The world has gone crazy ... snow in June. My world is out of whack.
Lots of miles have seen the rubber-side of my bike since I last posted. All types of weather and terrain.
Probably the highlight of the past days (other than riding in the snow today) was the joy of meeting up with my former brother-in-law on Whidbey Island. Ned was waiting at the ferry landing in Keystone, WA; he is very familiar with that part of the island, so we took some of the more scenic back roads on our way to Oak Harbor. Very enjoyable ride. We found a bar (somewhat of a dive) that had the USA/England soccer match on TV. This gave us an opportunity to semi-watch the game, share a beer and carry-on a very enjoyable conversation. We had not seen one another for somewhere around 15 years, and having been good friends back in the early 70's, we had a lot to catch up on ... Ned is one of the great story tellers, so I had a wonderful time.
After the match ended, I headed north and Ned headed back to Keystone. I ended the day's ride just short of Anacortes, WA, heading east the following day. Since then, I have ended days in Concrete, Colonial Campground and tonight, Mazama, WA. Since leaving Eugene two weeks ago, I put in abut 660 mile.
About today's ride ... started the day with 27 miles of climbing to Rainy Pass (4855'), then an additional 5 miles to Washington Pass (5477'). Snow at both Passes. Long-ass climb, to say the least. After passing over Washington Pass, there was an 18 mile downhill to Mazama ... the initial 7 miles at 7%, which is quite terrifying when the road is very wet (remember the rain and snow), and the brakes are also wet. It is hard enough on your fingers to be working the brakes constantly, but if you throw in frozen digits, it becomes quite painful and, quite frankly, not fun.
I am most fortunate to have met four fellow riders in Concrete (actually one lady and three guys), and another guy yesterday ... we all opted for a hotel here in Mazama, and shared a wonderfully entertaining meal and conversation.
What can I say, new friends and a warm/dry sleeping arrangement. Dare I say it ... life is good.
Anyone who rides those two passes at once is a real cycle tourist. We camped beside Early Winters creek, a most memorable site. I love the east side of the N.Cascades.
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