June 7, 2016
Day 5 - Mount Rainier Viewpoint to Yakima
There was almost no traffic all through the night.
Then the first people to pull out to the viewpoint said, "Look over there - there's a guy on a bike in a tent." I wanted to stick my head out of the tent and say, "Yeah." But I was getting up anyhoo.
So I hop on the bike (Should I say groan, because I really hadn't shaken out last evening's climb?) and head up the last few miles to White Pass. Actually a little chilly.
I had found a nice spring coming out of the rocks, so I was guzzled cold, fresh water and filled all my bottles. Then stripped off my damp clothes and layered up for the ride down. And the next 7 miles were wailers - I probably go way too fast on a loaded 30-year-old Trek.
I had a leisurely ride along Rimrock Lake - still cool, but the sun was warming things up pretty fast. I always like it when the sun makes diamonds on the ripples in a lake.
Then it was on to one of my favorite rides anywhere in the country - the Teiton River Canyon. Maybe 20 miles of winding road with the river right next to you and walls of rock rising above. It's just so fine.
Gettin' hot - - gettin' really hot. I hit the highway junction and take the Old Naches Road through orchards into the town of Naches. I like old roads, but this one is asphalt over concrete poured in the 1930s and feels it.
I spent the next 7 hours in the little town of Naches. First I sat in front of the library catching up on the journal. Then it was a cheeseburger at the tavern. Then a few more hours in the library once it opened. The ladies there were just wonderful - funny and helpful. Then a chocolate milkshake at the deli bakery just to make sure I got enough calories before I finally got the nerve to head out. It had been 101F, but some light clouds came in and it may have dropped to 95F.
With the breeze and cloud cover, it wasn't that bad riding the dozen or so miles into Yakima. I stopped at the Fred Meyer to get a quick dinner. It was already pretty late - sitting out front eating two folks sat down with me and talked about my trip. One guy was planning a tour in Idaho. The younger guy was trans, I think, and had left home near Portland. I can only hope he will be O.K.
Today's ride: 61 miles (98 km)
Total: 245 miles (394 km)
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