Day 5 - Tiger, WA to Sandppoint, ID

The longest day so far - 97.5 miles and no support. I dropped the guys off, wished them well and headed to Spokane. A tire with a bubble needed to be replaced and the nearest place was a BMW dealer in Spokane.  I am in the drivers seat again - meeting for lunch and hop skipping ahead.  One week already gone - looking forward to the days ahead :)   Our rest day in Sandpoint was spent doing luggage re-arranging, laundry and unwinding.  Great town!

Notes from Jerry:  All the mountain passes are done except for "Road to the Sun" in Glacier Nat'l Park.  Now it is just wind and rain to worry about.  A headwind was hitting us this leg and we had to take turns pulling into the wind - it really sucked as Tom said.  Luckily our route turned for the last 10 miles into Sandpoint ID and we had a tailwind or we would still be out there.  Our Motel was litterally a walk away from the best micro brew in town, Laughing Dog.  ONWARD to MONTANA!

Notes from Tom:  We've made 442 miles so far, including 5 mountain passes and one day of riding all day in a pouring rain.  My one word description of the North Cascades Highway, and this area in general, is WATER.  Not just the rain, but all of the hundreds of little streams and waterfalls, and the big rivers.  The Skagit, the Columbia, and Pend Oreille rivers are huge.  Sunday we will put Washington and Idaho in the rear view mirror and head to Montana, where we will spend more time than any other state.



Day 4 - Republic to Tiger (almost)

Starting at the town of Republic at 8:30 am, cool morning.  Sunny skies and warm weather were the norm for the day. The day started with a 17 mile climb up Sherman Pass. At 5,575 feet, it is the highest paved year-round pass in Washington. The 25 mile descent to the Columbia River was a great ride hitting speeds over 35 mph. A cooler lunch then around the town of Kettle Falls, through Colville and up the valley toward Tiger. Total miles today - 80.5.





Wildlife update

Ok - one more blog. It was agreed that, periodically, we will update you with a note about the wildlife along our route. We won't always have pix so you will have to refer to your favorite National Geographic for photos. So far, we have spotted a bear, coyote, marmot. We have seen several deer- including the one Jerry saw meandering down Main Street in Winthrop. Today, the guys had a great view of Bullwinkle.

Micro-Brew update

Found a great IPA - Total Damnation from Ninkasi Brewery, Eugene,Oregon. Enjoying a tall one while planning the next days route.

Micro brew update

We found a great restaurant in Omak - the Breadline Cafe. What a find - food was really good. If you are in Omak give them a try. For brews tonight, the guys tried 2 different ones. 1st try was Trout Slayer Pale Ale - Big Sky Brewery, Missoula. 2nd pour was Boundary Bay IPA - Bellingham, Wa. The Boundary Bay was #1 choice. Enjoy your evening - lights out for us. Long day high roads tomorrow

Day 3 - Loup Loup Pass to Republic (town)

What a day. From rain and cold yesterday - today was a blue bird day. The ride started about 7:45 at the top of Loup Loup. Fewer layers and a great descent to the town of Omak for breakfast. Rolling hills, orchards, cattle ranches. Cooler lunch (that's lunch served from a cooler) on the way to Wauconda Pass summit - 4,310 elev. Down hill to the mining town of Republic.
The mining shots are for our friend,
Robin.
Note: cold beer awaits the riders at the end of the day - don't you wish you were on this ride :)
Off to dinner - a micro brew update later

Micro-Brew update

Wouldn't be an official gathering without a brew. Samplings have included Sockeye (Boise) and an Iron Horse Pale Ale (Twisp). Updates will follow!

Day 2 Rainy Pass to Loup Loup Pass

Whew. What a day. Rain, cold (37), snow along the route. Today was a leap frog day. Dropped the guys off on the way up Rainy Pass wearing every bit of cold weather gear they brought. Rainy Pass - 4855 feet, then Washington Pass - 5477. Warm soup and sandwiches in Winthrop finishing with an ascent to the top of Loup Loup Pass - 4,050. Total riding miles today - 70.5.
A shout out to the "Bros"

Day 1 - Anacortes to Rainy Pass

Said farewell to the Pacific and headed east into the Cascades. 72 miles climbing - partly sunny and beautiful scenery. Along the Skagit River past 3 dams. Good day for the guys. I had a great hike in the North Cascade National park.

The prologue

The ride has begun. With back wheels in the Pacific and excitement in their eyes the ride begins. The first stage - the prologue - began today at 5:00 in the afternoon from Anacortes, Washington. A quick check of the bikes and then off.

On the road!

Leaving Summit County headed to Grand Junction for the night

Packing

Just how much stuff does a cyclist need for 8 weeks?