Two Loops

After riding TOMRV (Tour of the Mississippi River Valley - back to back century rides from Bettendorf to Dubuque and back the next day) I drove west to acclimate for the Bicycle Tour of Colorado June 19-25 through CO mountains.  Always wanting to see more, I had found routes in Idaho and Utah to ride on Mapmyride.com.  It seems a bit goofy to be riding routes mapped by strangers in states where I've never ridden before, but new adventures are always fun, right?
The Idaho loop started in Pocatello at the campus of Idaho State.  I had printed maps and cue sheets of the ride before I left.  The cue sheets seem to have been computer generated.  The verbiage is awkward at times, and instead of a simple turn right, the cue sheet often reads like this, "Head southeast on W Buckskin Rd toward N Beehive Rd", then the next cue is "Head northeast on W Buckskin Rd toward Prospector Hollow Ln".  Now N Beehive Rd and Prospector Hollow Ln are nowhere in sight when the cue is given.  In fact those two cues were  two of eight cues given while riding a total of 8 1/2 miles on Buckskin Rd.  So the  critical turns are buried in the mass of cues.
Accepting the cue sheet as written (I've learned not to argue with them, just to do my best at interpretation), I started the ride with a nice 1,200 foot climb up Buckskin Road.  It is a hilly area filled with large  2-3 acre lots with horses, llamas and cattle.  The six mile climb was followed by a fourteen mile descent back to the starting altitude.  Then the road leveled out through ranch and farm country.  All the way to McCammon there was a rock ridge off to the right.  If I knew geology I could explain it.  Another subject for future study.  At McCammon I crossed the interstate and headed back north along a peaceful valley.  More neat and tidy ranches and farms.  at mile fourty-four, the route turned west and four miles later the second 1,200 foot climb of the ride began.  Eight miles up and thirty five miles down this time through the Caribou National Forest.  The scenery was breathtaking.  If you need to exercise your sense of Awe, turn here. Coming out of the forest I was continuing that long, gradual descent through the Arbon Valley.  I rode Arbon Valley Road for twenty-four miles.  A peaceful, serene ride.  Very, very little traffic on the route after leaving the U.  At the end of the valley, the route turned East back to Pocatello, paralleling I86 so again no traffic while passing potato farms and endjoying a brisk tail wind.  The temps. started in the upper fifties and rose to the low seventies while sunshine filled the sky most of the day.
The lilacs were in full bloom and planted all along the twenty mile stretch on Buckskin and Rapid Creek Roads.  Have you noticed even the road names are scenic?  And I haven't mentioned Hoot Owl, Sawmill Creek, Marsh Creek, Mink Creek and Portneuf Roads.  It was so scenic I saw only one C store - twice at mile 22 and 41.  Along about mile 85 I had to stop and fill my water bottles with snow melt from the creek along side the road.
If you've read this far, you know why I ride a bike.  This was a close to perfect as bike riding gets for me.  The second loop ride will be another post.  Let me know what you think.