RC Trans Northern Tier Bicycle Tour

Northern Tier Day #57 July 16, 2019 Republic, WA to Okanogan, WA 76 Miles Ride Time 5:40 Tour Total 4457 Miles details at: https://cyclemeter.com/058ffe3224dd3702/Cycle-20190716-0717-14239 I slept like a rock at my Warm Showers hosts Rob and Patty’s house last night in Republic. Last night Patty cooked amazing pasta with homemade pesto, veggies, and salad. For dessert we had huckleberry compote with ice cream. My hosts were both pharmacists. Rob runs the Republic Drug Store and Patty works at the hospital. I enjoyed our conversation last night on their back deck that overlooked breathtaking vistas. Today was Rob‘s birthday, and Patty baked him a huckleberry pie. My friend Brian, from last year’s Trans Am crossing, stayed with Patty and Rob, and enjoyed seeing a photo of us together. Rob gave me a small container of frozen huckleberries for the road. All of my laundry was washed and dried. My tent had been hung out to dry. I was showered and shaved, and my devices were

Northern Tier Day #58 July 17, 2019 Okanogan, WA to Early Winters Campground , WA 64 Miles Ride Time 5:58 Tour Total 4519 Miles details at: https://cyclemeter.com/058ffe3224dd3702/Cycle-20190717-0726-56340 I’ve slept in a bed two nights in a row, and shaved two consecutive mornings. Level 1 all the way! I slept so well on Warm Showers host Leone’s daybed in her craft room. Linda and Henry slept in the loft up above me. Tim and Jeff were in the other room. It was warm when we all went to bed, but we left the windows open and a fan running. It got cool in the middle of the night, and I had to crawl into my silk liner. It was a perfect sleeping temperature, and I slept great. My swimsuit was dry in the morning, and I had clean laundry and fully charged devices. Last evening in the way to the river float, I grabbed some sage brush, crumpled it, and ran it through my fingers. It was incredibly pungent. We packed up took a group photo with Leone. Then we set off back towards Okanog

Northern Tier Day #59 July 18, 2019 Early Winters Campground, WA to Howard Miller Stealhead Park, WA 85 Miles Ride Time 7:03 Tour Total 4603 Miles details at: https://cyclemeter.com/058ffe3224dd3702/Cycle-20190718-0750-51250 I had nightmare last night in my tent at Early Winters Campground that I had snuck into the kitchen at Hunter College to bake a huckleberry pie and was facing disciplinary action that would cost me my job. One doesn’t need to be Sigmund Freud to interpret this; the stress of returning to daily life, sneaking into campgrounds, and my obsession with huckleberry pie. I woke up at 6:30am and Team Spokane was already packed. My tent was dry when I rolled it up. Linda made me coffee, and I ate my leftover pizza slice and a banana. All of our food had made it through the night in our neighbor’s plastic tool box. Tim and I discussed bike touring tools. The air was a little chilly, and I was wearing my sweater. The climb up Washington Pass began right away. Ther

Northern Tier Day #60 July 19, 2019 Howard Miller Stealhead Park, WA to Anacortes, WA 62 Miles Ride Time 5:02 Tour Total 4667 Miles details at: https://cyclemeter.com/058ffe3224dd3702/Cycle-20190719-0733-15102 I slept well last night, alongside the Skagit River at the Howard Miller Stealhead Park Campground. At some point it started raining, and I knew my laundry outside on the line was getting drenched. I woke up before 6am, and it was miserable out. I stuck my head outside my tent. Team Spokane were still in their tents, so I stayed warm and dry and spent some time working on backlogged reports. Last night I had showered and done my laundry while I bathed. The shower cost 25¢ a minute and I inserted 8 quarters into the mechanism. I only needed 6 to get the job accomplished and return to level 1. After hanging my laundry, my plan was to ride over to the bar to work on my overdue reports. Unfortunately the bar closed at 9pm and it was 9:15. I retreated to the campsite which