Ione to Newport WA

 Pend Oreille River

New friend

this morning woke up to rain, but it cleared by mid-morning ... saw an eagle soaring over the river ... a sign it would be a great day ... followed the Pend Oreille river to Newport ... the town is on the border of ID ... much of the route passed through the Kalispel reservation ... stopped to get a sandwich for lunch and chatted with the reservation facilities manager ... himself a Chippewa, he gave me an overview of the Native American presence here ...

Colville to Ione WA

 Colville WA

Colville WA

expansive farms and ranches ... cattle and horses ... beauty in the simplicity and quietude ...

Republic to Colville WA

 Republic - Historic Site

 Sherman Pass today

Sherman Pass

Salmon Fishing

 Women

Seasonal Migration

Today's post is dedicated to the Aboriginal people to whom we owe so much ... crossing Sherman Pass was the typical long push uphill, rewarded by the long coast down the other side ... how different it was for me than for those who came before ... these informational displays are at the top of the pass ...

Okanogan to Republic WA

 Brian and Tiki en route to Vancouver

 Sam with her pear trees

 Katie biking Missoula to San Francisco

self portrait

today was a connecting-with-people day ... stopped at the Tonasket Natural Food Co-op for a tuna sandwich and carrot juice ... took organic bananas and apples to-go ... another day of a long climb - over the pass - and a thrilling ride down the other side ... Sam's owner gave me a condensed lesson on the fruit trees of this region ... apples, pears, nectarines, cherries, apricots ...

Mazama to Okanogan WA

 Winthrop WA

 Bob and Rita take a break

 Okanogan WA

Jerry and Shirley call it a day

On the east side of the mountains it is hotter and drier ... most of the rain falls on the west side of the mountains as the storm systems pass over, leaving very little for the east side ... the farmers use large scale irrigation equipment ... I missed the cooling effect of yesterday's snow when I was on the uphills today ...

Marblemount to Mazama WA

Skagit River

Northern Cascades Highway

Rainy Pass

Hairpin Turn, Washington Pass

a glorious ride through the mountains ... breathtaking views every minute ...  I truly appreciate the miraculous beauty of this landscape ... we are talking serious climbs ... 50 miles, uphill all the way ... 5,000 ft elevation gain ... a day cyclist said to me this afternoon that when he gets discouraged, he reminds himself that you can't keep climbing forever ...  and then there was the big payoff at the end ... what a ride down! ...

Sedro-Woolley to Marblemount WA

 Mount Baker

 This picture is for Candace

 Saw a fox cross, but no elk

 Skagit River

 Concrete WA pop790

Bull Run Inn

rode along the Skagit River for much of the day ... Mount Baker looming in the background ... farms and forests ... lots of horses ... when approaching someone who is crossing the road to check their mailbox, it's a good opportunity to stop and chat ... seems they like to socialize at that time ... staying at the Bull Run Inn in Marblemount (pop251) tonight ... it's a B&B ... the proprietor explained "help yourself to whatever is in the refrigerator tomorrow morning before you leave ..."

Anacortes to Sedro-Woolley WA

Post Office

Crops in bloom

Back roads

picked up my charger at the post office this morning and headed out of town ... partly sunny and cool ... a nice way to remember Anacortes ... where the bike path skirted the edge of the water, a seal checked me out and wished me luck ... I paused to express gratitude for the world around me ... rode on back roads through farmland and woods ... rolling hills ... smells of fertilizer and manure ... buzzing of the beehives placed among the crops ... arrived Sedro-Woolley for a late lunch and called it a day ... a short ride, but I am heeding the AT adage "start slow, and then slow down ..."

Washington Park, Anacortes WA

the official start

Nadia heading to Alaska

official start from the Pacific Ocean ... pedaled a few miles along the route this morning, but still staying in Anacortes tonight to wait for the mail tomorrow ... kayaker (Josie) was starting out on day five of her journey to Alaska ... I asked her to take this photo of me ... she graduated from Bates College, and was a writer for the Lewiston Sun-Journal for a while ... talk about a small world ...

Anacortes WA

Ferry to San Juan Islands

Main drag

slight change in plans ... I discovered that I brought the wrong AC charger for my computer ... having no computer would significantly compromise my photography and ability to blog ... Candy has sent the correct charger, and it will arrive here Thursday morning ...  new plan is to pick up the charger at the post office Thursday morning, and then be on my way ...

I have never visited a town where the people are so uniformly nice ... bike shop owners, postal clerk, restaurant staff, motel owner, pedestrians, drivers ... I have taken time for genuine conversation with them ... they have been engaging and helpful without my needing to ask ... a common ingredient - they all seem so happy ...

Anacortes WA

Bike assembly

bike sent earlier via UPS to Skagit Cycle bike shop ... wonderfully friendly and helpful people there ... bought a patch kit and chatted a bit ... took me about an hour to re-assemble and adjust ... it seems to have survived the trip so far ...

Arrived Seattle

flew United Airlines to Seattle ... greeted by a cold wet rain ... the expected weather for this area I believe ... then an hour and a half drive to the coastal town of Anacortes ...

Nice ride today

did a 33 mile loop starting and ending at our house ... loaded my bike with all my gear ... a good shake down ride to see if everything will work OK ... the aura of a beautiful spring weekend ... pedaled through farmland and open spaces ... punctuated by the industrious sound of lawn mower engines and the sweet smell of fresh cut grass ... glimpses of yard sales and family get-togethers ...