Campground East of Diablo Lake to Concrete, Washington

After awaking from a near comatose state after all of yesterday's passes, I could hardly walk.  It is not that my legs were particularly sore, was more like they were stumps bracing my body up!  I started a breakfast of freeze dried eggs...YUCK!  I made coffee for the Goggin family and they reciprocated by feeding me pancakes...YUM!!!
After passing through the towns of Diablo and Newhalem I arrived in Marblemount and consumed a HUGE breakfast which I followed up with two servings of freshly baked, warm, blackberry pie served with ice cream. I was about to order a third helping of blackberry pie when the waitress made the comment that she hadn't seen anybody eat that much food in a long time... I sheepishly paid my bill and wished that I had gone ahead and ordered a third helping of pie!!  It seems with all this peddling, I just can't get enough food into my body. Between the need for calories and hydration, my poor body is taking a beating.
I bicycled on to Rockport where there were no services, so had to travel on to Concrete. Very hot and exhausting day so I did less than 50 miles. Checked into a hotel, washed my clothes in a creek, will go to bed as soon as they're dry, and I plan to hit the road very early tomorrow to avoid the heat. It is 59 miles to Anacortes, where I plan to head south on Highway 20 to Whidbey Island, where I will catch the ferry to the mainland just north of Seattle. At that point my adventure will be over. So it is Anacortes tomorrow and completion of the trip the day after.

Speerson's Chinese Laundry

Okanogan through North Cascade Mountains

Carlton Complex Fire, Washington
59% contained 250,514 acres burned

It has been an incredible couple of days. I was able to arrange a shuttle through the fire area. The devastation was stunning and ranchers took tremendous losses in livestock and buildings. Unfortunately, there's a lot of bitterness because firefighters were limited to certain areas in which they could combat fires. As a result, I'm told some disobeyed orders and fought the fires anyway while others were not able to do so. In any event, the destruction is terrible and I'm not really certain what actually transpired with regards to the politics of firefighting. It is such a sore topic that I was reluctant to bring it up.

The destructive forces of the fires are simply amazing. The fire is still only 55% contained, hot embers remain, this coupled with hot weather and winds places a very high risk of flareups. Forest Service told me they could not stop me on this portion of the trip but highly recommended that I avoid it. I did not avoid it but I did catch a shuttle.  Once through the area there was Washington Pass, Rainy Pass, and high winds once I got to the other side. I actually had to pedal downhill and stopped to camp at the very first campground I came to. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking! This is one of the prettiest areas I've ever visited, whether on bicycle or in an automobile.

My trip is coming to a close, and I expect that I only have two days left before I am in Seattle. Through the kindness and hospitality of so many, I truly have fallen in love with our country again. America is alive and well!

Lee and Cheryl

Nurses from Tucson, AZ, assisting with health needs during the fire.  Winthrop, WA

North Cascade Mountains, WA

Continues to be a hard grind but BEAUTIFUL!!!

 The wind is blowing so hard that it requires peddling DOWN HILL!!  Darn!

Not as high as Sherman but STEEP!

RAINY PASS ~ the a last one...ON TO THE COAST!!

Elise

 She keeps the gardens beautiful in Newhalem

Unbounded beauty on the road to Marblemount,WA

Skagit River

 Now this model has one burner that is so efficient that it burns what is on the bottom and leaves the top cold, giving that cold crunchy effect that still burns your tongue.  No amenities up here...it is all freeze dried meals...I'm down to two remaining...gourmet dog food or kibbles...which shall it be?  ...hey!!
...is that a juicy chipmunk over by my bike??  "Here little chipmunk, come to daddy..."

The Goggin Family

 My neighbors at Lake Diablo

Omak Rock

Steady as the Middle East