July 24, 2021
Day 80: Chelan, WA to Cashmere, WA
Fire On The Mountain, Run Boys Run!
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Climbing Today; 1,673 ft Climbing to Date; 129,173 ft
I slept late till 03:45 this morning because there was no reason to hurry today. I had less than 2,000 feet to climb in about 43 miles, so today shouldn’t be too difficult. I was probably going to arrive in Cashmere before the hotel had my room ready anyway. Still, I like to get an early start and beat the heat and the traffic for a few hours anyway.
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After reading the above sign I was scanning the hills looking for mountain goats, but spotting none. I needed Sis on this tour; she's an experienced goat spotter.
It was a great ride today. Most of the climbing occurred early in the ride, and that's how I like it; do the work first and then enjoy the ride.
I don't really understand how coins end up on the shoulder of a highway, but they do. I added another penny to the found money pot, which now stands at $3.18 total.
The Columbia River was very still this morning, offering reflections of the mountains and trees on the blue water. With small towns along the bank, it reminded me of the Rhine River valley in Germany.
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It's good to have reminders of the power of the earth we live on. We Sapiens can now monitor and maybe issue alerts prior to some catastrophic events, but we are powerless to change the outcome.
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The fishing must be good here; looks like we have them surrounded.
By default, I tend to think of mountain goats as being white. But I passed by a dead one laying just off the shoulder, and it was brown. Perhaps it had fallen off the high cliff (does this happen to goats?) above - or could it have been hit by a car? So I re-calibrated my brain function to look for brown mountain goats, and readjusted my optical scanners to do the same, and I soon spotted several brown ones! The telephoto lens I carry adds weight, but it sure is nice for wildlife photography. (NOTE; thanks to Scott Anderson for commenting that these are big-horn sheep, not goats)
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3 years ago
Buddy Hall
3 years ago
Apparently, there are several dams on the Columbia that are owned and operated by county entities. Rocky Reach is one of them; see Rocky Reach Dam for details.
My path yesterday and today has been south along the Highway 97 corridor; mostly I have ridden Highway 97 Alternate or parallel roads. The last part of my ride today was on Highway 2, and I will be following Highway 2 for about 150 miles or so to a point north of Seattle. There are mountains ahead with snow!
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I've climbed the Flowery Trail Pass, Sherman Pass, Wauconda Pass, and soon I will climb Stevens Pass, so I feel like I have experienced at least a little of the mountains in Washington. I'm very disappointed that the forest fire re-route has prevented me from being able to climb Loup Loup Pass and Rainy/Washington Pass, but I went as far west as I could reasonably and safely go before I was forced to turn south. So be it, it's all good.
"Fire on the Mountain, Run Boys Run!"
Update on Doc. I called Doc this morning and he was waiting in the airport for his flight. He should be home in Arkansas by the time you read this. His final stats are; 4,291 miles ridden and 129,300 feet of climbing. He rode coast-to-coast and those stats back up that amazing accomplishment. He said that if he had a crystal ball he probably would have taken the Highway 2 route instead of the I-90 corridor, but he followed the Google bike recommended route and it got him to Seattle quicker than he would have otherwise. He now will have a full week at home prior to going back to work, so he will have time to come down from high orbit and re-enter the earth's atmosphere before the madness starts.
As for me, I'm taking a rest day tomorrow. I have a flight home in 1 week, and that gives me plenty of time to finish the journey and take care of the shipping details and such. Tomorrow I will make arrangements for lodging for the duration of the trip, figure out the best options for bike shipping and gear shipping, and maybe even schedule the airport shuttle. Tomorrow (Sunday) is when all the tourist traffic from Seattle leaves this area and goes back over Stevens Pass to Seattle, so it's not the best day for me to ride the pass anyway. So tomorrow I chill and plan (and rest), then on Monday I climb Stevens Pass. Stevens Pass is the last significant physical obstacle I have on this journey, so it won't hurt me to rest and be ready.
It's the weekend folks; you need to get some rest too. Good night...
Today's ride: 46 miles (74 km)
Total: 4,069 miles (6,548 km)
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Doc’s flight is delayed due to thunderstorms and he has been stuck in Chicago for awhile. The latest update is that he should arrive at 11:30 pm. At least he found a hamburger and a beer:)
Sis
(who is better at spotting giraffes than spotting mountain goats)😂
3 years ago
I'd be surprised if Doc only found 1 beer! Hopefully he will get home tonight - I've had to sleep in an airport overnight before. The airlines say it's "not their fault" if the delay is caused by weather, and you are on your own.
Bud
3 years ago
I remember liking the town of Cashmere. Here's why:
I didn't carry a computer in those days so I always updated my blog in public libraries. The librarian in Cashmere, unlike many librarians across the country, allowed me all the time I needed. When I finished up at the Cashmere library, I went back outside with the hope that my bike was still there after 90 minutes of blogging.
Thank goodness, it was. Right behind me was the librarian who shouted "You forgot to close out your session!" I went back in and found she was right. Who knows what kind of crap the next person could have written on my blog -- all in my name. In fact, the next person could have deleted the whole thing. Thank you, Cashmere librarian.
3 years ago
I’ve been following your adventure and enjoying your excellent photos. You could consider going to Anacortes via Whidby Island. You would have to find a route to the Mulkiteo (not sure about the spelling) ferry. Then head north to Fidalgo Island and Anacortes. You can probably find a bike shop to ship your bike. Check out Racpac’s journal on this site. I believe they started in Everett Wa and backtracked to Anacortes for their west to east Northern Tier.
Happy Trails,
Sandy
3 years ago
I looked at the map and think that's an excellent suggestion! But at this point I have hotels booked and a plan to complete the trip in place, so I don't think it will happen now. However - because the fire prevented me from riding Rainy/Washington and Loup Loup Passes, I hope to return here some day and take a short tour that includes those passes. I think your suggestion could be part of that tour and would make for a very interesting week or so. Best wishes,
Bud
3 years ago
Interesting story you told about Cashmere. I enjoyed my rest day there, it's a nice little town. BTW, I'm currently carrying not just a computer, but 2 computers! I "inherited" Doc's computer for the trip duration when he headed home early cause his will process the video (mine doesn't have enough horsepower for that, but it's better for updating the journal). Amazing how much electronic stuff I have on this tour - oh well, the weight keeps me from being blown away by the wind. Best wishes,
Bud
3 years ago