Washington, Rainier, and the Mist

The air outside was damp and chilly. Although we were surrounded by beautiful views, a dense mist had moved in during the night. As we began riding our bikes down from Paradise, our descent was through a tunnel of foggy mist. Although the views were hidden the tourist traffic was gone and we had Mount Rainier National Park to ourselves. Such is the magic involved with bicycle touring. Eventually we left the Park and immediately enter Gifford Pinchot National Forest (named after the founder of the US Forest Service). The fog continued to hang above us as we began are ascent to the crest of White Pass. As the climb began to steepen we shed layers of clothing quickly, even then we were all sweating from exertion. Approaching the top the sun broke through the mist and we were treated to an amazing panoramic view of the Cascade Mountains of Washington. After a few minutes to enjoy the view we began the last sixty miles of our century ride into Yakima.

This was Day 3 of my Timberline tour in Washington. It began near Seattle, where I spent an awesome night camping with two Bivouac friends and others. Good times. The next day we road to the base of Mount Rainier. This is a very sentimental place for me because it was here, back in 2001, where I saw and cycled up my first Western mountain. Time has not dulled my fond memories. The second day we hiked in the Park and then the next few days were spend in the irrigated fruit valleys on the East side of the Cascades. During this time we spent a night in both a Bavarian and Western themed towns. Then on Day 7 we crossed the Cascades along the North Cascades Scenic Highway. The whole day was an extravaganza of monumental proportions for the eyes and legs. I really would have liked to leave the bike behind and hike into the heart of the Cascades. I also got a distant view of the mountain where Jack Kerouac, a Beat Generation author, manned a fire tower during the summer of 1956. That night the waitress never filled our order for Cascade Mountain Oysters, so unfortunately I can’t tell ya’ll how bison testicles taste. The next day it finally rained as we road into Anacortes. The 9th and final day was spent on Lopez Island, part of the San Juan Island chain. For half a day we took a leisurely thirty mile ride around the Island and enjoyed wonderful lunch at Vitas, one of the outstanding chefs of the slow food movement. Then it was a mad dash to the airport for a guest’s early flight. After the guests departed we checked into a hotel room, went out for Mexican food and margaritas, and then clasped exhausted into our comfy hotel beds.

Which leads me to today, which was spent at Pike Place Market, a street bazaar on the seaside wharfs of Seattle. The fresh donuts, Thai food, and warm cookie were excellent! Fortunately I only had to watch the fish tossing ;-) So now we are back on the road headed for Missoula, Montana, on the way to another bike tour in Glacier National Park. I’ll post some pictures in the next few days.