Newport - Metaline Falls, WA: Take the backroad. Sasquatch is there! - Near Paradise after 30 years of marriage

June 27, 2016

Newport - Metaline Falls, WA: Take the backroad. Sasquatch is there!

After detailed negotiation last night, Oren and I decided on a rare move and backtracked .8 mile to ride Le Clerc Road. I don't like to back track. It was worth it this time. We rode downhill .8 miles from Washington, to Idaho, and back into Washington in that short distance. There wasn't a state sign. We knew by crossing over the river again we were in Idaho, then back to Washington.

Jacinto had discovered a flat tire just before bed last night. Miss Type A would have heaved a sigh and fixed it then, to have it ready in the morning. Jacinto? He's Mr. Mañana. Flat tires are better approached in broad daylight.

We had our usual discussion about running the cooler and being too cold in the middle of the night vs being too hot right now. Anyone in a male/female relationship knows who was on which end of that discussion. We compromised on setting the temperature for 70. That was too warm all night, I was informed in the morning.

Morning wasn't a good time for Jacinto. In addition to his flat tire, there was no coffee in the room and the office didn't open until 11 AM. No coffee there either. The coffee was a bigger problem than the tire.

Oren and I were out the door at 7:15. Jacinto was preparing to walk to McDonalds for coffee.

Part of the discussion last night was taking a right up to Sullivan Lake at the terminus of Leclerc Road. The key word here for Oren was UP. The key issue for Jacinto was that someone needed to go into town and buy food for dinner as our motel was at the top of a big climb. The end decision was Oren and I would ride all of Le Clerc Road. Jacinto would ride the extra three miles and 800 feet of climbing up to the lake. Oren and I would buy dinner and breakfast fixings in town before climbing the hill.

Off Oren and I went on a most delightful road. Zero traffic, green everywhere. Beautiful homes. Occasional views of the river. The road was flatter than flat and I was feeling my oats. Finally I gave up riding behind Oren and took off in front. Ha! Kelly took off, that's a good one. When Oren caught up to me at a break, he said I was burning rubber. I wish. But I stayed in the lead for the first 20 miles or so. It was a fantastic road to pretend I had more legs than I really have.

Bertha instructed us to go straight for 49.5 miles. I love it when I can disengage my mind and just look at the surroundings. Our flat ride was very fast. Jacinto called when we were at mile 25 to say he was leaving. He had fixed his flat tire and was out the door. Sullivan Lake was the plan.

Fast forward to mile 49. There was the most fabulous bridge across the river. I think I liked it just for the color - red. When do you ever see a bridge that isn't plain steel color? Did I take a photo? No. By the time I decided I should take a photo, the angle was wrong to see it.

I told Oren before we got on busy Highway 20, I needed a bush break. It took climbing up a hill to accomplish the mission.

We rode into town over the grated bridge. Oren stopped at a pizza place. Did I want to go in? If he was thinking of eating in town, why did I take a bush break? But the question of eating was a non issue because the pizza place was closed. There was a gas station down the way. Did he want a cold drink? No. Let's just keep going.

Now we had a couple of rollers to entertain us. The best part was the complete lack of traffic. I don't know where the cars from Highway 20 went between Newport and Ione - but they weren't going on to Metaline. How very nice. I was thinking 63 miles to the motel. Oren thought 66. We both hoped I was right. We got to the town of Metaline. No grocery there, we need to go up the hill to Metaline Falls. Up is the key word. At least we don't have to haul the groceries up the entire climb.

There were two bar/grill places to eat at. We'd kind of had enough of bar/grill food in Yaak. Plus we didn't want to do a 6% climb on full stomachs. We agreed to buy food at the grocery to eat at the motel. This grocery was smaller than the one in Ione. No deli or bakery. But we found something to eat. Oren was very happy with a frozen breakfast sandwich. They must be a real taste treat, because he came over with a big smile on his face to show me his find. He also had a prepackaged muffin that is a favorite. I wonder if Carol knows what he eats on tour?

Groceries purchased, we sat outside with a cold drink before departing. It is actually warm outside! We still remember the cold rain coming downhill from Yaak, and are happy in the hot. While we were outside, a Spyder trike (motorcycle) rider pulls up. He has just moved to Metaline from Wisconsin because 'no one else is here'. We chat a bit, finish our drinks and load up.

I haven't used the granny gear for days, but now was the time. Up, up, the hill we go. 1.5 miles, some of it 6%. Mostly it was fine. I didn't really notice the weight of the groceries, but I had lightened my load by pouring out an extra 32 oz. bottle of water I was carrying.

Unfortunately our motel is not quite at the top of the climb. We have another half mile to go.

Jacinto called just as we pulled in to the motel. He has had another flat on the rear and thinks it might be related to the boot the was placed over a nail hole last summer. This time he had to use a dollar bill as a boot. He was continuing on Sullivan Lake Road.

Oren and I check in and unload our groceries. All the sudden my dinner is looking very small. I bought BBQ beef and chicken and chips to eat it with. A spicy noodle in the cup for Jacinto. A banana each for dinner. An apple for me and a V-8 for later. See, I'm not going to starve. That's lots of food. Breakfast is yogurt and instant oatmeal for me. A frozen burrito bomb (Wayne Estes - you know these!) for breakfast. Why am I still concerned we will be hungry?

Oren is very sad he didn't buy a pop in town. The motel doesn't have soda for sale. At least there is coffee in the room.

Tomorrow we cross over the border. This is our last day on the Selkirk Loop. I'd estimate we rode 2/3 of the loop. I had no idea. I knew we would be in the area, but didn't realize how much of the loop we would ride until Kelly Smeltzer gave us a map showing the route. We rode from about the 3:00 position to the 11:00 position. This was all quite flat. Flat, flat. With the notable exception of this climb to the motel.

Jacinto has pulled in. Sullivan Lake was lovely. He said the bottom quarter mile was hard and then after that the climb was gentle. His tire is holding air. Jacinto is quite sad about taking the wheel off, but he's going to put some gorilla tape over the hole. At the moment it is booted with a dollar bill.

Leclerc Road is delightful! You can just barely see Oren to the left.

I had to stop and take a photo of the sign for the colors as much as for what it says.

Some of the fancy houses along the river.

I barely saw sasquatch hiding in the trees! This is why I like to take the back roads.

I am blocking the view, but the bear has a fishing pole line going to the fish on the other side of the bench. I think that is clever.

You can't quite read the orange sign. It says the mayor is out. Ione is a small enough town I find it totally believable that the mayor would own or work at the convenience store.

After not getting a photo of the pretty red bridge at Ione, I took a photo of this totally not special bridge at Metaline.

Oren is happy with how quickly his laundry is drying in the sun. I made sure no skivvies were in the photo.

Jacinto arrives. Both tires are inflated. He decided it would be wise to put some Gorilla Tape as a boot on two suspicious areas.

Jacinto made sure Oren saw what he missed by not going to the lake.

Greg took a photo of the striking red bridge. Thank you, Greg!

Today's ride: 64 miles (103 km)
Total: 420 miles (676 km)

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