Week 1: Trial and Error… and Error

**I failed to find a computer that was truly capable of allowing me to edit this blog so I could only add a few pics. It will be a work in progress.

Summary

4/4 – 4/11 Anacortes, WA – Republic WA 287 miles 287 miles total These posts are going to start out with a summary of the week, then I'll go day by day with pictures if applicable. Although I had originally foreseen myself naming this first week 'Pain' I changed my mind and replaced it with a more fitting title. These initial days have all been about figuring out my gear and my body. No two days have I packed the same or felt the same. I started out with clothes in the front panniers (bags) and they ended up in the back. My sleeping bag started out in the dry bag attached to the top of my back rack and now it's in my panniers. My food was in my front left bag and now it's in the right. Pretty much everything has juggled around a little bit. Although it has taken an entire week, I believe I now have it mostly figured out. Luckily, I have only had to sleep in my tent three nights since leaving Anacortes (with one being a “practice” night at Samish Island). The rest have been with Warmshowers or Couchsurfing hosts, all of whom have provided me with beds and meals. Pretty sweet deal really. My body has had to adjust just as much as my gear placement. I thought it was going to be my butt that would hurt the most, but it has really been my legs, knees and shoulders. I also thought 100 miles of training would be enough. Boy was I wrong. I hit Washington Pass right off the get-go and climbing that 5,500 ft beast nearly killed me. So much so that I had to take an unplanned day off in Winthrop just so the swelling in my knees could go down. It literally looked like someone had taken a baseball bat to my knees (minus the discoloration of course). It didn't hurt so much, just tender. That day off must have done the trick because the following day I put in 80 miles over Loup Loup pass no sweat, then did one more climb the next day and rolled into an old mining town called Republic. With Sherman Pass, the highest pass in Washington, right in front of me, I decided to take one more day off and do a little blogging.

Day 1: Anacortes, WA to Samish Island, WA 20 miles 4/4

This day was a little hectic but ended amazingly. I spent the entire morning tying up loose ends, doing final gear checks, and packing all my belongings up for the move to Colorado when my trip finishes. As 2 o'clock neared, my room still looked like a disaster and I was struggling with my flimsy travel sized bike pump. I decided to make one more purchase and upgraded to a sturdier pump at the local bike shop (which I have yet to test out). Then my mom drove me out to Anacortes and, after a few Kodak moments, we said our goodbyes and I left. My starting point was pretty much just past Anthony's seafood restaurant, a popular place to eat in the Valley. There was a little marina in front of me and if you look closely in the picture you can make out that I'm actually standing on a compass. Quite befitting if you ask me. As I paralleled Hwy 20 on the Tommy-Thompson Trail, a trail I didn't even know existed 24 hours earlier, I was met by stunning Northwest beauty right away. Blue herons, seals, gulls, fish, and the sounds of waves followed me all the way to the twin bridges. Right after I passed the end of the trail bridge I crossed paths with three bicyclist tourists who were on their way back from Argentina! WOW. After chit chatting with them for a half hour I said my goodbye and took off for Samish Island.

The Rousseau family was having a pre- Easter party out at their beach-front B&B on Samish Island, a stone's throw from the house I lived in when I went to high school. Although it made for a short riding day, I couldn't pass up a dinner at the Rousseaus'. I arrived to fanfare, congratulations for my first-tour-day, and a cold brew. After hanging out in some hammocks and watching the sun fall, a group of about 20 college-aged guys and gals devoured an amazing meal and then sang worship songs late into the night. It was one of those tranquil and peaceful nights that renews your faith in humanity. I spent that first night in my tent smiling ear to ear.

Day 2: Samish Island, WA to Marblemount, WA 61 miles

I woke up and had to rush to make it to the 9:30 church service in Burlington, where I would say some final farewells. It was hard to be in a hurry when surrounded by such beauty but I had made promises to see people at the service. Luckily, my friend Mette was able to take an amazing sunrise time-lapse from her dock which is shown below. As it was, I rolled into Christ the King Church just as the sermon was beginning. After church I went to my house in Burlington to have an Easter Lunch before my “real” departure. My mother and I were joined for lunch by a few guys who had been cellmates with my younger brother, who at the time of this writing is awaiting trial in Skagit County Jail. These guys, through the jail ministries of Tierra Nueva, had found faith and a new direction and it was heartening to hear them tell not only their story, but to sing praises of my little brother. Truly, it was making out to be an amazing beginning for my trip. I left my house in the afternoon and got on a trail that runs from Sedro-Woolley all the way to Concrete. At one point this gravel trail had about of foot of water on it, so I decided to test out my waterproof panniers as I muscled through the mud. Although my shoes were soaked they quickly dried. I basically followed the Skagit River all the way up until Marblemount where I would have my first Warmshowers experience. Deep in Marblemount, tucked away in a hobbit hole down aptly-named Rivendell Road was where I met John and Rob, a couple of minimalists who were quite welcoming. Their cozy house was full of art, much of it reflecting their sexual orientation, and much of it really stunning. Rob himself was an artist and he showed me a glass piece he had made while staying at an artists resort in Taiwan of all places. Although I declined a dip in their wood-fire hot tub, I accepted their gracious offer to stay in their fifth wheel trailer (complete with multi-colored LED lighting) as well as a very delicious ham and mashed potato dinner. They were both great hosts and I'm glad they were on Warmshowers.

Day 3. Marblemount to Butler Creek Picnic Area 36 miles 4/6 Although it was only 36 miles it was up up up. Clouds followed me most of the day. Hwy 20 really starts getting beautiful at this point. I was surrounded by streams, rivers, waterfalls, and vistas of snowtipped mountains. It was unfortunate that I did not have a day with greater visibility to take in all of the scenery but that's how it goes sometimes. I stopped in the town of New Haven for lunch. It was a little company town supported by the nearby hydroelectric damn. I was about scared right off my bike when I heard an ear shattering siren. I later came to find out that they tested it every day at noon. I gathered it was a warning system of some kind in case there was flooding from the dam upstream.

I had planned to stop at Colonial Creek Campground, and although I did shoot a few pics there I had enough energy to push on so I continued up the steep climb from Lake Diablo. This lake is truly one of the most stunning natural beauties I have ever seen. Pictures just don't do it justice. The aqua blue-green water is such a contrast to the mountains it is surrounded by. At the overlook for the lake I crossed paths with a German on a motorcycle named Sven. He and I were pretty much the only ones on the road this early in the season, the pass had only just opened up days ago after all. Sven had been traveling for the last 15 years, working in the summer to pay for his travels. He recommended to me to stay at a the Butler Creek Picnic area just a few more miles ahead. Apparently he had rolled out his camper mat in the bathroom building there the night before, just to save him the time of setting up his tent. I, on the other hand, planned to pitch my tent, if only because I wanted to practice doing it. I was greeted at the picnic area by a couple and their daughter (whose names I forgot to write down) and together we split a bottle of sweet red wine. In a moderate stupor, I set up my tent and went to bed. It would snow on me that night but at that low enough of elevation nothing was sticking, thank God.

Day 4. Butler Creek to Winthrop 47 miles 4/7 This day was by far the hardest thing, physically speaking, I have ever done. I woke up with stiff and aching legs from the day before and had to go straight up for most of the day. Did I mention I was snowed on pretty much the entire time? On the bright side, although it could have been an awful day I saw it as an opportunity to try on all my cold weather gear. The night before had been cold but my down sleeping bag had me taking off my thermal underwear because I was sweating. That day was all about layers. I was continuously adjusting them in order to keep me warm but not wet. The heat I put out while working uphill kept my body mostly warm without the need of my fleece. Pretty much my jersey and harsh shell were enough along with a balaclava rotating off and on more than I could count. At the top of Rainy pass I stopped for lunch. To get out of the snow I climbed the snowbank and found some tree cover where I collected some snow to melt for drinking. My jet boil took that water from frozen to boiling in less than two minutes. I even added some Advocare fruit punch energy mix I had bought from my friend Duane Dixon. Hot fruit punch tastes delicious if you were wondering. While hidden in the trees I spotted a girl and her dog alpine skiing back towards the road (for clarification, she was skiing, the dog was not). Her name turned out to be Anna, a Bellingham local who was totally enthused when hearing about my journey. After summiting Washington Pass a few hours and a few tears later I was almost too tired to even stop and take a pic. But I had to put on all my layers for the freezing free wheel all the way down to Winthrop. By the time I rolled into the town of Mazama, which was 15 miles closer, it was approaching 7 o'clock and I was starving. To my dismay the entire town closed early. So I pressed on the last hour and a half to Winthrop, a western themed town complete with saloons and taverns (and a world-famous putt putt course), where I devoured a giant plate of Mexican food at the only restaurant still open. I then biked a mile north to my Warmshowers hosts, Dave, Betsy, and Dave's brother, all of whom were retired doctors! What a coinkidink. While in the shower I took a good look at my legs and saw that my knees were quite swollen and misshapen. They looked almost as bad as they felt. They put me up in their guest house which they were still currently building. Although everything was covered in a thin layer of sawdust it was warm, had running water and electricity, and I fell asleep before the covers settled over me.

Day 5 Winthrop, WA REST DAY 4/8 I slept from about 10:00PM to about 8:00AM and could have kept going. The night before I had discussed with the family staying one more day in Winthrop to recover. I started out the day doing my laundry, using an empty, water-proof pannier as a wash basin and some peri-cord as a dry line I layed up all my stuff and even made a fairly cool time lapse of the process. I spent most of the day in town lounging around, doing laundry, reading, eating, meeting people at the bike shop...etc. I had to come back early to take my clothes off the line because it started to rain pretty heavily at one point. Although the weather could have been worse during the beginning of this trip, it definitely could have been better too. Besty cooked a wonderful dinner of salad and lasagna. I find myself eating more than I ever have these days. It really is a combination of being really hungry and not knowing when your next meal is. Day 6 Winthrop, WA to Tonasket, WA 81 miles 4/9

After staying one more night in Winthrop I took off for Tonasket. I still felt sore and achy but the swelling in my legs had gone down significantly. Dave had set out a standing scale for me to weigh my bike so after packing all my things on it I stood with my bike and did some quick math. My bike with all my gear weighed a whopping 90 lbs! Far too much to be hauling up passes. I decided to shave of some of my supplies at the next opportunity. I rode the short distance to Twist where I ate breakfast at a bakery then shot up Loup Loup pass. Although I didn't know the relative elevation gain compared to Washington Pass, I was terrified at hearing the word “pass” again. Little did I know that it was simply a short climb. At the top of the pass there was a campground with a cattle guard marking the entry. When trying to cross the cattle guard I didn't realize I was clipped into my pedals so when I tried to put my foot down I did a slow motion fall all the way to the ground. And yes, there were witnesses to this event. To make matters worse, I turned right back around and headed down the hill without actually entering the campground. Quite embarrassing. The ensuing ride down Loup Loup and into the Okanagan valley was stunning. My view was of rolling hills, farmlands, and blue skies punctuated with bright white clouds. I coasted all the way into Okanagan and felt great. I pushed right on all the way into Tonasket (after making a 3-mile detour on account of ineffective Google Maps). I actually heard a “Hey Mister!!!” at one point but kept riding. That shout out was Megan, my next host, yelling at me as I passed her house. Ben, her husband, would track me down about 15 minutes later in his truck and point me back the right way. He offered to drive me but I politely refused. I arrived at Ben and Megan's house around 6:30 PM. Megan was an aspiring ecological lawyer/activist and Ben was working on his PhD from WSU in natural resources, or some such field. They were both very active and we spent the night talking about tandem bicycling and river rafting. Megan was in the middle of rafting guide school and commuted every weekend for her training. They made pizza and cookies for me and I ate until I hit that point where my guilt for eating their food became proportional to my hunger. I then slept in their guest bedroom and realized I had just done an 80 mile day. My longest yet. Day 7. Tonasket, WA to Sweat Creek Picnic Area 42 miles Another day, another pass. I'm not sure what this one was called but it felt like I was going uphill the entire day and it totally sapped my energy as well as motivation. It was also cloudy and cold. The country slowly turned into some kind of trailer park version of the wild west. Miles and miles of barbed-wire-fences paralleled the road punctuated by Private Property and No Trespassing signs. Bubbling streams weaving in and out of view and any moment I was expecting to pass an old prospector or and abandoned mine. The landscape was bright brown and evergreeen pines dotted the countryside. I stopped for lunch at the Fathers Ranch, a ministry and recovery home for troubled women who were fighting addiction or abuse. This white picket fence-style ranch seemed quite welcoming so I rode up their driveway to ask if I could rest on their property. Out from a second story window popped a bespectacled man asking as to who I was. I felt like I was Dorothy attempting to enter the Emerald City. It turns out that he had found his faith through Young Life and he was a very endearing gentleman and the proprietor of the Ranch. He sadly told me he couldn't have me on the grounds because it was a female-only Ranch but he pointed me in the direction of a park bench at the entrance where I gladly posted up for a little cereal which I mixed with my water and powdered milk.

Not too much later I was hungry again and as I turned the corner I passed the town of Wauconda, which I later came to find out had just made national news as it had been the first town sold on Ebay. It was literally just a bright purple diner and a couple cattle fields. I walked in through the front doors at about 3 o'clock and was the only customer there. I'm pretty sure the two employees were counting money and closing up as I walked in. They both gave me sidelong glances and I swear I could hear them mutter, “shit, here comes another one” under their breath. They did not look excited to see me to say the least. I politely offered to leave if they were closing but they wouldn't have it. They made me a nice pair of flapjacks and some eggs. I guess I was just in the mood for some post-lunch breakfast. Shortly thereafter, serveral more families entered to very similar greetings to my own. Right before I left, a woman who I assumed was the owner walked in and, after hearing about my tour, decided to give me my meal half off! What luck. I then continued on a few more miles down the road but just didn't feel like going on so I found the first campground that I came upon, Sweat Creek, and pitched my tent. I made a valiant effort at a fire but my heart just wasn't into it. I ended up laying down at 8:00 and read my book until I fell asleep. Day 7: Sweat Creek, WA to Republic, WA. 10 miles REST DAY Turns out Republic, my initial desination the day before, was only a few miles downhill from Sweat Creek. I rolled into town and deposited my gear at the local visitor center. I then spent the day putting around town, making adjustments on my bike, and writing this blog :).