I would have posted Friday night near Wauconda. The spirit was willing but the wifi was weak (read nearly nonexistent). Day 5 riding through the Okanogan provided a real change of scenery. I'd left Douglas Fir behind and entered into an area of sage brush, fruit trees,and much barer mountainsides.
The day included quite a bit of climbing, from a low point near Tonasket (just under 1000 ft) to the highest point about three miles short of Wauconda (just over 3500 ft). Distance-wise it was a short day--only 37 miles. I hit 10% of my expected total about 21 miles into today's ride. Dee met me at Bonaparte Lake Road, and we drove north about six miles to Bonaparte Lake, which sits right below the 7257 foot Mount Bonaparte. I couldn't find any reference to why the mountain, and everything else around is named Bonaparte. Is it for the little general? I don't know. At any rate, it's a beautiful spot.
The campground here was a bit primitive, though sufficient. The restaurant, on the other hand, was a huge surprise. The Friday night special was prime rib, smoked in an outdoor smoker, and included all the "fixins." I couldn't resist. Oh, and I added on 4 grilled prawns.
Everything was delicious, among the best prime rib I've ever had. Dee had grilled prawns, with similar sides. You would think that plate of food would have satisfied me, but then I heard the waitress say "coconut cream pie." It's one of my favorites, and Dee can't stand the texture of coconut (that's not why I order it, by the way). So….
I figured I'd have more than 60 miles to ride it off the next day. What the heck?
Another great night's sleep--amazing what all that pedaling and fresh air will do for one's sleeping habits--and I was ready to roll. I was tempted to ride back to the point I ended on Friday afternoon since it was mostly down hill. But then my Baptist boyhood memory kicked in, reminding me of the oft-sung hymn "Yield not to temptation." What could I do? I hopped in the Rialta and we cruised back to the Day 6 start point.
The only trouble with ending a ride 6 miles or so short of a summit is that the day begins with a climb. In about three miles I came to Wauconda.
It's difficult to see in this photo, but yes, you're seeing the entire town of Wauconda--a gas station and a cafe.
Three miles farther up the road came another of my favorite sights.
The sign says "Wauconda Pass Elev. 4310. I'd love to be able to say that it was all down hill from there. The next 14 miles was mostly a fast downhill ride, but then came the long slog up to Sherman Pass. About a mile and a half below the summit I stopped to chat with another biker. I missed her name, and forgot to take a photo--perhaps the altitude was getting to me. She was an experienced touring cyclist who had done the TransAmerica route, the Key West to Maine route, and had toured extensively in Europe. Her bike was loaded with both front and back panniers that seemed to be stuffed to the top. She told me she was riding with a guy on a recumbent who had gone ahead towards the summit where he would wait for her. Just a short distance below the summit I encountered Lou.
This was his first long tour. He lives along Hood Canal and had gone to La Push to begin his ride to Maine. He'd listed in Adventure Cycle's magazine that he was looking for a riding companion, and the woman I talked to had responded. He said his recumbent was slow going up steep grades, but that he had no shoulder, hand, or seat problems. He loves it.
A short distance later came this sight...
Waiting at the summit was my second favorite sight--the Rialta. The first, of course, is and has been for nearly 50 years, Dee. And of course, both were there. We had lunch, then I began the 25-mile ride to Kettle Falls. It was mostly a speedy 4000 foot descent. But there always seems to be a climb waiting, and so there was. The last few miles into Kettle Falls had me ready for a rest, and Day 7 will be.
Two absolutely hilarious take-outs from this entry: first, "The Spirit Was Willing But the Wi-Fi Was Weak"...hahahaha! That really does need to be memorialized, be it via book title or t-shirt logo.
Second, the "temptation" to ride down to the point you'd left off the previous day ~ and the subsequent reminder (Thanks Be to God!) yielding to such temptation is, after all, taboo. Quite the Garrison Keillor revelation there, albeit in Baptist form. ;-)
Posted by: Colleen Wolfisberg | 06/22/2015 at 08:51 PM