Day Sixty-Five: The Astounding Anacortes

I volunteered for van duty today. I had one more left so I figured I would get it over with while maintaining some control over what day I fulfill it.

Except, today wasn't an ordinary van day. First off, we were leaving a campsite, which always creates chaos (you have to pack up the tents, get everyone together, and enforce the "leave no trace" policy). Secondly, we weren't all going to the same host. That's right, tonight the team is split up among a group of houses scattered around Anacortes: three in the city, one south, and one north. That's five baggage drop offs, five routes, and five "the riders are near" phone calls.

It was a crazy day, but Melanie and I did it. If I do say so, we were on top of our duty. We had each group routed, bags sorted, and bags delivered. More importantly, effectively organized the arrangements for tomorrow ahead of time (whose bags to pick up, in what order, when).

Tensions ran high, and at moments things got stressful, but we did it--all while enjoying these views:










It's so great to be back on the coast. You can smell the salt in the water! This is my first time ever being near the Pacific, let alone see water that originates from it. A sense of accomplishment has finally begun to sink in, slowly, and what a beautiful place to start feeling it in...

Did I mention we biked here? Yeah, I don't believe it either.

Pacing Past the Pacific,
James

Day Sixty-Four: Our Final Pass--Camping in the Cascades

This morning I awoke and repeated my climbing ritual of writing motivation on my thighs and forearms:

You've made it this far...why stop now? & Seattle is over the mountain!

I wasn't nearly as anxious as I was the morning of Powder Pass. This morning I was much more excited, ready to take on the climb, see the Cascades, and get ever closer to Seattle. It took us longer than we intended to get out and going this morning. But, this was well warranted due to the AMAZING home cooked breakfast that friends of the Grange prepared for us this morning. It was so good we got the recipe. After a delicious meal like that, we could take on any mountain.

& Take it on we did:

A little motivation from the van...

Climbing over the first pass of the day: Washington Pass, elevation 5477 ft.

As close as we could get to Washington Pass peak.

Conquering the second pass: Rainy Pass, elevation 4855 ft.

Another day spent with my climbing buddy Jose. We conquered the Cascades on our own terms--stopping at outlooks, looking back and appreciating all that we had accomplished. In fact, it was going so well that we couldn't believe that Rainy Pass was the final peak of the trip--we wanted something more.

But, the day wasn't over. After lunch we continued onward, through the cascades and down into the campsite, passing breathtaking views as we went:

The river that ran through the back of our campsite.

Before long, we were settled in, bathing in the river (ice cold), setting up our tents, and cooking over the flames of a fire pit. We entertained each other, surrounded by the beauty of the Northern Cascades. Our amazing campground host even paid for our campsites in honor of her mother who suffered from breast cancer (just another testimonial to the truth: the generosity of this world is nearly as abundant as its beauty).

My desire for city-life aside, I am going to enjoy my last night camping with the team. Tomorrow we descend towards Seattle, and get even closer to the finish line.

Over the Mountain,

James

Day Sixty-Three: 'Twas One Day in Twisp...

I got to see the dam in the daylight this morning as we climbed past it, into the sunrise.



Yesterday's failed expectation of an easy day made me weary to chalk this one up to an easy day as well. Turns out, I was right for remaining conservative in my expectations. We hit some nasty headwinds that slowed us down as we passed by scenery like this:



But then we were met by an unexpected climb, which is exactly what we wanted the day before we have to climb over the Northern Cascades. The groups broke apart as we each began to tackle the pass at our own pace.



Luckily, we we're rewarded for our efforts with a sharp descent into Twisp (A note on the descent: the vans made the poor decision to make the lunch stop in the middle of the descent, which means a short stop and oncoming traffic for us riders...please never force a cyclists to stop on a descent, it's dangerous!).

Our host, the Twisp Grange Farmer's Cooperative, is a beautiful open space with a hard wood floor, perfect for our bikes, duffles, and sore bodies.

Now to prepare for tomorrow, our final mountain range--The Northern Cascades.

Up and Over,
James

Day Sixty-Two: A Grand Ol' Time at the Coulee Dam

Today was slightly more difficult than I anticipated...



Maybe it was the barren, Eastern Washington land that got to me, or maybe it's just that I expect these last days to be easier (except for the Cascades).



It may have been the lack of shade. I've always disliked the lack of shade, the sun beating over my head for the whole day.



At some point, though, Eastern Washington gives way to shade, and water-- meet the Grand Coulee Dam:



Tonight we attended a laser light show at the dam. Projectors stationed around the park project a motion laser show on to the dam wall. It was an interesting story that personified the "mighty Columbia River," utilizing the character to narrate the history of the area (and the dam). Although it was entertaining, it's important to note that it was also a wonderful piece of good ol' American Propaganda.

I can look past that though, and end with this: Grand Coulee has  been a welcoming oasis in the Eastern Washington desert.

Trekking Through Washington,
James

Day Sixty-One: School's Out, Camps In--Spokane, WA

Last night we hit up the town and checked out the Baby Bar, featuring $1 grilled cheeses:



It was a unique, city hole-in-the-wall & I loved it. But what I loved even more was the Jamaican Jerk Chicken that I bought for lunch today from a food cart two blocks from our host:




That dish was delicious: spicy rice, crunchy chicken, a filling cabbage salad, and two festivals.

After finding lunch I hung out in the park for a while, making phone calls and catching up on some reading. Soon it was time for dinner. Dinner today was a special event, where I met Asa, a pen pal from Pleasant Valley Summer Camp. The camp, campers, and parents provided a dinner for us with the help of the church, while some kids performed a skit they prepared earlier that day. It was wonderful to interact with the community and meet the people that we had inspired.

The night finished quietly as we cleaned up the area and crept downstairs to catch some sleep. Tomorrow we'll be riding through the desert to Grand Coulee, WA.

I still haven't fully accepted that we are on the last leg of the trip, the last state, the home stretch...

Westward Through Washington,
James

Day Sixty: Speeding into Spokane, WA

Out of Idaho and into our final state--WASHINGTON!

Leaving Sandpoint, ID.

Our first water stop of the day--in the middle of a pond via a dock.

Entering Washington state.

Entering eastern Washington.

Entering Spokane, WA.

Leaving our mark at Boots Bakery in Spokane, WA.

Our first sign ever for Seattle.

Entering Washington brought about a waterfall of emotions. First was a tremendous sense of accomplishment: We BIKED here. Never (before the 4K) would I had imagined that I would be biking from the East Coast to the West Coast, yet here I was entering a state that borders the Pacific. Second was the realization that we were truly nearing the end our journey.We were in our final state--the last stretch. Finally, I came to recognize how close we were to the finish line. We were within a day's worth of driving to Seattle. How had I gotten here? It seems like only yesterday I was leaving my hotel in Baltimore for sendoff at the Inner Harbor.

Our motto for the day: "We biked here! How crazy is that?" Crazy, indeed.

Welcomed to Washington,

James

--------------------

Today was dedicated to the enthusiastic, fun, and energetic cancer survivors and hosts from Sandpoint, ID.

Day Fifty-Nine: Soaking Up Sun in Sandpoint, ID

Teary eyed (just kidding!) we left beautiful MT for Idaho. We loved Montana, but had no idea what to expect from Idaho. Luckily, Idaho did her best to impress us:

Leaving Libby

Heading towards the MT-ID border

We stopped about ten miles from Libby to check out the Kootenai falls, which were very powerful and had a large volume. It was a great way to start the day, though the stop did slow us down.

Rapids at Kootenai Falls

The river near Kootenai falls.

At the Kootenai falls we checked out a rope bridge. It was my first time on a rope bridge. It was exhilarating to stand, uneasily, above the raging river. Naturally, we had to jump and shake the bridge to ensure that we got the full effect.

The shaky rope bridge over the Kootenai.

We eventually--reluctantly--passed the border into Idaho.

Crossing the border, during a descent!

Nearing Sandpoint, ID.

We arrived in Sandpoint, Idaho, a quaint and welcoming town. The women that greeted us at the church, our hosts for the night, were enthusiastic about our arrival. They insisted that we immediately venture down to the local beach (they made sure to usher us into their cars at once). The beach was wonderful, but after a day of biking we only wanted to stay for a little while before heading to showers and dinner.

The beach at Sandpoint. The locals insisted that stop here--for good reason!

Tonight I've decided to stay in, take some time for myself, and ensure a good night's sleep. I'm very excited to be heading into our last state tomorrow and want to be well rested for the journey.

Westward to Washington,

James

------------

Today was dedicated to the men and women of Libby who prepared our dinner last night. They were all awesome, sharing their stories surrounding cancer and their fight against it. Keep up the great work!

Day Fifty-Eight: Logging Over to Libby

We left Kalispell this morning bound for Libby, MT.
Libby is our last stop in Montana before Idaho.

We were pleasantly surprised when we discovered that Northwest MT had a lot of bike trails, so we took bike trails most of the way to Libby.





It was a fairly easy day, and we got to ride in a large group for some of the way (which is always a blast). It's generally unsafe to do this on the road but there's no harm in bunching up on bike trails.






Megan and I had to stop for some soda--we went for the 44 oz when we discovered that it was only $1!

We arrived at our host, Libby High School, home of the Libby Loggers. We are spending tonight in the upper level of the school gym, but not til after a wonderful dinner at the local church. We were graciously welcomed, fed until we were full, and then slowly made our way back to the school (and bed) with heavy stomachs.



Reflecting back on Montana, I have come the conclusion that these are the most beautiful 11 days of the trip. Montana is truly a gorgeous state with an abundance of lakes, mountains, and breathtaking views.

How is Idaho going to top this?

Missing Montana Already,
James
-----------------

Today was dedicated to the men of the Kalispell firehouse, who generously opened their (immaculate) living/work space. Thank you for all that you do and for making our trip possible!

Day Fifty-Seven: Kickin' it in Kalispell

This morning we awoke and were told to leave Whitefish at our leisure, as we only had to bike 16 miles south, backtracking to Kalispell. Our next host was the Kalispell fire house.

Of course, the fact that the ride was only 16 miles did not stop Megan and I from getting lost along the way. It turns out that GPS doesn't work so well out West. Whoops.



Once we finally found the fire department and settled in, we got to check out the area. It reminded me of the New Jersey suburbs--a cluster of shopping plazas and parking lots placed along busy highways. Did I mention our host was hidden behind a Costco?



Tonight I'm drifting off to sleep while watching lightning dance in the far off hills. It's a mesmerizing way to softly greet sleep.

Sleeping Soundly,
James
----------------------

Today was dedicated to the oldest member of the church we stayed at in Whitefish, who continues to battle cancer and live her life to the fullest.

Day Fifty-Six: An Epic Day of Glacial Proportions

I returned to Glacier to travel back to the top of Logan Pass and hike the Hidden Lake Trail.
It felt like a scene from a movie--a group of adventurous young folk scaling the mountainside, hiking through snow and stream. The strong winds only added an element of novelty and fun.


















The day didn't stop there; after hiking we proceeded back down the mountain for a team building activity of whitewater rafting (pictures which I do not have access to, yet). The water was freezing, but the rapids were fun and any day out on the water is a great one.

Later this evening I ventured into town to explore Whitefish, which I found to be a bit too touristy and seasonal for my taste.



In short, today was AWESOME. I got to revisit Glacier, hike, whitewater raft, and explore a new town. Rest on a rest day? Nope, not today.

Winding Down,
James