From: Mary
Sent: Thursday, 8/07/03
To: Friends and Family
Subject: Upper Lake, MT to Warm River, ID

Wednesday, August 6 - Upper Lake, MT to Big Springs Campground, ID (34 miles, 1550 feet)

Linda, Tom, and Caley left us this morning and dropped the motorhome at the next campsite.  Everyone, especially us, will sorely miss them. In a short time, they settled right into this group of adventurers.

One state down, four to go!  We rode out of Montana into Idaho today as we crossed the Continental Divide for the 6th time.  We wanted to celebrate with a bottle of wine, but all we had with us was prunes, so we made do.

Here's our group at crossing the Continental Divide at the Montana-Idaho border. From left to right, kneeling in front: Jeff Olson, Ray Hanson, standing in back: Bob Ager, Jeff Sweet, Kurt Wilson, Evan Rasmussen, Mary Zalmanek, Robert Martinez, Jim Zalmanek, Greg Ager

Thursday, August 7 - Big Springs Campground to Warm River Campground (47 miles, 2600 feet)

We started the day with a climb up a mountain that had an incredible view near the top.  Kurt and I stopped to admire the view and noticed the smoke billowing from a large forest fire on the southern horizon.

The BOB Boys have been riding together for years, and as it is with any group of good friends, there is always some good-natured kidding that goes on.  Kurt, Jeff Sweet, Robert and I waited on the side of the road for Ray and Jeff Olson to catch up and have lunch.  When Ray and Jeff O. arrived, they asked us if we'd seen the first glimpse of the Grand Tetons.  We admitted that we hadn't.

"You guys might as well be on a trainer in your basement watching a videotape.  The way you hammered up that mountain, you'll never see anything!  I bet you didn't see the 2 bull moose in the field either," they teased.  That part about the bull moose was truly bull.

Kurt said, "Mary and I saw a forest fire.  Did you?"

All of them admitted they had not.

"If you would have ridden a little faster you might have seen it," I said.

Kurt added, "Yeah, by the time you got there, they already had put it out."

The first liar never stands a chance.

We enjoyed a beautiful sunset at Warm River.  That's Jeff Olson in his sleeping bag; he's the only one who doesn't bother with a tent.  He got a little wet a couple of nights.

Happy trails,
Mary

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