Empty sail in Hood River

Day 12 Hood River, OR

We started the day in northeast Portland.  It always takes time to ride through and or out of a city and today was no exception.  Once we did we were on the very scenic Old Columbia Highway.  It was Saturday and this is a popular cycling route so we saw many riders flying by us as we lugged our loaded bikes up and down the rolling hills.  The peak of the experience was a spot called Vista House where there is a beautiful building and a spectacular view of the Columbia Gorge.  An amazing site.  Then there was a very long descent to the gorge floor.  The next incredible sites were two wonderful high waterfalls, the largest be Multnomah Falls which is hundreds of  feet high.

We finished the day riding on I-84 for about 15 miles.  In MN it is never legal to ride on an interstate but in Oregon, at least on this one, it is.  It is the only road which connects Cascade Locks with Hood River.  There are accommodations for cyclists so it is not as bad as it could be.  There is a tunnel on the interstate and bikes are directed to a bike path off the interstate to bypass it.  The only draw back is a set of very steep stairs, probably 50.  It is not at all easy to get these loaded bikes down stairs.  At least we did not need to go up the steps.

As we rode along today I felt a real lack of motivation and my legs felt tired and heavy.  I struggled up slight grades that should have been easy.  I knew that the huge mountains ahead were going to be at least as challenging as the previous ones and I thought more than I could handle.  To my very great regret I made a decision that I can not continue the trip.  It was very difficult telling my great riding partner because I know he really wants to continue on.  I can not.  I think this is the best decision for me and I will just need to deal with it and hope that it will work out OK for Jim.  

Having made that decision we stopped in Hood River, OR.  We had planned to go on about another 20 miles or so.  At this point Jim wanted to continue to ride to finish in Reno, our original destination.  He knew he could not, or at least should not, continue alone on the route on less travelled roads going over the high passes that are on the Adventure Cycling route maps we use.  He spent the evening on his laptop with topographical maps looking for a more direct route.  Eventually he had it and proved again his resourcefulness on the fly.  

It is supposed to be fun and it is very much fun.  When, for some combination of reasons, it does not feel like fun one needs to reflect and make a decision that is best for yourself.  That is how I feel about this.  As much as I do not want to abandon or disappoint my riding partner I need to make the best decision for myself, and Kelli, of course.  So, for me this is a big deal.  It means not finishing a project I spent months planning and invested a lot of energy and resources.  It is not what I want but it is what it is, something which has to be. 

Getting back on course, I hope

Day 11 Portland, OR

Nice town.  I am not going to see much of it and I should not even be here.  But we spent the day getting back toward our intended route.  The ride today was flat and unspectacular except for the distant views of Rainier, St. Helen's and Hood.  They are awesome even from a distance.  

We had the most amazing second breakfast in Longview, WA shortly before crossing the Lewis and Clark Bridge from WA to OR.  It was cinnamon bread French toast and an egg and bacon. There was enough French toast for three people, literally. This was Stuffie's which I guess is famous for very large portions.  It was just a lucky choice on our part.

We left Stuffie's and asked directions to the Lewis and Clark Bridge from Washington to Oregon.  That was quite a climb up over that one and a great view of the Columbia River with ocean going vessels in the River.

We then road a mostly boring route on US 30 to Portland, found a motel, a place to eat and started to look at the maps and plan for the next days of riding.  The climbs are as long or longer.  The history we have with the weather and getting over the high mountain passes led me to have some trepidation on the balance of the planned trip.

Tomorrow is another day.

Elk Pass. Oh no you won't

Day 10  Cascade Rocks, WA

So.  This is an interesting story.  One of those that can only happen when you put yourself out there and hope for the best.

We finished our bad day yesterday at an RV campground between Packwood and Randle, WA.  We both slept well although I was awoken by the loud hoarse bleating of some kind of deer that hangs around the campground.  We did our usual camp breakfast of oatmeal, green tea or coffee and Jim has some rice pudding cup he favors.  We were off by 7:30.  We had at least one and perhaps two major climbs ahead of us so we stopped at the One Stop in Randle.  We talked to someone in the parking lot and the very friendly attendant in the store where we should get 'second breakfast'.  This is the idea that if you ride for a while and you have a big day ahead, more breakfast is good.  

Both fellows recommended the Mount Adams Cafe.  Walt, the attendant said to tell Will the cook that he sent us.  So we did.

We had a very nice breakfast and very good service, I must say.  We each took our turns in the restroom after we finished and as Jim was doing his thing, one of the locals sitting at the counter next to us asked where we were headed.  Over Elk Pass I said.  Oh no your not said the three in unison.  Why not I said.  Because the road is closed on account of 3 feet of snow they said.  Oh really I said.  So how can we get where we are going?  By then Jim had joined us for the news flash.  We spent a half hour or so studying maps with the guys and determined our only option was to continue west on US 12 to the I-5 corridor and take the side roads down to the Columbia River and then west to where we want to be.  It would add a 70 mile detour to our route but it is do-able.  The route is flatter, though not flat, than the one we had planned.  We should be able to make better time and find a place to stay for the night.  

Off we go, in the direction we did not anticipate.  There was one quite big climb, perhaps 3 or 4 miles, but not too bad compared to White Pass. 

We had planned to get to a town, Toledo, about 50 miles down the road.  We looked to see what accommodations there were there and found none listed on Jim's Garmin GPS device.  We got to another town and noticed their library with WiFi and stopped in to inquire about lodging or camping up the road.  We finally, after a lot of searching and questioning, found an RV campground about 20 miles further than we had intended to go.  It is an upscale one, in contrast to where we were last night and it has WiFi available at every campsite.  Whew!

One of the troublesome questions we have had is how we negotiate the I-5 corridor, without going on I-5.  So, fortuitous event number two for the day, we ran into a cyclist at the library who had just completed the route we were thinking we needed to follow, in the opposite direction.  She had her cue sheet of directions and was done with it and would be happy to give it to us.  So we had a plan.

We rode like crazy to get here.  Stopped along the way to take a picture of Mount Rainier in the distance.  We had not been able to see it yesterday, although we were much closer then.  The ride was great.  Almost all flat and even a tailwind for part of the way.  

We sat down to figure out tomorrow and discovered a much simpler way to get where we are going using a different Adventure Cycling route, they make the maps we are using, which will take us back to our route, which is the Sierra Cascades route.  It should work slick and I will get to ride some of the Lewis and Clark route which will be fun.  The L & C route follows the route they took in 1803-1805 to find a water route to the Pacific.  It is an amazing story and the bike route commemorates it.

So, started at breakfast, before we really knew what our day would be, saying this is going to be a good day.  Turns out it has been, though not the day we expected.

Jim and Gary's Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Day 9  Outside Packwood, WA

Dear Friends,

Today was a hard day.  I am tired.  We rode over White Pass which is over 4500 ft and more than 30 miles up the road.  The winds were not favorable, it was cold.  We did not reach our desired destination. Things will look up tomorrow and I will say more then.  

Over.

Moving on up the road

Day 8 Windy Point Campground, Wenatchee National Forest, WA

It was a two person parade down Main Street in Ellensburg this morning as we headed out on our route.  Not often the route goes on Main St. but today it did.  This lead directly to Canyon Road, which continued on for almost 30 miles down the Yakima River canyon.  The road followed the river very closely so it wound around quite a bit and looking at the map we thought there would be a lot of wasted time and effort making the distance twice what a straight road might be.  But no, it was well worth the extra miles as this was as scenic a morning as we have had.  Just spectacular.  Talking with touring cyclists who have ridden cross country, or in a lot of states, they often will say Washington is the most scenic.  It is tough to say but Washington is definitely right in the running.  Especially at this time of year when the rivers and creeks are running full and the water is cascading down the mounatains it is hard to say what would be better.  

Tonight we are at a Forest Service campground hard by the Tieton River rushing full drowning the near-by US 12 traffic noise with a cascading stream down the mountain-side just across from our campsite.  Today riding through the canyon and then up 12 to White Pass we have been treated to miles and miles of mountain goat terrain (saw no goats, except little ones in a pasture).  Huge rocky outcrops and geometric granite walls.  Across the highway from us is  quarter mile or so of natural rock columns that look like some Greeks or Romans must have been here before us.  The rock as formed in columns without a gap between them with random heights.  See the picture above.

We rode for 45 miles before we had a place to stop for lunch.  We always look for a cafe for lunch.  This was in the very western looking and very adorable little town of Naches, WA.  We climbed several hundred feet and descended that same height at a much steeper grade to get down in to town.  On the road out to Naches we had passed a woman on her bike headed the other direction.  As we arrived in Naches, not sure where to look for lunch, she caught us and said she had hoped she would catch us so she could find out where we are headed, etc.  She had been on an out and back ride and lives in Naches.  She got us to the Sticky Fingers Cafe on the main drag in Naches and we had a great lunch there.  

The roads passed by, other than mountains, ranches and miles and miles of cherry orchards.  The apples have definitely given way to cherries and grapes.  It helps me to understand where all that fruit comes from and how there can be so much.  It is hard to convey the immensity of the growing activity past which we have peddled.

From lunch we headed out on Old Naches Highway for 5-6 miles until it connected to US 12 and then for about 8 miles we climbed the very manageable grade toward White Pass to our campground.  Tomorrow we will go over White Pass and continue on toward Mount Rainier.  We are not going to Rainier but will be passing by and if the weather is favorable should have some fairly up close views.

So far we are on schedule and the riding, other than Rainy Pass has been quite good.  We can hope for more to come and hope the winds stay favorable as they were today.

Resting in Ellensburg

Day 7 Ellensburg

Rest.  It is a good thing.  This is the 7th day.  You know what that means.  

I have heard of my brother Rick's troubles with heart rhthym so it has not been a totally restful time but for bike riding a day of rest.  Rick and I are sharing a problem of atrial fibrillation, which is usually not debilitating but is a problem which needs to be controlled.  Mine has been controlled so far and I keep my fingers crossed and pray that the very same will be true for Rick.

This day we enjoyed lazing about Ellensburg, a seemingly very nice little town with a fairly large university.  We recommend the oatmeal at the Palace Cafe, the service at Recycle Bicycle Store and the beer at the Iron Horse Micropub (well, I recommend the latter).  We wandered around town to the campus and then through downtown to the outdoor store for a headlamp for Jim and did some bike maintanence to make sure all is well to continue.  We did find some issues with the bikes so it is good we spent the time.  That is what days off on a bike tour are for.  

Tomorrow we head south and into some more mountains, hoping for favorable winds and moderate temps.  

Hopefully the legs will react well after a day off of riding.

We are headed toward Mount Rainier so the scenery should be more and more spectacular for a flatlander.

Down hill fast (it's a good thing)

Day 6 Ellensburg, WA

Days like this are the ones that keep me coming back to this crazy passion.  It was not an easy day but it was filled with remarkable riding experiences.

We started with breakfast at the Big Y Cafe next door to the Wedge Mountain Inn.  Jim has convinced me that his favorite breakfast on the road is a really good one.  That is, french toast, one egg and bacon.  Good balance of carbs, fat and protein.  Self supported touring is great if you love to eat because you can just about eat whatever and as much as you want.  You need it to be high quality food though, not junk.  So we ordered the same breakfast but had to get an extra order of french toast because the menu item had just two small slices.  

So we were off to a good start to get us part way up the long, long climb to Blewett Pass.  This was 22 miles long and was all climbing.  On most of these long mountain climbs there are some areas of downhill, which is a mixed blessing because you do have to climb that much again to get over the top, but it does give the legs a break.  On this climb there was no break.  It was all up.  Most of it was very manageable but there were a couple of stretches where it was 8-9%, the most difficult being, of course, right at the top after we had been climbing for 3 hours.  

Along the climb we were treated to some of the most beautiful mountains, rushing creeks (big and full of glacial water with its characteristic clear green color), huge pines, massive rocks, and a meditating hawk up on a branch.  Hawks are good luck I hear.

At the top we got a picture together with the 'Blewett Pass, elevation 4102 ft' sign.  We had climbed 22 miles and 3000 ft in 3 hours.  The downhill was a good experience, the top being fairly steep and then levelling out a bit as we descended.  All that went by a little too fast to describe but the scenery did not seem as spectacular as the climb.  The whole descent was about 14 miles.  We stopped in the midst of it to have a meatloaf sandwich lunch.  Then we continued the descent to the bottom of 3 mile climb which was leading us to our destination in Ellensburg.  On the climb we could see the huge snow covered dome of a distant mountain, probably Mount Rainier.

As we crested the climb we turned slightly and started down another long descent, this time with a wicked wind AT OUR BACKS!  Can you believe it?  We couldn't.  This descent was also 14 miles in to Ellensburg. It was great fun riding that far and hardly needing to pedal. 

Ellensburg is the home of Central Washington University and is the county seat of Kittitas County.  We have found a wonderful little Italian restaurant already.  This is our planned day off so we will be here Sunday and Monday and rest the legs.  

Hope the tailwinds decide to stick around a couple of days.

A Mighty Wind

Day 5  Peshastin, WA

We started the day riding along a beautiful road of rolling hills right on the shore of Lake Chelan.  Had a good breakfast at the Apple Cup Cafe in Chelan.  The lake is glacialy formed.  It is 52 miles long and 1500 feet deep.  Quite an amazing site.  At the end of the trip along the shore is the steepest climb we have had this trip, up to 10-11%, but not too long.   We met a couple from Tacoma who were visiting the area and riding.  At the top we started down a long, about 8 mile, downhill to the Columbia River again, hoping the winds would not be anything like yesterday when the headwinds were very strong.

As we descended the final steep section to the river we were hit with some wicked cross winds that almost knocked us off the road.  As we turned the corner the wind disappeared.  This was just a taste of what was to come.  We got down to Alt US 97 and turned to head south along the Columbia.  The headwinds began and it was, I have to say, brutal.  There were times in gusts where it seemed like we were stopped in our tracks.  I literally blew Jim off the road once.  It seemed relentless.  And then suddenly the headwind was gone and we had a stong tailwind for a couple of miles.  And then a crosswind and then a headwind again.  It felt like the wind blew from every direction but it definitely blew nonstop.

One of the other highlights for me was the massive orchards everywhere among the hills and mountains.  All the way from Chelan to the end of the day we passed apple and cherry orchards.  We stopped in the fruit store and got an apple and an ice cream cone.  We passed by Wenatchee, the 'apple capitol of the world'.  The World!  I believe it because the orchards are immense and looking at just one tree I think I could see as many apples on the tree as I have seen my whole life.  It is amazing, truly.  One of the benefits of riding at the speed of a bicycle is the chance to really see what you are passing by.  And today, the wind made it even easier because we were going even slower than usual.  

We finally made it to Cashmere, our planned stopping point.  We felt pretty tired from the battle with the winds and did not see a convenient campground so we have ended up in a motel again.  This was OK because it gave us a chance to watch the Celtics and Heat.  Unfortunately the Heat won. 

This is our second epic day I would say with the winds.  Along the Columbia River the wind must have been a steady 30mph with gusts to 50.  Not like Rainy Pass in the snow, but epic none-the-less.

Hoping for tailwinds tomorrow.

Now, that's better (by far)

Day 4 Chelan, WA

On beautiful Lake Chelan.  Well, I haven't actually seen it but I am sure it is beautiful.  Anyway, compared to yesterday, which is getting worse each time we tell the story, this was a gorgeous day.

Started in Twisp at the aforementioned Methow Valley Inn, Prop. Terry _____(?)(Terry, you fill in the blank please.  My apologies).  What a great refuge from the work a day world.  If you are ever "in the valley", go there.  We had a great rest and woke to good folks having easy converstion, including a surprising concentration of crazy cyclists like us.  Breakfast was to die for.  Baked French toast with blueberries and cream cheese was the headliner.  But there was a bowl of melon and grapes, hot cereal with barley and wild rice, pure maple syrup of course, and the usual cold cereal, juice, bananas, etc.

It truly was delicious.  We had a wonderful time telling stories and sharing contact info with Chris and Nancy from Alaska and with one of the other inn-keepers whose name I forget (I am so bad) but who really got into the story sharing because we had each done the cross country bike thing and Chris and Nancy are 4 days into their cross country bike thing.  As we orgaized our gear and bikes on the porch everyone was gathered round and giving us way too many cudos for our organization and efficiency.  We had an enthusiastic photo session with all of us on the porch and good wishes all around and we were off, the day promising to have some scattered showers but no life threatening conditions and we were confident of going off into the world again.

So, that is how it went.  The ride was down the Methow River valley toward the Columbia River, which I had never seen before.  So it was mostly down hill and very pleasant.  We had advice to follow a county road instead of the main highway and it was great.  Quiet and serene rolling past big hills and ranches, and the swirling Methow River.  We ran into an Adventure Cycling supported tour group at Carlton and had a chat with them.  They are on the Cascades Loop tour and have all their gear carried, for a price, while we just carry our gear and suffer ;)- After we saw them we did run into some rain and had to put on our rain jackets.  There were, all told, a couple of sessions of rain for 20 minutes or so each.  Enough to make me nervous it might not stop, but it truly was scattered.

We stopped for lunch in Pateros where the Methow meets the Columbia.  The day was brightening and looked promising.  We called ahead to Mom's Motel in Chelan and got a room.  The Prop. said if we got a flat or had any trouble to call and he would help out.  Biking brings out the good in many people :)).  

The after lunch surprise was the head winds along the Columbia.  These were serious winds.  We estimate 30-40 mph.  We had to work to maintain 10 mph going downhill.  So, when we made the turn on the road to Chelan it was welcome to be out of the wind and actually in some warm sunshine for the first time this trip.  I remember warm sunshine, it's nice.

Nice dinner at a too expensive Italian place but the meatballs were fantastic.  Now we are getting sleepy.  Talk latter.

How bad can it get? How good is it?

Day 3  Twisp, WA

This was always planned to be a big day.  We knew we would be doing our best to get over two big passes and then fly down hill for 18 miles.  When I rode the same route in 2005 the day was sunny and warm and I had a bicycle club riding at the same time providing encouragement and even water and food.  It went pretty well that time.

The weather this time, as I said, was not supposed to be good for us.  We were expecting rain starting in the night and waking up to rain.  Breakfast was planned for the counter in the washrooms (which had no showers).  We woke at 4:30 (not a typo) spontaneously, without planning it.  There was no rain falling.  We said let's get going.  So we made a quick breakfast, broke camp and were on the road at 6:15.  This is an early start and normally portends an early arrival at the destination.  We started up the Rainy Pass highway in 40 degree temperature and cloudy but not threatening skies.  The first few miles of the route are fairly steep and make a tough start to the day before you are warmed up.  But, it is what it is.  We got past that and then for quite a distance it is fairly easy, even with some downhills which helped get some distance in a timely fashion.  When we are climbing a 5-9% grade our speed may vary from 7 to 3 miles and hour.  Not too fast so it is welcome when a flat or downhill section appears and we can pick up the pace.

We got in about 15 miles before the rain started.  Then we also got into some more steeper sections.  We stopped a few times to rest and eat since our breakfast, a bowl of oatmeal, was not really up to our standards, or needs.  It was still just midmorning and it looked like, if all went well, we could make our destination by midafternoon.  A few miles further, around 20 I think, things changed.  It started to snow.  It got colder.  We pressed on but when we made one of our now more frequent stops along the road lined with two foot piles of snow (old snow, not today's snow), we determined that we would make it to the top of Rainy Pass and then flag down a vehicle to haul us over Washington Pass and down the other side.  So, after some painful climbing the last three miles or so we made the summit and stopped.  My feet were soaked and cold.  Hypothermia was a thought.  We waved our distress signal to a passing RV towing a pickup, that would be perfect, to no avail.  A couple of SUVs stopped to check us out but had no room.  Finally, after several vehicles passed at speed, another pickup stopped.  In it was gentleman with a little whiskered terrier in the front seat.  He said immediately, you may need to sit on a lap but I will take you over the pass.  He immediately set to work shifting his pickup bed into hauling mode, grabbing our panniers from us and helping us load the bikes into the pickup.  We found room in the two seater, with Jim on the console and the terrrier in our laps and were on our way.  The heater was turned way up and we soon were back to a much more comfortable state.  Mick, our Good Samaritan, is a great guy.  He told us all about the country we were driving through, pointing out landmarks and spectacular peaks and spires.  Only problem being, we could not see any of them because of the heavy clouds and fog.  If we had tried to negotiate that stretch of highway it would have been perhaps the most unsafe thing I have ever done.  And I am really not into unsafe.  We were in no shape really to do the climb up Washington Pass, even in good conditions and these conditions could almost not be worse.  Cold, snow, fog, steep climb.  Bad.  

So, we were safe and warm in a nice pickup with a very friendly driver and friendlier 14 year old pup.  Mick asked of course where we planned to stay tonight.  We said Mazama.  He asked would we be willing to go to Twisp, which is about 25 miles down the road and on our route.  We said of course if there is a place to stay.  So happens his friend owns a B&B. He gave him a call and found he did have room and so here I sit in the Methow Valley Inn.  It is great.  Brewpub a block and a half away, laundry, other friendly bikers, fire in the fireplace, a bike shop to clean our bikes.  Not sure how the day which was such a grind could end much better.  Another example of the amazing and wonderful things that happen on bike tours if you are open to it.  

Now we are debating whether to take tomorrow off since it supposed to rain again.  Can not stay here but the innkeeper is going to make some calls and find us a place for tomorrow if we decide to stay over.  

Eventful day.  Tomorrow promises to be much calmer.  Hope I am right.

Now we are in the mountains

Day 2  Colonial Creek Campground

Because we spent the energy to ride the extra 25 miles to Concrete yesterday it made today's ride quite a bit easier.  We started the day rising at 5 am.  I thought the time zone change would make us sleep in, but it was the other way around.  We had breakfast at the cafe next to the motel and chatted up some locals, who gave us the unwelcome news that tomorrow is rain, and where we are going, possibly snow.  Oh well, we will see.  

It is about 42 miles from Concrete to the campground destination.  The ride involved some serious climbing for he first time, especially the last 9 miles from Newhalem to Colonial Creek.  The day was overcast with some very occassional sun barely penetrating clouds.  Marblemount is the last real town before the campground, about 22 miles away.  We got there about 10:30 so we had plenty of time and we were wanting to get some lunch but the restaurants in town did not open until 11 or 11:30.  So we waited and got to meet Nick, a local oldtimer who told lots of stories of the old days and panning for gold in the area we are riding to tomorrow.  He advised we skip the restaurant and hit the train caboose conversion BBQ place, which had a smoker going outside and smelled mighty good.  Just as we were waiting for it to open, some rain began and we had visions of riding in the rain a day before we expected to and setting up camp in the rain after climbing in the rain.  It was not an inviting prospect.  Luckily the showers blew past and the afternoon was cool but relatively pleasant.   We started the climb up from Newhalem to the campground about 1:30 and stopped a few times to admire and photograph the spectacular mountains we are in.  It truly does look like the Alps.  There are glaciers and frequent cascades of water down the mountain sides and huge rock cliffs covered in moss.  Along the route the first few miles a gorge which leads to a power hydroturbine facility in Newhalem.  At the top of the gorge, extending for miles, right up to our campsite, is Diable Lake behind Diablo Dam.  When the time is right, the dam spillways are opened, the gorge fills with hard rushing water, down to the turbines and Seattle has light!  Not sure when they decide to do that but it was not today as the gorge had relatively a trickle of water.  

At the campground we met a young couple who are getting married this weekend in Mazama on the other side of the passes we cross tomorrow.  He was getting his bike ready to ride over the passes this afternoon and she was driving the car to Mazama to await him.  They gave us the unwelcome confirmation that it will rain tomorrow and the chance now is said to be 100%, instead of 80%.  We expect to get wet.  I will let you know how that turns out.  Plan B in case of intolerable conditions is thumbs out and snag a passing pickup truck.  John Coleman told me years ago, "An hour in a pickup is worth a day in the saddle."  True.  More from Mazama on the 'morrow.

Day 1: Solid as Concrete

Day 1  Concrete, WA

It is always bittersweet saying goodbye at the airport.  Kelli took the traditional picture of me waving goodbye and then the be safe kiss goodbye.  The flight was uneventful other than the seat in front of me being fully reclined as long as it was legally possible.  Oh ya, and then the 'aborted approach' where you are descending normally and suddenly start climbing again for reasons you only later learn are totally 'routine'.  Anyway, all ended normally.

From the Seattle airport I got on the shuttle to Burlington and then met Jim at Skagit Cycle and we got everything together and semiorganized.  We hit the road about 3:30.  After a couple stops for stove fuel and camp food we rode for a few miles and then stopped around 4:00 for 'breakfast' in Sedro Wooley.  Then we hit the road in earnest and rode nonstop for 2 hours to get to Concrete.

The route is mostly on South Skagit Highway which follows the Skagit River.  The river is glacier water green.  Not the slimey green of algae but a very clear, clean green.  You know that water was just high in the Cascade Mountains.  The highway winds through rainforest-like terrain with moss encrusted old Douglas firs and small tumbling streams running down to the river and fern forests.  It is really like an enchanted forest.

In 2005 I stopped often to take pictures of it all but today we just rode.  We would each take a turn in front for 1/2 to 1 mile pulls and drafting behind the leader to get a little rest.  Luckily there was not really any climbing.  That starts tomorrow.

When we got to Concrete we went down the road where Jim's Garmin said there should be a motel.  Cascade Mountain Inn.  Sounded good but it really looked closed, not in business.  There was an older (probably my age) Japanese couple standing outside a minivan, the only vehicle in the parking lot.  They asked if we needed help.  Two guys with bikes loaded with gear standing in the middle of an empty parking lot.  Why would they ask that?  Well yes, we need a place to stay.  You can stay here.  Really?  It's open?  Yes.  Their son, Sunny (or Sonny?) showed us a room and at the end of a long day of travel and riding we were happy with it.

Got some pizza from Annie's Pizza Station next door and now we are getting ready to collapse in bed and get rested for tomorrow when the climbing begins, but gets real serious the next day.

One Day To Trip Start

It is time to get started writing about this trip.  Day before it starts, filled with last minute 'to dos' and nervousness.  At this point a month looks like a long time, for me and for Kelli and for my faithful pet (Chance).  

The bike and gear were shipped and have arrived at Skagit Cycle in Burlington, WA.  The boarding pass is printed and I have reviewed my list of items to pack way too many times.  

Tomorrow Jim Smith and I will meet at the bike shop, get the bikes and gear ready to go and head out for our first night's destination.  It will likely be raining and depending on when we get under way and the weather we will go somewhere between 10 and 30 miles.  That will get us in position to ride into the Cascades on Wednesday and over Rainy Pass and Washington Pass on Thursday.  I am looking forward to that night in a soft bed in Mazama, WA.  I followed this same route the first 3 days of my cross country trip in 2005.  I remember Mazama fondly as it was a welcome end to a hard day of climbing and descending.  That year I crossed with the Redmond, WA cycling club and talked my way into joining their end of day banquet.  Stayed in a B&B and had a great breakfast the next morning.  Also, a personal forcast from the B&B host who is a weather service observer and had all of the NWS software to tell us exactly how long the rain that morning would last.  Fond memories now to be overlaid with some new, hopefully even better ones.

It is always a nervous time just before a trip like this, especially as the years and health issues accumulate.  Have I trained enough?  No.  That is easy.  Can I make it through the first few days until my legs toughen up?  That we will see.  Is this really the right thing to do, to leave the home and wife to fend for themselves all this time?  Well, I think it is.  Nothing is free or easy and we all need to indulge ourselves from time to time if we can.  Life, as they say, is short.  And don't we all see that more and more everyday.

I hope this system for the blog works well.  I will try to write something everyday and then upload it when I get WiFi access.  This iPad is pretty cool.  It just hyphenated a word by itself.  It is different than what I am used to though so I hope I can learn how to do it right as we go along.

I have a couple more things to get done today, writing this was one of them, and then I get a massage later from my favorite therapist.  That should get me all ready to go tomorrow.