July 24, 2019 – day 15

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My least favourite cycling day so far. Most of the day looked like this. Boring (and dangerous) highway.

On the bright side it was much cooler after the rain storm the night before.

You’d think cycling alongside the Pend Oreille River would be scenic. But the water is often out of site.

There are some nice stops, of course.

As you approach the Canadian border there is less and less development.

Sweet Creek Falls was a nice hike.

There are some big dams.

Dave had suggested I check out Metaline Falls. And it is a lovely town.

From there I headed towards Sullivan Lake finding my best campsite so far. This is National Forest.

I was able to dry everything.

And I enjoyed a campfire.

Only rarely do I have the time and energy to set up a fire.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

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After an indulgent week in Couer d’Alene with the Adlards, I’m planning to continue my cycling trip on the famed Kettle Valley Rail Trail.

I’ll head north starting Tuesday.

July 14, 2019 – days 12-13.

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I was up early at my wild camp between road and cattle fence.

Near Sprague Lake I happened past a baby bird staying motionless on the roadway. Seems it had become separated from the Mom.

Eastern Washington State is interesting. There are a lot of old trucks, some operational.

And how can there be so many trains? Are they all headed to Seattle?

As I’d given up on the Great American Rail-Trail I took, instead, a variety of backcountry roads and non-motorized trails.

Actually I got trail advice from the first GART hiker I’d met. (Now retired, he now plans to wander the USA and Canada with his dog Oreo.)

For some reason there was a gap on the Columbia Plateau Trail … but I found a way to squeeze through.

Later I had problems with my bike. Somehow, somewhere I’d broken 3 spokes.

Is this a bike shop?

It was a long day, but a good day — aside from the spokes.

The bike still rolled but was quite noisy and wobbly.

No matter how much I drank, I could not urinate. 😕

Is that a bad sign?

In these flatlands it wasn’t easy to find a discrete place to camp. Happily I came upon this old foundation sunk into the ground.

Click PLAY or watch the ride on YouTube.

_________

Next morning I tried taping up my broken spokes so they made less noise.

It worked, but not well.

Luckily the farm highway was nearly deserted.

I wobbled my way into the town of Plummer, Idaho and called Dave Adlard in nearby Couer d’Alene. Could he come pick me up?

Dave did rescue. But it was one of he busier days of his life. 🤔

I waited at the Gateway restaurant. And enjoyed a 19,000 calorie breakfast.

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July 13, 2019 – day 11.

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Dullest day, so far.

Since I had a motel the previous night, I stayed until check-out at 11am.

Breakfast and coffee were included with the $60 room.

After yesterday’s long, hot ride I felt I should cut the number of hours in the sun today. I didn’t really get going until Noon.

I’d planned to resume the Great American Rail-Trail but found the track too sandy. It really requires a fat bike. I quit after about a mile.

Parallel at that point was a canal path. Better, but still difficult to pedal.

Finally I headed for the empty secondary highways.

This farmland is pretty. But I didn’t stop to take many photos.

I set my sights on reaching Plummer, Idaho, the start of the Great American Rail-Trail in that State. It’s called Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes.

On a break I took some selfies.

The small farm towns of eastern Washington State are very quiet. There must be inexpensive houses for sale.

Gas, Food, Dope.

Looking to stop about 8pm I found a nice, quiet spot between a farm road and the fence.

Click PLAY or watch today’s ride on YouTube.

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July 12, 2019 – day 10.

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A cyclist had earlier warned me to prepare for disappointment on the so-called Great American Rail-Trail Washington State.

And I was disappointed today.

Twice I was turned back at points on the where bridges were impassable. You can see where I backtrack on my route video.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

My first roadblock came right at the beginning of the day. The bridge over the I-90 was out.

Without hopping fences that meant a 6 mile detour. But a detour including coffee and bacon on a stick!

Farm country has a lot of fences. And other impediments to cycling.

On the other side of the bridge the GART continues on to Army land — Joint Base Lewis McChord. It did not look welcoming. One tunnel MIGHT be closed on that 22 mile section.

I decided, instead, to detour via the I-90 stopping at the Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility.

The I-90 is not all that bad. It has a very wide shoulder.

Once reaching the gorgeous Columbia River I tried to rejoin the Great American Rail-Trail.

Once again, no go. The bridge over the river was out. 😕

I backtracked again now forced to cross the Columbia on the I-90. Not good. There is no shoulder at all crossing the bridge.

Look — the railstotrails.org website is lousy. Not up-to-date.

Not having their own app they rely instead on TrailLink, also lousy.

The Great American Rail-Trail is more of a concept than a thing. 

I decide to skip the next section as well trying to resume (last chance GART) at Warden past Moses Lake.

I road the service roads beside the I-90 freeway. Not much shoulder but hardly any traffic.

By the way, there is a town called George, Washington.

This is lush cropland. Lots of potatoes. Lots of corn.

This was my longest, hottest day so far. On a whim I decided to get a cheap motel in Moses Lake.

For dinner I followed the crowd over to Chevron.

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July 11, 2019 – day 9.

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I’d camped close to the Snoqualmie Tunnel in the Cascade Range.

Nearby was Keechelus lake. Many trees had been killed when the dam allowed more water.

Aside from Snoqualmie, the world’s longest biking tunnel, there are 5 more on the Iron Horse Trail.

Much of today’s ride downhill to the drier flatlands was near the Yakama river.

The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad went bankrupt ceasing operations in about 1980. Washington State acquired the line creating the Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail in place of the rails.

The stations and stores that serviced the trains are now mostly abandoned.

I was impressed to see a slow cook Bar-B-Q place in the former Cle Elum train station.

The Great American Rail-Trail has clearly not yet caught on. In two days I met only two other long distance cyclists. From Japan, they’d come from Reno, planned to cross to Seattle, then work their way south to California.

I’d seen surprisingly little animal life in the mountains. The flatlands are better.

Sadly I saw, for the second time in my life, a juvenile Bald Eagle. On the ground it was quite defenceless. I’m assuming something went wrong while it was learning to fly.

There were many grouse. And lizards. And gophers.

Also farm animals in abundance.

It was a very windy day. Happily the wind was at my back.

In the temperate rain forest I could camp pretty much anywhere. Here in farmland it was far more difficult to find a discrete spot.

So far, so good. I feel fine after the last 2 long cycling days. Not a wreck yet.

Click PLAY or watch today’s ride on YouTube.

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