June 19th Photos
Marblemount (Mile 3 today) – Entrance to the American Alps (with warning)
Mile 21 – Skagit River near Gorge Dam
Mile 28 – Diablo Lake
Mile 32 – Ross Lake
Mile 41 – The Cascades all to myself.
Mile 46 – 3,700 feet, Snow
Mile 60 – End of the Climb – Washington Pass, 5,477 Feet
Mile 61 – Looking Down at Beginning of 17 Mile Descent from Washington Pass
Mile 62 – Mazama, 17 Miles Ahead
June 19th – Rockport to Mazama, WA
Why we rode 78 miles today!
June 19th Statistics – Rockport to Mazma: Distance – 78.8 miles; Average speed – 10.2 mph; Beginning elevation – 222 feet; Ending elevation – 1,957 feet; Total ascent – 6,578 feet.
Today’s highlights: Easily (but not quickly) completing the hardest day of biking for the entire tour!!!!; Little traffic and wide shoulders on route; Sunshine at 1 pm for the rest of the day; Magnificent Cascade Mountain views (see today’s photo post); A 17 mile downhill (5%-7% grade) at the end of today’s route – going 30+ mph for 30 minutes was a rush (I am not going to share my maximum speed for fear of giving Nancy a heart attack); Arriving at the Mazama Country Inn with energy to spare; Burning up 6,500 calories; Relishing the 38 lbs I lost and did not have to carry up the mountain; A long hot shower and dry clothes at the end of the day. Not a highlight: 47 degrees, overcast, and misty to begin the ride at 8 am; being wet, cold and sweaty for 4 hours, sweaty for 4, and freezing for 30 minutes as I plummeted 17 miles down from Washington Pass; a 40 mile climb so I could do the 17 mile downhill.
June 18th Photos
Biking companions Jim Schnitzmeyer from Albany, IL and Robert Moskowitz from Carmel, CA.
Today I visited “The Center of the Known Universe”, Concrete, WA
Downtown of the “Center of the Known Universe”, Concrete, WA
Buffalo Run Restaurant (Bike Food) – Home of the 16 oz buffalo burger and Rocky Mountain buffalo oysters.
Totem Trail Motel, Rockport, WA – “Best Available” as promised.
June 18th – Anacortes to Rockport, WA
The beginning – see photo (note the yellow rain botties).
8 am, Day 1 – Dipping the bike in the Pacific Ocean
June 18th Statistics – Anacortes to Rockport: Distance – 74.2 miles; Average speed – 14.1 mph; Beginning elevation – 0 feet; Ending elevation – 222 feet; Total ascent – 1,888 feet.
Today’s highlights: Mile views of the mud flats at low tide on Padilla Bay; 30 miles of scenic views biking along the Skagit River without traffic; a record speed for me for the miles and ascent; a 16 oz buffalo burger at the Rockport Buffalo Inn (surprisingly ,I did not order the Rocky Mountain Buffalo Oysters). Not a highlight: Overcast all day; rain for last 10 mile climb; cold and wet biking.
Steve Prichard's 2012 Cross Country Bike Tour 