Tonasket,WA - Republic,WA (47 miles)
Today we did another short day, but with a pass. So during our 47 miles we ended up climbing 3,310 feet, not too shabby.
Today we dealt with the first flat of the trip. About 10 miles outside of Tonasket Sara's rear tube popped. At first we thought someone had shot a gun, but then we realized that Sara's back wheel was flat as a pancake. No big deal though. She had an extra and after she changed tubes we were on our way.
Going over the passes have not been as terrible as I expected. That being said, they are still difficult, just not as bad as the elevation charts make them look. Turns out when the chart looks like you will be going straight up a wall it doesn't end up being as steep as the drawing....then again, they wouldn't be making roads with a 90 degree incline! Going downhill for me (Jamie) is just as terrifing as I thought. I find myself squeezing my breaks so hard that my hands ache, and that if my full attention is not on my path, I get a little squirrely and end up scaring myself even more. I would much rather be climbing a mountain than going down it! Jeremy on the other hand would rather be going down. The climbs have been a challenge with his knee, but he goes at his own pace - slow and steady.
The different flora and fauna thus far have been magnificent! There are tons of birds we have never seen before and countless plants. Today we saw gofers and rock chucks for the first time, both really cute! Earlier in the week we saw Steller's jays and quails!
Another great thing about our trip so far has been all the small towns we have gone through. Lord knows if we weren't riding our bikes we would never go through any of these places. And again, our maps sometimes make them seem larger than they are. Today we went through Wauconda, and our map showed that were was a post office, gas station, cafe and grocery store. When we got there we realized that all those things were in one small service station. That was the town.
Tomorrow we will do our largest pass of the trip! Wish us luck and we will keep you updated!
3 comments:
I love the pictures! we look forward to hearing about your adventures each day and seeing some of the the sights you are seeing. be safe
Hey! So great to see all the pictures. Saint says, "Keep it up, Jamie & Jeremy!"
Thank you so much for letting Sara ride with you this part of your trip, for helping with her flat and for just being friendly faces on your shared adventure. You may not lnow it, but you two are a very real answer to very real prayers! Hope to meet you someday!
-- Sara's Dad
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