Thursday, September 4, 2008

Mamma Mazama!!!!!


As suspected, access to computers has been slim to none on our journey thus far. Blogging, as you must know by now has been at an unfortunate snails pace. But, then again so have we!! Well, actually, I suppose it is all relative. Considering this is the first tour for either of us, we feel that we're moving at a respectable clip. All in all, we traveled for about 340 miles through BC. and another 170in WA. Despite setbacks like torrential rain, missed ferry rides, long lunches, and overly friendly and talkative locals we made it through Canada to the comfortable confines of my friends Chris and Lexi's house in Eastern Washington in 6 days. In those 6 days we've seen sights too beautiful and vast to do justice to with these words.
We've been blessed most of way by good (yet unseasonably cold) weather giving us sunny vistas of the small seaside farms and towns of BC and intimidating mountains of Washington. We've ridden luxurious ferries between craggy inlets. We have eaten like 18 year old hockey players every day ( I don't know what is cheaper: gas or feeding our own internal combustion engines with the calories required to pedal 90lbs. of gear up mountains). We've seen sunrise and sunset from day to day and we feel great!!!! Impressed with our bodies' ability to adapt to all of the work, I can sense that with each passing day we're getting stronger and faster.
The greatest indication of all this was our ride on Tuesday 9/2/08. We pedaled from the foothills town of Rockport, WA across the North Cascades trail on scenic Highway 20 to Twisp, WA on the other side. This grueling son-of-a-bitch was a 108 mile journey; 70 miles of which were up a 5600 ft. pass!! This day was both our longest and steepest yet. We spent about 10 hours in saddle and the trip took from sunrise to sunset. Luckily, our destination was one of the best and most healing we could have ever asked for.
Chris and Lexi run a medicinal herb farm and have constructed an impressive modern day homestead atop the deeply beautiful hills of the Methow Valley. You can check out their products at www.ancestreeherbals.com.
We arrived at sundown to a delicious meal of their homegrown veggies and local lamb. Truly a special treat. Now, for the last two days we've been here enjoying their warmth and hospitality, as well as getting a taste of the modern homestead/small business reality. We helped to harvest oats and toured the "medicine forest" of common and rare healing herbs and plant medicines. While excited to return to the saddle and the coast, we'll be sad to leave the comforts of friends.

I think we've learned that Bike touring really forces one to enjoy any small pleasure with overwelming enthusiasm. Nothing is taken for granted. And being an unintimidating akward sight on the road, one tends to attract people's inquiry, hospitality and openness (the moustaches don't hurt either). We've also learned that you get so hungry that "even the ass-end of a skunk would taste good" (thanks Mike from Crofton).

Onward to Tacoma to visit my aunt Liz.

Cheers,

David

8 comments:

jessie alberts said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
jessie alberts said...

Mustaches! Lets see 'em. Photos, boys, lets see some photos!

LavenderMinor said...

Glad to read that things are going well. Also psyched about the mustaches(the sign of the true cyclist).

Savastio said...

Just a quick comment to reiterate an important point from Ms. Alberts. Moustaches. I stand by eager to be impressed.

Kenny Bloggins said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Kenny Bloggins said...

Indeed. Photos of faces - and of food!

=AR7= said...

David and Petula

jane said...

I'm with Jessie...let's see those mustaches! Love the picture you've put up so far. This is our first access to computers in over a week...we understand. We're having dinner tonight with Jessie's parents...our travels have required no energy yet we are eating like truck drivers...did hike the Flume in the White Mountains today. All good.