More Eastern Washington

Another catchup post, now that I have a real connection.

The night before leaving Coulee City, the campground host said it would be 90 the next day so I decided to get out early. I woke up to a cool gray day (Monday), but packed up anyway, ate my peanut butter sandwich and took off. Within a mile it started to sprinkle, by mile ten it was real rain, time to stop and put on the rain coat.

The road kept rolling up and down, long rollers, not steep, just continuous. I was going so slow, my feet were soaked, I really should have stopped and put on my tights, but they were in the bottom of the bag. Would Wilbur, 30 miles from my start ever come? This is where I planned to stop for a real breakfast and finally realized that my negative thoughts were probably mostly due to running out of fuel --- plus riding in the rain sucks.

Yea! Finally the grain elevators of Wilbur were in site, like cows heading for the barn, my pace picked up. I stopped at Boyd's and polished off an omelet and potatoes, but now as what usually happens after eating, I get cold -- all that energy going to process food. I headed out to the bike, I'm shivering, my hands are shaking, but I now I'll be ok once I get moving. I do warm up, and happily after a few miles the rain stops, it's still cool, but I feel much better. After 30 more miles, I get to Davenport and check into this funky motel, I'm so glad I had this arranged before, but if I hadn't I would have checked into some motel, it took a long time to get really warm.

Today (Tuesday) I only had a short day to get to Spokane. I ride was pretty uneventful, I just wanted to get there, because the hotel I had picked also had a laundry and a hot tub, perfect for relaxing. Tomorrow is a rest day, I plan on soaking in the hot tub at least 2 more times, clean my bike, work on my route for the next few days, watch bad tv, drool and nap. My needs are few.



The Black Bear Hotel and Cowboy Cafe, what's not to like?

Eastern Washington

I'm back in the big city (Spokane) and access to wi fi -- blogging and FB take more power than 1 bar or less. I'll try to do some catch up.

I left my friend Barb and Leavenworth late on Saturday, I knew that would happen so I planned a short day to Lincoln Rock State Park. Also I'm still getting used to propelling the "family truckster" down the road.

Barb and the campground host told me about the Waterville grade. I knew there would be some climbing again, but I had no idea it would be like that -- 7 miles of 6% grade, it took me hours and a few rest stops to get to the top.

At the top was a kicking tailwind that made the miles to Waterville and a real breakfast a "breeze!"

I was admiring a handmade rug on the wall of the Coyote Cafe and the waitress/cook/owner said it was made by the local priest and that he had many looms in his house. It reminded me of what I had heard about James Koehler, a very famous weaver of amazing subtle gradation tapestries. He started out as a monk, and used to weave when he did his meditation time, the other monks didn't like it, he was suppose to be still when meditating, but he found it easier to stay calm if he kept his hands busy. He gave up "monkdom" years later to pursue tapestry weaving full time.

Leaving the cafe, there still was the favorable wind through the rolling wheat fields, but also some downhills and then the big one into Moses Coulee or Grand Coulee (I can't tell exactly from the map). All that climbing that morning gone and another climb laid before me, not as long, but I was so done with climbing for the day. Then the final downhill into Coulee City where I would camp.

Stevens Pass

Not much to say other than it was a long climb! On and on, the tenths of miles went by way too slowly, but I made it! Going down the other side was fun, but a fair amount of braking was involved to stay in control with all the weight on board the "family truckster" and the bad pavement.

Someone put in some uphills between the Pass and Leavenworth -- really? You haven't trashed my legs enough already? Happily after the rest stop 15 miles before Leavenworth it really was downhill. Me and the Wenatchee River racing to Leavenworth.

A great afternoon was spent with my friend Barb, the time stamp may indicate how much fun -- more later.

Prolog

Today was the day for the traditional rear wheel dip in the Pacific and hopefully in time, I would be dipping my front wheel dip in the Atlantic signifying the crossing the country from ocean to ocean. I was planning to do this was in the Ballard area of Seattle (Elliott Bay,) it wasn't exactly the ocean, but it was salt water.

I wanted to have a very quiet start, just Bob and I, take a couple of photos, and then for today, ride back to the hotel in Redmond.

We were unloading everything in the parking lot looking out over the water and the abandoned beach when two school buses arrived and sixth graders came pouring out running for the beach -- they were everywhere and loud, as only excited kids on the last day of school can be. So much for the intimacy of the start. We kept on with our plans, backing the bike into the water and took our photos. The teacher came over and said "I thought that's what people did when they rode across the country," to which Bob replied "it is, she's riding to the Atlantic starting tomorrow." I then pushed my bike back over the sand to the parking lot. By now the teacher had told some of the kids what I was doing and they started shouting "good luck," "have fun!" It was all very cute.

Dreams

"Dreams take up a lot of space?"
"All you'll give them."
- from "Blue Highways: a journey into America" by William Least Heat Moon

One week from today we'll be driving up to Seattle and I will start my bicycle journey across America.

What started as a "someday I'll do that" thought after overhearing a conversation 40 years ago, is now here. This abstract idea started to become a reality after retiring from my job last fall and moving to California. Little by little the tasks began; ordering maps, getting new parts for the bike and gathering equipment. It was difficult to even talk about the trip to anyone because it seemed so overwhelming.

It would be easy to stay home, but after having a dream occupy your thoughts for so long, the "wish I would have" is something I don't want to think about for the remainder of my life. I at least have to try. There are many reasons this trip may not be successful - bike breaks, body breaks, or it just might not be fun! And if it's not fun, it's not worth it.

I'm in the final stages of getting everything together, weeding out the stuff I can do without, hopefully getting the weight down to 30 - 35 pounds -- not much when it includes all your clothes, your house (tent and sleeping bag), your kitchen (stove and foodstuffs), laundry and bike repair shop. How much does your suitcase weigh when you go on vacation? I've had to accept the fact that I never will have the perfect item for any occasion, I can only hope to have an acceptable item for most.

This is a current picture of my brain.