DAY 6
Friday, June 25
Omak to Republic, Washington
Total miles: 69
Amazing how fast the days blur together. We started early, with breakfast at 6:30, and riding starting at 7:00, because there would be a lot of climbing later in the day when it warmed up. The first 30 miles were pleasant and cool and not too hilly. The mountains had a rolling quality, with folds in the contours. Then it all flattened out a bit.
We biked mostly on Route 20. At mile 29 we started a steady climb up to Wauconda Pass, at 4310 feet (see above), so that was our fourth pass of the ride. It was a hot ride, too!We ended up in Republic, WA at a motel that was sort of Western/Victorian in style, particularly in the lobby. There was a huge motorcycle festival going on there, a bit noisy. Nice people though.
Linda roasted pork on a grill, served with cabbage and apples, along with potatoes and a salad. Cookies for dessert. As after-dinner entertainment, several of the "old timers" on this Womantour (some have gone on as many as 13 tours, but most have done 3 or 4 before) demonstrated to us newbies the various ways to deal with the lack of a porta-potty or trees. One woman played a tree as another squatted behind her. The tree was hilarious. Another woman played a guardrail, and another still was a culvert. Two women were boulders. This cannot be fully explained without sounding gross. You had to be there. We couldn't stop laughing. But I must admit, the guardrail technique is something that will probably come in handy.
Here are some pictures of the day (minus the after-dinner entertainment).
DAY 7
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Republic to Colville, WA
57 miles
Highlights: Crossing the Columbia River and reaching Sherman Pass
We biked through the Colville National Forest, and much of the biking was on State Route 20. The highlight of the day was approaching and reaching Sherman Pass, which has an elevation of 5575 feet, by far the biggest climb so far.
The downhill was a 6% grade for 6 miles. I've learned that a 6% grade either up or down means a lot of effort and control needed. After Sherman Pass, we took routes 395 most of the way to Colville.
On the way, we had our usual sag stops to get more water and snacks and Gatorade. I stopped at the Log Flume Heritage Site for a break, took a little hike on paths through the woods there, and found wildflowers to photograph on the way.
One treat after this stop was biking across the Columbia River, which is dammed into various lakes throughout Washington.
Once we arrived at the Colville Inn, we noticed that the motel's sign said, "Welcome WomanTours," which was a nice greeting after a day on the bike. Here are some of the day's pictures. By the way, if you double-click on the pictures, you can expand them and see more detail.
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