wednesday

Onward! Into the mountains!

While the North Cascades Highway (SR 20) isn't exactly the Passo dello Stelvio, it is a blast to ride. Craggy mountains, soggy-looking evergreens lurking in the mist...you know, all poetic and stuff.

If you look close, there's a guy on a 1200 Bandit about two-thirds of the way through that hairpin, and he's haulin' ass. I was gonna take video of him as he went past me, but by the time I moved the switch to video and pointed the camera at him he was zippin' by and dragging his sidestand through the left-hander at the top.

I must admit, I wish I’d taken pictures of the signs at the summits of Washington Pass (5477’) and Rainy Pass (4855’), but I have pictures of those somewhere, and I’m new to this “take pictures all willy-nilly, you’ll never run out of film” digital photography. I’m used to husbanding my film and not just snappin’ away. Otherwise I tend to run out of film inconveniently far from where they keep the new film (one of several reasons why I only have 3 pictures of Yellowstone-but that‘s for another day).

Honestly, though, neither of them is like the Beartooth or Going-to-the-Sun which both have a spectacular vista to put behind the sign. These are just a sign and many damp trees, I have lots of those (I like to collect summits, the higher the better...pavement required).

This mighty crag is right above the hairpin with the speedy Bandit guy. I'm almost certain he never saw it. Way too fast for sightseeing. That's why I stopped. Then back to scientifically testing the appropriateness of the posted speed limit. For a 40' RV it's apparently just a tad too high. There should be a different speed limit for motorcycles. How about "Reasonable and Prudent" like the Montanans used to enjoy...but just for bikes. Have to add that to my "List Of Things To Do When I Become King".

Ross Lake, just before Diablo (which is about the same size as its dot on the map). Not nearly as cold here, but still pretty chilly. It looked as if western WA was going to be mostly overcast and slightly damp (I have no idea why this surprised me) so I decided to loop around through Darrington and Arlington and back over Stevens Pass (4061' - US 2) and Blewett Pass (4102' - US 97) and camp on the east side of the Cascades, where all of the warm is stored.

My site at Swauk campground ($13) was considerably more camping-y than the previous night's. It came with some unique-to-a-Sunday benefits, too. I got my pick of the choicest site, there was already a nice packed-down flat spot for my tent and, best of all, there were only two other occupied sites. Both far away. I pitched my tent about 5:30p, in shorts, t-shirt and motorcycle boots. It was a beautiful day, I bought two pints of Paulaner Lager in Leavenworth and put some huevos rancheros (okay, chili & eggs) on the propane stove and before the whites of the eggs set up it was like somebody turned a dial somewhere...it got cold.

I rarely have a fire when I'm tenting solo, so I hadn't bought any wood in Leavenworth (it was, literally, right next to the beer cooler).

Fortune smiled. I had packed the big tent which I hardly ever use because it's so much bigger than the small tent when it's packed (when it's set up, too,). Dunno why I did, just variety I suppose. I do know that I could barely get my little chair into the small tent, never mind getting in there with it and sitting down. But I had packed the big tent. I could sit in my chair with a beer and a book (thanks again, Comet, for the CD folder with the built-in speaker) and let my body heat and the candle lantern heat it up inside. Worked like a charm. Oh, it was still cold, that campground isn't much below Blewett summit, but it wasn't un-fun because of it.

Monday morning, while the rest of the world was knuckling down to a hard day's work (already went for coffee, a little too early to go to lunch), I was sporting my way back over Blewett and Stevens and home-again home-again, jiggity-jig.

And then I had breakfast.