I sit under a tree that cries. Droplets of water sprinkle down for no reason. Hmm. We had to trek out 3 miles from Bruneau State Park back to 78. Today was difficult for both of us physically. My runner's legs are ailing from the growth of my "biking muscle" which hurts each time it strains so I rode in small gears today spinning along. Eddie's seat and Achilles were making it difficult to hold a smile but he managed to hold back most of the profanities today.

We kept to backroads (Old Highway 30 mostly) to avoid the freeway. It was quiet, a bit bumpy, but so many less cars. We met a fellow cyclist from Colorado who was dressed in khakis, t-shirt and high-tops. He was heading to Lewiston, ID to see about a girl. He said he called her one day and said he was coming. Without a car, he grabbed his bike and hit the road. Admittedly, he'd already hopped on a train and hoped to catch a bus in Boise to finish his expedition del corazon. We stopped at Miracle Hot Springs at the suggestion of Steven Givens. We went swimming, bathed in a private hot tub, and headed to our $10 campsite by the river.

Penitence, Penance - my ass is in so much pain. Meg has graciously been steadfast during this time of suffering for me. I can only look for the end of each day's ride to hop off of the saddle and rest my body. I've tried fiddling with the saddle position, fore/aft, up/down to no avail. I have now tightened the saddle's leather by stitching across the two sides of the saddle. Hopefully this will help.

This is a day best left out of written history except for one good note: With the day ending, there appeared a 6% grade that would have made this day just "perfect". We were still searching for Miracle Springs and the thought of climbing one more hill in my condition was already consuming me. But as we approached the climb just before the grade began on our right was the hidden entrance to Miracle Hot springs. I'll deal with that hill tomorrow.