Day 2 miles: 60 Day 3 miles: 15 Total: 162
From 400 feet elevation to over 5,500 feet elevation, we were prepared for today to be a beast of a day. Matthew intentionally made it to Newhalem because it would give him a closer start to Washington Pass and Rainy Pass. We packed up camp together, he placed everything on his bike, and off he went! Listen closely to the video to hear the final words spoken to Matthew by a random camper:
At the end of the day, as Matthew crawled into bed with his heavy legs, we watched the video together to get a good laugh at the end of it all! Here is how the day went:
By bicycle:
I was pumped! Though sore, I was ready to conquer Washington and Rainy passes. The first 10 miles were scenic and glorious. Then I understood some of the dangers of this trip. I encountered steep uphill climbs with tunnels and barely any shoulders. However, I kept going. I went off course in Diablo lake to some sort of incline and mine, I made it back and kept going up the first hump.
After the first, second, and third humps I was a little smoked. I remember going downhill and screaming at the top of my lungs “EMBRACE THE SUCK!!!” as I was about to embark on a 20 mile incline. It was great the first 5 miles but then I noticed I was starting to give out a little. It was hard to take breaks because it was just me in the cascades. I was so relieved to see Lauren’s car stopped up ahead! I did not think I would make it. I was soon taking breaks every 1/10th of a mile to recoup and through wind and rain kept going. I would loudly say “I made a mile” every time to keep going. Washington Pass was done, but I was worried I would not make Rainy Pass. Honestly before I went up I started to tear up, fearing I couldn’t make it. I paced myself and noticed I was taking a large number of breaks.
Lauren met up with me on the last pass near the top and I had to take a 15 minute break before going 1/10th of a mile to the crest of rainy pass.
I’ll admit it- I cried on the way down, because it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. I was totally smoked and couldn’t believe that I made a near 6,000 ft elevation gain in one day by bicycle. Accomplishing this makes me have even fewer excuses to not push myself in the future.
Midway down I suffered my now third flat, and a kind man named Jim helped me by finagling his air compressor to accommodate my Presta valve. Lauren also pulled up at the same time, so now I had two road angels. I lost my converter for my pump, but compared to what I had just conquered, it was a minor inconvenience.
Checking in to Mazama Country Inn was the greatest end to our day, because we had a dry roof and comfortable bed. I told Lauren the next day would be my first rest day.
Our rest day involved hanging out in Winthrop and taking Jim and his wife, Janet, out to eat at the oldest bar in Washington. I rode my bike the 15 miles from Mazama to Winthrop so I could at least move forward a little bit.
All in all, it was an amazing two days. Though I pushed myself too hard and needed a recovery day, I never cried from pushing myself physically or being proud of it.
By car
After Matthew rode out of camp, I finished packing up my car and made sure the campsite was the way we found it. Shortly after leaving, I was taken aback by how green this lake was- I wish I had been more prepared to stop somewhere!
After several miles of scenic cruising, I saw Matthew up ahead. I passed by Matthew with my window rolled down and released a loud “WOOO HOOO” as I slowly crept by his bike. I don’t think he heard me; the man had razor sharp focus.
I was amazed by how long the climb was. Usually, by car, I wouldn’t notice it. But since I’ve not only researched this bike route, but also knew my husband would be pedaling it, I was acutely aware of the never ending ascent.
What also caught my attention was how quickly the temperature was dropping. The morning started out in the high 50s, and by the time I crested the first pass it was down to 35 degrees and drizzling/lightly snowing.
Between the dropping temps, wet roads, logging trucks/RV campers and two mountain passes ahead of Matthew, I decided to make my way down into Mazama to find some warm lodging and turn around to check on his progress. I knew how hard this day would be for him. After booking a room at the Mazama Country Inn, I stopped by the local shop and picked up a can of Coke for the much-needed energy boost Matthew would require.
It’s amazing how quickly the day can go by as the “support team” when you need to find lodging and also find your husband alive and well among to longest mountain pass to bike in the state. After about 32 miles, I spotted his bright vest and American flag waving to me in the air. I convinced him to use both the vest and the flag for safety- we had read among several different blogs and websites that, during U.S. bike tours, cyclists find that biking with an American flag on the back of their bike has resulted in more motorists giving them space on the shoulder and even more supportive “toots” and thumbs up. Whatever it takes!
I found a wide spot to pull into and waited for him. He was EXTREMELY close to reaching the top of the first and largest mountain pass. He looked mostly like death, but there was something still tugging him along up that mountain. Once he parked his bike, he took the passenger’s seat and melted into a puddle of exhaustion. This was the halfway point, and a break to rest and refuel was crucial!
The Coca-Cola kicked in and his body had warmed up. He was ready, albeit begrudgingly so, to pedal on. More logging trucks and RVs were beginning to take over the road. Also, his hands were beginning to go numb from the cold. We agreed to set up “checkpoints” every 5-10 miles. I was able to calculate how long it would take him based on his average speed and known distance/incline, so in between this time I found some beautiful vistas and mini-hikes along the side of the mountain to take in the scenery.
No habituated mountain goats or rattlesnakes on the trail today.
I was able to successfully meet Matthew at each checkpoint to cheer him on. I’ve never seen him look both so physically and mentally exhausted like this, but knew he would ride through it to the end. We celebrated each pass he ascended. He had a blast descending down the other side of the mountain. My checkpoints grew farther in distance as he was approaching town. It wasn’t until we were seven miles away from lodging, at the final checkpoint, that I grew worried.
I waited for about 15 minutes before I started to wonder where he was. He was still descending, so 15 minutes was more than enough time. I allowed myself 5 more minutes before finally deciding to turn around to check back on him. My heart briefly stopped when I saw his bike on the side of the road.
Another flat. Of course. As soon as I pulled up, a man in a red convertible pulled over to ask if Matthew needed help.
“Actually, if you could, that would be great! I lost my valve adapter to my pump- I can’t pump my tire!” Matthew responded.
The man briefly looked ahead, nodded to himself as if to confirm that he was the man for the job, and told us to hang on just a minute. He drove off, and within minutes he returned.
Matthew may have briefly fallen asleep out of severe exhaustion
Meet Jim- our first road angel! He’s Canadian, and he and his wife are taking time to explore Washington by both convertible and RV. His wife, Janet, was up ahead driving the RV. Jim told us to thank Janet, because she was the one who reached out to him via walkie-talkie and asked him to check on “the guy on the side of the road.”
Jim didn’t have the valve adapter we needed, but he DID have an electric air pump, some other valve adapter, and duct tape. As he was jerry-rigging some contraption, he proudly looked up at us and shared his life motto: “There are no problems, just solutions!” We found out later that Jim had apparently survived a horrific car accident years ago, which put him into a coma. He suffered a traumatic brain injury and required months of rehab. He clearly made significant recovery!
After several failed attempts, Jim noticed the pressure gauge needle finally rising and the three of us celebrated our unconventional path to success! Now Matthew could ride the final seven miles into Mazama. We asked if he would let us take him and his wife out for drinks as a thank you. He was staying in Winthrop, the next town over, but he told us which RV park they were staying at just in case we came into town.
Once at Mazama Country Inn, Matthew and I filled our bellies with dehydrated Thai camp food we had packed (sounds gross, but is actually delicious). The lodge I found was extremely cozy. We both enjoyed the punny signs posted.
We found a shop that had the valve adapters Matthew needed and purchased three of them. While we were waiting in line, another cyclist and his wife stood next to us. The wife asked us if we just came over the mountain passes.
“Yeah, it was brutal,” Matthew shared.
“It was too cold and wet for me!” the other cyclist admitted. “I had my wife drive me the rest of the way down. She’ll drop me off where I left off tomorrow so I can finish the pass.”
You guys, Matthew crushed it.
The next day Matthew just rode the 15 miles into Winthrop and we explored the touristy old western town and its famous ice cream.
I looked up the name of the RV park where Jim and Janet were staying. We were within walking distance and debated whether or not to just start walking over now, hoping they’d be there, or walk back to our motel first to pick up a bottle of wine and drive back, so we’d have a gift to offer. As we were debating, Matthew pointed across the street and said, “Isn’t that Jim right there?”
We felt like locals! Of course we’d run into Jim at the one gas station in town. He was surprised to hear his name called out as we crossed the street. “You guys made it!”
The day ended with a round of local brew and a large plate of nachos at the oldest pub in Washington- Three Fingered Jack’s Saloon (three pictures above). Janet felt it was prudent to warn us about grizzlies and cougars.
“We each have bear spray with us,” we assured her.
“Oh you mean ‘condiment for bears’? Up in Canada I had a friend who sprayed a bear, and it just licked it right off of itself. The bears in Canada are pretty tough, though. We see them all the time.”
“And those cougars…” she continued. “They see someone on a bike moving right along- well, they’re cats! They’ll pounce!”
Heh, allllright Janet…
Matthew was trying to hide his discomfort, and I tried to change the topic.
“Well hopefully we’ll be out of the woods soon! Tomorrow we’re going into Omak, mainly following highway 20.”
“Highway 20 in that direction? Yikes.”
Oh no…
“We just drove that way. Be careful- no shoulders and lots of switchbacks.”
Eventually the topic changed- Janet had a lot of incredible stories from her own outdoor adventures. We learned that Jim and Janet are turning their home into a bed and breakfast as soon as their son and his girlfriend move out. Business cards were already printed, and they gave us two of them. We have a place to stay in B.C. now! We’ll need stronger bear repellant…
We found a “good” motel for the night and prepared for another long day ahead with another mountain pass. So far, Matthew and I both agree that this is turning into a summer journey of a lifetime and we’re glad it’s still just the beginning.
The fly begs to differ
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