June 3, 2021
Day 3: Bayview State Park to Marblemount WS hosts
Leaving the coast and riding East
“I think the train helped us out,” and Patrick agreed. We are taking backroads into Sedro Wooley. Just as we got to the crossover of I-5 the traffic was slowed by a long oil tanker train just on the other side of the interstate. This let us sneak by the traffic on our side and oncoming traffic was like a miles long parking lot, so we didn’t need to worry about oncoming traffic passing each other.
The day started with the discovery that the raccoon that visited our camp site just after we settled in the tent was successful in getting to the noodles. Patrick had heard the rattling and scared the critter away, and then hung our panniers with food on a line high enough off the ground to keep the food safe.
On the back roads to Sedro Wooley we ride through lots of berry farms, a very pastoral area. We arrive in time for second breakfast at Joy’s Café. This is the first breakfast out since March of 2020 when we were returning from a short vacation on the Oregon coast and everything changed with Covid 19. We ordered what we usually do, each ordering different dishes so we end up with a combination of pancakes, eggs, bacon, hash browns and toast. It must be too early in our trip as we can’t finish it all, admitting though the pancakes were huge. We will have to monitor how we progress with finishing second breakfast as we cross the country.
This is a decision point: to take the Cascade Trail or the Old Skagit Road, recommended by Kurt. We decide to check out the trail. Leaving the café we find the beginning of the Cascade Trail, and at first glance this doesn’t look too promising with large size broken rock so we stay on the parallel road. We see two local cyclists on the trail a little bit later on the edge of town, and we move to riding on the trail, the surface now is small broken rock and packed sand. Cascade Trail - Washington | AllTrails
The surface varies but it’s really nice cycling. In a few weeks, cyclists will have plenty of berries to pick. We reach the part that Kurt had warned us about and why he recommended the Old highway. There’s a “nala” a stream across the trail, and a section washed out but there are boards to walk on. We had plenty of nalas in the Indian Himalayas that served as good training for this path. The trail is great, as long as it is dry weather. We think if there had been much rain, the going would be more difficult. At one point, the trail ended, backtracking just a few feet we see the path that takes us back to the road, but only briefly, there was another path back to the trail marked with two boulders. From the trail at about mile 29 from Bayview, we spotted the sign to Rasar State Park turnoff. It’s nice that we can continue on the trail to Concrete, since connecting with Oregon friends didn't work out. Flexibility is the key to traveling.
As we are taking a break, Patrick says, “Isn’t that the local cyclist we saw leaving Sedro Wooley?” When he catches up to us, we visit with Laurie and notice that he has a left prosthetic leg. He tries to do about 20-25miles three days a week on this trail. We are at Birdview and the trail ends at Gandy Creek, taking us back to US 20. There’s a shop and gas station and we stop for Chocolate milk and make a sandwich. We get back onto the trail until Concrete where we get off to shop at the Red Apple store for supplies for the next couple of days. We have 16 miles to go to our warmshowers hosts in Marblemount. As we enter Marblemount there is a sign “Gateway to the American Alps” and another sign “74 miles to the next services”. Why our warmshowers host recommended stopping here for supplies.
When we arrive at or host, Rob welcome’s us and we meet his partner John. The house is eclectic, set in a beautiful garden. Rob gives a tour of the property on a mowed path through mostly managed forest to the Skagit River. We have the option to sleep in their T@B trailer or a double wide tent. We chose the tent, and place our food in the fridge of the Tab. There is an outdoor shower, out in the open. It is like showering in the Garden of Eden. John does the gardening of a huge variety of plants, and includes a bee hive and huge berry patch. Rob does the hardscapes to the garden.
We are fed a gourmet Beef Stroganoff dinner and rhubarb-berry cobbler. The evening is delightful sharing stories and we get advice about the road ahead.
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https://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?query_src=photos_index&rel-taxon=begins+with&where-taxon=Rosa+multiflora
Great sharp image!
3 years ago
Today's ride: 52 miles (84 km)
Total: 127 miles (204 km)
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