Visible Light

Day 2 (September 10th) includes the Canada crossing.  Passport loaded into day pack and off I go. Today we traveled from Colville, WA to Rossland, BC.  Thats 62.40 miles, 4377 feet climbing.... about 40 less miles and about same amount of climbing.   I'm thinking this will be a tougher day than Day 1. Started out from Colville heading west.  Picked up the Columbia River a few miles in.  From there we road about 25+ miles looking out over the Columbia and Roosevelt Lake.   It was like riding inside a postcard.   But I still kept my eyes on the road. This was our rest stop along Roosevelt Lake... If we go hungry on this ride, it's our own fault!! After lunch, we headed north towards the border.  The views changed and still beautiful... Six major climbs today. The 5th one was 900 feet and over 3 miles.  OK, but the temperature at 1pm was 105 degrees and not much shade.  I was grateful every for every few feet of shade. Patterson cros

Day 1 is our longest day.  104.20 miles, 4,931 feet of climbing. Got an early start to beat the heat and hopefully avoid being last to finish. Ride started with a 20+ mile loop around Lake Pend Oreille.  Great views of the lake and surrounding mountains. This ride is 100% volunteer supported.  Funds raised support Rotary clubs in N. Idaho, NE WA, and E. British Columbia.  Clubs talk about what they support in their communities and it's impressive.  Snack stops are all hosted by local Rotary clubs.  We get a local delicacy at each stop, usually home baked treats along with standard fare. At mile 55 we left the lake views and headed to lunch in Usk, WA.  Bit of a one blink town.  But the lunch at a local bakery was delicious.   3 homemade soups, sandwiches on fresh made bread, and of course cookies. Lunch signified the end of our jaunt around the lake.  At mile 60 we started a series of 3 climbs up to mile 79.  This is called Flowery Trail Pass.  Sweet name for a beastly climb We wer

I've been training since February for this ride. If I'm not too tired, I'll post photos and stories along the route. It's 6 days on the road. Five days cycling and a rest day in Nelson, BC. Total miles on bike are about 400 with lots of climbing. They promise good SAG support and if needed, I'll take the ride. But hoping to make it all the way on the pedals.