Portland, Oregon to Ione, Washington
The year has come to an end and what a year it was. I rode 11,062 miles for the year, by far my best. This tour has been a dream of mine for a long time and it finally has come true. The following is a log of this adventure. I hope you enjoy it.
About David (56): My riding partner: His biking experience started with Cycling Enthusiasts of Philadelphia and over 38 years has included most of the States, Canadian Provinces, and countries of Western Europe. He has done a few race miles, in the sixties, and more than a few commuting and touring miles totaling about 340,000. He has done many centuries and a lot of double centuries. David rode a 1974 Holdsworth Cyclone which had over 70,000 miles on the frame. His gearing while odd in many circles was just right for him. The bike is a 15 speed and skewed to the low end with a low of 27 inches (28-28) and a high gear of 74 inches (49-18.) I would guess that it is the world's only 18-20-23-24-28 freewheel. We both believe in spinning and not in pushing high gears. In 1998, before we started this tour, David, had 4,700 training miles on his bike.
About Tom S.: He was an old coworker of David's and heard him describing plans to ride across America at one of their reunion luncheons and was interested in doing the first half, as far as eastern North Dakota. Family obligations in July prevented his full participation. David was able to do one windy 95-mile training ride with him in the spring but Tom S. only manager a relatively few pre-trip miles. His bike was a REI touring model. He had full front and rear panniers as well as quite a good amount on top of the rear rack. He was also carried cooking and fishing gear.
About Tom (62): I started bicycling with the Los Angeles Wheelmen in 1971. I have done various tours including one, solo, in 1996 from Portland, Oregon to San Diego. I regularly ride to California to visit relatives and have taken an organized Adventure Cycling bike-camping tour of Washington and Oregon . I have ridden Cycle Oregon six times. My many years of cycling has been limited to the three Pacific States. I have done many centuries, four double centuries and one triple century. My bike was a new Cannondale T-1000 which had 1491 miles on it before the tour. For more details see the main page of this tour. Other upgrades which I added to this bike was a Terry saddle and a shock absorbing seat post. I am not sure that the seat post made a difference, but what was noticeable was the saddle, which was wonderful. I had 3041 training miles in so far for 1998.
I met David on a 1990 tour of Washington State and British Columbia, organized by mutual friends from the Los Angeles area. They were friends of mine from my days living in LA and riding with the LA Wheelmen. David had met Ralph and Lavern and their daughter Julie from the LA area in 1972 on one of their visits to relatives in Minneapolis/St Paul. They and David were lining up to start the Rochester, MN Centurion ride. Grant planned a three-week 1990 tour of the Pacific NW for the LA group, starting in Portland, OR where I had moved. I joined the tour as did David and his wife Dana who flew out from Minneapolis/St Paul.
We had decided not to cook and eat all our meals out. This would save weight and time. I did not feel that two persons would save very much money by cooking. We also decided that we would not make any reservations but wing-it every day. I wondered how this would workout as on all my other tours I always had made reservations. Since we were camping I was not to worried. On the other hand David almost never made reservations. There were some days that we had to negotiate with the local authorizes but we always had a place to sleep.
Thursday, June 11, 1998 - Day 0 - 11.43 miles - to Seattle, WA.
I took Amtrak to Seattle while David flew into Seattle. I arrived at the Youth Hostel before David and checked in. Our room was on the third floor but the bike was to be put into a storage room that had it's own entrance outside the Hostel's main entrance. David, had some trouble getting out of the airport and to the Hostel. Even with the map I had sent him, it was no easy task to get going in the right direction from a airport which is designed for planes and cars.
The door to our room flew open and there was David, our years of fantasizing, a year of planning was finally about to come true, it was hard to believe. We put our gear away and went for a ride round the Seattle harbor area. Dinner was on the waterfront. Returning to the Hostel I put $1.00 in their computer and showed David my home-page and then it was time for bed. Sleeping was not easy as my excitement was high.
Friday, June 12, 1998 - Day 1 - 87.45 miles - to Anacortes, WA.
Our journey started by boat, the 6:20 am ferry to Bainbridge Island, on a clear and cool day. We had worried a bit about this 87-mile day northwest to Anacortes knowing the distinct possibility of strong head winds and rain in Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands. We had a rendezvous that night with another Tom (Tom Smith) who was going to ride the first part, Fargo ND, of our tour with us. I was 50 miles into the days ride when I realized that the bike was to heavy to have an enjoyable tour, I was working to hard. So in Oak Harbor I found a place to ship stuff home.
"That hammer (plastic) has to go." "Also the extra shoes, extra warmer jacket and let's cut the towel in half." I had all my stuff spread all over the sidewalk outside of a Mailboxes store in Oak Harbor. Brutal decisions were made. Eighteen pounds were shed including both front panniers. I did not seriously miss anything that I sent home. On a tour in 1997 my bike was heaver and I had no problems, but we did ride only 50 to 60 miles per day and the hills were few. Also the pace of the group in 1997 was slower. After my "sidewalk sale" in Oak Harbor, we crossed the always exciting bridges at Deception Pass and rode the many ups and downs of Marine Drive to the Anaco Beach campground.
Tom Smith was there and waiting for us, three bikers ready to start the Adventure Cycling's Northern Tier cross-America trail. After setting up our tents we headed for dinner. This would be a normal routine, both David and I had enough experience to know that the tents must go up first. After dinner David went out to round off his milage to 100 miles. His goal-oriented personal competitiveness forces him to bring any near-century days up to the full 100 as he has done for many years and would do for many days on this tour. These were often solo efforts but I did join him once in awhile. It's time for bed and I went to sleep thinking 87 miles down only 4913 to go. By the way this was also a mistake as it was to overwhelming to think about 4913 miles left. After a few days I realized this and began just thinking about that days ride, from that time on all went well, mentally.
Saturday, June 13, 1998 - Day 2 - 90.89 miles - to Marblemount, WA.
We were on the Northern Tier Route and at about 20+ miles: "There has got to be a store or restaurant somewhere." Anxious to hit the road and hoping to catch or meet other bikers at every turn of the "official trail" we decided to roll off a few miles and then stop for breakfast. Just after crossing I-5 at 25 miles we found it and, in a slightly cranky way, David expressed a desire to limit future pre-breakfast milage to 10. I was used to riding 20 to 40 miles before breakfast but I usually had some small snack before I would start, but this plan was ok with me. We continued on to Sedro Wooly and Concrete where Tom S. decided that it was time for him to shed a few pounds of his load. He sent home about 5 pounds but was still on the heavy side. Tom S. had lots of stuff including fishing and cooking gear. For him, this was to be a camping trip with a little biking. For David and myself, biking was the main idea and camping the financial enabler.
This first day was to be our only warm-up before serious climbing in the northern Cascades. We had tail winds and climbed gradually from sea level to above 600 feet to Marblemount, our camp site for the day. As we rode we talked biking and biking styles. Evident that first day were our different riding styles. David was used to cruising at 100 rpm in a 54-inch gear (46-23), corresponding to 15 or 16 mph on the flat. I had a serious accident 4 years earlier that involved a hip reconstruction on my left side. I had no real push with that leg and relied on a very fast cadence. Even modest hills and head winds slowed me to 11 to 13 mph. David had to gear down to stay with me or drift ahead and periodically wait for me. It was obvious that David was faster than I was and I had another lesson to learn, I could not stay with him as I had tried to do yesterday. There was no doubt in my mind that I would not make the mileage for any given day, even through I would be slower than David. Once I learned this lesson, I was happy with myself. Tom S. was even slower, specially on the climbs. His still heavy load, high gears and low cadence, pedal-and-rest style, and lack of sufficient training miles were discussed with him, by David, but Tom S. dismissed them as unimportant and instead blamed heredity (lack of fast-twitch muscles.) This first day would be the only day that Tom S. would arrive at our destination with us.
Clark's CG in Marblemount: "We have a problem." David and I returned back from the shower building to a geyser next to our tents. Apparently Tom S. had bumped against a plastic RV hook-up water pipe while hanging up clothes to dry and it broke off. We all stood around while youths working for the owner tried to stem the flow or find the shut off valve. David was thinking "we're toast." At the least we'll have to move our tents. At the worst, they will throw us out. I had negotiated a good price for camping with our three small tents on one campsite and the women in charge wasn't sure the absent owner would approve of the deal. After 90 minutes they managed to get the geyser stopped and let us stay. To smooth the problem, we were specially nice to the prolific campground rabbits and complimented the meals we had in their restaurant. Hopefully, they are still allowing bicyclists to stay at their RV park. I would end up as the chief negotiator for our nights lodging from now on.
Sunday, June 14, 1998 - Day 3 - 82.85 miles - to Mazama, WA.
"Lets leave him a sandwich." David and I were on a break near the twin summits of Rainy Pass (4,855 ft) and Washington Pass (5,477 ft) on US 20. Knowing we would encounter no stores or restaurants for many hours, we carried a jar of peanut butter and a loaf of bread. Tom S. was a hour or two behind us, so we rubber banded a sandwich to a roadside reflector post in a bag with his name on it and hoped he would notice it. We also saw a new-looking Bike Friday water bottle on a guardrail post next to the road. After some discussion it was decided that David, who had only one water bottle, would take it. Also, by then we had heard of the "three guys and a girl" somewhere ahead of us and thought the bottle could belong to one of them.
The climbs were warm but the fast descents cold and windy. Gusty winds around every bend made David's bike shudder and he said that speeds over 35 felt unsafe. My bike seemed less affected as I hit 37.2 mph. Our destination was Mazama which had a nice outdoor supply store and grocery. "Real food" was only to be found at the Mazama Inn where we feasted on huge platters of ribs and wondered how long it would be until Tom S. pulled in. After dinner, we biked 5 miles more to Rocking Horse Campground where I talked them into letting us "camp" in their old office building as it looked like it was going to rain, it did not.. The day's distance of 83 miles was a long way from 100, but David rode back towards Tom S. and found him as he was pulling into Mazama about 2 hours behind us. He thank David for the sandwich. David went on to get his century.
Monday, June 15, 1998 - Day 4 - 66.65 miles - to Riverside, WA.
We ate breakfast in the wild looking town of Winthrop and enjoyed the warm-up ride to Twisp in preparation for the 2,500-ft climb to Loup Loup Pass (4,020 ft.) David established a record speed for this tour of 46.5 mph on the fast and fun descent to Okanogan, I hit 44 mph. We waited for Tom S. for over an hour and then decided to press on to Riverside under worsening skies. As a light rain started, David wanted to wait and see what develops. We found a small cafe (Molly's) and had a snack while waiting for Tom. C. When a tired Tom S. arrived the debating continued as to whether or not to go on. With the uncertainty of the rain, it looked really bad up in front of us, by consensus we called it a day. The campground was OK but dinner was very sparse in this small town's bar as Molly's had closed. David was concerned about losing ground so early in the trip as we had planned on reaching Tonasket this day.
Tuesday, June 16, 1998 - Day 5 - 76.97 miles - to Curlew, WA.
This morning we had the same NW head wind but at least no rain threat. In Tonasket at breakfast, conversations throughout the restaurant was on the closed roads to and around Republic and over Sherman Pass. Heavy rains and widespread washouts were closing mountain roads, some for the summer. Tom S. appeared to get the definitive advice. It involved riding US 20 to Waucunda where we could pick up a side road detour north to Curlew which reportedly had a campground. Then instead of Sherman Pass, we could do easier Boulder Pass and then come back south along the Kettle and Columbia Rivers. So, that is what David and I did. Near Waucunda, we caught up with Dick and Marilyn, a tandem couple from Sacramento, CA pulling a BOB trailer. They were frustrated that the tire on their BOB trailer had worn out so quickly. This was a known problem on BOB trailers made about 1 years ago and well documented on the Internet. Never the less they were moving very slowly and trying to keep the tire together. We all had lunch together, without Tom S. who was some place behind.
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After lunch at Waucunda David and I enjoyed a beautiful run down through the forest and along the Kettle River to Curlew. We found the campground, set up tents, and then David went out to add to his 77 miles. Within ½ miles of the CG he came upon Dick and Marilyn heading out of town after a local cop cruising in his car said there was no CG in town. David directed them to the CG and continued south towards Republic to see how far he could get. He had gone not far when he came upon Tom C. who apparently didn't come the way we had and the way he himself determined was the best in the Tonasket restaurant conversations. Apparently, at Waucunda, he saw the slight rise of the road (100 yards prior to the 30 mile descent) we had taken and decided it looked too hard. He sure missed one heck of a downhill with very light traffic.
In Curlew, we had a late afternoon build up of clouds and scattered showers like the previous day. This pattern would continue throughout the West, most days, and as far as eastern North Dakota. Our plan was to duck under cover and wait it out, a strategy that worked great for us. We felt lucky to have escaped Puget Sound dry but were surprised to see regular rain in the eastern Washington semi-desert and also in the long prairie lands of Montana and North Dakota.
Also in Curlew David had his only spill. He fell on a sandy patch in an unpaved driveway doing about 2 mph. It was an easy flop to the side with no damage to the bike or himself other than some superficial bleeding and imbedded particles. I had my only spill on the bridge at the north end of Bainbridge Island on day one. My front panniers hit the curb and I also did an easy side flop. I was not hurt at all since at that time I still had both front and rear panniers which took the fall for me.
Wednesday, June 17, 1998 - Day 6 - 93.64 miles - to Ione, WA.
Leaving Curlew, we dropped Tom C. on the Boulder Pass climb and rode down along side the rivers to rejoin the "official route" on the eastern side of the closed stretch of Hwy 20. At a restaurant we parked our bikes and started to wait for Tom C. We began to discuss how long we may have to wait and decided we would roll on easy rather than stiffening up in the hour(s) of sitting around. It was on to Kettle Falls, where we had lunch, and Coleville, where we started to climb a grade that felt harder than the map profile suggested. Partway up, a quick and very heavy shower caught us and we waited it out under the porch cover of a trailer with nobody else around. We both had rain gear, our stuff packed in plastic, and fenders on the bikes. I also had rain covers for the panniers that worked very good. However, riding in the rain inevitably gets the bikes and their exposed drive trains wet, dirty and gritty so we tried to avoid this by seeking cover even if it was only under broad leaf trees.
We finally pulled into the proposed overnight, Beaver CG and resort on Little Pend Oreille Lake. David was ready to celebrate: we pulled this off and we didn't get wet. I did not mine riding in the rain as much as David did, after all I am from Oregon. But it is just no fun to ride in the stuff and if you don't have to, then why do it. Beside we met some very nice people while sitting out rain showers.
At the Beaver CG a note awaited us; "Tom S. is staying on in Kettle Falls. Will continue at a slower pace. He will then take the train home from Spokane. He wishes you good and thanks for everything." We are down to two far sooner than we expected. We didn't blame him as he wasn't likely enjoying the ride and especially the climbs. While David was cooling his jets, I said "lets go for the town of Ione." This would make up the half day we lost earlier and get us back on schedule. Problem was that the steep road down, 11 miles, was under repair, wet, and muddy from the previous rain which could again start. It wasn't the best of downhills, but we did it. On this down hill is when I fell in love with the Magura hydraulic brakes that came on my new Cannondale. Rather than setting up tents in the rain, which started as we approached the bottom of the hill, we made it our first motel overnight.
Summary
I gave this name to the first week, across the state of Washington, "the water flows west, then the water flows east." It was neat to see, as you started a climb, a larger river flowing west and getting smaller as you gain altitude. The higher you climb the smaller the river got until it was no more than a trickle coming out of the mountain. Then for around 1/4 mile there was no stream. Once you crossed the top the process started all over again, only in reverse. One week down and 509.88 miles behind us. During this first week I learned three lessons:
1) Travel as light as you can. The longer you plan to ride each day the lighter you should be.
2) Don't try and stay up with David, he is faster. He was not only faster but younger and lighter.
3) Don't think to far ahead. Just think about today and lot tomorrow take care of it's self.