Day 8-Panhandle-The Final 44 Miles to Victory!

Sunrise over Black Lake. 

I got up at 4:15 (mainly because there was a baby who kept crying off and on, and I needed to get up at 4:30 anyway). I was packed and ready to roll at 5:45. I knew that I would be the slowest on all the climbs. Even though we had planned a no later than 6:30 departure, I knew I needed to get going earlier. I did not want to be the reason we were late getting back to CdA. Even on the Trail of the Couer d’ Alenes, I would be slower. I got to where we exited the Trail. I waited for Jana, who was going to leave earlier too. I was there for less than 5 minutes, when both Jana and Steph rolled up. They had left at 6:00. 

Early morning shadow photo. 

No one but me and the birds (saw 15 herons).

See the flock of geese?

I started the climb while Jana and Steph waited for Ginny. Again, just trying to make it so no one had to wait so long for me. The first climb was not too long (2.3 miles), but the average grade was 9%! There was walking. There were also swarms of mosquitoes! I had to put more bug spray on before I could continue to push Billy uphill. 

Had been way down there. 

I managed to finish the climb just a couple of minutes before the others arrived. Good thing I started early. 

Coming down for a short bit until the second, much longer climb of 6 miles, but only a 5% average grade (so much easier). By the way, Bethany did this same climb, just a couple of days before us. We could see her tire tracks. Lucky her, she had seen a cow moose and her calf. We did not. 

We made good time on the long climb. We had another shortish, but 8% climb, then the long descent to pavement and into Beauty Creek CG. 

Steph using both her sunglasses and reading glasses…so stylish!

We stopped at the picnic shelter at Beauty Creek for some lunch. We were joined by about a million yellow jackets. Needless to say, we kind of ate and ran. 

From Beauty Creek we had just 10 miles to go. One more long hot climb on E Yellowstone Rd. Then a wonderful downhill to the Centennial Trail. 

Bethany met us on the trail. 

Photo by Bethany. 

We all rode the rest of the way to the official start/finish. 

Woo Hoo! Victory is ours!

Too lazy to go take a photo with the moose. 

Billy had made it!

Bikes loaded. 

We went for some food, and then headed to Spokane Airport to drop Bethany off.