Republic to Omak, Washington

It was a brutal 66 miles from Republic to Omak.  My day started at 4:30 AM leaving Republic and tackling the Wauconda Pass first thing in the morning. Brutally cold, brutally steep, and incredibly beautiful until starting down the other side of the pass.  

Shortly after summitting I entered the little town of Wauconda...consisting of one building:  The Wauconda Cafe and Store where I met Debbie Epps and Maddie Love who opened their store early in order to make breakfast for me. Ladies, you're the greatest!
 

Reg and Gina

From there I continued on to Tonasket where it grew consistently warmer as I was drawn deeper into the Okanogan Valley where I met two teachers motorcycling down from Canada.  Great people, and they made the comment that they always like traveling in the United States because people are so outgoing and it is easy to strike up conversations, which is seemingly not the case in Canada. From my Canadian experience I encountered no such problem, but then again I can strike up a conversation with a lamp post.
 

Riverside, WA

The Okanogan Valley is known for its orchards and high temperatures.  I for one can attest to the high temperatures. It was hot, hot, hot!  By the time I reached Riverside I was out of water, out of energy, and on fire! It was a tough 10 miles to bicycle on to Omak where I am staying at the Stampede Motel for a whopping $39 a night. Clean, well run, with accommodating and helpful proprietors, this is the best deal in town! Perfect spot for the night after a very hard day. Wish me luck as I will be traveling through the fire zone tomorrow. I'm attempting to locate a shuttle because with hot weather, high winds, and glowing embers another fire is a real possibility, as I learned from my firefighting days in Colorado during summer break from University.

Veterans Memorial in Tonasket

I'm getting close to my end point... I feel like an old nag who has the bit in her mouth and is heading for the barn....