It’s our first day touring Idaho and I already feel in the teeth of it all. After some urban trail riding out of Boise that took way longer than it should have due to our lack of familiarity with the area, we ascended away from town.

And then we continued ascending until we finally crested a ridge that revealed the evergreen-covered mountains lined up like saw blades against the perfect blue sky.

Our beginning miles were full of traffic, and I think everyone here might own a boat that they tow around behind their pickup trucks.

Most drivers gave us good space to ride and after around 30 miles of riding, cars were few and far between, which allowed us to focus on the road and dialing in our climbing legs.

I can tell I haven’t been riding much tandem lately because I had several “I want to be the boss of this bike” moments, mostly in terms of when I wanted to pull over for breaks. As the day went along, I fell into a good rhythm with Felkerino and I didn’t mind not doing the steering or braking. Most of the time.

This is our first time riding in a place where we know no one. In Boise, that felt a little lonely, but the further we moved out of town the more it feels okay. It’s us and the mountains, and whoever inquires about our bike.

There were not many towns between Lowman and Boise, but food was found at mile 42 and at our end point at mile 80.

I ate a delightful strawberry shortcake to celebrate Day 1 of our Idaho bike tour. I don’t know what’s around the bend, but with the mountains surrounding us as I write, I think I have an idea.