A room with a view

Dillon - Ennis: 121km
Ennis - Yellowstone, Old faithful: 169km

Well since the last installment i have covered a lot of miles, a few states, and i am finally on the run toward the Atlantic.
Headed out by the beaverhead river passing out by beaverhead rock, which was a marker for old indian routes through the area. Some huge irrigation equipment keeping these valleys green as opposed to the rest of the land which look very barren. After that started heading onto Ennis through the ghost towns of Nevada city and Virginia city which have been preserved and old buildings from around the area brought in. The barmaid and a couple in the bar had both been to Killarney and were full of praise for the place. Went over a small pass just after, and down into another valley to the town of Ennis, where i camped just outside, listening to the fisherman talking about what they had caught that day. Many of the rivers around there are well known for fishing.
Headed south toward Wyoming and Yellowstone park the following morning. Of course on the maps there was supposed to be a couple of places to get breakfast after 20-30 miles or so, but since the season was finished around the beginning of september these diners were closed. So i had 50 miles up on the bike before eventually found a great diner and went all out for the full American breakfast, from eggs and hash browns to a short stack of pancakes hanging out over the side of the plate. It hardly touched the sides going down. Saw an osprey up on a nest outside the diner and they would swoop down into the river and pick out fish. Passed by Quake lake where in 1959 a huge earthquake killed 26 people in the middle of the night, as the side of a mountain just slipped down, and covered a campground, as well as that it blocked the river and created a lake. From there cycled along by Hebgen lake and onto West Yellowstone. As i was heading into the park it took a bit of time to appreciate it. As there was a huge wildfire that had burned the whole area in 1988. But as i got further into the park and saw bald eagles, bison, and elk, i could see why it was such a big deal. Then i got up to the geysers and eventually Old Faithful. Of course there was no camping within 16 miles of this and it was just too late to move on to the next site, so two very nice ladies in the Yellowstone lodge, made sure i had a couch to sleep on for the night. Right outside the window was Old Faithful, so i had a great view of the whole show.

The highs and lows:

Priest river - Thompson Falls = 191km
Thompson Falls - Missoula = 163km
Missoula - Darby = 114km
Darby - Dillon = 194km

Right the highs, I believe so far the highest pass was yesterday at 7360 feet known as " Big Hole Pass". So that was a good lung opener. But it was only one of 4 passes i went over yesterday, not in too quick a succession as i was on the bike for 194km. The lowest was 6760feet and is known as badger pass. In the middle of the passes then a huge plain opens up where there was a big battlefield from the 'big hole battle' between indians and the army.
 I am now well on my way out of Montana and should be out by tomorrow at some stage, taking it a little easier today heading for Ennis, and just been through Nevada city a ghost town here in Montana. When i got to Dillon last night there was exactly 1400km on the clock so moving along nicely. Of course the other highs are the temperatures where it is getting up to the low 90's some days. So i am taking a colour well of course, and the tan is coming along nicely. The phone coverage is very bad, it would have done me a lot of good if getting attacked by one of the local grizzlies, cougars or wolves that they have roaming around here, to be ringing emergency services for help. Huge wildfires happenning here at the moment too. First saw them on my way down from Missoula, by the Bitterroot river, billowing smoke, now more of them have taken off with the winds (thankfully no real headwind of note so far) and are blazing through thousands of acres of forestry. Apparently one has already taken around 30,000 acres so far. Been to Hope Idaho, beautiful spot overlooking the Pend Oreille lake, Paradise Montana, where it was far from it sounds, and a bite of lunch in Wisdom, in the hope of some enlightment.
Montana is real cowboy country, the bigger the trucks the better, the larger the camper or motor home the better, and now that hunting season is on, you have to have a few quadbikes on the back of all that, or a raft, or as one truck i saw driving down the road had strapped to the roof a Deer head. The truck had been white before said deer head was placed on top. Huge plains, with big mountains on either side of the long valleys, with cattle, and round bales of hay covering the valley floors. Passing through a few indian reservations along the way and a lot of historical points along the way. Spotted a Black Bear on the railway tracks around Dixon and a few Moose aswell. But the place is worse than home for deer. They put up signs saying what it has cost so far in the year for damage to cars when they have hit animals as a warning to slow down.
Enjoyed a nice dip in Jackson Hot Springs yesterday and got back on and did 40 someting more miles after it, so it must have been good, should be getting to see 'old faithful' in a few days so might have to take another there. Still seeing a few cyclists but all heading west, must have missed the memo on that one. People are still letting me know that i left it late in the season, but the temperature is just about right during the day for me. A few good microbreweries opened here to clear the dust off the tonsils at the end of the day.

Oh yeah i mentioned lows, there was ice on my tent this morning, and there was supposed to be some snow in the higher peaks of West Yellowstone earlier in the week. So i might have to pull out the thermal pyjamas... and the saddle sores are slow to heal... anything for a bit of sudocreme

Made it to Idaho

Colville-Priest River ID, 167.3km
Undulating, but mainly uphill out of Colville, a large plateau along the top and then back down again. Up on top there was Crystal falls and S fork mill Creek where it seems is the spot to be for hunting, and killing anything. Where i ate breakfast,must have paid for some taxidermist second home. People shooting around on quad bikes and hunting season just started. Plenty deer around. Stioll looking for a bear though, even leaving food by my neighbours tent at night, but still no sign

Tonasket-Colville. 155.5km

There wasn't much warming up into it as after 10 minutes of leaving Shannon's i was on an upward slope to Wauconda for breakfast. Met a few more cyclists heading west in Republic. They had started in Florida, up the east coast, across the top and were going to head back down the west. To be fair here, they make the roads long heading up and down, no sudden turns, just a long slow incline to get up these big passes, and most roads so far have great hard shoulders to cycle in. After they pointed out a small bakery and i supplied myself with a sandwich, i was heading for the top of the Sherman pass, another one over the 500ft marker. On my way down i came to road works where they tried to carry my bike for 6 miles over the recently sprayed road. but that wasn't going to happen as i am cycling across the US, not the US minus 6miles in Washington where i got a lift. Crossed over the Columbia river, and travelled on to Colville. A beer from the neigbours in the caravan next door was a good way to finish it off. Great to have so many randomers waving, and giving the thumbs up on the road.A lot of places advertising rodeo on Labor day weekend, but not much else to do if sticking around.

Winthrop-Tonasket. 129.7km

Left Winthrop heading for Twisp, where i got a bite, before gearing up for the Loup Loup pass. Through more woodland, bear warnings, and dead snakes on the road, over the top and then getting hit by a very dry heat as i entered a huge fruit growing area, just before Okanodan.Great to just stop by the fruit sheds on the side of the road and have the pick of apples, peaches, nectarines etc. Pushed on through Riverside, and enjoyed a great nights sleep in front of Shannon's restaurant after finishing into a headwind to Tonasket

Rockport-Winthrop. 164.61km

After a few adjustments to make myself a bit more comfortable, i had a few easy miles to ease back into it. Passing by blueberry fields and places selling muffins and ice cream for breakfast was too good to pass up. After Newhalem there are three dams on the skagit river. The higher two are Diablo, and Ross lake which reaches up to the canadian border. A steady climb up Rainy pass at 4855ft and then onto the Washington pass at 5477ft. But with all the climbing there was one great drop for 7miles to Mazuma, an area that is known for cross-country skiing in winter and where many have second homes from Seattle. Finished up at Winthrop, where i got a bed for the night after asking Tom Sullivan for directions.It was the second mention after the bike shop i heard of warmshowers.com. He and his wife, Carolyn, have done a lot of adventure cycling themselves.

From the beginning

After spending 2 days around Seattle to get everything ready to go, i eventually got moving at 1.15pm on monday. I left Everett, after dipping my bike into the Pacific ocean, and got on the road. The first few roads were busy enough getting out of the city, but once i hit the 530, it all quietened down. As i started eastward there was a slight increase in height, and every now and then just a hint of a few decent hillse. By the end of the first day i was pedaling through pure logging country, huge steep sided valleys, covered in cedar and douglas fir and lumber factories interspersed throughout. Interesting sign outside a church said how there was going to be a meeting to discuss 'end of days' prophecies, so we must be good till tomorrow, not so sure about after that.
Day 1: Everett-Arlington-Darrington-rockpoint. 117km on the clock.