Re: final statistics

I found the Dutch guy on Instagram (and he posted a photo of us). He made it to North Dakota!

Robert Hickman 

rob@hickmanindustries.com

hickmanindustries.com

On Jul 22, 2019, at 8:37 AM, Henry Lin <henryhlin@comcast.net> wrote:

Thanks, Tim.  I see this is on the blog.  Great for conversation at the party tonight!

Henry

On Jul 21, 2019, at 10:42 PM, Timothy Ice <spokice@gmail.com> wrote:

This evening I have cleaned up our calendar correcting some mileage and destination discrepancies.  I also had some fun with the Garmin stats.

• Totals miles covered Dulles to Anacortes—   3316
• Total elevation gained and lost—  96,582 feet
• Total hours in the saddle—  249
• Average speed—  13.3 MPH
• Average miles on a ride day—   74

• Days ridden—  45
• Rest days—  5
• Nights camping— 16
• Nights in hotels— 16
• Nights in friends and generous former stranger's homes—  18

• Most miles in a day—  113
• We had 5 days covering over 100 miles in North Dakota and Montana. Of those, 2 had average speeds over 15 MPH. 

• Most elevation gain in a day (Sherman Pass)—  5499 feet
• Total climbing over five passes in five days across Washington— 21,690 feet

• Total flat tires— 4   (one each)
• Other repairs needed: replaced one front wheel (road hazard), replaced one rear wheel (high gross vehicle weight cracked rim), two worn out rear tires, one set of rear brake pads worn out, three chains worn beyond specs and replaced, two spokes cut (road hazard), one broken rack mounting bolt.

Tim

Final statistics

Message from Tim:

This evening I have cleaned up our calendar correcting some mileage and destination discrepancies.  I also had some fun with the Garmin stats.

• Totals miles covered Dulles to Anacortes—   3316
• Total elevation gained and lost—  96,582 feet
• Total hours in the saddle—  249
• Average speed—  13.3 MPH
• Average miles on a ride day—   74

• Days ridden—  45
• Rest days—  5
• Nights camping— 16
• Nights in hotels— 16
• Nights in friends and generous former stranger's homes—  18

• Most miles in a day—  113
• We had 5 days covering over 100 miles in North Dakota and Montana. Of those, 2 had average speeds over 15 MPH. 

• Most elevation gain in a day (Sherman Pass)—  5499 feet
• Total climbing over five passes in five days across Washington— 21,690 feet

• Total flat tires— 4   (one each)
• Other repairs needed: replaced one front wheel (road hazard), replaced one rear wheel (high gross vehicle weight cracked rim), two worn out rear tires, one set of rear brake pads worn out, three chains worn beyond specs and replaced, two spokes cut (road hazard), one broken rack mounting bolt.

Day 51 July 20, 2019

Henry's notes for today:

Day 51: Epilogue.

Today was scheduled to be an easy day, a trot rather than a gallop. We still ended up riding 35 miles. It's relatively hard to reach the San Juan Islands from Spokane for biking, so we decided to take advantage of our proximity. We agreed again to not set an alarm, but all of us were awake by 6:30 am. Two deer were nibbling on the grass in our campsite, but they weren't spooked at all by me emerging from my tent. Odlin County Park is right on the water, with prime campsites. I saw hammocks and bivouacs, but those are not for me. We had hoped that our tents would dry out overnight, but they were even wetter with the morning dew. We made some instant coffee, packed up, left our bags at the campground office, and rode back to Lopez Village's Saturday farmers' market to seek out breakfast. We all descended on a local baker's sumptuous offerings, which were efficiently packed into a small vendor's booth. Afterwards, perusing the island map, we selected a course that would get us back to the village in time for lunch. The riding was leisurely along idyllic, pastoral fields. Traffic was minimal. Returning to the village, we became separated, and lunch was haphazardly cobbled together at the village grocery store. I finished my lunch and thought the plan was to meet at the local creamery for ice cream, so I went there on my own first. No one showed up, and there was no reliable cell service to communicate with the others. I realized that time was getting short to catch the 2:40 pm ferry back to Anacortes, so I sped back to retrieve my bags from the campground. The others had already collected their bags ahead of me and were on their way to the ferry. I arrived at the ferry terminal with only a few minutes to spare for boarding. The ferry ride was breathtaking, with clear blue skies at 72 degrees and a cool ocean breeze. Mt. Baker's snowy cap was glistening in the distance. As promised, Priscilla was there to reclaim us upon arrival in Anacortes. Rob disembarked from the ferry and rode on his own directly to a bike shop 4 miles away to have it packed and shipped back to Brooklyn. After we securely loaded all our bikes and gear in the Ice's van, we picked up Rob at the bar across the street from the bike shop, where he was already quaffing an amber ale, and went out for one final dinner together. Tim dropped us off to stay overnight with Priscilla's sister Jennifer Olson and her husband Dan at their home in Lake Forest Park. We said our final goodbyes to Rob, and Tim delivered him to his downtown Seattle hotel. We all marveled at Dan's immense American Flyer train collection, amassed over a lifetime - truly extraordinary.

Back to Anacortes

The road will take me to Spokane tomorrow, but undoubtedly, I will still feel like I should be riding on the shoulder . . .

None of us can believe, or want this to be over. This venture became a personal challenge we all undertook, not really knowing what to expect physically, mentally, spiritually. First and foremost, we couldn't be happier that we all completed this trip safely. No one got sick, and Linda overcame her vertiginous bout with BPPV. Our troubles and glitches were relatively minor, having traveled 13,000 collective road miles between the four of us. One flat tire each. One bent rim. One wheel rim blowout. One sheared pannier bolt and one broken pannier spring.

Many facets of this trip required careful and meticulous planning, but flexibility on the road was crucial. We usually did not know for certain when or where the next meal would be, or even how far we would be riding on some days. Similarly, the decision to camp or stay in a hotel was often a last minute decision. Road conditions or the weather were not always to our liking, but we adapted.

The certainties: We each had an unforgettable crossing. We made new friends and deepened existing friendships with shared experiences. We accrued healthy doses of Americana along our many stops. The people we met along the way were universally kind, generally curious about our route, and often astonished at what we were attempting. Linda's nickname for Jeff is Mr. Congeniality, because he would effortlessly strike up a conversation with any random bystander. Truth be told, Linda and Tim were the same. At the Anacortes beach where we celebrated our wheel dip, a total stranger gave Jeff a box of 6 drumstick ice cream treats to congratulate us after a couple minutes of conversation. That's Jeff. I love Jeff because with his Long Island accent, my wife's name is transformed to Linder. As in "Hey Linder, want to share my apple fritter?" I don't know anyone who can sniff out an electrical outlet to charge his phone faster than Jeff.

The uncertainties: Will any of us ever do another bike tour like this? Perhaps. Linda is already scheming. Tim is probably secretly thinking about it, but is uneasy about admitting this to Priscilla. Jeff keeps sending us NYT articles about bike touring on different continents. He has done a bike tour of Vietnam, and the odds are better than even that he will be cycling somewhere exotic in the not too distant future. Rob is addicted, and has scheduled an extensive Chilean bike tour with a friend next January. He really, really wants to tackle a third trans-America ride. If I know Rob, he will make it happen.

So we now return to our separate lives in Spokane. Until we meet again, my friends . . .

Map of today's short ride:

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/3865675704

https://www.relive.cc/view/u3678488671

Day 50 July 19, 2019

Henry's notes for today:

Day 50: Terminus - the road runs out. It rained

lightly all night, or so it seemed. It was still drizzling as we packed up for our last full riding day. Breakfast was a short 9 miles away at a a fabulous bakery with a full breakfast menu (and then some) in Concrete,  WA (pop. 705). By the time we finished breakfast, the rain had abated and it was warming up, although it was still overcast. For the next 20 miles, we diverted onto a gravel bike trail, which took us off a very busy Hwy 20. The path was covered with an overarching tree canopy, and it was pleasant riding. There was the usual conversation, but in the silent moments, I experienced an internal maelstrom of excitement, joy, and sadness, which the others felt too. Excitement, because our long journey was almost concluded. Joy, because we completed this trek safely with a collection of great memories. So many images have been captured on our digital devices, but there are countless other reminiscences that will remain indelibly etched with each of us. Sadness, because every day has been an adventure, and the daily thrill and adrenaline rush which comes from that is over.

The end of the gravel bike trail out of Concrete corresponded with our approach into Sedro-Woolley. We landed at a Mexican restaurant for lunch. Afterwards, we wound our way through back roads past Burlington and Fredonia towards Anacortes, our final destination on what seems to be a peninsula jutting into the Pacific, but it is actually on Fidalgo Island. As we rode this last hour, the briny air filling our nostrils told us we must be getting close. We searched for a suitable location for a ceremonial wheel dip into the Pacific, and discovered a beach in an Anacortes city park. Having completed our grand journey, we had decided to catch the 5:15 pm ferry to Lopez Island, and camp overnight. We will take a leisurely ride on the island tomorrow - a victory lap of sorts. Returning on the afternoon ferry tomorrow, Tim's wife Priscilla will be there to retrieve us. Rob was especially excited to add on this bonus round.

We were offered the overflow campsite in Odlin County Park on Lopez, which worked out perfectly. We had dinner at an upscale restaurant in the village, and were all smitten watching the sun lackadaisically set in a cloudless sky over the water and distant mountains. (Everything in the village is "upscale", as the robust Seattle economy naturally floats its way over to the San Juan Islands.) Tim rarely drinks alcohol, but for this celebratory occasion, he ordered a Bloody Mary, which arrived with a piece of bacon. He couldn't have been happier.

Linda could not get enough of the bakery. She adds: That was not just "a bakery in concrete"! The 5B's Bakery is amazing! The bakery items are unusual, and hearty breakfast menu great. Plus great coffee! It will be a regular stop for me now on highway 20.

Maps of today's ride:

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/3862386564

https://www.relive.cc/view/u3676756879

Day 49 July 18, 2019

View from the top of Washington Pass

Henry's notes for today:

Going up Washington Pass

Day 49: The 5th and final day of consecutive passes. We awoke to a cool and overcast day with a 10 mph westerly wind. This would not help us. Knowing that any food options were 60 miles away, we ate our breakfast at camp and then headed out onto the North Cascades Scenic Highway.

We did it!

We climbed 16 miles to Washington Pass at 5477 feet, a 3300 foot elevation gain. We took lots of pictures to celebrate crossing our 5th mountain pass in as many days. Getting across Washington is not easy! There was an additional loop we rode at the top to reach the visitor outlook. The mountain scenery was majestic. The descent was cold, windy, and punctuated by intermittent rain. All of us had to pedal to go downhill. We felt robbed not to be able to coast downhill; that's supposed to be the payback for the hard work of the ascent!

Can't forget Rainy Pass!

There was another mini-pass we had to climb after a partial descent. It's aptly named Rainy Pass at 4855 feet. Descending further, we joined into the Skagit River valley with its 3 sequential dams: Ross, Diablo, and Gorge. The glacial silt-laden water was a beautiful translucent green. We finally reached Newhalem (pop. 52), where the only food was at the local market, which was merely a glorified convenience store. We glumly chewed on the snacks we purchased there. Not impressed and looking for more substance, we asked the locals, who suggested that we ride 15 miles further to the Marblemount (pop. 203) Diner, which baked their own pies. Eyes lit up at the mention of that. We had a great dinner there, and everyone enjoyed some pie for dessert. Rob ordered pickle pie, which was unexpectedly delicious. He sure looked happy consuming it and was unwilling to share. Alas, it was a long day, and we had 10 more miles to go before reaching our campground in Rockport (pop. 109). We showered, which restored all of us to Level 1 cleanliness. Since meeting Rob, he has added the terms Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 cleanliness to our vernacular. 1 is socially acceptable; 3 is something mothers and spouses would frown at. There have been minimal outposts of civilization in the Cascade mountains. Tomorrow, we will encounter the opposite as we approach the I-5 corridor and Puget Sound.

Ross Lake

Diablo Lake

Maps of today's ride:

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/3859759915#.XTKLRVGWjng.email

https://www.relive.cc/view/u3675697072

Day 48 July 17, 2019

Our host in Okanogan

Henry's notes for today:

Weighing the bikes

Day 48: The penultimate mountain pass, Loup Loup. We woke up not long after the sun rose, as is our ingrained habit these days. I had left my sleeping bag outdoors on the lawn overnight, and did not know the sprinklers would turn on early to saturate it. Fortunately, it was nothing a short tumble in the dryer couldn't fix.  said goodbye to our cheerful-even-in-the-morning-before-coffee hostess, and headed west once more. Our first destination was breakfast at a restaurant on a fruit farm on the outskirts of Okanagon. There was a farm scale outside the restaurant, and we all weighed in with our bikes. Rob won (or lost) as his total bike load was 93 lbs. Tim 73, Linda 69, Henry 68, and Jeff was a lean 66. Having missed out on both yesterday, Tim ordered a BLT and 2 scoops of ice cream for breakfast to satisfy his fix.

Pass #4

One more group selfie at the pass!

Turning left out of the restaurant, we immediately began our Sisyphean task of climbing our daily pass, now the 4th day in a row. It was overcast and cool again with no wind, allowing us to ascend steadily. A caravan of UPS trucks buzzed all of us too closely. How hard can it be to move to the left to give us room? Tim and Linda will be writing letters to the company. On the way up, there was a drop of 200 feet halfway up the mountain. There is nothing more disconcerting than losing precious elevation that we work so hard to gain, before reaching the pass. The climb today was 16 miles, with a gain of 3,000 feet. We took our usual break at the top of Loup Loup pass, and then descended rapidly to Twisp, 12 miles away. We lunched at a grocery store deli there. Continuing to ride, we passed through tourist trap Winthrop, where Rob and Jeff were drawn into a brewery for a libation. The scenery transitioned gradually from desert scrub land to mountains covered with conifers as we approached Mazama. We rode past a zone of stark, barren beauty where a fire had left only a forest of charred trunk matchsticks. Linda and I haven't been to this part of Washington for 16 years; it has been about 5 years for Tim. Rob has never been to the Cascades, nor Jeff, who was on the verge of tearing up because he was almost overcome with emotion riding through these beautiful mountains, valleys, and rivers with his friends. When we arrived in Mazama, we reviewed our options, and decided to ride 2 miles further west to a pizza place, so that we could repurpose the leftovers for breakfast. In the mountains, services are again limited and spread out. We would have to ride over the pass and almost 60 miles tomorrow before arriving someplace where we could purchase more food. The campground for the night was 1 mile down the road from our dinner spot. Early Winters USFS Campground. Predictably, it was full. The camp host did not have a biker/hiker tent site. As we rode through the campground, the first couple we came across graciously offered to share their site with us. They were driving out at midnight anyway to get in line somewhere near Winthrop to claim a camp site for the Blues Festival this weekend. Once again, we witnessed how competitive camping strategies are required in popular areas. Another camper offered us her bear-proof food box to store our food overnight, as this campground had not installed any bear-proof boxes. We set up our tents and all went to bed, in some disbelief of where we are geographically, and how far we have traveled. The end is near.


Maps of today's ride:

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/3856444412

https://www.relive.cc/view/u3673194025

Day 47 July 16, 2019

Bikers assist motorist with missing reverse gear

Dinner with our host

All 5 of us, including Rob

Henry's notes for today:
Day 47: This morning was not much different than many others. We arose, got dressed, loaded our bikes, and rode down the street to the only place open for breakfast in the little township that is Republic. Rob Hickman, our Brooklyn friend, had stayed in a Warm Showers homestay last night, also in Republic. He recognized our bikes outside the restaurant as he was leaving town, so he joined us for breakfast, and possibly the rest of the trip.

Near Omak

We began our ascent of Wauconda Pass immediately as we rode out of town. It has been overcast and cool the last 2 days, making our climbs relatively easier. It actually rained lightly yesterday, to cool things even further. The climb was shorter today, only 12 miles and about 1,800 feet elevation gain. The climb was not steep, and there was no wind to speak of. After collecting everyone at the top, we began our long, gradual descent to Tonasket, about 25 miles away. Tim was hankering for a BLT about this time for lunch, but we settled on a cute organic health food store that supplied him with a satisfactory chicken pesto sandwich alternative.

The route turned sharply south towards Omak

Tim fixing the door

after lunch, and we immediately pitched headlong into a stiff headwind from the south. The clouds parted, the sun emerged, and the air was hot. We were in the dry, central part of Washington with a high desert climate. The mountains were brown and covered with sagebrush. The wind made us work to go downhill - coasting was not sufficient. At one point, a woman on a back country road asked us to push her car out of the driveway, as her reverse gear was not working after her alternator had recently been changed. Not sure how long it would have taken for someone else to show up if we had not rolled by, as this was a really desolate stretch of road. We made our way through Omak, and proceeded straight to Okanagon, our Warm Showers destination for the evening. Rob rode with us all day. Our host, Leone Reinbold, had asked us to wait on her back porch until she got back from work just after 5 pm. She is a family law attorney; very gregarious and ebullient. In short, a great hostess. Her home is situated right on the Okanagon River, and after she arrived, she made us follow her like little ducklings for a quick float down the clear river. So refreshing! Tim realigned her screen door, which had been off the tracks for a while. We basked in the setting sun on her back porch for our convivial dinner. We reviewed the game plan for tomorrow, and went to bed early. Climbing over mountain passes on a daily basis does sap our energy.

Maps of today's ride:

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/3852702189

https://www.relive.cc/view/u3671021896

Day 46 July 15, 2019

With nick and Becky Oltean July 15

Henry's notes for today:

Day 46: Without fail, our hosts Becky and Nick prepared a healthy breakfast for us. We thanked them for their hospitality and resumed our route. We had relatively flat riding the first 40 miles to Colville and then Kettle Falls. We crossed the Columbia River and lunched at a tribal convenience store. Sitting at our outdoor lunch table, we could clearly see the road rising precipitously - this was the beginning of our long climb today. The biking map reflected a 24 mile ascent on the eastern slope of the Sherman Pass Scenic Byway, and a 17 mile descent on the western side after reaching the summit. We steeled ourselves, and began pedaling. Today's climb was long, but overall, Flowery Trail yesterday was notably harder, as it was steeper with more undulations. We were asked at a construction point to get into a pilot car again to bypass the zone of roadwork safely. Near the top, we ran into two young women biking together. It made Linda's heart sing to meet brave women traveling alone on the bike highway. These two had biked the entire Pacific Coast from Vancouver, BC to San Diego 5 years ago, and were experienced, confident bikers.

The Sherman Pass summit is at 5,575 feet. We started climbing at Kettle Falls at 1,400 feet, so we

The Kettle Range

fought gravity for almost 4,200 feet. Long-ingrained vapid platitudes run annoyingly like a continuous sound loop through one's consciousness when doing something like this. Nike's "Just do it". Thomas the Tank Engine's "I think I can, I think I can". "Winners never quit, quitters never win". "Pain is temporary; quitting lasts forever". "Gonna Fly Now" - the theme from Rocky. Feel free to add your own that may come to mind.

Oh yea

After the usual photo documentation at the summit, we met 2 more men climbing up from the west side. One of them had a vintage bike like Tim's 1983 Stump Jumper, so that required a few minutes of conversation and nostalgia. Our descent was grand and long, having stored all that potential energy on our way up to the pass.

Republic

Republic, WA was basically at the bottom of the descent, and camping for 4 people at the Ferry County Fairgrounds Campground was the same price as a motel room, so we chose the latter without hesitation. Pizza was selected as the dinner choice. We all felt full after our meals, but as we strolled back to the motel, the pull of mint chocolate chip ice cream sandwiches from the grocer's freezer case was too great a temptation for some to overcome.

Crossed the Columbia

Two toned Henry and Linda practice yoga after Sherman Pass

Maps of today's ride:

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/3849158663

https://www.relive.cc/view/u3668820904

Day 45 July 14, 2019

Atop Flowery Trail Pass

Welcome to Washington

Henry's notes for today:

Will Ivey and Family

  Day 45: Jenny and Kevin West prepared us a magnificent breakfast. Tim finished the leftover salmon from last night. We could not have asked for a more beautiful early morning at the lake. Priscilla chauffeured us back to Sandpoint to retrieve our bikes. We resumed our westward course out of Sandpoint, stopping just east of Priest River to greet Henry's friend Will Ivey, his wife Lisa, and their daughter Reagan at their Priest River cabin. Henry and Linda's Priest Lake neighbors Nick and Becky Oltean also met us at the Ivey's. Nick is an avid mountain biker, and had arranged to escort us to his home in Chewelah, where we would spend the night. He was worried that he would not be able to keep up with our touring bikes on his mountain bike. Of course, he had no trouble at all, given the handicapping with our panniers.

As we entered Newport, we crossed the state line into Washington, our 13th state and home, sweet home. His wife Becky drove ahead and prepared us an excellent roadside lunch just west of Newport. We ascended our first Washington state mountain pass (4,046 ft) on Flowery Trail Road. None of us will pretend that it was easy. We arrived at the Oltean's hand-crafted custom built home after a speedy 8 mile descent from the pass. We are blessed, and have yet to have any hosts disappoint us, and today was no exception. Tim and Nick bonded reviewing details of the intricately constructed home. Some of the evening was spent planning our forthcoming route through Washington. We have the daunting task of crossing 4 more mountain passes sequentially in the next 4 days on the North Cascades Highway to get over the Cascade mountain range. Sherman Pass at 5,575 ft, Wauconda Pass at 4,310 ft, Loup Loup Pass at 4,020 ft, and Washington Pass at 5,477 ft. I have flown over the Cascades many times, and it doesn't seem possible, yet bikers surmount these passes every day. A generous portion of ice cream and fudgesicles were consumed as we pondered our impending fate before retiring.

The Selkirk Mountains

Maps of today's ride:

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/3846044170

https://www.relive.cc/view/u3666703456

Day 44 July 13, 2019

Henry's notes for today

Susan and Rob Hickman at the bagel shop

Day 44: We packed up camp, had a pre-breakfast snack, and pedaled towards Sandpoint, a mere 21 miles away. That was pretty much the extent of our ride for today, which was going to be mostly a rest day. An exciting itinerary was planned, as this was going to be a homecoming of sorts, and many friends were coming to greet us. Jeff's friends Dr. Sarah Kirkpatrick and Dr. Jonathan Lee first received us in Sandpoint, where we were to store our bikes for the day and overnight. We rode to a downtown Sandpoint bagel shop, met Jeff's sister-in-law Susan Edsall and Tim's wife Priscilla there, and had a proper breakfast. We met briefly with Ann/Russ Oakley and Bruceann/Tom Culbertson just outside the bagel shop; they had ridden their bikes to Sandpoint from the Oakley's Bottle Bay cabin. We finally returned to deposit our bikes in Sarah and Jonathan's garage. The 4 riders were shuttled in Priscilla's van, first to the grocery store, then to Jenny and Kevin West's magnificent Pend Oreille lakefront home, where we were compelled to spend a languid afternoon basking in the sun's warmth at the waterfront. Leisa and Dave Moss were already present. It was particularly heartening to see Leisa, who had suffered a hip fracture since we began our trip. She is still non-weight-bearing per doctor's orders, but hopes to begin putting weight on her injured leg in about 10 days. Linda and Henry's son Michael arrived with his friend Chris Baus, a former German exchange student. The Oakleys and the Culbertsons arrived via boat, and Diane/Bob Britton also materialized to join the soiree. In a word, it was a feast of a potluck. Every dish was truly delectable. Alas, all parties must end, and we said our goodbyes to the visitors as daylight waned. We stayed overnight at the West's, and will retrieve our bikes tomorrow morning in Sandpoint. We have another week of riding before we reach Anacortes, our final destination. Our spirits were buoyed by all our friends' encouragement today.

Maps of today's ride:

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/3841808933

https://www.relive.cc/view/u3664477828

Pictures at the potluck:

Day 43 July 12, 2019

Henry's notes for today

Day 43: Our good friend and avid cyclist Steve Mikkelson greeted us at 7 am at the Rice's home. He is a Libby native, but lives in Spokane. We enjoyed a nourishing breakfast prepared by Susie, before getting on our way. Steve's plan was to ride with us for 35 miles before turning back and returning to Libby. Before leaving town, Rob Hickman from Brooklyn by chance merged with us seamlessly as we rolled along our old friend, Hwy 2, last seen at Browning, MT east of Glacier NP. Rob had camped in downtown Libby, on the Volunteer Fire Department Memorial Campground.

We met a Dutch rider in the Clark Fork Bakery

So close and yet so far. Junction of Hwy 56 and Hwy 200

We made steady progress and met a Dutchman, and then a French couple on our route today. There were two fantastic food stops today. Both were Amish bakeries, with an extensive selection of mouthwatering delights. The first was at the junction of Hwy 56 and Hwy 200; the second was in Clark Fork. Tim sustained a rear flat today, so we are now even-Steven: each of us has had exactly one flat on the tour.

We crossed into Idaho, our twelfth state and entered our last time zone. We had planned to camp near Clark Fork, but we could not find the campground, and later found out that it had a broken water main and was closed to tent campers anyway.

We kept riding, and found a site open for bikers at Sam Owen USFS Campground near East Hope, right on Lake Pend Oreille with a beach. We quickly set up our tents, and dunked ourselves into the cool, clear lake waters. It was amazingly refreshing on a warm and sunny day.

Dinner with Rob

We had an expensive dinner with Rob at Ivano's, a waterfront restaurant at the private resort just next door to our campground. During the meal, we hypnotically gazed at the lake as the sun slowly meandered down to the horizon. We have had two days of beautiful scenery riding out of western Montana. Including the rest day in Havre, it took us 13 days to cross this expansive state. Destination is a short ride into Sandpoint tomorrow; it's a partial rest day. We are tantalizingly close to home, but we remain steadfastly committed to crossing the entirety of Washington state to reach the Pacific. The west to east riders have consistently commented on how beautiful the North Cascades mountains are via bike, and we are looking forward to it.
Maps of today's ride:

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/3839048702

https://www.relive.cc/view/u3664479403

Day 42 July 11, 2019

Note: this post appears out of order due to gremlins in the machine.—Ed.

Henry's notes for today:

Libby Dam

Day 42: Another early wake-up in Eureka's tent city, because we certainly wanted to be packed and out before the sprinklers came on at 7:30 am. We savored a hearty breakfast next to the local curmudgeons' table at Cafe Jax. Knowing that there were really no available services for essentially the entire 70 miles to Libby, we stocked up on provisions and fluids at the grocery store before leaving Eureka. Hwy 37 out of Eureka had a better shoulder, and the angst level riding this road was much lower than on Hwy 93 yesterday. Lake Koocanusa came into view, a 90 mile long reservoir which extends into Canada. Since crossing to the western side of the continental divide, the crystal clear waters have been a distinct and enticing contrast to the muddy rivers on the eastern side of the divide. We soon crossed Lake Koocanusa Bridge, the longest and highest bridge in Montana. The 46-mile scenic course on the west side of the reservoir was quite hilly, with the trade-off that we probably encountered less than a dozen cars on that stretch of road. Apparently, there is a sizeable Amish community on that side of the lake. Libby Dam is an engineering marvel. After passing the dam, we turned back onto Hwy 37 for the last 14 miles into Libby. There was notable headwind on this stretch.

Susie and Greg in the middle. Steve is on the right

Steve with the bike group after breakfast

Our Libby hosts for the evening were Dr. Greg Rice and his wife Susie. They have been avid bicyclists for decades, and Susie is responsible for initiating and continuing to organize STOKR (scenic tour of the Kootenai River) 25 years ago. STOKR is an annual 2 day bike ride out of Libby that supports Habitat for Humanity. Proceeds from the STOKR riders allows one Libby HFH house to be built every two years. Greg has been practicing family medicine for 42 years in Libby. We did some light maintenance on our bikes upon arrival, cleaning and lubricating moving parts. Linda's chain is still within tolerance. Susie had ice cream at the ready for our dessert after dinner, so that we would not go to bed with any unsatisfied cravings.













Maps of today's ride:

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/3835923633

https://www.relive.cc/view/u3660699964

Lots of new pictures in the side bar links

Lots of new pictures in the side bar links. They seem to have caught up with the uploading while in Libby. If the pictures in the posts don't expand when you click on them, check the sidebar. Jeff is taking a lot of good pictures. Tim's are there too.

If you found the Day 40 post a little scrambled, you were not alone. It is fixed now and reads as Henry wrote it.

Day 41 July 10, 2019

Peach cobbler

Pie stop in Fortine

Henry's notes for today:

Day 41: We agreed to not set an alarm this morning, and I woke up earlier than Tim did at 7:15. That's unusual. We made coffee, had some granola, and peanut butter on English muffins for a light continental breakfast to get us going. We were headed to Eureka on Hwy 93, which was not a pleasant ride. The shoulder was a foot wide, and quite a few Montana truckers made sport of buzzing us, even when they could have readily moved over. The Adventure Cycling route took us off Hwy 93 for 2 segments today, and both were an extreme relief.

Olney Store owners

Olney (pop. 191) was 20 miles into our ride. We had to ride a mile off the highway to get there, and did not know what we would find. The gas station was out of gas, but the attached store presented us with an amazing breakfast. $5 for eggs, ham, hash browns, toast. Coffee was 75 cents - perhaps the only place remaining in America! Huckleberry shakes were ordered to help wash everything down. Jeff also had a Franz pie.

22 miles further on Hwy 93, we stopped for a snack at Fortine, where there was a convenience store. Jeff found another Franz pie. We were able to thankfully turn off Hwy 93 a 2nd time just a mile down the road, which led us into downtown Fortine (pop. 325). There, Tim's eagle eyes spotted a bakery specializing in pies, and he screeched to a halt. A quick glance at his face, and we all knew it would be one of the greatest disappointments of his life if we did not stop to see what they had to offer in the pie shop. 30 minutes later, we all emerged, satiated with peach pie and peach turnovers.

Tent city

The rest of our ride into Eureka was on country roads with very few vehicles. Eureka allows hiker/biker camping in the city park adjacent to the Chamber of Commerce, and we set up our tents. Others were already there, but by evening, quite a tent city had been established. I counted 15 tents, some single, some double. A sign prominently announced that the sprinklers go on at 7:30 am every morning, which will wash all of us away, allowing a new wave of hikers and bikers to encamp tomorrow. Most in tent city are biking parts of the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, which is advertised as the longest off-pavement route in the world. The route extends from Jasper, AB to Antelope Wells, NM. 3,084 miles and over 200,000 feet of elevation gain, as it crisscrosses the western continental divide many times. Sounds tiring. There was a couple hiking the Pacific Northwest Trail. They were carrying a lot of freeze-dried food. The trail goes from the east side of Glacier NP at the Canadian border to Cape Alava, WA - the westernmost point on the lower 48. 1,226 miles of hiking, 205,000 feet of elevation gain with 7 mountain ranges crossed. Average of 68 days hiking required to complete it. We're meeting more and more crazy people each day.

Although it was not a high mileage day, our legs seemed a little tired. There were a lot of hills, some slight headwind intermittently, and perhaps not enough peach pie.

Maps of today's ride:

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/3832739818

https://www.relive.cc/view/u3658644037