Day 9: Harrison to Plummer, Idaho: We declare victory, and retreat to Seattle

July 11, 2015

Sherry of the Osprey Inn in Harrison and the kids consider a dead fly in the bird bath

Sheyy and Larry of the Osprey Inn - excellent hosts

An expensive looking porch swing at the Osprey Inn. The porch overlooks the lake

Our gamble about bringing no rain gear fell apart, as it rained during the night and on and off during the day. We responded by putting the kids into their swimming gear. A strange but effective logic, in Summer anyway.

Because of the rain, we abandoned our plan to camp in Heyburn State Park, and made to blow through to Plummer. The only thing, you can not quite "blow through" when it's all uphill and you are dragging about 100 pounds of extra weight (WeeHoo, kid, and kid's gear). We did our new trick of swapping in Avi for power behind Dodie, but though he tried, both soon tired, and going was slow for them. Violet and I waited at each mile marker, telling each other stories, and trying to remember what Dodie and Avi looked like - so long had it been since we had seen them at the last mile marker!

Dodie and Avi grind up the slope from Harrison to Plummer

Look Michel, this is ideal trike country!

Fishermen proudly display Northern Pike. They were just off a wayside table site where Dodie and I wild camped in 2011

Violet documents the fishermen and the pike

Eventually we did make it to Plummer, and did a victorious self timer shot of us all by the monument there. Then we collected our van, that had been stashed nearby, and piled it full of bags and bikes.

We declare victory before retreating to Seattle

Regional fruit, brought a fairly short distance from Wenatchee. The hot interior plateau is ideal for apricots. We got these in Plummer - a great reward after completing the trail.

It is over 500 km from Plummer to Seattle, and we encountered rain, fog, dark, and construction in the mountains. So we have only put the kids into their own beds now, at close to midnight!

Stay Tuned For Part Two

We are sorting through the gear (again!) in Laurie's living room, so that we can blast over to Montreal on Tuesday and continue the Grand Adventure on the Route Verte with Amelia and Evelyn.Check back in for the "Rest of the Story".

Today's ride: 28 km (17 miles)
Total: 156 km (97 miles)

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