Date: 10 June Sunday (Day 7)
Starting Point: Republic, WA
Ending Point: Colville, WA
Via: Sherman Pass, Kettle Falls
Mileage: 53.7
Time: 6:14
Mph: 8.6
Terrain: mountainous
Temperature High: 75
Temperature Low: 49
Cooks: Linda and Tim
Food: Roast chicken with rice, salad and cantaloupe
Weather: mostly sunny, breezy, cool over the pass
Lodging: Stevens County Fairgrounds
Cumulative Mileage: 363.1
Miles to Go: ≈3,936.9
The alarm clock for this morning was quite effective: Rich and Dave were arguing at 6:15 in the field next to our tents about the constitutionality of the bill that Congress passed that allowed Bush to invade Iraq. I was awakened by the words, "it's not in the Constitution." Everyone was soon up.
Other than that dramatic entry into the day, this was an uneventful day except for the steep climb up Sherman Pass. What was so impressive this time up the pass was that I got to enjoy it with other people in the group. One rider spotted a small brown bear crossing the road while he was on his way up the pass. In Kettle Falls, it was really an uplifting experience to be able to know where a specific turn was that I missed three years ago.
As we were nearing the end, we were riding in a group of six riders and we spotted a young girl selling lemonade. I got the impression she liked having a good rush hour of bicycles passing by her front door.
We met two riders(on a tandem), Hans and Elly, who used to be Dutch citizens but now are New Zealanders.What was so striking about their cross-country ride was just how light they were traveling. I came away feeling pretty much like a truck with all my gear.
Today Anne rejoined us despite her doctor’s advice to wait another week.
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