July 22, 2021
Day 78: Republic, WA to Omak, WA
Wauconda Pass
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Climbing Today; 2,840 ft Climbing to Date; 125,544 ft
It was cold this morning when I started rolling at 04:50. I only notice it in my fingertips, the rest of me stays warm from the physical exertion. The first task, and only real challenge of the day, was to climb Wauconda Pass. It was easy as compared to climbing Sherman Pass yesterday, and only the last 3 miles felt like you were climbing a pass. Afterwards, I had an amazing downhill run that lasted almost 54 miles! I'm not kidding about that, look at the elevation profile above - there were a few bumps along the way, but mostly I rolled all the way from Sherman Pass to Omak with gravity on my side. I had some headwind today that slowed me and made me have to pedal even on downhill sections, but that only lasted for a couple of hours.
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I'm up late for me, so have to close quickly. Doc did an 82 mile day, mostly riding on the shoulder of I-90. He said it wasn't so bad once he discovered that wearing ear plugs helped drown out the truck noise. He climbed over Snoqualmie Pass in route to North Bend. Tomorrow he will enter Seattle and head directly to a bike shop near the airport - they will ship his bike and his panniers home. Saturday he will be on a flight home, exactly 1 week ahead of me. No wheel dip in the Puget Sound, no ending at the "official" ending point in Anacortes, but Doc has ridden his bike across the country and he's ready to go home. Be careful on your last day Doc, Seattle traffic may not understand that you are on a mission.
Other than small exceptions for short diversions, I have been on the ACA route so far, including today. But now I have to divert south to avoid the forest fire road blockage ahead. So tomorrow I commence navigating on my own without the benefit of the ACA maps. I have completed map 8 now; maybe I will still yet ride a bit more of the ACA route, who knows? In the meantime, I'm heading south following the highway 97 corridor, then west on highway 2 towards the far north end of the Seattle metroplex. Steve and Allane are currently 1 day ahead of me, and we talk every afternoon so I get the benefit of Steve's experience. Really have to call it quits now folks, good night...
Today's ride: 70 miles (113 km)
Total: 3,969 miles (6,387 km)
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Bud
3 years ago