Author: russloomis

Yesterday I was packed and ready to leave and while finishing my cup of coffee I noticed the hitch on the car was hanging low. The hitch is mounted on the frame that supports the bumper and this frame is broken. The day was spent finding someone to replace the hitch with one that attaches to the main frame and welding the broken bumper frame section. This will be done tomorrow so Nancy and I felt comfortable with me leaving today.

I started riding in the morning coolness following the Koocanusa Lake to Rexford. The last ten miles brought me closer to the Rocky Mountains in the near distance.

Today I stopped at a convenient place for the night in Eureka, MT. with a 44 mile day.

Nancy booked a site on Koocanusa Lake above Libby Dam 104 miles away. I had planned to ride two 50 mile days to get there.

The day never got too hot, the 90° high felt like a cold front compared to a week ago.

The riding was easy and I was making good time, the miles were flying by. The options to stay overnight were slim so I decided to ride through the day to arrive before the sun set.

I saw a bar/grill on route 56 near Bull Lake so I stopped and had a 3 o’clock lunch. The place was full with a motorcycle club, the Montana Road Savages. I was questioned by one of them about my trip, he was very interested and impressed. During my meal he told the club what I was doing. As they were leaving the leader stopped to ask more questions, one was “do you carry anything for protection”. I told him that I am carrying bear spray. He replied, “I mean are you packing to protect yourself while camping overnight”. I responded with I don’t worry about that. “You are very brave”, he said. I thanked him and then asked if that implied if I was carrying would that mean I wasn’t brave. After a moment of silence he said, “You have big balls to ask that”! He then made me an honorary member of the club.

I continued on and made it to the campsite before dark and told Nancy of my membership. I think she was both impressed and proud.

I have an 88 mile day to get to Sam Owens Campground where Nancy has set up camp.

Most of the morning is riding along the bank of the Pend Oreille River.

Heading into Sandpoint on the bikeway I join another cyclist, Chen, riding east on the Northern Tier. We have lunch together before parting. He is heading to a Warmshowers host nearby and I continue on route another 22 miles to the campground.

The campsite is nice with plenty to do so I spend an extra day kayaking with Nancy. I foolishly sunburn my feet during the 4 hours of paddling.

We later had a nice dinner at the harbor restaurant.

I pedaled out of the campground and got back on route. Construction was just starting so I was able to zip right through to the nice back country roads.

This day only warmed to 92° so I moved along and covered ground, 74 miles.

I stopped at Panhandle Campground to spend the night beside the Pend Oreille River.

Today I will ride to Kettle Falls Campground where Nancy has set up camp. I have 44 miles and one climb to get there, Sherman’s Pass.

The start is cool with a slight headwind, this feels good compared to the crippling heat of the past weeks. I have areas of shade and a constant grade of 6%.

Once over the top I coast the last 18 miles. It is noon and the sun is heating up the day.

The campsite is on the banks of Roosevelt Lake, Nancy and I go for a swim to cool off. We bring the two dogs and put them into the water. These dogs do not like water. The cooling off refreshed all of us.

When I opened the door and rolled my bike and gear outside I felt the warm morning air. This is 6:30 AM and the goal is to get over Wauconda Pass before the blast furnace heat melts.

I start with a climb out of town and then roll across the countryside before reaching the Pass and cruise into Republic.

I pull into town and stop for lunch at the Knotty Pine Restaurant for a very good burger and multiply tall glasses of ice tea mixed with lemonade.

Then I head up the hill to settle in at the home of Patty and Rob, the Warmshowers hosts. They welcomed me in and offered a slice of berry cake with whipped cream. I washed my clothes, showered, and sat in their massage chair for the 45 minute recovery cycle. Wow!

I woke up, packed up, gobbled a quick motel breakfast, and hit the road at 7 AM. This will be a short day of 33 miles to Tonasket, WA.

Trying to beat the heat is a lost battle when it is 100° by 8 AM. Riding on the road the heat comes up and cooks your feet and turns the ice water in my bottle to the temperature of a warm bath.

Coming my way is a cycle tourist, Everett. He has just a few more days to finish in Anacortes. I have a few months until I arrive home.

I finish the day in Tonasket around noon, the sun is beating down and like the road surface, I am hot. I check into a motel, too hot to be in a tent, and sit in front of the air conditioner set at 60°. I’m cold on the outside and hot to my core.

My camp chair is the most comfortable seat in the room

At 5 PM I step outside to walk into town for dinner and instantly my skin feels the burn, it is 111°.

Still tired from yesterday I decided to do a short 42 mile day. Today I have one pass to get over, Loup Loup Pass. This is not an easy pass, eight miles long without shade and another hot day.

Saying farewell to Winthrop.

Today is a short 42 mile day. By 9 AM it was 100°. At 10 AM I started the 8 mile climb, the temp climbed to 116° for the entire no shade climb. I stopped three times, when I found 5’ of shade to cool my core before continuing and emptying my water bottles.

Loup Loup Pass

I’m treating myself to an air conditioned motel room!

Leaving behind my nice cozy campsite by the Skagit River.

Heading east the temperature climbed to 100° as I gained elevation to start the Cascades.

The two long Passes, Rainy and Washington are long, steep, and open so I’m right out in the sun. The views are drop dead gorgeous as I climb in 112°.

Reaching the Washington Pass I have climbed over the last pass of the Cascades. They are now behind as I drop from the sky to the valley below.

Twenty miles later, a total of 96 miles I’m in Winthrop, Washington where I will spend the night. I have heat exhaustion and it is dusk. My brain has already begun shutting down so I have trouble finding the Warmshowers host’s house. A few calls later I arrived to the nice welcome of host Heather Yakely.

Leaving Anacortes was uneventful, just a kiss good by to Nancy followed bu the snap of the clipping. I head out of the campground by two women camping. One asked where I was touring and I replied the Northern Tier east. She shouted that she was envious so I stopped to talk. Turns out this is her dream goal. And seeing how Nancy and I are doing this together reassures her that she and her partner would also be able too.

I am relieved that Adventure Cycling routed me out of Anacortes and through Burlington on bikeways and secondary roads.

The campground that I had hoped to stay in Rockport was full so o had to move on. I was already over 60 miles in 100° heat so I opted to go off course and follow rte20 rather then the route because of the option for camping. I found a rest area next to the Skagit River and decided this would be my sleep spot.

A bit later a camping van pulling in and Tim, a geologist by hobby, was also going to sleep here. We had an interesting conversation over some box wine. This is when another Tim, much younger, stopped by. This 30 year old is in the process of defining his life and ask for our advice in shaping his. He is in the right track, we wished him a happy and successful life. Now it’s time to sleep. What a wonderful day.