Miles 67.5
Ride time 4:42
Elevation gain 3162'
Today we headed out of Libby on quiet roads towards Eureka, a small town that is only about 7 miles away from Canada. The ride was along SR 37, a very pretty stretch of road that ran along the Kootenai River which then became the Kootenai Lake. We came to where they had built a large dam, called the Koocanusa Dam. The name was chosen from a contest and combines Kootenai, Canada and USA. The river runs up into Canada, some 100 miles. It was a beautiful waterway.
It was amazing to see hardly any boats. I think we only saw 3 or 4. We saw a bald eagle fly away quite near us. It was feasting on a deer that was on the side of the road. What a huge wingspan it had!
We were really lucky with nice moderate temperatures, but best of all, we had a lovely tailwind!
The rock walls along the side of the road were striated with so many colors. Sometimes the walls were over 30 feet tall. Signs on the road warned of being aware of "fallen" rock, but honestly I was more concerned about having a slide happen as we rode by. Some of the rocks looked like they were ready to go any minute. We had some nice downhills, but it was surprising how much we actually climbed today. Most of the grades were between 4-6 %, but the legs were a bit tired today.
We had some rollers right before we got into "town". Town for our purposes consists of a combo gas station, bakery, mini mart, Subway, and oh by the way, a motel. We had to go to the minimart to get our room key. But it was great to get in, get off the bike seat and have a sandwich at Subway.
The area around us is stunning with green forested mountains. There are wide open grasslands and rolling hills. If it weren't for the power lines, beer trucks and casinos, it would be a lovely setting all around. Still, is a clean place to stay, a hot shower and a decent bed so I have no complaints!
I hope that Rose is able to view my blog! I will see you in a few weeks in Fargo!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Sandpoint, ID. To Libby, MT
Miles 95.1
Ride time 6:06
Elevation gain 2837'
Today we left Sanpoint and the sate of Idaho for Libby, Montana and a change in time zone. We crossed into Mountain Standard Time so we have gained an hour. We almost missed the Montana sign as it was kind of small. I noticed that the highway sign said, "Montana" underneath the route 200, then I saw the Montana sign. This was as we were all on a great downhill. I yelled that I was stopping, but we still almost had a pile up. We did our pictures and headed on out. The roads in Montana are the best yet as far as surface for ridiing. Nice and smooth with clean wide shoulders to ride on. It is a bit crazy that speed limit for cars says 70, but so far all of the drivers have been very polite to us cyclists. The road traffic is very minimal anyway so we had a very nice ride into Libby. It was a long day on the bike, though and all of us were happy to get in for the day. We had a great dinner as usual in a small park behind the hotel. I noticed a group of women that were dressed in long skirts and bonnets, perhaps the Mennonites have a community here.
I hope we will see some wildlife..though not too close. We have seen quite a few Osprey flying around, very cool.
Tomorrow we will head out to Eureka which is north of Libby and only about 7 miles from the Canadian border.
Ride time 6:06
Elevation gain 2837'
Today we left Sanpoint and the sate of Idaho for Libby, Montana and a change in time zone. We crossed into Mountain Standard Time so we have gained an hour. We almost missed the Montana sign as it was kind of small. I noticed that the highway sign said, "Montana" underneath the route 200, then I saw the Montana sign. This was as we were all on a great downhill. I yelled that I was stopping, but we still almost had a pile up. We did our pictures and headed on out. The roads in Montana are the best yet as far as surface for ridiing. Nice and smooth with clean wide shoulders to ride on. It is a bit crazy that speed limit for cars says 70, but so far all of the drivers have been very polite to us cyclists. The road traffic is very minimal anyway so we had a very nice ride into Libby. It was a long day on the bike, though and all of us were happy to get in for the day. We had a great dinner as usual in a small park behind the hotel. I noticed a group of women that were dressed in long skirts and bonnets, perhaps the Mennonites have a community here.
I hope we will see some wildlife..though not too close. We have seen quite a few Osprey flying around, very cool.
Tomorrow we will head out to Eureka which is north of Libby and only about 7 miles from the Canadian border.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Sandpoint- rest day
Between yesterday afternoon and today, I did laundry, cleaned the bike and mailed back a few things that I did't really need anymore.
The thing with being this far north is, it gets light about 4:30am. So I woke up at 4:30. I made myself go back to sleep until 6. The hotel had free breakfast so Jennifer, Amy and I went to check it out. We had a few things to eat. We then walked around to find a Cafe or something that would have a nicer breakfast, but could't find one. We went back for round two at the free breakfast. It is amazing how hungry I am. I am trying not to overeat, but I eat hungry a lot. The challenge will be to scale it all back when I get home!
We checked out the town. There is a nice bike shop and some fun stores. There is actually a beach with sand. The lake water is very cold, though. I noticed few swimmers in the water!
Today was a good day to just recover. Tomorrow we have a very long day. We will ride into Montana tomorrow. The country that we have seen so far is absolutely some of the most beautiful I have ever seen. The mountains, all of the flowers and waterfalls, the rushing creeks and wide rivers and the lush green fields and farms are truly magnificent. Seeing it all on a bike has been a real treat. The simplicity of bike touring really adds to the experience for me.
The thing with being this far north is, it gets light about 4:30am. So I woke up at 4:30. I made myself go back to sleep until 6. The hotel had free breakfast so Jennifer, Amy and I went to check it out. We had a few things to eat. We then walked around to find a Cafe or something that would have a nicer breakfast, but could't find one. We went back for round two at the free breakfast. It is amazing how hungry I am. I am trying not to overeat, but I eat hungry a lot. The challenge will be to scale it all back when I get home!
We checked out the town. There is a nice bike shop and some fun stores. There is actually a beach with sand. The lake water is very cold, though. I noticed few swimmers in the water!
Today was a good day to just recover. Tomorrow we have a very long day. We will ride into Montana tomorrow. The country that we have seen so far is absolutely some of the most beautiful I have ever seen. The mountains, all of the flowers and waterfalls, the rushing creeks and wide rivers and the lush green fields and farms are truly magnificent. Seeing it all on a bike has been a real treat. The simplicity of bike touring really adds to the experience for me.
Bear Paw Camp to Sandpoint, Id.
Miles 46.4
Ride time 46.8
Elevation gain 1341'
Total miles 610.6
We rode out of our camp, up the dirt road out out, on our way to cross into another state. We leave the state of Washington for a very brief trip into Idaho. Everyone was looking forward to having a rest day, as we have ridden over 300 miles in the last five days. My legs are hanging in there, sore, but not bad.
The coolest thing I saw today was an Osprey nest that was on top of a power pole by the side of the road. It was kind of a short pole and the nest was huge. I saw the mom sitting on the nest and stopped to try to get a photo. She did not like us there at all and left the nest, circling and making lots of noise. We decided to move on, but it was quite a sight.
We crossed into Idaho and encountered some more wind. Then we finally made a left onto highway 95 was got the gift of a tailwind all the way into town. We crossed lake Pend Oreille, which is pronounced "Pond-da-ray". It is the second largest lake west of the Mississippi that is over 1100 feet deep. It is a gorgeous body of water, surrounded by mountains, quite a setting. No wonder people like it here.
We came into Sandpoint on a bumpy bike path, but we were glad not to have to been on the highway. We crossed the lake on the old bridge that was left next to the new one. It was great as it was wide and separated from the cars by a concrete barrier.
We got into Sandpoint and rode through the quant historical area to get to our hotel. It is a very nice town. It will be fun to explore it when on our rest day tomorrow!
Ride time 46.8
Elevation gain 1341'
Total miles 610.6
We rode out of our camp, up the dirt road out out, on our way to cross into another state. We leave the state of Washington for a very brief trip into Idaho. Everyone was looking forward to having a rest day, as we have ridden over 300 miles in the last five days. My legs are hanging in there, sore, but not bad.
The coolest thing I saw today was an Osprey nest that was on top of a power pole by the side of the road. It was kind of a short pole and the nest was huge. I saw the mom sitting on the nest and stopped to try to get a photo. She did not like us there at all and left the nest, circling and making lots of noise. We decided to move on, but it was quite a sight.
We crossed into Idaho and encountered some more wind. Then we finally made a left onto highway 95 was got the gift of a tailwind all the way into town. We crossed lake Pend Oreille, which is pronounced "Pond-da-ray". It is the second largest lake west of the Mississippi that is over 1100 feet deep. It is a gorgeous body of water, surrounded by mountains, quite a setting. No wonder people like it here.
We came into Sandpoint on a bumpy bike path, but we were glad not to have to been on the highway. We crossed the lake on the old bridge that was left next to the new one. It was great as it was wide and separated from the cars by a concrete barrier.
We got into Sandpoint and rode through the quant historical area to get to our hotel. It is a very nice town. It will be fun to explore it when on our rest day tomorrow!
Colville to Bear Paw, Wa.
Miles 81.3
Ride time 5:55
Elevation gain 3156'
Today we left Colville under already warm weather. We turned right up a small road away from the downtown area and had the shock of an uphill climb! What, no warm up? How cruel to legs that are now on the 4th consecutive day of riding. We made our way up rode through some very nice farm country, with of course, some very nice horses. I have seen more bueatiful, healthy horses on this trip that I have ever seen in my whole life. It has been a feast for the eyes.
We were in quite a rural area today, with food and drink in short supply as far as stores or towns. The Sag was our lifeline with all kinds of great snacks and water for our bottles. We had one sag stop at a place called Crystal Falls. The falls were amazing, and the sunlight was perfect as it highlighted the water cascading down the rocks. It was a nice place to stop.
We stopes at a place at mile 40 to get get some food, as this ws going to be the last place we could get anything before we got to our stop for the night, which is a summer cabin camp that was remote and had few facilities. We had a great breakfast at the Cabin Grill. I ordered a sandwich to go was able to put it in the cooler in the van for later.
We rode out and soon we turned off onto a road that headed right into the increasing wind. We were all tired and decided we would take turns pace lining in. At this point it was me, Jennifer and Amy. It was great to get a rest at the back after taking on the work at the front. Along the way, we picked up Kathryn, who was battling the wind alone. We put her in the midlle and freight trained our way in, each of us taking a 5 mile turn at the front. It has been said that the work at the back of the line is decreased by 30%. It helped all of us get in. We finally saw our turnoff for Bear Paw Camp. We had a half mile bumpy ride into camp on a dirt road, but we happy to get off the bike as it had been a long day.
We picked up our garbage bag that held a pillow, sheets and towel and picked out our cabin for the night. Each cabin had bunk beds that looked like they were from WW II. The bathrooms were located in an adjacent building. They had a sauna and an outdoor pool. Even though it was somewhat primitive, it was a beautiful place. It had by far the nicest pool. The sauna was nice, too. We ate indoors in the dining area. It was a really pretty place, right next to the river, with it's own dock and everything. The spirits of thousands of children floating all over!
Ride time 5:55
Elevation gain 3156'
Today we left Colville under already warm weather. We turned right up a small road away from the downtown area and had the shock of an uphill climb! What, no warm up? How cruel to legs that are now on the 4th consecutive day of riding. We made our way up rode through some very nice farm country, with of course, some very nice horses. I have seen more bueatiful, healthy horses on this trip that I have ever seen in my whole life. It has been a feast for the eyes.
We were in quite a rural area today, with food and drink in short supply as far as stores or towns. The Sag was our lifeline with all kinds of great snacks and water for our bottles. We had one sag stop at a place called Crystal Falls. The falls were amazing, and the sunlight was perfect as it highlighted the water cascading down the rocks. It was a nice place to stop.
We stopes at a place at mile 40 to get get some food, as this ws going to be the last place we could get anything before we got to our stop for the night, which is a summer cabin camp that was remote and had few facilities. We had a great breakfast at the Cabin Grill. I ordered a sandwich to go was able to put it in the cooler in the van for later.
We rode out and soon we turned off onto a road that headed right into the increasing wind. We were all tired and decided we would take turns pace lining in. At this point it was me, Jennifer and Amy. It was great to get a rest at the back after taking on the work at the front. Along the way, we picked up Kathryn, who was battling the wind alone. We put her in the midlle and freight trained our way in, each of us taking a 5 mile turn at the front. It has been said that the work at the back of the line is decreased by 30%. It helped all of us get in. We finally saw our turnoff for Bear Paw Camp. We had a half mile bumpy ride into camp on a dirt road, but we happy to get off the bike as it had been a long day.
We picked up our garbage bag that held a pillow, sheets and towel and picked out our cabin for the night. Each cabin had bunk beds that looked like they were from WW II. The bathrooms were located in an adjacent building. They had a sauna and an outdoor pool. Even though it was somewhat primitive, it was a beautiful place. It had by far the nicest pool. The sauna was nice, too. We ate indoors in the dining area. It was a really pretty place, right next to the river, with it's own dock and everything. The spirits of thousands of children floating all over!
Friday, June 25, 2010
Republic to Colville
Miles 56.6
Ride time 4:35
Elevation gain 4115'
Today was a really nice ride, we left Republic under clear and cool conditions. We had only a short downhill warmup, then we started our climb. It was not as steep though, or at least it did't seem like it. Maybe we are all getting in better shape! It was a beautiful ride, at one point we were riding along this steam that was rushing parallel tom the road. At times there would be places where it would cascade down in waterfalls. We saw a very large deer as it crossed the road. The deer at home are about half that size!
We got to the top of Sherman Pass, which was at 5575'. Then we had over six miles of amazing downhill. The road was good, there was a good shoulder, but really no traffic. It seemed to go on forever. What a blast! There is nothing like crusing downhill on a bike, it is like flying. It was a litlle cold as I had left my jacket behind, but not unbearable.
We rode through a very pretty valley near the town of Kettle Falls, lots of green fields, flowers and great views of the surrounding mountains. In the distance we could see the snowy patch of one of the mountains we had climbed up earlier.
We turned at the intersection of highway 395-so funny as this same highway runs to California on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada.
We had to walk our bike across the bridge that spanned the Columbia River at Roosevelt Dam, what an amazing body of water.
After crossig the bridge we took a nice quiet sideroad. We passed a big Boise log processing facility that had giant piles of logs everywhere with more comong in on logging trucks to be added to the pile.
We rode on in to Colville by early afternoon, but it was already really warm. They have a pool here, but it was indoors and it was stifiling in there so we all settled for a shower and then a salad at a sandwich shop nearby.
Tomorrow is going to be a fairly long day, but not so much climbing. We are almost to Idaho!
Ride time 4:35
Elevation gain 4115'
Today was a really nice ride, we left Republic under clear and cool conditions. We had only a short downhill warmup, then we started our climb. It was not as steep though, or at least it did't seem like it. Maybe we are all getting in better shape! It was a beautiful ride, at one point we were riding along this steam that was rushing parallel tom the road. At times there would be places where it would cascade down in waterfalls. We saw a very large deer as it crossed the road. The deer at home are about half that size!
We got to the top of Sherman Pass, which was at 5575'. Then we had over six miles of amazing downhill. The road was good, there was a good shoulder, but really no traffic. It seemed to go on forever. What a blast! There is nothing like crusing downhill on a bike, it is like flying. It was a litlle cold as I had left my jacket behind, but not unbearable.
We rode through a very pretty valley near the town of Kettle Falls, lots of green fields, flowers and great views of the surrounding mountains. In the distance we could see the snowy patch of one of the mountains we had climbed up earlier.
We turned at the intersection of highway 395-so funny as this same highway runs to California on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada.
We had to walk our bike across the bridge that spanned the Columbia River at Roosevelt Dam, what an amazing body of water.
After crossig the bridge we took a nice quiet sideroad. We passed a big Boise log processing facility that had giant piles of logs everywhere with more comong in on logging trucks to be added to the pile.
We rode on in to Colville by early afternoon, but it was already really warm. They have a pool here, but it was indoors and it was stifiling in there so we all settled for a shower and then a salad at a sandwich shop nearby.
Tomorrow is going to be a fairly long day, but not so much climbing. We are almost to Idaho!
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Omak to Republic
Miles 69.5
Ride time 5:27
Elevation gain 4330'
Today we headed out for another day of climbing. We had warm weather to start, even at 6:30 in the morning. We had a fairly flat warm up of about 13 miles, then we started the first of our many miles of up. This morning when I went to breakfast at the hotel in Omak they had individually wrapped powdered donuts....I carried one over 50 miles to the top of Wauconda Pass (elevation 4310'). I shared my prize with Jennifer and Amy. What a treat!
We rolled downhill after the pass and it was fun except the road surface was such that I really had to pay attention to where the good parts of the road were. We got to our hotel in Republic, a small town with a short Main St. After showering off of the road grime the three of us set out in search of some real food. We found a Mexican place and had a bite to eat..should hold us over until dinner!
The hardest thing is trying to gauge if I am eating too much, I am trying not to eat too much junk. Except the donut! At least I rode a ways before I ate it.
The coolest thing about today was seeing so many horses. One barn must have had about 15 of them all hanging out in the shade. The horses we saw today all looked very healthy and well fed. I have seen so many Paints out here. The prettiest one of the day though was this big palomino-absolutely beautiful!
Ride time 5:27
Elevation gain 4330'
Today we headed out for another day of climbing. We had warm weather to start, even at 6:30 in the morning. We had a fairly flat warm up of about 13 miles, then we started the first of our many miles of up. This morning when I went to breakfast at the hotel in Omak they had individually wrapped powdered donuts....I carried one over 50 miles to the top of Wauconda Pass (elevation 4310'). I shared my prize with Jennifer and Amy. What a treat!
We rolled downhill after the pass and it was fun except the road surface was such that I really had to pay attention to where the good parts of the road were. We got to our hotel in Republic, a small town with a short Main St. After showering off of the road grime the three of us set out in search of some real food. We found a Mexican place and had a bite to eat..should hold us over until dinner!
The hardest thing is trying to gauge if I am eating too much, I am trying not to eat too much junk. Except the donut! At least I rode a ways before I ate it.
The coolest thing about today was seeing so many horses. One barn must have had about 15 of them all hanging out in the shade. The horses we saw today all looked very healthy and well fed. I have seen so many Paints out here. The prettiest one of the day though was this big palomino-absolutely beautiful!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Winthrop to Omak
Miles: 49.6
ride time:
Elevation gain: 3261'
We left this morning and it was very pleasant, so we did not have to bundle up like we have been.
The road out of town was really nice, amazing farm and horse country. Field of hay bales, both round and square. The horses we passed seem well fed and happy, a few of them laying down in the green grass. The best sight was a bals eagle, that was perched in a tree. It was huge and magnificent. It is the first time I have ever seen a bald eagle in the wild. It was so cool. It sat for a while then took off, flying low along the river looking for food. What a sight!
We rode into the town of Twisp. Rumor had it that they had a nice bakery there....I was good I only had one bite of the cinnamon roll...it was super sweet..too much really.
We headed up and over Loup Loup pass-no that is not a typo! The pass was at 4020 feet. It was't too bad of a climb. The downhill, on the other hand was a blast. We headed down into more area of farmland, but definitely more of a dry climate here. We passed cherry orchards, I wanted to sample, but they were all fenced off with signs that indicated they wanted none of that from people like us.
It was pretty warm, but not uncomfortable. As we headed into Omak, we passed a horse racing track and an arena with someone practicing barrel racing. Denise, one of our guides said that they have this stampede every year where people on horseback and in wagons race down this steep mountain side as fast as they can...sounds like it would be fun to watch, but totally crazy!
Tomorrow we might see some thunderstorms as we head toward the town of Republic, but we will be dry when we leave Omak. It will be hard to figure out how to dress for tomorrow's ride. We have a few climbs tomorrow as well...should be fun!
ride time:
Elevation gain: 3261'
We left this morning and it was very pleasant, so we did not have to bundle up like we have been.
The road out of town was really nice, amazing farm and horse country. Field of hay bales, both round and square. The horses we passed seem well fed and happy, a few of them laying down in the green grass. The best sight was a bals eagle, that was perched in a tree. It was huge and magnificent. It is the first time I have ever seen a bald eagle in the wild. It was so cool. It sat for a while then took off, flying low along the river looking for food. What a sight!
We rode into the town of Twisp. Rumor had it that they had a nice bakery there....I was good I only had one bite of the cinnamon roll...it was super sweet..too much really.
We headed up and over Loup Loup pass-no that is not a typo! The pass was at 4020 feet. It was't too bad of a climb. The downhill, on the other hand was a blast. We headed down into more area of farmland, but definitely more of a dry climate here. We passed cherry orchards, I wanted to sample, but they were all fenced off with signs that indicated they wanted none of that from people like us.
It was pretty warm, but not uncomfortable. As we headed into Omak, we passed a horse racing track and an arena with someone practicing barrel racing. Denise, one of our guides said that they have this stampede every year where people on horseback and in wagons race down this steep mountain side as fast as they can...sounds like it would be fun to watch, but totally crazy!
Tomorrow we might see some thunderstorms as we head toward the town of Republic, but we will be dry when we leave Omak. It will be hard to figure out how to dress for tomorrow's ride. We have a few climbs tomorrow as well...should be fun!
Winthrop-rest day
Today was a nice day off the bike. A few of us walked from the hotel, which was a short distance away to the "downtown" area for breakfast. We crossed the river, it was very full and fast, it was really amazing. We saw no one on the water, but it was too dangerous for anyone to be on anyway.
We passed a few from our group who recommended a place so we headed over there. We ordered and received enormous plates, and yes I ate all of it. Boy, it will be a major adjustment when I get home as far as food goes, but after a 90 mile day yesterday, I was ok with eating a giant plate of prime rib hash, biscuits and a side of bacon!
After we ate we went into a few of the shops. Winthrop looks like a scene out of western movie, complete with wooden sidewalks and old time store fronts. The whole thing was created for tourism, but it actually was nicely done. The valley here is spectacular, lush green fields, trees and the white capped mountains that we rode over in the background.
We checked out the local bike shop which was very nice. One of the guys in the shop said that the mountain biking here is really awesome, and I can believe it, with lts of trails and open areas to ride.
Once I got back, it was major bike cleaning...my bike was a mess! I took her over to the hose outside and started there. The fine road grime from the rain was everywhere.
It was a nice day off though, my legs enjoyed the soak in the pool...getting them ready for tomorrow's ride over to Omak. The weather should be warm for us as we head south then east.
We passed a few from our group who recommended a place so we headed over there. We ordered and received enormous plates, and yes I ate all of it. Boy, it will be a major adjustment when I get home as far as food goes, but after a 90 mile day yesterday, I was ok with eating a giant plate of prime rib hash, biscuits and a side of bacon!
After we ate we went into a few of the shops. Winthrop looks like a scene out of western movie, complete with wooden sidewalks and old time store fronts. The whole thing was created for tourism, but it actually was nicely done. The valley here is spectacular, lush green fields, trees and the white capped mountains that we rode over in the background.
We checked out the local bike shop which was very nice. One of the guys in the shop said that the mountain biking here is really awesome, and I can believe it, with lts of trails and open areas to ride.
Once I got back, it was major bike cleaning...my bike was a mess! I took her over to the hose outside and started there. The fine road grime from the rain was everywhere.
It was a nice day off though, my legs enjoyed the soak in the pool...getting them ready for tomorrow's ride over to Omak. The weather should be warm for us as we head south then east.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Marblemount to Winthrop, Wa.
Miles 91.2
Ride time 7:51
Elevation gain 6908'
Today was one of the harder rides I have done. We started out with rainy weather and fairly cool. Today I wore the whole ensemble- rain pants, boots, arm warmers, wool shirt, long pants,helmet cover and double gloves. We had several long climbs, not super steep, about 6-8 %, but long. Some were 4 miles, others were 2-3. Although it was cold and wet out, it was so beautiful to see the rushing streams and numerous waterfalls everywhere. It was green and lush with lots of flowers and plenty of moss. It is amazing how mush water there is, no I take that back...!
We got to first pass..aptly named Rainy Pass. It was pretty cold up there. My legs were screaming, and for a bit I thought they were going to cramp up. I managed to keep them at bay by drinking more water and slowing down to try to to recover. The climbing seemed to go on forever. After Rainy pass we had one more climb to 5000' which was Washington Pass. The clouds parted for a brief moment to reveal some amazing views with stunning rock formations. Some of them reminded me of Yosemite. We creasted the pass and began one of the most awesome downhills I have ever ridden. It lasted for over 14 miles, good shoulder, nice road, little car traffic and wide sweeping turns that took us away from the snow banks ( yes it was that cold!) to a big canyon with trees and views that were truly spectacular. It was a wonderful treat after all of that work to get to the top. We were now on the eastern side of Washington, no snow and much less moisture.
We had a tailwind as well, so it really was a blast.
We got into town, which looks very cute and headed to our hotel. Could't get out of those wet cycling clothes fast enough.
Judy sent a picture of her Dad, Charlie, when he was about 4 years old that we had made into a button for me to carry on my bike. He is sitting on his trike, looking right at the camera with his one room schoolhouse in the background. He was so excited to see me come into Fargo, now he will ride the rest of the whole route with me, right along with my Mom's St. Christopher's metal that I carry in my handlebar bag.
Ride time 7:51
Elevation gain 6908'
Today was one of the harder rides I have done. We started out with rainy weather and fairly cool. Today I wore the whole ensemble- rain pants, boots, arm warmers, wool shirt, long pants,helmet cover and double gloves. We had several long climbs, not super steep, about 6-8 %, but long. Some were 4 miles, others were 2-3. Although it was cold and wet out, it was so beautiful to see the rushing streams and numerous waterfalls everywhere. It was green and lush with lots of flowers and plenty of moss. It is amazing how mush water there is, no I take that back...!
We got to first pass..aptly named Rainy Pass. It was pretty cold up there. My legs were screaming, and for a bit I thought they were going to cramp up. I managed to keep them at bay by drinking more water and slowing down to try to to recover. The climbing seemed to go on forever. After Rainy pass we had one more climb to 5000' which was Washington Pass. The clouds parted for a brief moment to reveal some amazing views with stunning rock formations. Some of them reminded me of Yosemite. We creasted the pass and began one of the most awesome downhills I have ever ridden. It lasted for over 14 miles, good shoulder, nice road, little car traffic and wide sweeping turns that took us away from the snow banks ( yes it was that cold!) to a big canyon with trees and views that were truly spectacular. It was a wonderful treat after all of that work to get to the top. We were now on the eastern side of Washington, no snow and much less moisture.
We had a tailwind as well, so it really was a blast.
We got into town, which looks very cute and headed to our hotel. Could't get out of those wet cycling clothes fast enough.
Judy sent a picture of her Dad, Charlie, when he was about 4 years old that we had made into a button for me to carry on my bike. He is sitting on his trike, looking right at the camera with his one room schoolhouse in the background. He was so excited to see me come into Fargo, now he will ride the rest of the whole route with me, right along with my Mom's St. Christopher's metal that I carry in my handlebar bag.
Sedro-Wolley to Marblemount, Wa.
Miles 77.2
Elevation gain 1648
Ride time 5:35
Today we left under grey and misty skies, heading out of town towards our next destination that was supposed to only be 52 miles away. It started raining pretty early on. I had switched to my rain booties and my oh to wonderful rain jacket (Andrea, I owe you big time!). We somehow missed a turn. It was hard to see since it was raining so hard and we ended up going an extra 25 miles before we finally arrived at our hotel for the night.
The place was a cabin resort out in the trees, with about a dozen bunnies running all over. We were exhausted and soaked when we got in.
The cabin had this blasting heater, so even thought it was boiling in there, our stuff dried out pretty good overnight. We shared our cabin with Gloria, founder of the Company. We each had our own bedroom, and my bed had seen better days. But it was clean and dry, so I was happy to have it. Tomorrow is going to be one of our longest days, climbing over 2 mountain passes for a 90 mile day.
Hopefully it won't snow!
Elevation gain 1648
Ride time 5:35
Today we left under grey and misty skies, heading out of town towards our next destination that was supposed to only be 52 miles away. It started raining pretty early on. I had switched to my rain booties and my oh to wonderful rain jacket (Andrea, I owe you big time!). We somehow missed a turn. It was hard to see since it was raining so hard and we ended up going an extra 25 miles before we finally arrived at our hotel for the night.
The place was a cabin resort out in the trees, with about a dozen bunnies running all over. We were exhausted and soaked when we got in.
The cabin had this blasting heater, so even thought it was boiling in there, our stuff dried out pretty good overnight. We shared our cabin with Gloria, founder of the Company. We each had our own bedroom, and my bed had seen better days. But it was clean and dry, so I was happy to have it. Tomorrow is going to be one of our longest days, climbing over 2 mountain passes for a 90 mile day.
Hopefully it won't snow!
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Anacortes to Sedro-Willey
Miles 38
elevation gain 940'
We left at 8am this morning to take our group picture by the water. It was more of an informal picture taking event, but everyone managed to get in the photo. We left then, heading back to Anacortes and out of town via a very nice bike path than followed along the waterway. It was cool but not uncomfortable with grey skies and no rain.
It felt good to finally get out on the bike and to start our journey. We went across the water on this really cool bridge. I saw a sea lion piping his head up to greet us as we rode by.
The ride was fairly flat, with good bike lanes or shoulders, except for one part on a bridge that had a bunch of junk on the side of the road and cars that were screaming by.
We then rode on some very nice country roads. It is so green and lush in the valley here. We rode on a crushed limestone path that was right along the slough. The tide was way out and the birds were looking for lunch.
We got into town about noon and decided to check out the downtown area for lunch. Jennifer and I ended up eating at a little diner.
Right next door was a sporting goods store, so after lunch I went in to look for a warmer fleece. I packed well to be on the bike, but I have been cold and I wanted something warmer to wear off the bike. I found a great deal and so now I am nice and warm after riding.
Jennifer's brother lives in the area and he met us at the hotel. He drove us around and showed us the area. We went to this amazing bread shop. I had the best macaroon-EVER. I bought some homemade graham crackers for a snack on the ride, too.
He took us to the top of Blanchard trail. We had a view of the valley below, the San Juan Islands and the surrounding mountains. It was spectacular. Several hang gliders floated above us like birds, finally making their way to a landing site below. One guy managed to land back on top. He came towards us with all his stuff on-pretty amazing. As we were leaving he asked if any of us would like to take a flight with him tandem. We kindly declined. It was a nice tour of a very lovely area.
We had a great dinner tonight. Patty made a great dinner as usual.
Tomorrow we will have a longer ride, but we don't have a big climbing day until the 3rd day. That is the first long day 91 miles.
elevation gain 940'
We left at 8am this morning to take our group picture by the water. It was more of an informal picture taking event, but everyone managed to get in the photo. We left then, heading back to Anacortes and out of town via a very nice bike path than followed along the waterway. It was cool but not uncomfortable with grey skies and no rain.
It felt good to finally get out on the bike and to start our journey. We went across the water on this really cool bridge. I saw a sea lion piping his head up to greet us as we rode by.
The ride was fairly flat, with good bike lanes or shoulders, except for one part on a bridge that had a bunch of junk on the side of the road and cars that were screaming by.
We then rode on some very nice country roads. It is so green and lush in the valley here. We rode on a crushed limestone path that was right along the slough. The tide was way out and the birds were looking for lunch.
We got into town about noon and decided to check out the downtown area for lunch. Jennifer and I ended up eating at a little diner.
Right next door was a sporting goods store, so after lunch I went in to look for a warmer fleece. I packed well to be on the bike, but I have been cold and I wanted something warmer to wear off the bike. I found a great deal and so now I am nice and warm after riding.
Jennifer's brother lives in the area and he met us at the hotel. He drove us around and showed us the area. We went to this amazing bread shop. I had the best macaroon-EVER. I bought some homemade graham crackers for a snack on the ride, too.
He took us to the top of Blanchard trail. We had a view of the valley below, the San Juan Islands and the surrounding mountains. It was spectacular. Several hang gliders floated above us like birds, finally making their way to a landing site below. One guy managed to land back on top. He came towards us with all his stuff on-pretty amazing. As we were leaving he asked if any of us would like to take a flight with him tandem. We kindly declined. It was a nice tour of a very lovely area.
We had a great dinner tonight. Patty made a great dinner as usual.
Tomorrow we will have a longer ride, but we don't have a big climbing day until the 3rd day. That is the first long day 91 miles.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Ready to ride
Today was a nice day before the rode. I had my Peets in my coffee press, then had a nice walk down to a marina. Found a nice market and bought some hard boiled eggs, banana and an orange. It was nice to walk as I know I am going to be on that bike seat for a lot of hours ahead.
We had our orientation meeting at 1 pm. It was nice to see some familiar faces and to meet the new ones. Jennifer arrived and it was great to see her and meet her husband, Norris. I am glad to have her as my rooomate on this trip. Ww got a chance to look at some of the photos from the UGRR trip and had a few laughs.
We went to dinner at a restaurant tonight, shuttled by the WT van.
Tomorrow we start riding, a short day of 38 miles.
I am ready to start to ride, though it may be a rainy day tomorrow.
We had our orientation meeting at 1 pm. It was nice to see some familiar faces and to meet the new ones. Jennifer arrived and it was great to see her and meet her husband, Norris. I am glad to have her as my rooomate on this trip. Ww got a chance to look at some of the photos from the UGRR trip and had a few laughs.
We went to dinner at a restaurant tonight, shuttled by the WT van.
Tomorrow we start riding, a short day of 38 miles.
I am ready to start to ride, though it may be a rainy day tomorrow.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Arrived in Anacortes!
Today I left Oakland for Seatle, then I took a 2-1/2 hour shuttle to Anacortes. It was a long ride up, but I listened to music and enjoyed not having to drive.
The shuttle driver was nice and dropped me off right in from of the hotel instead of at the regular stop, which was the Shell gas station about a mile away.
I have a nice big room, complete with a fake fireplace and a microwave oven! My box was waiting for me as planned. I opened it up and got my cycling shoes and my helmet. I stuffed them in my backpack and walked to the bike shop, about a mile away. I was so relieved to see my bike-"T" looking shiny and ready to go. I asked the guy at the shop what was the best way to get back as the road they are on was a busy one.
He told me to go down towards the water and make a right at the light. A bike trail would take me back, then I could cut over to the street the hotel was on.
I changed my shoes, put on my helmet and off I went. It was a great trail, right next to the water.
Of course, water is everywhere, it is so pretty here. There are islands all around and a big bay inlet. I will do some exploring tomorrow.
I got back to the hotel and put all the stuff back on the bike;water cages, tool bag, pump, my bento box, handlebar bag and my new Garmin.
I ran into Holly Edwards from the UGRR trip in the hallway, so we went to the pizza place with a couple of other gals and had some food and a beer.
One of the ladies has the camera uploaded for an iPad....she said I could use it! Yay, now I can put some photos up....stay tuned!
The shuttle driver was nice and dropped me off right in from of the hotel instead of at the regular stop, which was the Shell gas station about a mile away.
I have a nice big room, complete with a fake fireplace and a microwave oven! My box was waiting for me as planned. I opened it up and got my cycling shoes and my helmet. I stuffed them in my backpack and walked to the bike shop, about a mile away. I was so relieved to see my bike-"T" looking shiny and ready to go. I asked the guy at the shop what was the best way to get back as the road they are on was a busy one.
He told me to go down towards the water and make a right at the light. A bike trail would take me back, then I could cut over to the street the hotel was on.
I changed my shoes, put on my helmet and off I went. It was a great trail, right next to the water.
Of course, water is everywhere, it is so pretty here. There are islands all around and a big bay inlet. I will do some exploring tomorrow.
I got back to the hotel and put all the stuff back on the bike;water cages, tool bag, pump, my bento box, handlebar bag and my new Garmin.
I ran into Holly Edwards from the UGRR trip in the hallway, so we went to the pizza place with a couple of other gals and had some food and a beer.
One of the ladies has the camera uploaded for an iPad....she said I could use it! Yay, now I can put some photos up....stay tuned!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Leaving tomorrow!
So now I am down to hours..how the clock has sped up in the last couple of days. My bike is assembled at the bike shop, my box arrived at the hotel today with my cycling gear and second bag. All that is left is me!
This has been am amazing time to get to this point...I almost thought that it might never really come to be.
I will keep trying with the picture thing....it may take me a while so until then I will embellish on the narrative!
Next stop..Anacortes, Washington!
This has been am amazing time to get to this point...I almost thought that it might never really come to be.
I will keep trying with the picture thing....it may take me a while so until then I will embellish on the narrative!
Next stop..Anacortes, Washington!
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
8 days left
Trying to get this to work with my iPad...kinda challeging. I can't get pictures uploaded yet...
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