6/22-A Pass and a Tow

As promised, before I left Judy and Jerry, we got a photo (you can see some of the beautiful flowers). Hugs all around, and then I hit the road. 

I didn’t get too far before I noticed Chris’ (the Welsh guy I camped with in Kittitas) bike at the Sinclair station. I knew he was in Mullan last night too (just missed him at the Outlaw). I pulled in to say hi. Had a nice conversation with Linda the clerk too. Chris asked if I wanted to ride together. That was fine, but when he decided to have another cup of coffee, I told him I was going to roll on. 

There was a long climb ahead to Lookout Pass. It turned to dirt after crossing g over I-90. Then it really started to climb.  This was Willow Creek Rd, which would take me to the Nor Pac Trail.

Yep, I was walking!

The steep road popped out to a nice gravel road. But, that wasn’t the Nor Pac Trail. However, the Nor Pac leveled out considerably, and it became a nice climb. 

I-90 waaaay down there!

I came to this chair lift. Ahhh, I must be getting close to the top. 

Lift and ski runs

The “trail” widened out to what I’m guessing is a parking lot?

So wide!

I-90 not so far down now

I came around a corner, and could see the Lookout Pass Ski area. 

I rode by, and onto pavement. Then my Garmin said I was at the Montana State Line (and a new time zone).

Welcome to Montana, state #3!

Then I made a critical error. Instead of continuing on the Nor Pac Trail, I started down the paved road. I think I went about a mile when I realized the trail was above me, and there was no way to get to it on my current trajectory. Well crap! Now I had to go back up. About then, an SUV came down the road. I stopped them and asked if I could get to the Nor Pac Trail from this road. They had no idea, and were going to ask me the same thing! I told them it looked like the road dead ended. When I said I now had to ride back up, they asked if I wanted a ride. But, they already had two bikes in the back, so Wanda wouldn’t fit. They offered to tow me. I said we could try. I hung on to the door handle with one hand, and they drove really slowly. Once I kind of hunkered down, it went pretty good. At one point I was losing my grip on the door handle, so I asked them to stop so I could get a better grip. When they started up again, I lost control and had to let go. Then we tried having them start, and as they went by, I grabbed the door handle. We were back in the towing business. Of course, the whole time, they are talking to me and I’m talking to them. The driver was a airplane pilot. We made it back to the top, and I thanked them profusely!

I went back toward the ski place, and made the correct turn onto the trail. In the photo above, the trail is behind the sign!

This is where I was supposed to be. 

Now it was time for some downhill! Today, I had several deer sightings. This one was on the downhill. 

I see you!

I came all the way down to level with I-90. Then I was on the road to the Hiawatha Trail. I wasn’t going to be doing it, but I had to get up to the East Portal…a 2.3 mile climb. Tons of vehicles with bikes drive by me. At least the road wasn’t too dusty. 

At the east portal, I rode to the end of the parking area (it was full) to get to the Trail of the Olympians. 

Now it was another extended downhill. The trail was very good. I even went through a tunnel!

The pink paint was from a 50 mile running race. 

Over the Old Dominion Trestle

And the Saltese Trestle

I came to the road to go into Haugen. I was 35 miles in, and I had been out for 8 hours. I wanted to go to St. Regis, but as seems to be the case this trip, my butt said it would rather stop at Haugen. Turns out the RV Park here is free. I think it’s because all there really is to Haugen is the 50,000 $ Casino, Hotel, Bar, cafe, and oh, a gas station. I suppose they are hoping people will come in and gamble. 

The sites are clearly more for RVs, and there are quite a few here. I managed to find a bit of a spot for my wee little tent, and Wanda. I went over to the restroom in the casino and cleaned up, including washing my bike shorts. I also filled up on water. I walked back to my “campsite”, dropped off everything, and went back to the cafe for some food (the avocado I’ve been carrying is still not ripe). I had a pretty good pulled pork sammie and a soft serve ice cream cone. I’m still struggling to eat during the day’s ride (dry mouth), so I was pretty hungry. 

No frills camping tonight!

The view from my campsite.

There are also a lot of semis parked in the parking lot. I think they are far enough away that if they run their motors, I won’t hear it so much. Of course, I-90 is also in sight, so there’s that…

Overall, it was a good day of almost entirely gravel/dirt roads. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that it was just 35 miles. That’s what we usually aim for when we are bikepacking off-road. 

6/22-The Best Day!

Last night no one ever showed up to the RV Park for me to pay. Interestingly, this morning when I went over to use the restroom it was locked (it had a keypad, but yesterday it was open). There was a guy watering the grass. I said, “ Could you remind me of the code?” He told me what he thought it was, but he wasn’t sure. It didn’t work. He tried too. Then he said he knew for sure what the men’s restroom was, so he let me in there. Whew!

I finished packing, and hit the road…well…the trail. I had about 6 miles to Wallace. I got there too early for anything to be open, not that I needed anything. I did take a couple of photos.

The trail goes under I-90

Big ol house

Look, I’m at the center of the universe!

From Wallace to Mullan was another 6 miles. When I got to the Mullan trailhead, 

I could look up and see Jerry and Judy’s house (Jerry had shown me a photo of it yesterday). Just like Judy said, the bridge was being replaced, so I went down another block, then up and around to their house. 

Such a beautiful front yard!

Just after I arrived, Jerry came out. I said hi, and he showed me inside. They are doing a major renovation of their house. It’s going to be amazing! They are doing all the work themselves (I’m jealous of that ability). Jerry had to make a trip to Couer d Alene. Judy and I sat on the porch and chatted the whole time! It was great! You see, this is what I love! Particularly, as I am doing this trip essentially solo. It’s nice to have more than just a few minutes conversation with people I meet. Judy grew up in Portland (I grew up just across the river in Vancouver)! 

Jerry got back, and we visited some more. For a brief time the power was out, but it came back on, and I did my laundry. I asked if I could take them to dinner, and we went to the Outlaw for burgers. 

I’m sleeping in the kitchen on the floor (remember…renovating) on a nice cushy mattress! This has been the best day of the trip so far! I’ve told Judy she has to send me photos as the house renovation continues, and she will be reading my blog! We haven’t done photos yet, but we will in the morning. Oh, and I’ll try to remember to get a photo of the back garden. It’s beautiful!

6/21-A Moose on the Loose on the Solstice

I left my campsite at Chetcolet early in the hopes that I might see a moose along the trail. 

The big bridge over the lake

It does a stair stepping up and down the other side. 

In the 8 miles to Harrison, not a single moose. When I reached Harrison, there were all the guys. Paul, John, Gary, and about 5 other guys. The first thing Gary said to me was that he was quitting. He was having problems with the dreaded saddle sores. He may rejoin the guys in Pittsburgh for the GAP and C&O. I feel bad for him. That’s no fun, and there’s just not much one can do except keep one’s butt off a bike saddle. I told the guys I was looking for second breakfast. The bike shop in Harrison is also a cafe. I went there, and everyone joined, even Vivian and Ken. 

All the bikes!

Paul, Gary, John, me, Vivian, and Ken (the guy in the way back introduced himself, but I can’t remember his name—he was riding from Portland to Spokane and taking the train home)

Back on the trail, Vivian and Ken passed me on their e-bikes. They were going to Wallace. I had thought about staying in the Inn in Wallace, as it was supposedly under $100, but really didn’t want another hotel stay just yet. Turns out the price was way more than $100. Also, there is some motorcycle rally thing going on, so there probably wasn’t any room anyway.

Bye Vivian and Ken!

I was cruising along. When I was coming along a marshy area, I looked to my right, and there it was!!! Bullwinkle!!! John came up behind me and stopped to see what I was looking at. 

Yay, I saw a moose!!! It started moving, so we took that as our cue to get going. 

John and I rode together for several miles. I asked him how he came to be doing the GAWR, since he’s from Iowa. Also, how did the guys all get together, considering Gary is from South Carolina, and Paul is from Australia. They met on a Eurovelo route. A couple of other guys from the Eurovelo group suggested doing a Trans America trip. John put together a WhatsApp group. The other two guys bailed, but Paul and Gary said yes. 

The Roger’s Creek Water stop. They also had Rice Krispie treats! Jana and I stopped here when we were doing the Idaho Panhandle Ramble.

We stopped at one of the trailheads for a snack break. Paul rolled up shortly after. He took off, and so did John. I used the restroom. 

Not long after I started going again, I came to this little fella. 

It was sitting in the middle of the trail, a hazardous place to be for both it and any cyclists that might be looking around for moose! I shooed him off the trail with my foot. 

I played leapfrog with a few e-bikers. This being Sunday, there were a lot of bikes out on the trail. I’d say 85% were e-bikes. Also lots of recumbents.

Wanda’s namesake fish, the cutthroat

One of many bridges

Fly fishing on the Couer d Alene River

Crossing under I-90

Old zinc mine in Smelterville

As I was coming into Smelterville, I saw there was a Walmart. I was a little low on food (dinner stuff mostly), and I knew Walmart would have what I wanted. I pulled off and picked up a few things. 

The next town was Kellogg. 

I have no idea where these gondolas were going.

Is the jackass the mascot of Kellogg?

I wanted to go to the bike shop. I saw a couple on bikes and asked where the bike shop was. It was just a bit ahead, but it was closed. I got to talking to Judy and Jerry. They live in Mullan, and told me to stop by tomorrow if I needed anything. Because the next section is Lookout Pass, I asked if I could do a short day tomorrow to their house, and camp in their yard. That would set me up to go over Lookout Pass. They are remodeling their house. I said I could help them. Judy said, “Or you could rest!” I have their address, so I’ll go there tomorrow. 

A few more miles down the trail, and I pulled into Osborn. 

The Blue Anchor RV Park was my destination for today. When I got here, no one was in the office. There was a map of the park that showed where the tent sites are. I figured I’d just go set up, and when someone shows up, I’ll go see about paying. So far, no one has shown up. I took a shower. I’m going to do laundry in Wallace tomorrow as I pass through. There is laundry here, but I suspect it’s quarters, and there’s no one to get change.

It’s not the best campsite, but if it ends up being free, it’s not the worst campsite either! It’s sandwiched between I-90, and Mullan Rd. Might be a little noisy tonight.

6/20-I Was Paraded Around!

Steve and I left at the same time this morning, but he was quickly ahead of me. We were going different ways anyway. 

Morning on the road

Riding to Rosalia, I was so glad I didn’t try to do it last night! I would have been dead! Okay, not really, but it wouldn’t have been pleasant. 

Unfortunately, I got to Rosalia too early for anything to be open. Not a big deal as I really didn’t need anything. The climb on the route out of Rosalia was something!!! Very steep and kinda long. Amazingly, I managed it. 

That arch bridge is an old railway bridge. It’s possible that the P2CT goes on it (if you don’t go into Rosalia), but I’m not positive.

After a bit more pavement, the route turned into a gravel road that then connected up to the P2CT. Now I would be on it for my longest stretch since west of the Columbia River. 

Not the worst surface, but not the best. Fortunately, it was too cold and windy for sticks that aren’t sticks. 

See that sign? I came to dread them. 

Because it would go down steeply to a road crossing (the trestle is gone), then come back up just as steeply. 

The mileage markers to Chicago. 

This is the Seabury Trestle. The wind was really whipping, so I opted to walk across it. 

This was a very green section

Me thinks this is impassable when it rains.

I was within sight of the Tekoa Trestle when I met Cormac and Kayla. They are from Seattle. Super fun to talk to. They are both teachers, so once school was out, they hit the trail. I’m hoping they come down to ride in Cap Forest sometime. 

I crossed the Tekoa Trestle, and ended the Palouse to Cascades portion of the Great American Wheel Route. 

Cormac and Kayla told me there was a parade happening in Tekoa. I rode into town as the parade was getting underway. 

Quads riding up and over the moving vehicle

The Spokane Lilac Festival float and princesses

What’s a small town parade without a tractor brigade?

What the youth of Tekoa do for fun!

The Tekoa float

I was just watching the parade when one of the parade people came over and told me I could just jump right in. I said I wanted to watch, but she said the ambulance was the end, and the parade announcer wanted me to join the parade. Well, okay!

Me and Wanda in the parade!

When I got up to the announcer, he asked if I was doing the Great American Wheel Route. When I said I was, he announced that I was riding from Seattle to Washington DC. He asked my name, and a photographer for the Tekoa newspaper took my photo, and asked me my last name. Apparently, I’m going to be in the newspaper. It was pretty funny, and I even snagged some tootsie rolls that they were throwing out!

After the parade I went to a taco truck at what kind of looked like a Saturday Market type thing. I also got two giant cookies from an FFA bake sale.

It was time to get back on the road. I still had several miles to go. The route followed a road that was basically on the state line. It was a terrible road.

It was a roller coaster, which would have been fun, except it was very loose dirt.

See? Up, down, up, down.

I would try to find the part that was hard pack dried mud. It was too scary to try to build up speed to make it up the other side. Consequently, I had to walk some of them. It seemed to go on forever. It finally came out to a good ol’ gravel road. It was still rollercoastering, but I could gather speed on the downhills, and get at least partway up.

I had looked at the map, and saw a road named Meredith Rd. It looked like it would be shorter than the route, and come out further down the route. At first it was just continuous rollercoaster hills. Just like the other road. Oh, but then it went UP! I was kicking myself. Why didn’t I just stay on the route? At least it was a good downhill on the other side.

I rejoined the route just in time for the final climb of this first segment of the whole route. It was a doozy, and by now I was feeling it in my butt again. It was just a 2.3 mile climb, but it took me forever! I was basically stopping every tenth of a mile! It wasn’t that the climb was so steep, I just couldn’t sit on the saddle for any length of time!

Finally at the top!

At the bottom of the descent, I made the turn to go to the Trail of the Couer d Alenes trailhead, and the end of Segment 1.

I filled up on water (and put some more chamois cream on), loaded up the next segment (Cutthroat…it seems Wanda has her own segment), and started down the trail.

Mile 0

A nice shady trail for a change!

I guess Shakira (my e-bike) would not be allowed

It was about 6 miles of a 3% downgrade, and my butt was grateful! I arrived at the lake.

At the boat ramp, I turned to go up to Chetcolet campground. One final hill for the day! There are no showers here, but baby wipes work well enough. I’m reminded why I don’t really like Idaho campgrounds. They are crazy expensive, and they don’t have Hiker/Biker sites. I wish I could have gotten to Harrison, where they have $15 tent sites, but my butt said no more. 

Since I have finished the Columbia segment of GAWR, I’ve done somewhere in the neighborhood of 378 miles in 8 days. Today was 51 miles.