June 20, 1981 to June 23, 1981
A Memorable Several Days
In Eastern Washington
Statistics:
June 20, 1981 - Harrington to Sprague - 24 miles;
June 21, 1981 - Sprague to Crab Creek - 10 miles;
June 22, 1981 - Crab Creek to Steptoe - 53 miles;
June 23, 1981 - Steptoe, Washington to Moscow, Idaho - 36 miles.
Description of Events:
June 20, 1981: Anxious to get to Sprague, we got up early and knocked off the 24 miles rather quickly. The "Check In Tavern" was where we were told to make an inquiry about some possible work. There was a good crowd in there already on this Saturday morning. Although we struck out on the work agenda, we learned that today was the annual town festival, set to commence in the afternoon. The cost was $1.00 (one dollar) for all you could eat and drink. That and all of the other hype convinced us that we needed to hang around for the party.
We talked with a lot of locals, played some pool, and I entered a horseshoe throwing tournament. An old timer beat me, 21-16, but I made it interesting with a couple of ringers and a leaner down the stretch. Not too bad for the first time ever playing in a horseshoes tournament. The festivities went on into the night but after things died down, we were able to camp in the very same park and we got a great night of sleep.
June 21, 1981: Since it was Sunday morning and there was a church next to the park, we cleaned ourselves up and went to Mass at 9:00 AM. We were definitely noticed by everyone in that small town congregation. They admired us for going to church and were amazed at how far we had ridden on this trip. A couple, Richard and Lotte-H, invited us out to their farm. But first, we all had breakfast with Father H (different last name) at the Rectory (see photo, upper right, in the previous journal entry).
After breakfast, Paul elected to ride to Cheney, to visit a woman he had met at the festival. We agreed to meet in a spot, to the East of Sprague, on Monday. I rode 10 miles back to the farm, an area Richard and Lotte referred to as Crab Creek. When I got there, Richard handed me a pair of denim overalls, into which I changed. He then proceeded to take me on a tour of the sprawling agricultural operation, which covered 3 square miles.
Richard and his brother own and operate the farm. It has been in their family for 109 years. His grandfather settled the land in 1872, at a time when only he and local Indian tribes were in the area. According to Richard, his grandfather was run off of the land by the Native Americans on several occasions before finally establishing a firm foothold. How that happened, he did not elaborate.
I was given quite a tour, which took all afternoon. We visited the areas where the cattle were and the outbuildings that were scattered about. Upon returning to the house, Lotte had prepared a tremendous feast, complete with homemade pie for dessert. I probably ate too much but... you know how hungry we cyclists can get. We talked well into the evening. Then, after Lotte went to bed, Richard and I stayed up until 3:00 AM comparing stories and looking at his extensive collection of photos from the many trips he and Lotte had taken. Richard definitely has a case of wanderlust. In that vein, we are kindred souls.
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Fast forward around 8 years, Richard and Lotte showed up at my parents home in Massachusetts during one of their trips to see the New England states. I wasn't there because I had long since returned to Pittsburgh and was working there and living in my own home and with my own family. However, they had a very nice time with my parents, who were similar in age. Lotte remarked that she never imagined she had Richard would be visiting and having dinner with the parents of that young man who visited them back in 1981. I didn't either but I was very happy to learn that they had met and all had a wonderful time together.
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June 22, 1981: I slept in on this Monday morning, after the late night talking to Richard. Once again, I was fed like a king and we all talked some more. At around 2:30 in the afternoon, I said goodbye and departed. The 39 miles to St. John flew by. I arrived there at 5:30 PM. Paul was there, as we had planned. We had supper and then rode to Steptoe, where we decided to call it a day.
We were in the area of the Evergreen State (although it is not so green here) known as The Palouse. It is an agricultural land known for short and thick grasses. Also present are "small" rounded bumps of land known as buttes. Everyone around here mentions the Steptoe Butte. We didn't go there but there were enough other buttes around to give us the idea. The Steptoe Butte is apparently the granddaddy of all the buttes in the area. Of course the word butte was also the catalyst for some jokes, of the 7th grade groaner variety. Don't think about it too much.
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By the time we got to the town of Steptoe it was getting late but amazingly, I still had room for a banana split. We each polished one off and then camped for the night. The journal doesn't specify where we ended up camping.
June 23, 1981: We headed out of Steptoe for another new state, Idaho. A stop was made in Colfax, to look at some better maps. Then we proceeded on to Pullman. In between those two towns, we met a husband and wife team who were biking to Virginia. We had coffee with them in Pullman and then parted ways.
In eight more miles we reached the border, which was also the town limits of Moscow, Idaho. We stopped at another laundromat, got our clothes cleaned up, and plotted our next moves. We also debriefed about our experiences in Washington. We spent close to 3 weeks there, all told. The time in Longview, where we spent an evening with Russ, Judy, and their family seemed so long ago. We met so many good people, had wonderful experiences, and enjoyed spectacularly varied scenery. Washington is a state not to be missed by a bicycle tourist.
Today's ride: 123 miles (198 km)
Total: 2,012 miles (3,238 km)
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