OREGON HAS BEEN GOOD TO US!

From forest to dry and hot on the way to Ashland

DATE:  Friday, Oct. 30, 2011
HOME: Siskiyou, Oregon  Callahan’s Resort
DISTANCE: 45 miles
ALTITUDE: 3730 ft
WEATHER: great, high of 83 – partial cloud cover
NARRATIVE:
Another great day of riding for our last day in Oregon. Most of the day was on quiet, small roads with no traffic.  The change in scenery as we plunged off Dead Indian Summit towards Ashland was dramatic – from douglas fir forest to oak woodland and hot, sunny slopes.  We were bundled up in windbreakers and legwarmers – I had to shed it all, put my arm coolers and white hat on.  Due to lack of use it was all at the bottom of my panniers.  The 3,000 ft descent made me think of Mt. Diablo.

The final 2300 ft. ascent up to our motel was a beautiful series of switchbacks shaded by oaks and manzanitas.  The last 300 ft of climbing the fir and pine forest emerged once again.

We’re due for a layover day, but we’re still trying to wait till we get caught by weather – seems the worst will be Tuesday and Wednesday, so we’ll keep going – tomorrow to Shasta and California!  Actially, our entire dinner was spent figuring out our options.  Seems as though all of next week will be bad, and that going around Lassen will be the best way to go - but we have found several 30 mile days if we really need to find a dry spot for the night.  And, we need that layover day, so the plan is two days in Shasta.

ONE THOUSAND MILES

Back to ranch land after our descent from Crater Lake

DATE:  Thurs, Sept. 29, 2011
HOME: Lake of the Woods, Oregon  Lake of the Woods Resort
DISTANCE: 55 miles
ALTITUDE: 1300ft
WEATHER: Absolutely perfect.  Clear skies, no wind, no traffic
NARRATIVE:
We said our farewells to Dave and Lois, hoping to see them in December in the Bay Area.  We really enjoyed re-connecting – it is such fun.  Slow start as we wished we could stay another day at Crater Lake, but once we got going we both really enjoyed today’s ride – a mostly downhill and/or flat ride until the last five miles - through beautiful forest with no traffic, also until the last five miles.  Highway 140 is a major road, but with wide shoulders.  Not a dangerous road but big trucks and the noise are not pleasant.
We dropped like a rock from Crater Lake and in minutes we had gone from the mountain scenery to flat ranch land and cute cows – more pics to add to my collection.  These guys were black with white faces.

WE REACHED THE 1,000 MILE MARK TODAY NEAR LAKE OF THE WOODS!!!!

Lake of the Woods Resort:  A beautiful spot, tucked away in the woods.  Probably a zoo in the summer, but with few people here it’s quiet and pleasant.  Our cabin is cute, cozy, and exceptionally clean with a Jacuzzi!  They also had internet and cell phone connection – our first for three days!

We have been hearing about the storm coming our way so we spent the late afternoon on the deck in the late fall warmth next to the lake researching the weather.  We hope to stay ahead of it for a couple of days before it closes in on us, but, unlike Washington, we were able to find several good “bail-out” towns.

THANK YOU ALISON!!  A friend from home, Alison, and her husband, John, are beginning this week to scout a section of the Sierra Cascades Route for a Bicycle Adventure Club (BAC) ride she will lead in 2013.  For the past week we have been exchanging emails hoping to meet-up on some portion of this next section to Truckee.  Because of Alison’s thorough research and “finds”  we stayed at Willamette Inn, took her alternate route out of Crater Lake, and are staying tonight at Lake of the Woods.  Anyone wanting to ride this Sierra Cascades route – but aren’t quite up to totally self-supported – sign up for Alison’s trip.  You’ll be in good hands.

CRATER LAKE AND OLD FRIENDS

Dave, Lois, Bob, Shelagh @ Crater Lake

DATE:  Wed, Sept. 28, 2011
HOME: Crater Lake, Oregon  Crater Lake Lodge
DISTANCE: 22 miles biking, 6 mi. hike
ALTITUDE: 2600ft biking, 1200 ft. hiking
WEATHER: Absolutely perfect.
NARRATIVE:
We got off by 8:15 for a ride – mostly uphill to Crater Lake.  We got to the rim around noon, and WOW! What a view of the lake – no wind, deep, deep blue water, not a cloud in the sky.  And, then Dave and Lois appeared, they took  my panniers and I got to complete the last 5 miles with no panniers – what a treat!
Our room wasn’t ready so we took a beautiful hike which felt like old times – our first couple of years in Berkeley, Dave was at Stanford, and we did lots and lots of hiking/backpacking with them. It was on a skiing/snowcamping trip in Crater Lake many years ago that we got caught in a white-out, couldn’t see the poles along the route, or each other, and I fell down a slope about 25 ft.  Not hurt, but scared.  A fun afternoon reminiscing about old times and recent times, and a wonderful dinner at the lodge.
What we all found really fascinating was that, in retirement, we all seem to have taken an interest in nature and ecology- and we all voluntarily spend our time eradicating invasive weeds.  Dave and Lois are now co-chairs of their local butterfly chapter and volunteer to maintain a section of forest trail near their house – blackberry bashing being one of their main endeavors!
It’s going to be incredibly hard getting up tomorrow and riding 60 miles – even if it is downhill for much of the way – after such a great day it seems more appropriate for a layover day.  Also, we haven’t done much planning beyond Crater Lake, and mileage and towns are once again getting tricky – and we hear there may be bad weather just as we head – or want to head – over Lassen.

CLIMATE CHANGE RIDE

At least this summit had a sign - most don't!

DATE:  Tues, Sept. 27, 2011
HOME:  Diamond Lake, Oregon
DISTANCE:  58 miles
ALTITUDE:  2,000ft
WEATHER: good, got to the 60’s, but a moderate + headwind
OUR HEALTH: Bob feeling much better
NARRATIVE:
Today marks three weeks on the road.  We had a beautiful day for a ride, and the traffic on 97 which was so horrible in Washington, was not as bad as we feared.  We only had one pass – towards the end – and there was even a sign (still no view).  Then it was all downhill to Diamond Lake.  Diamond Lake is off our route, tomorrow we have to re-climb the hill we just flew down to get to Crater Lake.
Our room at Diamond Lake Resort is huge with a Jacuzzi tub – super.  However, it has no view of the lake and has no wi-fi in the rooms.
The story of the day, though, is meeting a couple from the Bay Area – they work for Marin Headlands Institute and are riding the Climate Ride!  When we left them they were going to end up with an 80 mile day because Mazama Campground at Crater Lake had closed, and the nearest campground was 20 miles further on.  I hope they made it OK. If you would like to support a nice couple for a good cause go to http://climateride.donordrive.com/team/caseyandmatt.

ANOTHER GOOD RIDING DAY!

Fire Prone area in Oregon - this one in 2003

DATE:  Monday, Sept. 26, 2011
HOME: Crescent Lakes Junction, Oregon  Willamette Inn
DISTANCE: 45
ALTITUDE: 1200ft
WEATHER: COLD this AM – 32 degrees, warmed up by 11 to the mid-60’s.  Nice day.
WIND:  About mid-morning became moderate head wind
OUR HEALTH: Bob feeling a little low – thinks it may have been de-hydration; forgetting to drink when it’s cold
NARRATIVE:
We made yesterday and today short riding days because it was supposed to be bad weather.  Again, no storm materialized – in fact, the weather warmed up nicely and it was a really nice day through very rural roads with no traffic.  The amount of climbing was only 1200 ft. today so it was a slow cruise – nice.
Our hotel – Willamette Inn is a really nice motel in a one-block street town.  We thought the closest restaurant was 2 miles away – but “food” was available at two places.  A nice, newly opened café opened for breakfast and lunch, and a “bar” that serves food.  Neither was a “real” restaurant but we were able to “eat.”  What a difference from the last 3 evenings of really good food. Back to the rural.
A note here about fires:  we are amazed at the number of wildfires we have seen over the last three days, beginning with Suttle Lake.  Each fire takes out many thousands of acres and wipes out the forest.  Many will have education boards explaining the fire – and all blame the extreme fire suppression measures of the 20th century that lead to high fuel load – add urbanization and the land burns up on a hot day with high winds.

MT. BACHELOR

Mt. Bachelor

DATE:  Sun, Sept. 25, 2011
HOME:  Elk Lake Resort, Oregon
MILEAGE:  33 miles
CLIMBING:  2900 ft
WIND:  moderate head wind
WEATHER:  Cool (low 50's, then getting cooler (45 on downhill) + rain the last 4 miles.

Another BIG change in weather.  Yesterday walking around Bend it was hot - in the 80's.  We had a pleasant evening walk home from the restaurant.  This AM:  cloudy and 54 degrees, and when I went to put the panniers on my bike - a few sprinkles.  They stopped but it was a harbinger of things to come.  We didn't start till 9:30 as we had a wonderful breakfast and a morning conversation with the other guests, Bill and Margo.  But finally, we departed.

In fact, the sun came out and while climbing 20 miles uphill with a moderate headwind it was a beautiful climb with Mt. Bachelor often in view. But, it was still cool.  We "dressed up" for the frigid ride down - 45 degrees - and we were warm till about 4 miles from Elk Lake Resort when the skies broke loose with rain that felt like ice on my face.  By the time we got to the Resort the sun was out again - bad timing!

Elk Lake Resort far exceeded our modest expectations.  The restaurant and lodge was warm and cozy, the hosts friendly,  and our cabin large, modern, and well appointed (two bedrooms, a livingroom and kitchen).  We spent a large part of the afternoon at the lodge planning our trip, snack moving right on into dinner; I am now writing the blog sitting next to our gas fire place with music playing - a most enjoyable evening.  Bob and I are definitely telling ourselves whenever possible - opt for the short option rather than a really long option.  It is soooo nice to be normally tired and not exhausted.

LAYOVER IN BEND

Our host and chef, Peter, describing brreakfast

Much to our surprise we really like Bend.  We were here 30 years ago and not impressed.  One woman told me she grew up here and it was 7,000 people, now it's 82,000.  Apparently it's become a popular spot for retirees and second homes.  We went to a fabulous restaurant tonight, Ariana, with some other guests from our B&B.
Typical layover day - but we went to REI (huge one) to get a filter so we don't have to carry so much water with us (long biking with NO services).  Bob also had to buy another GPS (his died).  It was another beautiful and hot day but the weather is supposed to change dramatically. The high isn't supposed to be over 60 tomorrow with winds.  We're only going 33 miles to Elk Lake (that way we don't have to camp).
We got in touch with Dave and Lois Hagen, friends way back from our Boston days, who live in Oregon.  They're going to try to meet us in Crater Lake on Wednesday - should be fun!

BEND

A sad reminder of the devastation of fire.  This one on Santiam
Pass and the Jefferson Wilderness

DATE:  Friday, Sept. 23, 2011
HOME:  Bend, Oregon Lara House
DISTANCE: 37 mi
ALTITUDE:
WEATHER: good, sunny and warm - 86
NARRATIVE:
We started late since we knew it was going to be a short, not very hilly ride.  And, it wasn’t, but the traffic was again bad – at least there were few trucks and bus like trailers.  We got to Bend and our fabulous B&B about 2:00, rested up for the afternoon, went to their wine and cheese, and then downtown Bend for Sushi.
Were we impressed with Bend – the downtown was hopping, restaurants and small shops everywhere, and our sushi was fabulous.
We couldn’t wait till bedtime, though, and not setting the alarm, and not getting on our bike for a day.

LUXURY AT SUTTLE LAKE

Dinner at Suttle Lake - a great ending to a hard
day of riding!

DATE: Thurs, Sept. 22, 2011
HOME: Suttle Lake, Oregon  Lodge at Suttle Lake
DISTANCE: 45 miles
ALTITUDE: 3730ft
WEATHER: Perfect
NARRATIVE:  Today was supposed to be one of those fairly easy days, tomorrow as well, then followed by a layover day.  I guess any day that involves this much climbing when our legs are already tired is a full day.  Another full day of climbing – 5% - but, it still takes time.

The word of the day is TRAFFIC and lots of it.  Highway 20 is a major corridor.  We thought we would get rid of it after the turn-off to Eugene.  Wrong.   Most of the traffic was big double trailered trucks and bus sized RV’s towing a car.  Even the pick-ups were noisy.  Not a fun ride.  Washington had a wide shoulder – full car lane – here the shoulder was narrow.

Climbing up Santian Pass at the end of the day in the Jefferson Wilderness we came upon a sobering sight – the whole pass area had been burned – and recently as we still saw and smelled smoke.  Turns out there have been several devastating fires in the area:  two in 2003, and two more in 2004 (Ithink), and then this one, which started on August 23 and has burned 10,000 acres.  It came within 2 miles of the Lodge we’re staying at – you can still smell the smoke outside.  

Our reward did come at the end of the day, though.  Our lodge is lovely.  An eco-lodge, built of old timbers, but with all the latest amenities.  We did get here in time for wine and cheese and to enjoy the views out over the lake.  Definitely the kind of place for a layover day; unfortunately, they are booked for the weekend.  But, we did find a fabulous place in “old Bend” which is only 37 miles and the map shows some, but not a lot of, climbing.  Looking forward to the layover day.

Dinner was fabulous here at the lodge.  Oysters on the half-shell and crayfish cakes from crayfish from the lake.  It’s nice and warm out so we sat outside by the lake – this is the way to end a hard day of biking!

NO TRAFFIC

Pacific Crest Trail Crossing on the way to Detroit, Oregon

DATE: Wed, Sept. 21, 2011
HOME: Detroit, Oregon
DISTANCE: 70 miles
ALTITUDE: 3600 ft
WEATHER: Perfect – a warm and sunny fall day
NARRATIVE:
Our 4th day in Oregon – and another sunny day.  We had a loong day today – but it was a great day of riding.  Not a 30 mile mountain to climb, but several smaller ones.  After we left a fairly busy road we saw NO other cars – well, maybe 3 or 4 – all day!  The road itself was perfect – no potholes like at home.
Once again we were back into beautiful cedar, hemlock, and fir forest with a beautiful understory of coffee berry, thimbleberry, gooseberry, and a ground cover Manzanita.  We got to Detroit about 5:00 – and considering it was a one block town with a huge marina – getting there at 5:00 gave us plenty of time to sight-see!  Our hotel is a classic 1950’s motel that has only seen “a little bit of dusting” since.
The one restaurant had burgers many different ways, but they were good ones.
Figuring out the next few nights it would be perfect for us to stay at Suttle Lake where there’s a luxury lodge.  If they couldn’t take us we were going to camp at the lake.  Then it’s a short distance to Bend and a layover day!  Our spirits soared when the lodge had room for us.  Only 45 miles tomorrow – we’ll sleep 30 minutes longer and have breakfast at the local restaurant.

MT. HOOD

Mt. Hood

DATE:  Tue, Sept. 20, 2011

HOME:  Government Camp, Oregon  Best Western

DISTANCE:  45 miles

CLIMBING:  5670ft

NARRATIVE:  Today's ride was all about Mt. Hood.  The entire ride was around the base of this majestic mountain, and we had views of it all day long!

The ride was long, and we were climbing - at a steady 5% grade but it was a gorgeous, warm day and the continual views of Mt. Hood erased any pain we may be feeling.  About 3 hours into the ride we came to a small burg, Parkdale, where we had cappuccino and wonderful blueberry cobbler.  A few hours later we found a picnic area with tables and had a great lunch in the sun next to the river.  This is what touring is all about.

Government Camp is a ski resort just off the road about 3 miles on the way to Portland, which we realized was only a biking day away!  Found a really nice Best Western with a Jacuzzi, a good restaurant, and are realizing that our next few days are going to be long.

So far Oregon has been good to us.  We're taking one day at a time - and enjoying it.

RAIN AND COLD

Riding in the rain for two days - thanks to Ortlieb our gear
stayed dry.

DATES: Mon, Sept.19, 2011
HOME: Hood River, Oregon  Columbia Gorge Hotel
WEATHER: Fabulous
NARRATIVE:
It’s been several days since I posted to the blog – and there are many reasons:  rain, cold, long biking distances, near disasters, and NO internet access.  We have had a wonderful layover day at this historic hotel in Hood River, Oregon.  Before the memories of the last few days fade completely here’s a summary.

Three days ago the weather dramatically changed – the temperature dropped 40 degrees from the heat wave of last week.  The weather reports and the locals all said there would be just a few “showers.”  What they call showers is a steady rain for us wussy Californians.  It rained – OK, sometimes it was just a drizzle – for two solid days.  Our choice:  stay put in a not great place or ride.  We decided to ride – after all, we had new waterproof Ortlieb panniers and good rain gear for us, and there was no wind.  And I’ll have to admit that riding in the rain was actually preferable to the heat wave.  Even Bob, who loves the sun and heat could not believe how much the heat drained the energy from us.

But, one day of riding 68 miles and 4600 ft. of climbing was enough.  Our worry was that we were so remote that we may have to camp – it was all dependent on whether a set of cabins at Swift Creek was open.  We called but received no answer.  Things were not looking good.  But, just like we were saved by our Guardian Angel on Washington Pass, we were in luck – THE CABINS were open, there was water, a hot shower, and a store.  Primitive, yes.  But, we were elated and managed to dry out.

Day 2 of riding in the rain:  It rained all night – a steady rain – and it was still raining as we packed our stuff and headed out.  We were happy, though, we had dry clothes to wear.  We got a late start for another 60 mile day – 9:30 – as we had to clean up our bikes and make some mechanical adjustments.  Neither GPS seemed to be working right, we didn’t look at our maps closely enough and missed a turn.  Before we figured out we were on the wrong road and heading in the wrong direction we had climbed 4 miles and 1,000ft.  Once on the right road the climb was steep.  Then I began hearing a scratching sound – what I thought was a brake problem was a fender problem – a bolt was loose.  So, in the rain we took the panniers off and the wheel, turned the bike upside down to tighten the bolt.  Got the bike upright, as I was putting the panniers back on it fell over and now it WAS the brake.  After another ? hour delay we were once again on our way.  We knew now we wouldn’t make it to Hood River, but at least we knew we could make it to a small town and not have to camp.

But, again, luck was on our side.  It was 4 in the afternoon, we got to a town called Stevenson 30 miles from Hood River.  Looking at the map we realized this is the area where the bike route is on the freeway – there is no other route to take.  So, we arrange a taxi – we arrived at our hotel around 5:30.  Our road weariness began to fade immediately.  And, of course, the RAIN STOPPED.

We had a wonderful sunny relaxing day – Hood River is a wonderful town with great organic food, many sports minded people (3 bike shops, several sports stores).  We are rested enough to continue on our way tomorrow with rain gear packed once again at the bottom of our panniers because the weather is supposed to get into the low 80’s and be sunny for the next few days!

We enjoyed our layover day here on the Lewis and Clark
Trail - it was just as good this time around!

MT. RAINIER

Mt. Rainier

DATE: Friday, Sept 16, 2011
HOME: Packwood, WA.  Cowlitz River Hotel
DISTANCE: 61 miles
ALTITUDE: 3600
WEATHER: Cool, windy, but clear
OUR HEALTH: Both feeling the best yet – cool weather helps
NARRATIVE: At the end of the day going around a corner and seeing Mt. Rainier was a spectacular ending to a fabulous day!
It was the best day of riding yet:  the weather was good (rain never materialized), and though it was quite cool and we had a head wind most of the day, the views climbing 3000 feet to the top of White Mountain were beautiful.  We like trees, but when climbing a mountain we like the views.  And, we found a restaurant at mile 30 (services have been very limited) so had a nice lunch.  The day ended with a fun 20 mile downhill into Packwood.
Packwood:  the one disappointment of the day – a half-mile strip of ugly buildings along highway 12.  We ended up in the best of the “not too great” motels.  And dinner – well, it was one more “authentic” old time restaurant.  At meal times we always have to remind ourselves that we don’t go on these trips for the good food; besides it’s part of the cultural experience.
Weather:  clouds and possible chance of rain but nothing big.  So, we’re planning on camping tomorrow and getting to Hood River on Sunday where we’ll have a good hotel and a layover day:)  Bob is making the reservations at the same place we stayed in on the Lewis and Clark Trail.

YAKIMA CANYON

Yakima Canyon

DATE:  Thurs, Sept. 15, 2011
HOME:  Nachez, Washington  Nachez Hotel
DISTANCE: 45 miles
ALTITUDE:  2000 ft.
WEATHER:  Perfect in the morning – headwind in the afternoon
OUR HEALTH: Bob felt more tired today – I finally feel really good.
NARRATIVE:
This morning’s ride in the Yakima Canyon was super – we’re in a high desert with sage brush the main plant, but going down into canyons where major rivers flow is beautiful.  And, Yakima Canyon did not disappoint.  All morning long we would descend 200 ft to the river and then climb back up 200 ft.  A fun morning.
Our fear was WIND.  Last night the small trees near our hotel were almost horizontal and huge gusts were expected today.  Being in the canyon as well as a tail wind all morning made the wind a non-issue.  Then at Selah we took a big turn and headed straight into it.  But, it was not nearly as bad as on the Lewis and Clark Trail.  Slowed us down but we made it the last 20 miles to Nachez in time for a late lunch.
Naches:  Population 660.  But, it has an upbeat feel to it as you ride down main street.  But the real engine of the town is the Hotel and café next door (real food – and delicious).  When we checked in the owner said she and her husband, in a delusional moment, decided to buy the hotel and renovate it.  They found themselves “wed” to the hotel so they bought the café next door, thus ensuring that they will stay “wed.”  Anyway, the hotel is funky but had a whirlpool tub and king size four poster bed – works for us!

Did not have wireless so Bob used my cell as a modem.  We then spent the time till the cell ran out of juice trying to figure out yet another re-route; the weather is supposed to be windy and rainy tomorrow and Saturday as well as COLD!  We're in pretty remote territory - with 60+ mile days we would still have to camp one night of the next 3.  Now, we were trying to figure out just what is available if the weather slows us down.  Life on the road.

HEATWAVE FINALLY BREAKS

View of valley from our climb up Liberty Mt.

DATE:  Wed, Sept. 14, 2011
HOME:  Ellensberg, WA   Best Western Plus
DISTANCE: 53 miles
ALTITUDE:  3600
WEATHER:  Perfect.  Mostly shade morning; 87 high
NARRATIVE:
Finally, the temperatures are trending downward.  It was cool this morning, we had to wear our windbreakers.  And, we were in the shade most of the morning as we climbed 3000 ft. to Blewett Pass.
Unfortunately, the first part of the ride was on 97 – a road made for high speed; at least it had a very wide shoulder (where trucks are supposed to go to let cars by) so we were never in danger, but my idea of fun is not to see a beautiful canyon with lots of cars speeding by.  Towards the top – a 3,000ft. 20 mile ascent – we were able to get off the road and onto the “old road.”  Beautiful ride to the summit with NO traffic.

We didn’t hit 97 again till partway down the mountain, then it was a short stint with traffic, and a 600 ft. climb to the top of liberty – in the afternoon sun but it was pleasant and we had views of the valley and farms below.

A GREAT DAY OF RIDING!

Cultural Note:  Ellensberg.  A small town trying to renovate it’s “historic” downtown.  But, with I90 passing right through town the usual “freeway” development is cropping up.  Our hotel was one of those + a steakhouse (Roadhouse Grill) right next door.  Both were fine:  a Jacuzzi in our room and surprisingly OK food at the Roadhouse.  It took 18 minutes for Bob’s dessert so we got it for free – quick turnaround is important, I guess.

The real Bummer of the day was having to cancel our Mr. Rainier lodge reservations.  The spur road to Rainier from our route is closed all winter long for major construction.  The other road is 21/2 hours by car!  So, we spent the evening re-routing ourselves for the next few nights.

HEAT WAVE CONTINUES

LUNCH - TOM, DICK, AND HARRY'S

DATE:  Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2011
HOME:  Leavenworth, WA.  Beecher House
DISTANCE: 60 miles
ALTITUDE:  2500 ft
WEATHER:  Beautiful and cool in the morning, shot up to 96 by 1:00
NARRATIVE:  The morning was beautiful riding along Lake Chelan to the state park – and even the climb out of the state park to highway 97 was fun – weather was cool, and the pine forest was beautiful.  We began to hit traffic again on highway 97, but it wasn’t too bad and the shoulder was broad.  Nice morning.
We were feeling so good that by lunch we had only a few miles to go to our destination, Cashmere, a place that didn’t really excite us much.  At lunch, at a classic greasy spoon hamburger place, we began searching farther afield and found a great B&B 15 miles further on.
This was the 15 miles from hell as the weather suddenly shot up to 96 degrees and there were some steep climbs and no shade to get to the B&B. The worst climb was Dead Man's Hill which was aptly named. Great B&B in a 100 year old restored house.  We are the only guests.  Susie was a great host and took us in to Leavenworth for dinner.
Leavenworth:  a dying logging town that decided they would revive and save the town by becoming a Bavarian Alpine Village – they now have 2 million visitors a year.  Think Solvang – the theme park concept works.

LAYOVER DAY

Lake Chelan from our deck.

DATE: Monday, Sept. 12, 2011
HOME: Lake Chelan, WA.  Campbell’s Resort
WEATHER:  HOT - 95 degrees
OUR HEALTH: revived as the day went on.
NARRATIVE:
Today was truly a recovery day.  We did the usual layover day activities:  laundry, tuned up bikes, read, and I finally got the blog together.  The  day just flew by – we tentatively planned the week which will end up in Mt. Rainier.  It’s supposed to be hot tomorrow, and then begin to cool down significantly over the next few days.  It was a great place for a layover day – we took advantage of our large space, and even had a bedroom for our bikes!  Safeway and Starbucks were across the street, so we ate “in” rather than restaurants.

CHANGE IN SCENERY

Scenery change from a fern, hemlock and cedar forest to
desert - making the 95+ heat understandable

DATE: Sunday, September 11, 2011
HOME: Campbell’s Resort, Chelan, Wa
DISTANCE: 20 miles
ALTITUDE:  900 ft
WEATHER:  Hot, Hot Hot  Another record breaking 97degrees
OUR HEALTH: Tired, mostly from the heat
NARRATIVE:
ESCAPE – to air conditioning and a lake.
We decided to bike only a short distance to Lake Chelan – where we were going to take a layover day at the State Park which is near the mountains and some good hiking.  Given the weather we opted for a classic resort at the lake so we could have air conditioning and a pool.
Only 20 miles but by the time we got to Chelan we were hot and tired.  We really need this layover day tomorrow – our bodies have degraded since leaving home:  early days, long days and the heat have taken their toll.  It’s supposed to be another record breaking day of heat tomorrow and then begin to cool off.
We were here at noon, our room wasn’t ready and wasn’t ready till 4:00 so we had lunch and spent the rest of the day in a lounge chair in the shade at the beach.  Nice afternoon.
Our place is HUGE – two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a livingroom and complete kitchen – and a wrap around deck looking over the lake.  Not bad.
We feel the same as when we were riding the Lewis and Clark – there we would get up really, really early to get to our destination before the tornadoes and thunderstorms.  Here, it’s to get out of the 95degree plus heat!
Looking forward to a good night’s sleep, a late wake up time, and a relaxing and restful day tomorrow.

CAR RALLY

CAR RALLY in WINTHROP

DATE: Saturday, September 10, 2011  
HOME:  Pateros, Washington,
DISTANCE:  59 miles
WEATHER:  Hot, hot, hot (97degrees)
OUR HEALTH: Good, except for exhaustion from the heat
NARRATIVE:
Seven Months on the Road – that’s how long a young guy we talked to had been bicycling cross country.  He began in Florida, went north to Pennsylvania, then headed East.  He’s heading to the coast and then to San Francisco where he will end his journey.  Fun to talk to…and makes our two months look tame.  It was fun talking to him about his journey.
The other interesting event today happened in Winthrop – a restored “old west” town that was hosting a car rally.  My favorite was a purple Cadillac, but there were hundreds of old cars, trucks, even an old fire engine, lovingly restored.
Today’s ride should have been easy – mostly downhill with a few bumps in the road, but the HEAT really takes it out of you.  We were once again exhausted when we got in, even though we stopped everywhere there was shade just to cool down.  We found a nice, new hotel in Pateros with a patio that faces the lake.  Dinner was next door – the special was prime rib – we had the smallest at 8 oz - definitely got our protein!
Tomorrow is expected to be another day of record breaking heat -  99 degrees - so we’ll take a short, early ride to Chelan, have a layover day to recover, and hope the weather cools.

GUARDIAN ANGEL

ANN, OUR GUARDIAN ANGEL

DATE:  Fri, Sept. 9,  2011
HOME:  Freestone Inn, Mazama, Wa.
DISTANCE:  58 miles
ALTITUDE:  6130 ft.
HOURS ON THE ROAD:  11
NARRATIVE:
If Ann had not come to our rescue on the road today we would most likely be camped on the side of the road at a trailhead.  We began early enough - knew there was lots of climbing - but thought we could do it.  We immediately ran into difficulty:  not enough water and HEAT AND SUN!  I was on the side of the road sitting on a log looking at the map for the next trailhead - we had emergency food and a stove in which to boil water - when along came this woman in a SUV towing a cute little trailer.  She hopped out of the car asking, "Would you like some water and watermelon?"  She refueled us and we were then "good to go" sort of - it was still HOT (record breaking heat (97) and SUN, with the occasional bit of shade to cool our bodies down.

Finally, after a 36 mile 5% grade slog up the mountainside we came to our first pass, Rainy Pass - no view, no welcome party, no restaurant, and no sign (actually we did find a small one for traffic going the other direction).  All we had to look forward to was a slight downhill and the final uphill at 8% to Washington Pass - in the SUN and HEAT!  We did make it, there was a trailhead there, and if there would have been a place to pitch a tent I would have because we still had 20 miles to go.  Even though it was downhill!
But, we did make it, and even found a wonderful country inn, The Freestone Inn, with a fabulous restaurant.  When we made our entrance at dinner we were greeted with cheers from non other than our GUARDIAN ANGEL and her friends that she was sagging for.

NOTE ON THE RIDE:  This ride, even under the best weather conditions, would not be one of our favorites.  The road was good, but the traffic, beginning about 11am, was heavy with RV's and motorcycles.  Good shoulder, and only 5% grade, but it was a 40 mile uphill slog with only an occasional view of the mountains.

All's well that ends well - we had a great evening - and after a glass of wine the trials of the day were beginning to fade.  Tomorrow is almost ALL DOWNHILL!

THE START - BELLINGHAM AIRPORT

Traffic-yes.  Wide shoulder-yes.
MT. BAKER in the background!

DATE: Wed, Sept. 7, 2011
HOME: Sedro-Woolly, Wa.   Three Rivers Inn
DISTANCE:  35 miles
TIME ON THE ROAD:  4 Hours
ALTITUDE:  1500ft
WEATHER:  Perfect  78degrees
OUR HEALTH: Tired from lack of sleep the past two nights
NARRATIVE: We turned in the car at the Bellingham Airport, assembled our bikes, and began riding at 12:45.  Slow start – new panniers (Ortlieb), and trying to shake off the long hours in the car – but it was a beautiful but hilly ride to Sedro-Woolly.  Found a nice, standard hotel - The Three Rivers Inn.

A few Cultural  Observations:  As we headed north away from the Bay Area cars got bigger and the food rapidly got worse.  We’re still trying to adjust to standard, industrialized, non-organic food and big box chain stores – tonight’s pizza and salad bar was barely edible.  We haven’t been away long enough.  It’s like backpacking – after a week of freeze dried food you actually begin to look forward to it.  As I recalled from the Lewis and Clark we really looked forward to Subway, and a Chile’s meant a good size town and was a real treat!  Wine was mostly lousy and not worth having.  We are already reminding ourselves that food is not why we’re on the trip.

TRIP DELAYED!!!

DATE:  Tuesday, September 6, 2011

HOME:  Lyons Inn, Portland Oregon (actually Vancouver, WA)

DISTANCE: Drove 672 miles

NARRATIVE: 

The advantage of our early start was quickly erased when we got a flat tire just outside of Winters.  We found no jack, so called AAA and Hertz.  The guy who came could not get the lugs off even with the compressor on the truck, so we had to tow the car to a gas station.  We didn’t want to drive with a bad spare, and the new tire was indicating we needed air.  So we went to Sacramento to change cars.  Three hours later we were on our way again. 

Lucky us that Oregon still has attendants at gas station because one heard a noise from our car as we drove in, said it was a “low oil” noise, and sure enough, the oil was so low it didn’t even make it to the dip stick.  Two quarts later we were good to go. 

Turns out we stayed at the same Lyons Inn on our Lewis and Clark Trail trip.  Brought back some memories – we were almost at the end of the trip rather than the start.