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.