This post is a first in a tiny series (or stages) of my recollection of last weekend’s trip to Lewiston for the Devils Slide Mountain Bike Race. This is the first race of the season and it was a great time. This is how it went down.

I awoke Saturday morning and put on a pot of “Fast Lane” tea. I was so super charged that I got myself into a scone baking project. My plan was to surprise my friends with scones in the morning. Today we were traveling to Lewiston Idaho. The scones were glorious but then my packing fell behind. No worries it was to be a laid back day. This is the happiest I have been in quite a while.

Thanks to Triple Ring Productions I was able to get this race on my calendar and also my friends who gracefully offered to drive me down to Lewiston.

Lets see, what should I take. Carbo Rocket, Action Wipes, shoes, helmet, bike …. cash, license, … on and on. When I had finally put it all together in heaps and started stuffing into a couple containers it was apparent I would be running behind the planned 8 AM departure time.

In the car and headed to the gas station I rounded a corner and that cause my gas gage to ms-read a little. I looked down and saw that I wasn’t completely out of gas, just barely. I would make up time by skipping the gas station.

As I approached Lolo I was a bundle of nerves. Just leaving Missoula the needle dropped below the empty level. It was pegged. But here I was at the city limit sign. I turned off the beetle and coasted into Lolo. Whew! 

I found my friends in the same state of happiness and early morning grogginess. I presented my story of about running out of gas and we had a laugh. It wasn’t long before we were all packed into one vehicle and ready for departure. “Wait”, said Ross. “Should we bring wood”? I replied, “Well then we should also bring brats”. And that decision would be the key to a evening by the fire roasting brats. Finally we were off.

On Lolo Pass we hit snow but I had faith. We had done this trip may times to find sunshine and spring like conditions in Idaho. As we got deeper into Idaho the first signs of spring started to appear. First it was little flowers on a little snapshot stop along the river. Then it was the appearance of flowers alongside the road.

As we rolled into Lewiston it was just as we left it last year. The sun was out, it was hot, and the trees had blossoms on them. The excitement to finally stretch our legs in spring like weather ran through out the car.

Stopping in to pick up our little cabin key we ran into a “tiny” snag.

To be continued … (haha, that was fun)