Day 12, Libby, MT - 96 miles

What a fantastic day.  The planned mileage for the day was almost 100 so we started early.  We stayed along the Pend Oreille Lake for most of our remaining time in Idaho and, since we are in the panhandle of Idaho, our remaining time was not long. When our odometers read 35 miles we entered Montana.  Of course everyone had to stop for pictures at the Welcome to Montana sign just because it's what we do. 

As usual, I was riding with Ellen all day.  Our goal was to spot wildlife and we did.  We saw a mouse run across the road right in front of us!  One woman in our group had a bear run across the road no more than 40 feet away, then it stopped and stared until she yelled "go home!" Apparently he did. 

Towards the end of the day we came across the Kootenai Falls, the largest undammed falls in Montana and the site of the filming of "The Wild River" starring Meryl Streep.  After about a half mile hike we found the Swinging Bridge  which is a 3 feet wide bridge suspended over the river just down stream from the falls.  It really didn't swing that much but it was still a little unnerving.

The last 15 miles into town were slightly down hill and accompanied by a wicked tail wind.  We flew along with little effort and had a great end to a fantastic ride.  Now it's time for dinner and most certainly and early bedtime.

Day 10 & 11, Sandpoint, ID - 47 miles

Because we were at camp, we had to clean our rooms, strip our beds and deliver the bedding to the main house ourselves.  Overall the camp was a very cute place and great to spend a night in. Linda, our traveling chef, whipped up her usual tasty breakfast of eggs and steel cut oats, we loaded up the trailer with our luggage and we meandered out of Bear Paw Camp for a short day of riding.  It promised to be a hot one so for the first time I headed out with no arm or leg warmers – just with the jersey on my back.  The route was only 46 miles but I think all of us are pretty tired from the climbing over the past week so the pace was leisurely and we took time to look at the scenery.

We entered Idaho, our first state crossing, at mile 12 and followed the Pend Oreille River for most of the day.  When we arrived in Sandpoint, ID, our rooms were not ready so those that were in went to lunch at an Italian bistro. 

My brother and two of his kids were at an orienteering meet not far away so in the afternoon, they came up for a visit.  We walked around the town, had a lovely dinner, and the boys convinced me to buy them four pints of Ben and Jerry's ice cream.  I didn't fight them too hard on that one.  The next day was a rest day and my visit with my brother continued when he showed me new and improved ways to clean my bike.  He made a brisk business cleaning other's bikes for a donation to the soccer team he is coaching.  Everyone came out ahead in that deal.

Tomorrow is a long day but the weather looks great and terrain looks kind. Life is good.

Day 9, Newport, WA - 80 miles

We left Colville at our usual 7am under sunny skies and with just a bit of chill in the air.  The climbing wasn't supposed to be that bad today and, true to WomanTours form, it wasn't.  We climbed just over 3200 feet, most of it before mile 32.  The headwinds hit us at about mile 40 but I was with Ellen, Kit and Jona, each of us rotating to the front, so it wasn't bad.

Tonight we're staying at Bear Paw Camp, an old girl scout camp on the Pend Oreille River.  When we arrived we were handed a big garbage bag with our bedding and told to go find ourselves a bunk.  There are about seven bunkhouses each with one or two bunk beds.  I'm in a larger house that has a bathroom and shower and about 10 rooms, each with two bunk beds.  There is also a large building that has about 20 bunk beds in two large rooms.  The camp can accommodate many more than the 30 of us so most of us have our own little cabin or room. I consider myself very lucky as I have a room to myself in the large house.

Tomorrow's ride is only 46 miles and then we have an off day after that.  My knees are starting to ache so it will be a very welcome rest.

Day 8, Colville, WA - 59 miles

I can't tell you how many times over the past several days I have checked to make sure I'm in my lowest gear.  I am spinning with all my strength, going 6 miles and hour and I'm sure there's one lower gear left so I check.  Nope, I'm in the lowest gear possible and there's nothing to do about it.  But whatever gear I was in, I made it up and over another mountain pass today.  This time the climb occurred at the beginning of the day, when we were all fresh as can be and happy to be on the road.  Still, it took almost half the day to get to the top of Sherman Pass (elevation 5575 feet), only 17.2 miles into the ride.  The trip down was fast, even though we stopped at the many lookouts and interpretive centers on the way.

Just after crossing the Columbia River, Ellen, Mary and I went into the town of Kettle Falls to find a place for lunch.  The first place looked promising but on Saturdays they close the restaurant and turn into a soup kitchen.  They offered us some soup but we decided to look for something a little more refreshing on a hot day.  We ended up at a cooperative deli in town where I had a veggie taco and a berry smoothie (including marionberries, something I had never heard of before).

Of course once we got closer to our destination of Colville, headwinds picked up.  We had about five people together which made the workload a little lighter and we pulled into the Colville Inn a bunch of hot but happy bikers.

Tomorrow we are staying at the Bear Paw Camp in Newport – our last day in Washington State.  It doesn't sound like an internet kind of place but if it has clean sheets and a clean shower I'll be happy.

Day 7, Republic, WA - 69 miles

Did you know there are mountains in Washington? Big mountains?  The day into Winthrop when we climbed over Washington Pass was a hard day with a lot of climbing.  The past two days haven't involved as much climbing but day after day after day....  Good thing I love climbing (I keep telling myself).

The first part of the day I rode with Ellen and Penny, both of whom were on my Southern Tier trip.  Both are great riders and a lot of fun to hang out with.  After the first SAG stop at mile 20, the hills started.  Whenever we hit hills, we all say "you have to ride your own ride." You can't go slower or faster than you want to go, you have to ride the speed you like.  Unfortunately this means you often ride alone.  I don't have the breath to talk when going up these mountains anyway but it's nice to have someone next to you suffering (in a good way) as much as you are.

The pass today was Wauconda Pass at 4310 feet.  That's more than Loup Loup Pass yesterday at 4020 feet but less than Washington Pass the day before at 5477 feet.  Not that I'm counting or anything.  The weather was fantastic with sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 80, no real wind (except on the downhill when it doesn't count), smooth roads (for the most part) and lots of adventure.

Day 6, Omak, WA - 49 miles

We had a great breakfast at the trailer consisting of steel cut oats, yogurt, raisins, and other yummy stuff. Our map meeting, held today instead of last night because of our day off, mentioned a little bit of climbing but nothing like our day into Winthrop.  The weather was forecast to be perfect with slightly overcast skies and temperatures in the low 80.  You couldn't ask for a better day.  And you know, all those predictions came true. It was a short ride but it sure was sweet.

Twisp

At mile 10 we were told of a great bakery in the town of Twisp (called Cinnamon Twisp).  Although baked goods at the beginning of a ride aren't for me, I went into town and found it was dotted with huge metal spheres sculpted by a local artist named Bernard Hosey.

Bikers at Loup Loup

At mile 13 we started a 10 mile climb but it never got above a 7% grade and after the other day, 10 miles seemed short.  The high point for the day was at Loup Loup Pass, elevation 4020 feet.  There was no scenic lookout but the name alone was worth it.

Of course after every up, there's a down.  Today's downhill ride was great.  It wasn't so steep that I had to keep breaking but it was steep enough that I had to peddle only for show.  Lunch today was in a little deli whose name I never learned in the town of Okanogan.  I had a turkey sandwich with cream cheese and cranberry sauce. Delish! Everyone got a little cup of sorbet included with their meal for dessert.

Entering Omak

Tonight we're staying in Omak, population... well, not very much.  The people are very nice - someone even stopped his car in the middle of the road rather than ruin my picture.  Tomorrow's ride is 70 miles to Republic.  I'm starting to feel strong.

Day 4 & 5, Winthrop, WA - 92 miles

Today was one really tough day.  We knew it was going to be 91 miles and we knew there was going to be a lot of climbing and we knew it was early in the trip so we hadn't gotten in as good of shape as we would be, but it was tough.  We started out along the (what else) Skagit River along (what else) SR 20. The views of the Cascade Mountains with their peaks in the clouds were beautiful and the chill in the air was refreshing if you were dressed right.  At about mile 20 we started to climb.  It wasn't too bad at first but at mile 30 it was getting old.  At mile 40 it was older still – and it was getting steeper.  But just when we were getting really tired, we looked off to the left and there was the WomanTours trailer with a buffet lunch.  There were no stores and absolutely no place to stop so this was a very welcome sight. 

When we started out again, the sun was coming out, the tops of the mountains were visible, and the view was even more amazing than before.  But we were still climbing.  Because everyone climbs at different speeds, we really got spread out.  It makes it harder for the support crew to keep track of everyone but Cheryl, our SAG driver for the day did a great job.  At mile 53 I saw snow on the side of the road.  What an opportunity!  I made a pile of snowballs, hid behind some bushes at the side of the road and waited. Even though the sun was bright and strong, I was in shorts and a short-sleeved jersey sitting on a pile of snow with my sweat drying so I couldn't wait long.  Instead of pelting fellow riders with what had now become ice-balls (which probably wasn't a very good idea anyway), I stood in the middle of the deserted road and threw them into the air.  At mile 54, we reached the top of Rainy Pass at elevation 4855 feet.  Too bad this wasn't the end of our climb. Washington Pass at mile 60 was our high point for the day at 5477 feet.  Ellen and I rode our bikes an extra mile to the (closed) visitor's center, then hiked about a half mile for a wonderful view of the Cascades and our path down the other side.

After a minor celebration, we donned our coats for the chilly ride down.  What took about 5 hours to go up took about 45 minutes to go down. Then we had another hour of fairly flat riding but into a head wind.  After about 7.5 hours on the bike I pulled into Winthrop, too tired to blog (unlike last night when I just didn't have internet) but in time for dinner.

Today is a rest day meaning it's time to do laundry and clean the bikes.  And do computer stuff.  Check out the photo link at the top of this page for all of my bike photos and the statistics in the right column if you're so inclined.

Tomorrow is a shorter day, just 48 miles, into Omak.  Life is good.

Day 3, Marblemount, WA - 52 miles

We woke up this morning to a dreary day.  It wasn't exactly raining but it really wasn't dry either.  The forecast was for partly cloudy skies and no more than a 30% chance of rain so we were confident it wasn't going to get much worse.  Still, I carried my rain jacket in my bag all day just in case we were wrong. 

Bridge over the Skagit

Out of the hotel we headed through the booming metropolis of Sedro-Woolley, population 10,000 on a busy day.  There's one traffic circle in town (which actually has only two roads going into it so why have it there at all?) which we seemed to hit at rush hour, but after that there was only minimal traffic.  The Adventure Cycling maps, which most cross country bikers follow and which we rely on for general guidance, say to take State Route 20 between Sedro-Woolley and Marblemount.  Because we are with WomenTours, who have scouted out the best possible route in excruciating detail beforehand, we crossed the Skagit River over a very nice trestle bridge, then headed east on South Skagit Highway.  The road was rough, having been paved with chipseal, but there were very few vehicles.  The mountain peaks, including Mt Baker (a local volcano), were shrouded in clouds, but the scenery was beautiful along the river with numerous creeks joining it. 

Concrete, WA

At mile 27 we passed through the town of Concrete, home of Portland Cement, the Henry Thompson Bridge (at the time it was built in 1918 it was the longest single-span cement bridge in the world), and Lower Baker Dam (the highest hydroelectric dam in the world when it was completed in 1925).  In Rockport (mile 37) I had read there was a self-kicking machine in the parking lot of the only gas station in town.  Apparently when you turn the crank, your rear is in such a position that the mechanism delivers some well placed boots to your backside.  Unfortunately the machine had been removed for repairs the day before and we missed out on this amazing piece of Americana.

Clark's Skagit River Resort

The day ended at mile 51 at the Clark's Skagit River Resort & Cabins.  To call it a resort is a real stretch. There are cabins scattered around the grounds, most probably build in the 1950s and untouched since then.  I am staying in an old RV which has a distinct smell of it's own.  Over all, the place is very cute and the owners are nice.  Bunny rabbits are running free and there are bins of "bunny bread" to feed them from. A nearby restaurant is run by Tootsie, 90 years old and still going strong.

Tomorrow we are scheduled for 91 miles and a climb over the Cascades.  But like our guide, Michelle, said: I've never met a hill I can't walk up.

Day 2, Sedro-Wolley - 40 miles

A short but very sweet day.  We were up early and headed out en masse for the ceremonial dip of the tires in the Pacific Ocean. Of course it was a disorganized mess once we got there but it was fun. We then retraced our route for about 5 miles and started peddling east.  Part of our route took us on the Padilla Bay Shore Trail, a 2.25 mile trail build on a dike through an estuary of the Skagit River.  Because Padilla bay is filled with sediment from the Skagit River, the bottom is so shallow that almost the whole bay is intertidal - it is flooded at high tide and when the tide goes out, the whole bay empties exposing miles of mud flats. This condition allows unusually large eelgrass meadows to grow, and the fauna that the eelgrass supports is able to thrive.  We learned all about the ecology of the area at a great interpretive center.

Ellen crossing Fidalgo Bay

After that, we moseyed into Sedro-Woolley via back roads that had virtually no traffic.  We went into town for lunch and found examples of the local chainsaw art carving competition on every street corner.  It was starting to drizzle so we high-tailed it to the hotel after lunch and enjoyed a relaxing afternoon.

No clue what tomorrow will hold because I'm living in the now.

Day 1, Anacortes, WA - 0 miles

OK, I didn't really ride zero miles today. I only rode about 10 miles, from the house on Orcas, to the ferry dock, and then from the ferry dock on Anacortes to the hotel.  I needed to catch the early ferry so I took off before most of the kids were up (of course Russell was up at 4 am watching the World Cup game) and started riding.  They all met me at my Anacortes hotel with my suit cases and we said our good-byes there.  I had a great time with all of them and will miss them but....

Ferry to Anacortes

On to a new adventure.  As soon as I arrived at the hotel I started meeting old friends from my Southern Tier bike trip from two years ago.  It was great to sit and laugh with Judy, Ellen and Penny and it felt like no time at all had passed since we were last together.  Ellen has has a lot of changes in her life and we all have had some challenges but we're together again and we know we will have fun.  Judy, my good buddy from the Southern Tier, is my room mate tonight, tomorrow is a very short day, and the weather is supposed to be fine.

Life is good.

Orcas Island

I met my brother and the crew at the Seattle airport and we headed north.  After picking up my bike in Anacortes, we took the ferry to Orcas Island and found our rental house. Soon after we arrived, we were greeted by a mama otter with her two babies running over our deck and through the Japanese-style gardens around the house. I grabbed my camera then Laurel (age 7) and I took after them. The tables were soon turned when we realized they were not shy at all and they came after us chittering loudly.  Laurel and I safely escaped but it was clear we were on the otter's turf.  At first Matt (age 17) and Russell (age 13) did not believe Laurel and I but when the otters wouldn't leave Frank (age 49) alone as he was unloading the car, they relented. After a few hours the babies and mom were reunited and they made their way back down to the beach.

Yesterday I went on my first bike ride. Apart from the bike shop having set my bike seat being seat about 5 inches too high, the ride felt great. Today I rode up Mt Constitution in Moran State Park here on the island. It involved a 2400' climb in about 6 miles. For those not familiar with biking, that's a lot.  For the first time I had to get off and walk for part of the way.  At the top I was greeted by a view of fog. On the way down (which took about a tenth of the time getting up took) I was so cold I had to stop to warm up my hands.  It was still a lot of fun.

Now I am back in the house, cleaned and fed but tired. Time for a nap.

Ready to go

My bike arrived in Anacortes earlier this week and the bike shop has promised they will have it ready for me when I arrive. I have not been on a bike (except for little rides around the lake) for almost two weeks and I feel like a blob. I am a bit nervous that I have lost my conditioning.

I am leaving at the crack of dawn tomorrow and will meet my brother and his darling family for a fun filled week in the San Juan Islands. Then on Saturday the Northern Tier Class of 2010 meets for the first time and the ride begins. Too bad it starts with the Cascades, then the Bitterroots, then the Rockys. Good luck to me!