boats passing us on the way to the lake. But, to be fair, they mostly slowed down and gave us a wide girth. Towards the end we got to Lake Berryessa and stopped to take a dip.
Our next stop was in Winters, where we had (you you guessed it) burritos! By now it was well over 90° and though the writing was pretty flat when we got to Davis we were so wiped out. That was mostly due to the fact that a bridge we were meant to take was closed and we had an 8 mile detour!
In Davis, we stopped to try and swim in one of the city pools (Arroyo), but it was due to open the next day. So on to our Campground in Sacramento West where the last stretch was on a bike path right adjacent to interstate 80. So unpleasant. But our Campground is very nice despite being next to the freeway and has a pool so we’re feeling pretty good, going to bed now, sans beer or dinner.
June 13, 2026 – Day 1: San Francisco to Napa, CA
It’s here! We both were up early and hit the road at 7:30. So foggy in SF and across the Golden Gate Bridge. So many other riders in packs were also heading north. Packs of cyclists of all ages. In Sausalito it was beautiful and we had a nice breakfast at the Sausalito Bakery. It brought me back to the late 80’s when I did day trips over the GG. Our route kept us close to the Bay and we were often on the scenic Bay Trail. Who knew Pinole was so beautiful?! In Hercules we had a great vegan treat at Dreambowlz for lunch.
The vine trail from Vallejo to Napa was also beautiful. Temps hit the 80s and I felt pretty done when we hit Napa around 2 pm. Gary went on to visit cousins in Napa and I headed straight to the campground to shower and set up tent at Skyline Wilderness Campground. Lo and Behold, Kiera, Spencer, Biden, Theo, Ann and Chris brought me a party! I’m very fortunate to have such great in-laws. What fun! And to top it off, Spencer fixed my handlebar bag so it can close with a tug.
June 12, 2026
Today we cycled to REI in SOMA. We needed propane and bear spray, but I was also able to get some fixes done on my bike (derailleur and brake cable) that was much needed after reassembly. The manager and mechanic, Brian, was meticulous! Both Gary and I did some last minute impulse buying too: I saw waterproof front panniers that are so superior to my old Kangaroos that I had to have them and Gary upgraded his air mattress.
Later we took a plunge in the Pacific to mark our official start at the west coast. And we ended the day with a delicious dinner with Mary and Bob FitzHoward – thanks so much for dinner! Psyched to start our journey in the morning.
Special thanks to Jake for putting us up these two nights!
June 11, 2026
After a terrible first half for the Knicks last night, I figured sleep was more important… That is, until the fireworks woke me up! Anyway, sorry to have missed the historic 2nd half of game 4. I was up at 3:40 am and Arecibo picked me and my bike up and then Gary and his bike and we were in the air by 8:20. In SFO, we assembled our bikes (very stressful) and then rode the 19 miles to Jake’s apartment in the Presidio. We passed the Pacific Ocean on the way!
Heading over to Zeitgeist now to meet up with some SF friends!
So great to see old friends, relatives, ex-colleagues. Thank you for coming out! And thanks to Maureen Fitzgerald for the very cool Rapha hat!
June 10, 2026
It’s getting real. Last night, so many friends came out to see Gary and me off at Strong Rope. Whether you were able to make it or not, we thank you all for your support.
Bike in box weighs in at 45 lbs and suitcase with panniers weigh in at 50.4 lbs. I think I can avoid the overweight fee at the airport. 🤔
I weighed in today at 143.4 lbs. Taking bets whether I gain or lose weight on this ride.
June 9, 2026
Gary got to Brooklyn yesterday. I got my bike boxed up at Bicycle Habitat today and we’re both looking forward to seeing people at our send off at Strong Rope this evening! In 48 hours we’ll be in SF.
June 5, 2026
It’s Elizabeth and my 27th anniversary. 3 cubed.
I loaded up my bike for the first time since last year’s Quebec (West) tour with 718 Cyclery. Then I took it for a spin out to Brooklyn Bridge Park. Everything seems ok! I weighed the bike with just racks and tool bag (36 lbs) and then fully loaded (74 lbs!). That seems like a lot… 🤷
June 2, 2026
Biked to Bethel Woods from Lake Huntington to play Disc Golf with good friends Deb and Kyle
June 1, 2026
Beautiful day for a ride to Callicoon from Lake Huntington with my bestie. 4 more days till our 27th anniversary
May 29, 2026
Great rally at City Hall this morning in support of Universal Daylighting, an idea whose time has come! Here are two fellow advocates, Janet and Hilda (also fellow swimmer)! Who’s Streets? Our Streets!
May 26, 2026
Another challenging training ride today. This time one I’ve done a lot. Lake Huntington to Livingston Manor up Shandalee Rd. One of my favorite spots to eat lunch: Main Street Cafe in Livingston Manor.
May 22, 2026
Very challenging ride to Cold Spring today! Thanks to Rich Miller for organizing and leading Adam White, Mark Burns and me on some amazing trails in Nyack and Haverstraw along the Hudson River.
May 17, 2026
Many people have asked me what I am bringing on this 80-day jaunt across the USA. OK that’s a lie – no one has asked, but if you are wondering I started an inventory of how I packed.
May 15, 2026
River Road training ride with Kurt Vandenberg. First real climbs of the year. Sierras are going to kick my butt!
May 7, 2026
Joining a few bikepackers in Prospect Park for breakfast outdoors, courtesy of 718 Outdoors.
May 4, 2026
After attending the Brooklyn Greenway ribbon cutting on 3rd Ave, rode with Jay Lonschein to Shirley Chisholm park. Check out this triumvirate of Greenway legends.
May 1, 2026
Went on a short ride to Kearney, NJ with Charlie Komanoff. Here’s an interesting view from the Lincoln Highway Bridge.
Apr 19, 2026
Took the day off from training but had a nice walk in Forest Park in Queens with Elizabeth. It’s sad that the Adams administration rescinded the ban on cars that had been in place for 5 years. When will we collectively decide that cars do not belong in our parks?!
Apr 17, 2026
Training ride to Shirley Chisholm State Park. Turning those ski legs back to bike legs.
Apr 11, 2026
Two months from today, Gary and I will fly to SF with our bikes in boxes and on June 13th, we will begin our epic journey. You can follow us here, or by following Gary or me on Strava or on Ride With GPS. We would love for you to show your support by making a donation to Families for Safe Streets, an organization that does so much good and means so much to us.
Feb 2, 2026
We finished mapping the route. All is subject to change but here’s the day-to-day and below is a < 2 min video that shows how we plan to traverse the US
Jan 11, 2026
Jan 2, 2026
We have begun planning the route from SF to Brooklyn. This RWGPS Map Collection shows the segments we have drafted as well as the full route we are aiming for:
Dec 31, 2025
On the eve of 2026, I write my first post as Gary Eckstein and I plan our bike trip from San Francisco to New York.
