I slept a bit fitfully last night, it actually rained off and on and I woke a few times. Also I was worried about the impending border crossing and my need to get a Covid test in Sandpoint. I got going as quickly as I could and decided on a whim to take a different road to get back on route, and it worked out great and may have saved mileage and climbing. It was nicely packed gravel. Afterwards for most of the first part of the morning I alternated between a low traffic gravel road and a slightly busy narrow paved back road. Most everybody gave me space except for an old F250 that barely missed clipping me with his wide mirror. It was less than a 6 inches and gave me a scare even though he wasn't moving that fast. And then he turned into the next driveway up.... Soon after I scored a Washington license plate which got me happy again. I had to remove a bracket with my multi tool but got it off quickly and stuffed it in my pack to add to my silly collection. I climbed up a little gap about a thousand feet to get to the next valley on a low traffic paved road, and right after I crossed over into Idaho and there was a sign that looked homemade at the border. I continued on and was happy to find a store in Blanchard. I bought some snacks and ate them outside at a little table while listening to a confusing conversation between the two clerks on their smoke break. They were loud talkers so it was hard not to eavesdrop. I really could never figure out which side of the vaccination debate they fell on, they were all over the place. They weren't arguing or even really having a coherent discussion, it just seemed like they took a bunch of normal mainstream unfounded conspiracy theories and jumbled them up to make even more nonsense. It was actually quite hilarious but I had to run, so I gathered myself and rolled away through the old part of town on a gravel street. I stopped at a picnic table next to the library and finally called the Covid hotline for Idaho to see if I could get a referral or info as to where to go. I hate phone calls but never did find a place on the web to avoid it. But thankfully it was pretty painless and he sent my number to another person who would actually set up my appointment. I was on the listen out for a call plus I was trying to boogie the remaining 35 miles or so to Sandpoint to make it before they closed for the week hopefully. I happened to be on a relatively quiet gravel road and got a call. Turns out I would miss their testing hours by a bit today. And they don't do testing on the weekend. So I have to wait till Monday. Or go down to Coeur d'Alene. That seemed a silly waste plus Sandpoint is a nice enough place to chill for awhile. Oh well. So I rolled away, liberated a bit from any sort of duty to mileage or town goals, and tried to take my time a bit. Soon though I was trying to outrun a couple rainstorms that had gathered in the early afternoon. I made it to a little Fed campground at Springy Point and asked if they had any spots but of course they were booked for the weekend. I couldn't have timed getting here any worse. So I headed in the direction of town. But there was heavy rain in front of me so turned back to the Fish Hatchery I just had passed and intended to wait it out a few minutes under a covered area. But it stopped raining when I got there. But I did fill my bottles for good measure with their faucet. In the time I had killed the storm already moved away so I got going. I had to cross a highway to get to the bike path across the lake. And it was almost impossible. It was a two lane affair and high speed where I was. Basically no gaps in traffic at all. I waited a good 10 minutes or so until I could finally race straight across, and hoof it up the grassy hill directly to the path. I had wanted to go to a little driveway cut a hundred feet or so down but that was impossible. But I made it and got to cross the lake on an old highway bridge that I had entirely to myself. So luxuriously wide and if you could ignore the roar and whizzing of the cars it was beautiful. Off towards town I could see a small storm raining down on the mountains across the lake on the edge of town. More storms looked to be gathering off to the north so I was keen on getting town over and done with and find a campsite. I found an outdoor store in the cute downtown and I bought a fuel canister (old one ran out this morning) and some sealant to put in my front tube to hopefully help with goatheads and small punctures. I stopped and got some food at the Safeway and as it turned out I had to head right back the way I came to get to the closest suitable national forest land. Yet another storm formed and caught up with me all loaded down with fluids and too many groceries on Bottle Bay road. It looked like it would pass over soon so I threw on my raincoat over me and my backpack and waited beside the road underneath some big shady hemlocks. While waiting a nice local cyclist stopped beside me in his truck and asked if I was ok or needed a ride. I explained my situation and we chatted for awhile about my trip and my bike and setup. Really nice guy. While we talked the storm stopped completely, and I got rolling. Only a few miles down the road I began up a steep mountain bike trail that I climbed almost all of I am proud to say, to the first bit of flat knoll in the national forest. I found a suitable site slightly over on the other side of a little ridge between me and the trail and a good distance away. Fantastic campsite. Dense forest, very quiet and the air smells so clean after even only a little rain.