I enjoyed my time in Idaho, but because I’ve been traveling across the skinny “panhandle” portion of the state (only 45 miles across at its narrowest point), my sojourn has been brief. After only two days of biking, I am no longer in Idaho. My trip today (Mon. 7-8), from Sandpoint, ID to Newport, WA, was 34 miles on my bike odometer, but it was a toasty ride and as a result felt like a much longer day than it was. It was 95 degrees when I arrived in Newport mid-afternoon. Tomorrow and Wednesday are predicted to be even hotter–around 100 degrees both days. It’s hard to believe that just a few weeks ago, it was near freezing on a number of mornings.

Due to narrow shoulders for most of the day, there weren’t many safe places to stop for a photo, but when I first headed out of Sandpoint, I got to ride on a bike trail across a portion of Lake Pend Oreilles. Later in the day, I was on roads along the Pend Oreilles River all the way to Newport. Here is a view from the bridge across the lake.

Part of the bike trail was the widest bike trail I’ve ever been on.

Here is a view of the Pend Oreilles River.

I was anxious to get into a cooler environment and eat once I got to Newport, WA. One of the first places I saw was a Burger King, so I stopped there. The Burger King was only 2/10 of a mile from my motel in Newport, but I learned the restaurant is actually in Oldtown, ID (pop. 247). Oldtown is considered to be a suburb of Newport and was my last stop in the State of Idaho. I thought it was interesting how seamless the state border is here. If there is a sign indicating where one state ends and the other begins, I haven’t come across it.

While at the restaurant, a man named Peter stopped by to ask about my trip–he had seen my bike propped up against the side of the building). Peter is an avid cyclist himself but is now 74 and isn’t sure he will be doing longer trips as he has in the past due to some concerns about his heart. A retired physician’s assistant, he crossed the U.S. a few years ago using the same Adventure Cycling Northern Tier route that I have been following. He cautioned me that the ride up Sherman’s Pass in the days ahead, especially in hot weather, is going to be brutal. I asked how it compares to some of the passes in the eastern part of the Northern Tier route, like Kancamagus or the Middlebury Pass, and he said it would be more difficult.

Peter clearly has enjoyed biking a lot. In addition to a number of trips in the U.S., he’s also biked in Europe, including a continental divide trip there. He drives a van as a volunteer transporting veterans and had stopped for a break at the Burger King with a fellow driver.

I’m a little intimidated by the prospect of tomorrow’s ride to Ione, WA (pop. 447). It is supposedly fairly flat, but is over 50 miles long, and doing it in temperatures that may reach 100 degrees will be a challenge. I know, I know. I will bring plenty of fluids, and I will be on my way as early as possible when things are a bit cooler.