July 27, 2021
Day 83; Skykomish, WA to Snohomish, WA
It Ain't Over Till The Fat Lady Sings; She Sang For Steve!
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Climbing Today; 1,602 ft Climbing to Date; 134,950 ft
Today was not expected to be difficult, so I slept until 04:00 and didn't get rolling until a bit after 05:00. I have been informed that my early hours will NOT be tolerated when I return home, even after accounting for the 2-hour difference in time zones, so I need to start staying up later I guess. I did a U-turn to backtrack on the shoulder of Highway 2 to retrieve this penny, and I found another atop a picnic table later, so the found money fund stands at $3.20 at this moment.
Although I had a mostly flat ride today as I followed the Skykomish River downstream, I was still in the mountains and they are awe-inspiring at times.
The ride along the Skykomish River was peaceful in the early morning, but a bit less so as the world woke up and the traffic increased.
I did a U-turn and backtracked to photograph a very unusual mailbox. I don't really know what to say about it, so there you go.
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I had only eaten a croissant this morning before leaving, and I had no snack food with me (I'm trying to use up everything in the last few days), so I was feeling pretty empty when I reached Monroe after more than 30 miles. There were dining options in Monroe, but I had received a journal comment suggesting that I should take Highway 522 to Maltby and eat at the Maltby Cafe. Although this was going to add 10 miles to my day, I had time and so I headed off to Maltby. Highway 522 is NOT a good road for cycling; it's like an interstate highway with high speed traffic, but it does have a good shoulder. Google maps bicycle routing wanted to take me a different way that would have added even more miles, so I tolerated the traffic noise and rode the shoulder. Eventually the road narrowed from 4 lanes to 2, but it was still fast and noisy traffic. I was happy to finally exit off this road.
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I reached the Maltby Cafe after cycling for 44 miles on a loaded bike, and I was famished. What I had envisioned was a small town old-fashioned diner that served up amazing food. When I reached the Maltby Cafe, I was surprised to find that it was in the midst of a small shopping area that was overloaded with tourists. I'm not sure what the attraction is, but it's a very popular spot. I was starving, so I went inside only to be confronted by a large crowd and long line of folks waiting for a table. It took several minutes for me to even sign in, and I was told it would be at least 20 minutes before they had a spot for me. I really needed to eat. Using Google maps I saw that there was a convenience store about 1/2 mile away on the other side of the highway, so that's where I headed. My breakfast consisted of eggrolls and a greasy slice of pepperoni pizza and coffee, eaten outside on a picnic table in the shade. I was so freaking hungry that I enjoyed that strange breakfast. Wikipedia notes that the Maltby Cafe is known for their cinnamon rolls, and I'm sure it's probably a decent place for breakfast. But I wouldn't recommend the experience for touring cyclists unless you enjoy being in the midst of an overflow crowd of tourists.
I took the Google-recommended bike route from Maltby to Snohomish and found myself on pleasant shaded roads most of the time. Mt. Ranier and other mountains were visible in the distance as I approached Snohomish.
I cycled through the downtown district in route to my hotel. It looks like a very pleasant place to visit.
The fat lady hasn't sang for me yet, but she did sing for Steve yesterday as he finished his coast-to-coast ride. Steve, biking and following the Northern Tier route from his home state of Maine, was supported by Allane driving their pickup. They were initially behind me & Doc and used this journal to glean insight on road conditions, lodging, etc. They caught up to us in Libby, MT and met us in a cafe there, and we have kept in touch ever since. Steve moved on ahead of me when I took a rest day in Newport, WA, and since then he has been the one giving me information about the road ahead.
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The rigors of a long cycle tour are significant, and an instant bond is formed between cycle tourists who meet on the road. I very much enjoyed my brief association with Allane and Steve, and I wish them the best now that the bicycling portion of their tour is over. It's a long way from Washington to Maine, so their adventure is far from over yet.
Well, I've done it again; I'm running out of time and need to wrap up today's entry. Tomorrow, if all goes well, I will make my way back onto the ACA maps! But first I have to ride the bike a bit to get there, so I need some rest. Good night all...
Today's ride: 53 miles (85 km)
Total: 4,186 miles (6,737 km)
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