Day 92 Gold Bar to Seattle

Thursday 19th August
Daily mileage 45miles Average Speed 12.1mph Ride Time 3hr45min
Total Mileage 3856

After a great night sleep we packed up and hit the road by 8am and as we opened the motel room door we were greeted by a miserable grey day with drizzle which we can not remember seeing since we were in Canada a few months ago. At least the wind was not noticeably strong. We got 5 miles up the road and stopped in Sultan for breakfast with the intention of not stopping again until we reached the finishing line.

We had researched a great bike path that runs right into the heart of downtown Seattle but unfortunately we had to ride on a few rather busy highways before reaching the start of the trail. Heads down, music on and great motivation to reach our goal we pedalled as fast as possible until we arrived in Woodinville where we had arranged to text John our host for our stay in Seattle. We met John in Yellowstone weeks ago and we have remained in contact and we are staying with him in his floating house for the next few days.

We found the start of the trail with Kris’s great intuition. The trail was smooth concrete but with many tree roots protruding making the ride slightly uncomfortable. After 35 miles we bumped into John who had ridden out of the city to find us. We followed him the final 10 miles to his lovely 3 storey home floating on concrete! On the way Betty (my bike) suffered a broken spoke in the rear wheel with 2 miles to go thanks to a nasty tree root.

It feels very different to arriving in Istanbul as we have yet to find our way north to Vancouver where we fly home from in two weeks time. So until the bikes are boxed it does not quite feel like we have finished for real but we still experienced great elation on finishing coast to coast, salt water to salt water with nearly 4000miles of fresh water in between! We ate lunch then chilled indoors for the rest of the afternoon while John had to run some errands. When he returned at 8pm we hopped in his smaller boat and crossed the water for dinner at a delicious Salmon restaurant.

I never knew that I would be able to do it but I always felt as though I could do it and now… I have done it! Thanks to Kris for helping this trip be such a success , I love you, and thanks again to all the kind people that have helped us on our journey, you have all made this trip so memorable for us.
　

Day 91 Tumwater campground to Gold Bar

Wednesday 18th August
Daily mileage 63miles Average Speed 11mph Ride Time 5hr42min
Total Mileage 3811

Alarm set for 6am we got up at 7am. It was cooler today and we had a head wind. We packed up having survived the night with only a few unknown paw prints, any ideas who they belong too? We crossed the bridge back to the campground to use their facilities before setting off up the road. Now that we have lost the river the road got a bit steeper but we kept dropping after we had climbed so we had travelled 6 miles to Coles Corner for a coffee stop but had not really gained any elevation overall. Just as we left Kris suffered a proper nasty puncture where some staples had lodged themselves in his rear tyre. Thankfully he was on the flat when it happened so a quick change of the inner tube and we continued on the rolling road for another 14 miles.

With 1500ft still to climb in 6 miles we stopped for a refuel on the road side. Battling into a strong headwind we started the steeper climb with the thought stuck in our minds that Seattle was on the other side of the hill! The summit of Stevens Pass was only 4,061ft but we had started at 1,200ft in Leavenworth. At the top we jumped for joy and robed up to prepare ourselves for the descent. We rolled for almost the full 17 miles into Skykomish but the road was narrow with next to no hard shoulder in some sections and doubled up with the strong headwind it spoilt it a little.

We stopped for a break then set off on the final 20 miles of the day to Gold Bar. We past through a few tiny towns but were determined on our destination for the night in order to leave 45 miles in the morning into Seattle where we have to be by 1pm. It was a hard ride to finish the day and we decided to treat ourselves to a motel room as we felt pretty gross. We enjoyed the room and had a chance to catch up with ourselves before arriving in Seattle! w exciting but sad too.
　
　

Day 90 Wenatchee to Tumwater campground

Tuesday 17th August
Daily mileage 37miles Average Speed 11mph Ride Time 3hr22min
Total Mileage 3748

We enjoyed a lovely breakfast topped off with scrambled eggs made by Aubryn to her own special recipe and they were delicious! We left by about 10am just before Andrea’s friends were arriving for her 13th birthday party. Happy belated birthday Andrea! We found the bike path again which ran for 8 miles through to the end of town safely.

We found Highway 2 and headed west toward Stevens Pass through the Cascade mountains to the coast. We went straight through Cashmere and arrived in Leavenworth after 26 miles which is a Bavarian village that had a lot of character. The road was quite rolling and went from baron to lush green forestry. It was boiling hot and we had the slight wind behind us. We stopped at a supermarket for refreshments then began climbing gradually through the valley following the Wenatchee River after a short stop at the Ranger Station. Before long we came across the Alps fudge shop and for a second we though we had taken a wrong turn! The fudge was delicious!
Shortly after leaving the town we spotted a perfect swimming area in the river and could not resist a dip. The water was freezing but we jumped straight in to cool off and felt our core temperature plummet. We continued cycling with wet clothes which helped to keep us cool for a bit longer. There are a shortage of campgrounds on the pass and we desperately wanted to camp next to the river that disappeared from the road after 10miles from the town. At the split there was a campground but after chatting to the camp hosts we were advised not to pay the $17 but to cross the bridge over the river and wild camp for free.

So off we went and fought our way through the bush to a lovely sand bar. Stomping our feet on the way through to chase off any rattlesnakes we carried the bikes over a fallen tree to the sand and were straight in the water again. We had a picnic on our secluded beach with the bear spray in one hand as I felt particularly uneasy which is crazy as I am sure I would have felt fine sitting on the same river edge but on the campground side. It is quite irrational but I cant help but feel fear anyway which Kris finds tough to get his head around. We set up tent in a sheltered area hidden from the main road and watched a couple of movies until Kris was snoring and I lay awake for which felt like the majority of the night feeling annoyed that I couldn’t sleep!

Day 89 Potholes State Park to Wenatchee

Monday 16th August
Daily mileage 80miles Average Speed 12.8mph Ride Time 6hr14min
Total Mileage 3711

We packed up swiftly this morning partly due to mosquito’s and partly due to the incentive of hot coffee in the gas station so we managed to make it there for 6.30am and on the road by 7am. We headed toward Quincy via the back roads which was 45 miles away. We had no real idea of where we were going but we just kept heading North then West the North then West until we came across the town. The wind was not too strong and the roads were not too hilly so by the time we made it into town we could not feel our bums as we had hardly got off the saddle.
In Quincy we stopped at a supermarket for air con and a rest when we saw a sign for 91 degrees Fahrenheit at noon so it was only going to get hotter. Therefore, reluctantly we got on the saddle to attempt to get the remaining miles done before the hottest part of the day. We were greeted by an amazingly scenic route where the road dropped in elevation through a massive canyon and as we dropped the temperature rose. The road was lined with fields of mint, onions, apple trees and pear trees. We passed through Trinidad and had a brief stop in Rock Island for an ice cream before we completed the second section of the day where our ride took us another 35miles into Wenatchee.
5 miles out of Wenatchee we found a bike path that took us on a pedestrian bridge over the Columbia River and into town where we picked up Roger and Helen’s very detailed directions to their house which is on a hill, so the last 3 miles or so were terribly difficult after a long day! We finally arrived about 4pm and pushed the bikes up the steepest driveway ever. We met Roger, Helen and their two daughters Andrea and Aubryn and of course their dog Cricket who we had originally met a few days earlier on the road in a rest stop.
We sat and chatted and enjoyed a lovely dinner and rested all evening. We have felt extremely comfortable here in your lovely home since the moment we arrived so thank you so very much for your kind hospitality and family welcome. According to Google we only have 140 miles to Seattle, its just a shame the cascade mountains are on the way! However, a momentous occasion happened today where we saw our first sign for Seattle! How exciting, the finishing line is in sight!

Day 88 Connell to Potholes State Park

Sunday 15th August
Daily mileage 37miles Average Speed 11.3mph Ride Time 3hr15min
Total Mileage 3631

We had a lovely dinner in the garden last night with the family and their friends then slept on the dining room floor on the lovely thick pile carpet. We were treated to fresh pancakes, eggs and ham for breakfast and after a short ride back to the main road we set off at 9am. Fortunately it was not anywhere near as windy as yesterday. We headed north for a few miles then turned west on highway 26 into Othello where we stopped in Walmart after 20 miles.

We carried on taking smaller county roads through baron land and again it felt as though we were in the desert and the tumble weed chasing us along the road proved that we were in the desert! That and the 100 degrees Fahrenheit heat beating down on us. We had to tackle the Frenchman Hills before rolling into the Potholes State Park. We stopped for a quick cold drink in the shade at a gas station then headed into the park to set up the tent in the ’primitive’ tent area which is the cheapest and closest to the reservoir.
Two minutes later we were in the water but we were swimming where the boat launch area was and with jet skis buzzing around us, the water was not so clean so a quick dip to cool off and we were done. We laid under a tree on the grass area to snooze and played yahtzee and I won, twice. Back at the tent we watched two movies in the tent and were asleep for an early morning start. To tell the truth we are both a bit disappointed with this park as the map suggests there is a lovely swimming beach, sand dunes and potholes hence the name of the place, but there was nothing of striking beauty and probably was not worth the stop apart from to escape the heat of the day.

Day 87 Lyons Ferry Park to Connell

Saturday 14th August
Daily mileage 46miles Average Speed 12.1mph Ride Time 3hr48min
Total Mileage 3594

When the alarm sounded at 6.30am the tent was being blown all over the place and so we decided to ignore it and sleep some more. At 7.30am we woke again with the wind still blowing but we could not lay in any longer. We polished off our random breakfast with lovely wafts of coffee coming from our neighbours camp which just teased us.

Pretty much from the campground the road began climbing up very steeply. It was only for about 3 miles but it was extremely steep. We made it to the top where the land flattened out and found the wind was coming from the East for a change. As we approached the junction we saw the start of some smoke rising from a wheat field. It seemed to get bigger and bigger and with the strong wind the wildfire was spreading like wildfire! It was slightly concerning for us so we did not hang around as the sky turned orange and everything looked like we were seeing through sunglasses.
After 15 miles we came to a junction where we had intended to turn right but it would have been straight into the wind so we changed our plans and turned left with the hope of stopping in Kahlotus 8 miles later for some refreshments but all that we found was a nice old lady that let us fill our water bottles from her hose. That meant we had to carry on for a further 17 miles to the nearest town of Connell. We had the wind behind us which definitely helped as we had to climb up several more hills.

We arrived in Connell after 40 miles and with the heat, the wind and the hills we were shattered and starving. We bought a few bits and sat on the floor outside the supermarket looking very tired and dirty when we met Zoee. She kindly offered us to stay at her house a further 6 miles up the road but thankfully it was in the right direction. We used the internet in the library for a while then made our way to her house but there was such a strong wind it was very hard work. Zoee and Remie met us on the main road with their pick up truck as they live a mile and three quarters down a gravel road in the middle of a wheat field as they are dry wheat farmers. They have 3 children, 2 dogs and 1 pig and today just so happens to be the last day of a 3 week harvest which equals relief and a few beers to celebrate!
Back at their lovely home which resembles an oasis in amongst fields as far as the eye can see in every direction, we cleaned ourselves and our clothes which felt so good. We then jumped in the car and went to the field that was being harvested and we each got to ride in a combine harvester driven by their two daughters Jessica and Kelly. Jacob and Kelly share the day as they are only 13 and 17 respectively. The ride was awesome, who would have thought when we woke up this morning that we would be sat in a combine harvester!
We had a great unique experience spending time with your family and we can not thank you enough for your kind hospitality. We also found out that the wildfire was still not contained and has currently destroyed 30 miles, scary stuff. Thanks also for the family lemonade recipe which we have now adopted!

Day 86 Lewiston to Lyons Ferry Park

Friday 13th August
Daily mileage 73miles Average Speed 12.4mph Ride Time 5hr51min
Total Mileage 3548

After a good nights sleep I would like to say we were wide awake sitting at the breakfast table at 6.30am but we were still tired. On the road at 7.30am we cycled out of Lewiston and over the Snake River into Clarkston only 5 miles up the road but more importantly it is in Washington state which is our 11th and final USA state! We continued on following the river where the road lined the lake edge for a good 10 miles before we started the major climb of the day up and over the Alpowa pass at a summit of 2785ft which does not sound that high but when you start from an elevation of 700 it’s a tough climb!
We plodded our way up with a narrow hard shoulder and the heat of the sun on our backs. At one point there was a deer stood right in the middle of the road with a truck coming down the hill and a truck coming up the hill and we were petrified of seeing fresh road kill. With a loud shout from Kris it jumped the barrier with ease and disappeared thankfully. At the summit we had done 25 miles and there was a rest area where we collapsed on the picnic table pouring with sweat where we seemed to attract a fair bit of attention of cars pulling in.

We met Helen and Roger who we chatted with for a while and they offered us a home made monster cookie and a place to stay in a couple of days as they live on our route, thanks and we hope to see you soon! We finally mustered up the energy to get back on the saddle and began the lovely descent for 10 miles into Pomeroy passing through Pataha. On the way we met Dick who was cycle touring the opposite direction and he is on his 3rd attempt at the USA crossing and we wish him the best of luck as he has only just started.

In Pomeroy after 35 miles we stopped in a café for a burger, a comfy seat and some air con. Half hour later we were off on our way to Dodge 12miles up the road which turned out to be nothing more than a road junction. So we carried on to Starbuck 16 miles later where we managed to sniff out a cold drink in a bate shop. Thankfully the drinks were stored in a separate fridge to the worms. We had planned to stay here but the lady in the shop suggested we continued on to Lyons Ferry Park which is back on the Snake River edge and has a swimming beach and a marina.

Easily persuaded we crawled gently back on the saddle and plodded out the final 7 miles into the park crossing the river again on a high, narrow, see through bridge with strong wind in our face. The scenery has been randomly great today. There have been hills on either side with the river but the fields have been golden with hay ready to be harvested in every direction and no greenery in sight. We have felt like we are completely in the middle of nowhere and the fact that we are completely in the middle of nowhere could have something to do with it!

As we arrived in the park we bought a few bits for dinner and breakfast… pineapple chunks, a chocolate bar, some cheese and crackers and some crisps, not enough and not at all appetising but the store was expensive and very limited. Before we set up the tent we headed straight to the swimming area and almost run straight in, it only took a few minutes before we had submerged instead of the normal half hour! We laid in the sun to dry off and have a power nap, then set up tent, showered and watched a movie in the tent. This was our 6th day riding in a row and with no foreseeable day off we are drained.