I slept so good last night! The hotel room had a foam mattress and it was so comfortable. I emailed them to see what brand it was. I slept so soundly that I woke up to my alarm at 4:15. I could have slept longer, but I wanted to get an early start today to avoid traffic. Today was my last day of biking on the roads. The rest of my trip, I will be primarily biking on trails.
I was biking by 5:15. It was 65 degrees and there was little wind. I was biking into the Cascade Mountains today. I basically had a 28 mile climb to start the day up to Blewett Pass.
The scenery was very beautiful, and I was happy that the highway I was on had a good shoulder. There wasn’t much traffic, and my angels made sure that there was no traffic whenever the shoulder was narrow or obstructed. I don’t write much about it, but this whole trip whenever I am riding on a road and the shoulder disappears or is damaged or is littered with debris, there is always a break in traffic to allow me to ride in the road. EVERY TIME. I’m a stats person. It’s not chance or luck. There have been too many occurrences for that explanation. I have truly been blessed on this trip.
Here are some pictures of the climb.
It took me until a little before 9:00 to reach the top of the pass. It was the biggest climb of my entire trip at 2,815 feet.
It was a fast descent from there. I took the lane and went into a tuck. I did the first five miles at over 27 mph, with a top speed of 43.5 mph. So fun!!
It was downhill most of the way to the town of Cle Elum where I was finishing my ride for the day.
I met a local bike packer when I was 12 miles from town. His name was Mike, and he was a Warmshowers host in the area. We talked for quite a while by the side of the road. Actually, he talked, and I listened. He gave me all kinds of advice. Mostly about how I could take gravel roads to get around the state and to the Pacific Ocean (of course that information was useless for me, but it was hard to get a word in). Mike did give me some advice about restaurants in Cle Elum, which was useful. He also told me about some trail closures, which reminded me to check for them tonight.
I made it to Cle Elum a little after 11:00, and went to the Cottage Cafe for lunch. It was a great recommendation by Mike! The food was delicious and there was a lot of it. I started with a salad, then the meatloaf dinner with mashed potatoes, gravy, and grilled vegetables – outstanding! Followed that with a big slice of homemade chocolate peanut butter pie. My bill was $40, but I ate the whole thing. I think I should have received a free T-shirt for that display of gluttony.
Between courses, I made a reservation at a local hotel. It was only just noon, so I went down to the local library to write this blog post, research for trail closures, and do some reading.
For the day, I biked 53 miles and climbed 4,000 feet. I’m really looking forward to biking on trails going forward.
Only two more days until I see Elizabeth!! ❤️
Two more days Jim. So close stay safe Love Dad. PS: I still think you should bike bake to SC, just kidding.
Always love the photos, but particularly enjoy the ones from the last two days. What beauty this country offers. You are so lucky to see from this ‘up close’ perspective. Thank you for sharing
I have no doubt that by now, your friends who have taken similar treks have shared with you, an emotional let-down often occurs afterward. Day after day of constant striving, physical and mental testing, breathing fresh air, experiencing all the beautiful sights and sounds and tastes and smells through heightened senses, feeling all the extreme highs and lows, you’re suddenly “there;” on top of the world. Then, after all the reunions, kudos, and feelings of unparalleled accomplishment and a partial disbelief that you actually did this, “BOOM!” It hits you like a bittersweet pile of bricks. I am so grateful others shared this phenomenon with me before I left on my trip, because I saw it coming and was ready for it. That, all by itself, minimized its effects immensely. I am preparing myself for a bit of the same thing now, as I have been following your travels and insightful and informative blog daily, have felt like I have been right there with you. Many congratulations to you! Not many people do this. This amazing experience is part of you now, and the memory of it will never fade. I am so happy for you and hope to meet you someday. Thank you so much for sharing.
Wonderful photos and so interesting to see where you are and what you experience. Thank you for sharing with the rest of us. Safe travels.
3 hours and 45 minutes of climb rewarded with a great downhill in your “child” state having a blast.
I agree, you should have got a T-Shirt.
Keep it up and stay safe! Need you in lake david triathlon shape