The United States of America is a vast place. It has oceans, mountain ranges, valleys, grasslands, deserts, glaciers, rivers, canyons, cities, islands, volcanoes and much more. There is another place that has all of this too, and it is in the US. Its Washington. I would be hard pressed to find another place that spans so many geological states and formations such as this state.
When I arrived, I had been cycling through the fake green landscape of wine country in the Okanagan valley of Canada. Once I pleasantly crossed the border into the United States, the grapes went away and the full force of the Sonora desert came blasting on me. The day was cloudless and hot, with temps in the 90's and the sun baking my already baked skin. A oasis of ice and filtered water greeted me in one of the small towns before I made camp in Omak, home of the gruesome “Suicide Hill” where horses are forced to run down a super steep hill and several die each year.
Another stunning day of cycling as I leisurely made my way over my thus far favorite named pass, Loup Loup before freewheeling it into Twisp and the Methow Valley. Spent the night in a very efficient house and ended up taking a sorta rest day as I biked only 10 miles to the next town, the wild wild west town of Winthrop. Sun, blue skies and headwinds all greeted me on a two mountain pass day, the first of which was Washington pass, about 5,400 ft with grand views of the valley and snow capped peaks. A little down and some more up over Rainy Pass where a secret cyclist note lead me to Rainy Lake and a beautiful photo of Eduardo. A night spent in the mossy forest was a nice way to end an amazing day in the Cascade mountains.
I followed the Skagit river, in the Skagit valley, passing the fabled Cascadian Farm before heading south towards Mt Baker and slowly made my way to Seattle. I had thought it would be a two day riding, camping somewhere that night, but as I rode closer and closer, I thought, “Well, why not just bang this puppy out?” And so, 10 ½ hours and 132 miles later, as the sun set over Puget sound I pulled into my extended stop at the world headquarters of Sonadei, LLC.
Eduardo got a makeover with a new drivetrain and new bottom bracket, along with gearing better suited for touring than I had had. Cruising the Seattle bike paths and streets, drinking coffee and tallying my stats for the anticipated 4 month wrap up. I'll take a non-bike trip to Mt. Rainier, the highest peak in Washington before leaving for the Olympic Peninsula and make my way to Portland for the end of this 4 month solo bike trip across America.
Enjoy the photos at picasaweb.google.com/rossbikepics, thanks for all the letters, comments and support, and I hope freedom and love fill your days and hearts.
1 comment:
Your pictures are stunning.
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