Days 3 and 4!

Day 3 (yesterday) - Vantage, WA to Odessa, WA - 85.4 miles, 6:57

I know why the restaurant in Vantage is called "Blustery's." The wind kept most of the riders awake all night long! I think I slept a little bit, and some didn't sleep at all, but sleep or no sleep, we rode hard that day.

This is the first day that we all left in a big pack, following Daniel (our ride leader) in the big truck across the I-90 bridge and up the hill on the opposite bank of the Columbia. The bridge is fairly narrow, so this was a way to keep us all safe.

At the top of the cliff, we could see the statues of horses in the distance. Did you know that Grant County is the nation's leading producer of potatoes? Now you know.

I rode with Barb and James (from Michigan) for much of the morning. It was flat, cool, and very enjoyable.

Thank goodness for McDonalds in Ephrata. I didn't have to use the field. Yes, for THAT. I haven't yet, but my time will come . . . and there will be no photographic evidence.

Not long after I left Ephrata (I was pedaling solo at this point), I saw a chalk sign on the side of the road. "Ice cream ahead." Daniel was handing out ice cream cones at one of the water stops. Rocky road!

After that, I rode with Janet (from Whidbey Island) and Sam (from Olympia) for the rest of the afternoon. We used any excuse we could find to stop and give our sore rear ends a break. "Look, a bird!" "Oh, I want to photograph that cliff." It was a long, hot ride into Odessa. This was definitely the most difficult day so far, but the reaction of the folks in Odessa made it worth it. "You guys are amazing!" I felt more tired and sore than amazing, but that was nice.

Some views of the route:

After a stop at the store for some refreshing chocolate milk, it was up the hill to the high school, where we set up our tents in the field. (Big Riders like to set up their tents in an orderly fashion. I like that!)

Dinner was at the Odessa HS cafeteria.
Day 4 (today) - Odessa, WA to Spokane, WA - 79.3 miles, 5:32

This was the best day, so far!

It was a chilly, but beautiful morning when we left Odessa. Not long into the ride, I could feel that the clip on my left shoe was getting loose. Fortunately I saw Nick (our mechanic, from Maryland) by the side of the road, so he worked on it for awhile. I hobbled over to the other side of the road, one shoe off, one shoe on, to take a picture. (Nick is second from the left, then Barb, Janet, and Jim, from Illinois.)

I rode with Barb, Janet, and Sam, then later with Janet, Sam, and Ash and Pauline (from Vancouver, BC). Ash did the ride a few years ago, and is doing it again with Pauline, his wife. We had heard from one of the other riders about a great place for milkshakes in Davenport, and when we got there, Ash knew exactly where it was. I scarfed down a sub sandwich, then shared a blackberry milkshake with Janet. There's nothing better on a hot day. (L to R: Pauline, Ash, Janet, Sam)

We are given cue sheets every morning that tell the directions for that day's ride. Beside the directions are notes, such as, "Caution - use care when crossing to left lane in traffic." One of the notes said "Begin gradual 9 mile climb after town." The slope of this hill was almost non-existent. I, the tortoise-like rider that I am, was going 15-16 mph "up" this "hill." Near Spokane we encountered some real hills, and they were not on the cue sheet!

Moral: Take all cue sheet notes with a grain of salt!


Some views as we neared Spokane:
Sam:Chad and Greg (from Nebraska):

We're staying in dorms at Gonzaga University, and tomorrow is a rest day!! Time for laundry, runs to REI for much-needed items, and time to SLEEP IN!