Northern Tier Day #59 Early Winters Campground , WA to Howard Miller Stealhead Park, WA

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. There was a blue sky with a few puffy clouds. State Highway 20 is also known as Bike Route 10. I was on the North Cascades Scenic Highway and entered the Okanagon National Forest. I figured it would be a 2-1/2 hour climb to the top.

The climb was bittersweet. On one hand it was great to get the pass out of the way. I knew, though, that the other side meant the end of the trip. The plan was to be in Anacortes tomorrow.

I passed stout old-growth pine trees with moss growing on the limbs. I witnessed huge dramatically steep mountain ranges jammed with straight standing dark green pine trees. The Methow Valley gave way to Early Winters Creek, and I crossed over Cedar Creek.

There’s nothing like a headwind with you’re trying to climb a mountain pass. I didn’t feel guilty drafting behind Linda because her GVW (gross vehicular weight) was 100 pounds less than mine. I had a 3 foot wide asphalt shoulder to the right of the white line. A guardrail was to my right, and the light was crystal clear. A day cyclist passed me coming down the pass. I don’t understand wearing a backpack on a bicycle. I crossed over Vardon Creek and took a photo of the waterfall.

Washington pass is 5,477’ in elevation, and the climb was similar to yesterday. After Washington Pass would be Rainy Pass and the intersection with the Pacific Coast Trail. There would be a few more bumps to the west, but nothing serious. I would then be heading downhill all the way to sea level.

I got a piece of gravel in my shoe that was driving me crazy, so I pulled over to remove it. There were pinecones the size of eggplants on the shoulder. We all stopped for a rest break at 3400’. I dug into my emergency stash of chocolate granola, and ate another banana. I then rounded a bend and saw before me a dramatic snow-covered mountain range. There were amazing 12,000‘ jagged peaks. A chipmunk ran across the road.

Jeff crossed to the other side to take a photo, and an oncoming motorist blasted his horn. Jeff was so far ahead of the car. That motorist seriously needs to mellow out. I saw a sign that urged motorists to ‘Report Rockslides to 911’. I had no cell phone service. I passed another warning sign that read ‘Rocks’. The views of the ridges to the left and ahead were stunning. The dewdrops on the grass tips to the side of the road glistened like twinkling diamonds.

Eight hundred feet below the pass, we stopped to take another food and rest break. It was cold because of the wind blowing over the snow. I passed a small snow field to the side of the road. The formidable Kangaroo Ridge was to my left, and I could see the highway switchback turn from a mile away. I was hoping for a tailwind on the last stretch as I turned 180° up to the pass. I got a little blast when I needed it most, but as I approached the top, it changed back into a headwind. I could see Jeff and Tim ahead, waiting at the Washington Pass sign. It was now 10:45am and there was more traffic on the road, including numerous trailers and RVs.

We did the documentation photo documentation ritual in front of the Washington Pass sign, and then decided to proceed to the viewing area, which was an even higher climb. From here was the best view of the Liberty Bell, the prominent rock formation that had captivated me during the ascent. A cyclist from the ACA supported tour caught up with us at the viewing area. He wasn’t carrying any gear and was way ahead of his group. He was from Spokane and, by coincidence, lived only a few blocks from Tim.

I donned my jacket for the descent. There was a freezing headwind, and I had to shift down into a lower gear to start my decent. After the short dip, there was another climb to 4,855’ Rainy Pass, the last pass on the Northern Tier route. I took a quick documentation photo. It was cold and drizzling, and I put on my leg-warmers and down vest for the descent. Seven old-fashioned cars passed me traveling down the mountain.

We had a quick stop after 5 miles to keep the group together, and ran into the ACA cyclist again. There was a slight drizzle, and then the sun finally came out at mile marker 149. I hadn't shower since Leone's place and was wearing the same clothing as yesterday. It wasn’t a level 1 day.

Granite Creek was rushing to my right, and I was headed downstream to the Pacific. A road sign announced ‘Severe Side Winds Ahead for the Next 27 Miles’. It was foggy, and the descent was thrilling. Ahead in the valley I spotted rain coming from the clouds. The pavement was wet, and there was moss to the side of the road. I was passed by seven more old-fashioned cars. It was a narrow valley with towering ridges to either side. The were roadside waterfalls and a clear blue creek to the right.

It would be brutal to begin the Northern Tier west to east. Washington Pass would occur on the second or third day with no services for 60 miles between Newhalem and Mazama. Another group of old-fashioned cars passed me. There was obviously a rally happening somewhere.

I was getting hot climbing over a several hundred foot bump, so I pulled over to remove my leg-warmers, jacket, and vest. It immediately started raining, so I had to stop again to put my jacket back on. There were 3 dams across the Skagit River to provide power to Seattle. I would be following the Skagit all the way to Anacortes.

I crossed several high bridges that spanned deep gorges cut into the side of ridge. Several were built over waterfalls. Down below I could see the unbelievable green hued Skagit River Reservoir. The brilliant color reminded me of the Caribbean Sea. I rode down a huge hill to be at river level and cross to the other side of the Skagit. There was rushing water everywhere. Waterfalls were to my left and right.

I stopped to photograph an amazing waterfall near the Gorge Dam, and two more cyclists from the ACA group caught up with me. An RV came within inches of hitting Henry. All of a sudden I had cell phone service again. I stopped at the Skagit General Store in Newhalem for a crappy hotdog and Gatorade. I finally tried one of milkshake making machines that I’d been seeing all summer. It wasn’t very satisfying. There was no population listed for Newhalem.

I followed two sets of high-voltage power lines down the Skagit River valley towards the coast, and had a headwind. There were steep dramatic snow covered ridges to either side of the valley. I noticed roadside evacuation signs, in case one of the dams broke. Firewood here sells for five dollars a bundle. Jeff, Henry, and I decided to crank the last stretch to Marblemount. I was excited about the pie, the beer, and prospects of a good meal. We had a great ride down the valley.

The Marblemount Diner lived up to its reputation. We sat out back, where we charged our devices and met fellow travelers. I had a fantastic dinner of salmon, string beans, wild rice, along with several bottles of Moose Drool Ale, and a slice of pickle pie, which was amazing!

There were a lot of outdoor activities available in this area, including river rafting. I passed shops selling homemade fudge, pies, and roadside fruit. We were tired and it was getting late. We took Highway 20 instead of the ACA prescribed back roads. The highway was fast and flat. There seemed to be two different campsite options in Rockport. My fingers were crossed that one of them would be available.

I stopped along the way to pick some amazing roadside blueberries. Rockport had a population of 109. We went to Howard Miller Stealhead Park that had a tent site down by the river.