Day 11: To Panhandle campground south of Ione, WA

Sat, Jun 3, 2017
Stats:  Today - 54 miles; 505 miles to date
  Elevation climbed: 1729 ft; 20,615 feet to date
  Temp. Low: 50 High: mid 60's
  No wind, cloudy,

Bacon Bike Hostel to Panhandle Campground

Today's ride was once again on hwy 20, however this section of hwy 20 was quiet and scenic.  We felt we were riding through northern Minnesota with the tall pine trees and rich, green forests.

About ten miles into our ride we saw a couple of familiar faces, Mike and Jerry. Last night while staying at the bike hostel Barry and Shelley (bike hostel owners) invited us to dinner in their home.  We were part of a group of thirteen people for dinner.  Before we sat down for dinner, we met and visited with Mike and Jerry.  Mike told us about his experience in Vietnam during the war.  Today while riding Mike and Jerry drove past us, recognized us, pulled over to the side of the road and we chatted a bit more.  They told us they were going to Beaver Lodge for breakfast and that it was about seven miles up the road.  That was good news to us because we didn' t think there was any place to eat for another 25 miles.  We were just planning to eat our Clif Bars as needed until we found food.  About forty-five minutes later we arrived.  Another man, Bryce, whom we also met the night before, was with them and this time they started asking us questions. It was fun to visit with them and they must have thought so also, because Mike left a $20 bill with the cashier to help pay for our meal.  Once again, we have enjoyed the kindness of strangers.   God is good!!!

Back to the ride.  While the first thirty-five miles was on quiet, northern Minnesota-like hwy 20, the last 20 miles was on LeClerc Road, another quiet country road along the Pend Oreille River. Before we turned onto LeClerc road we stopped in the small town of Ione for groceries for supper and breakfast, then headed down LeClerc Road to our destination. Tonight it was a US Forest Service campground on the river, Panhandle Campground.

Crystal Falls along Hwy 20

Packing groceries in our panniers.

Jerry, Mary and Mike

Beaver Lake Lodge, where we had lunch.

Panhandle Campground

View from campsite

Day 10: Rest day at bike hostel

Fri, Jun 2, 2017
Stats:  Today - 0 miles; 451 miles to date
  Elevation climbed: 0 ft; 18,886 feet to date
  Temp. Low: low 50's High: low 70's
  Mostly sunny

Today is a rest day and unlike our first rest day, today we are resting.  We also have had the benefit of having this place all to ourselves.  It's been very quiet and peaceful.  This evening the hosts, Barry and Shelley, invited us to dinner in their home.

The bike hostel

From the deck of the bike hostel

View from hosts living room.

Barry and Shelley Bacon

Day 9: To Colville, WA

Thur, Jun 1, 2017
Stats:  Today - 55 miles; 451 miles to date
  Elevation climbed: 4455 ft;  18,886 feet to date
  Temp. Low: 50 High: about 65
  No wind, cloudy, about 20 minutes of light rain

We left the campground at the Ferry County Fairgrounds at about 8:45.  We started climbing immediately.  Again it was steep at first, maybe five to six percent, then not so bad.  While we were still on Hwy 20, we didn't have much of a shoulder the whole way up.  This time we were biking to Sherman Pass. While it was only fifteen miles to the pass, only about two miles of it was level or downhill so we still had about thirteen miles of actual climbing. It's interesting that even in the "granny gears" on a mountainside you can still develop a rhythm.  And so, six hours later we made it to the pass.  And another opportunity to scream down a mountain, topping out at about 37 miles an hour.

At the bottom, we still had fourteen miles to our destination.  That would not have been such a problem, but about one third of it was steep climbing again that we didn't realize we had.

On the way, we stopped at Walmart in Colville to buy groceries to get us through Friday's meals and Saturday's breakfast since we planned to take a day off on Friday.  Then we went to eat supper and headed to our warm showers host for the next two nights.

This time our hosts, Barry and Shelley Bacon, have a building on their property (out in the country) that they have made into a bicycle hostel.  It is a four bedroom hostel with kitchen, living room and laundry facilities.

Approaching Sherman Pass from the west.

Still signs of the 1988 forest fire.

Arriving at the bike hostel.

Day 8: To Republic, WA

Wed, May 31, 2017
Stats:  Today - 50 miles; 395 miles to date
  Elevation climbed: 3622 ft;  14,431 feet to date
  Temp. Low: lower 60's, High: mid 70's
  No wind, light cloud cover

This morning we had to pack up a wet tent as this was the first night we had rain while sleeping in the tent.  After saying good bye to our hosts, we were off to Shannon's Restaurant for breakfast with our new friends Nick and Spencer.  Back on day two we mentioned we met them under a bridge outside of Anacortes.  Since then we've seen them a few times as they are traveling the same (Northern Tier) route we are.  They are also writing a blog, aslightdetour.wordpress.com. 

After breakfast, we went to a grocery store to buy food to help get us through the climb over Wacounda Pass.

From the grocery store we were soon out of town heading for the climb.  About a mile and a half out of town we saw a sign that said "Canadian border 22 miles" and realised we took the wrong highway.  After backtracking we found Hwy 20 and started climbing immediately.  

The first four and a half miles were steep, then it got much better.  The grade varied.  Similar to our climb up to Rainy and Washington Passes, much of it was around two percent, much of it around four percent and some stretches around six percent.  Also similar to Washington Pass, we rode twenty-seven miles to the pass and about half of it was level or downhill.  So, we estimated we actually were climbing about thirteen to fourteen miles on each mountain.

After another break at the top and pictures, we zoomed down the eastern side to the town of Republic, ate supper at a restaurant, went to a grocery store to by food to get us through the next day's climb up to Sherman Pass, and headed to our campsite three miles east of town at the Ferry County Fairgrounds.  There have been no food stops along the way on the mountains, so if we are climbing for six to nine hours we have to bring enough food and water to get us through.

Camping in Ben and Megan's yard.

View from the back yard.

Breakfast with Nick and Spencer

Up to Wauconda Pass

At Wauconda Pass

Looking toward Republic, WA.

Day 7: To Tonasket, WA

Tues., May 30, 2017
Stats:  Today - 65 miles; 345 miles to date
  Elevation climbed: 1362 ft;  10,809 feet to date
  Temp. Low: low 60's, High: mid 90's
  slight tailwind, sunny

We came north on Hwy 97 to get back on route.

Thank you everyone whose been writing comments to us.  They've been very encouraging.

Going through the plains of the Methow valley, yesterday, the terrain started to change.  Instead of the lush greenery in the Cascades, the forests are much more open and sparse.  Today we were riding through a drier terrain.  This part of the state does not get much precipatation.  What we've learned through our riding and through people's comments is that Washington has a great diversity of ecosystems.

As we looped around the south side of of Loup Loup Pass and surrounding mountains, we entered the Okanogan Valley and rode through the Colville Indian Reservation toward Tonasket.  Even though the temperature was into the 90's again, it did not seem so bad as it was a dry heat.  As usual though, we lathered on the sunscreen and now the Blistex.  Today's ride was similar to yesterday in that the minimal amount of climbing made for a less stressful ride.  We even arrived at our destination at a good hour -- 4:15.

Our destination in Tonasket today was a Warm Showers host.  Warmshowers.org is a website where touring bicyclists can find people that are interested in hosting them.  A host may offer their backyard to set up a tent or a bed in the house.  They may cook a meal for you or just let you use their kitchen.

Our hosts in Tonasket were Ben and Megan.  We set up our tent in their back yard.  Besides the warm shower, Ben grilled salmon and trout that he had caught in the Columbia River and we enjoyed the evening getting to know them.  Most people that host touring cyclists have done their own touring; in this case only Megan had toured by bike.

Our motel room in Pateros

Lake Pateros on the Columbia River.

View from our motel room.

We rode along the Columbia River.

The confluence of the Okanogan River into the Columbia River.

The river helps to irrigate the apple orchards.

Ben and Megan

and Sandy

Day 6: To Pateros, WA

Mon. , May 29, 2017, Memorial Day
Stats:  Today - 64 miles;  280 miles to date
  Elevation climbed:  712 ft.; 9447 feet to date
  Temp. Low: upper 40's, High: mid 90's
  No tailwind, sunny

Through Winthrop, Twisp and 

south on Hwy 153 (off route)

After a full day of riding, we stopped in Mazama for supper and decided to stay in a motel to get a good night's sleep.

On Monday, we were wondering if we would be up to the task of riding and we were.  It helped knowing that our ride was mostly downhill.  And so we headed off through the Methow Valley.

The original plan was to ride over Loup Loup Pass, but a section of road was washed out near the top, the road was closed, and we had to take a detour around the mountain and more downhill on Hwy 153. We knew we would have to take this detour before we had started our trip.

We were hoping for a shorter ride today, but lodging was far and few between and the temperature was in the 90's.  By the time we got to Pateros it was late (still before sunset) and we decided to stay in a motel again.

Overall, it was a good day.

Mazama Country Inn and Restaurant

Methow Valley