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.