Today was a travel day, getting up to meet Kip. I'm pretty tired because I didn't sleep well last night, but I rallied to the airport with Nataly's help and here I now am in Warm Lake, Idaho. The lodge here is very nice; a bit of a soft landing for our big trip. Kip got to catch the end of the Oregon-Texas Tech game (Oregon won) so he was happy, and I got a shower, so I'm happy and looking forward to a great night sleep under the stars. Unfortunately my bike box opened in transit and my trekking poles fell out, and those are what I use to prop up my tent, but Kip is the consummate outdoorsman so he cut me two pieces of stick that did the job (possibly better than the poles did). Tomorrow we get an actual breakfast and then it's off on the first day of riding.

One more comment; I just watched a video on food deserts and dollar stores in America, and it was interesting to see it firsthand as we drove through Cascade, ID. The town had a Family Dollar and a local grocery store, D9 Groceries. But we couldn't go to D9 because it closed at 6. So we ended up shopping at the local gas station, and bought exactly what you're imagining; garbage American food. I tried to find some semi-healthy choices, like a tuna fish lunch pack, but I also ended up with trail mix and a can of Chef Boyardee. I already miss Grocery Outlet.

The plan is to ride for 7 days down to Ketchum and then back over to Boise, where Kip leaves me behind and keeps riding the full loop. I’m excited but also nervous.