Tour Wrap Up - I'm Hooked

Ok, so I am four days out from the end of the ride. Have had some time to decompress and ponder the accomplishment. Just to recap the ride...

Day 1: Newhalem to Winthrop

75 miles, 6500 feet of climbing
Two mountain passes; Rainy and Washington
Weather: Sunny, temps 55 to 75
Winds: none significant until the east side of Washington Pass, gusty to 15 mph, impeded progress for about 15 miles
Day Suffering Scale: 9 of 10

Day 2: Winthrop to Chelan

64 miles, 1600 feet of climbing
Weather: Sunny, temps 60 to 80
Winds: light
Day Suffering Scale: 5 of 10

Day 3: Chelan to Wenatchee

38 miles. 800 feet of climbing
Weather: Cloudy, rain/thunderstorms threatening, 55 to 75
Winds: none until 5 miles out of Wenatchee and all hell breaks loose - tough to keep bike up and on course!
Day Suffering Scale: 4 of 10

Day 4: Wenatchee to Cle Elum

64 miles, 4120 feet of climbin
One mountain pass: Blewett
Weather: Cloudy, rain/thunderstorms threatening, 55 to 65
Winds: none until the thunderstorm busted my chops about 8 miles out of Cle Elum!
Day Suffering Scale: 7 of 10

Totals:

Miles: 241
Total Climbing: 13,020 feet!
Terrains: Mountains, high passes, central WA scab lands, river valleys, orchard country
Hours in the Saddle: 30
Est. calories expended: 30,000
Mechanical Issues: none
Flats: 0

Enough on the statistics. What was it like to ride this trip? Fun, good, awesome and a lot of work at times. Oh I forgot to mention - sometimes with a bit of fear mixed in.

The first day was brutal.

It was a combination of long distance, high elevations, many hours and a serious test of will. It was not so much an issue of stamina and strength since I trained for the ride for three months and felt never behind the 'fit curve' on the ride, but this day was more of a mental challenge. The mountain passes made you feel a bit exposed and isolated. There was no connection to the 'outside world' and if I could not make it... what was I going to do? I retrospect, I worried too much but when you're knee deep in the slog, tired and you should have been into the destination hours ago - you get to a worrying. As I said on the original day 1 post - I was very glad to run into other cycle tourists and we rode the last 35 miles together. Ahhh, strength in numbers! And you can draft off of one another too! It must look funny to see four loaded down touring bikes in a pace line! The other interesting thing is I rode this route on my old Lemond back in 2007 and was tired, but felt much better. I think the difference was this time I was on a loaded touring bike (um yah, likely 25-30 pounds heavier!).

I got into Winthrop at 7:00 pm and immediately went straight to my favorite brew pub - the Old School House Brewery. Ahhh, man I was toast and once I had a pint of beer and after two I was blabbering toasts to all and toasting my toastness! Had some din din and road down the road about 1/4 mile and checked into the Methow River Lodge. This was a very nice place and it felt SO good to be done for the day.

The second day was a nice, pleasant day.

I woke up at 6:00 am based on my planned departure of  7:00 am and the availability of breakfast joints to fuel up for the ride. I was a bit trepidatious for the day, since the day before was a bugger. The day's route topo was a gradual decent from Winthrop along the Methow River, down to the Columbia River and then down stream to Chelan. Yea! Mostly downhill. I say mostly, since there is a final uphill from the Columbia River to Lake Chelan that is about four miles long and pretty steep. Once I started riding, I settled into things after about 10 miles and it was such a pleasant ride. The last grade into Chelan was tough and compounded by blazing sun and heat. Hills are funny that way... on a touring bike, you move so slow on a hill, there is zero wind moving across your body and you just end up stewing in your own juices as you ever so slowly creep across the heated pavement. I arrived in Chelan about 1:30 pm and needed to kill some time before I could check in so I stopped at a coffee shop and had a cold Italian Soda and ended up chatting with a nice guy about my trip. That is the cool thing about touring - meeting people you likely would never have a chance to talk to.Once I was done with my soda, I hopped on the Burro and rode about two more miles to my hotel just in time to take a long nice nap with the a/c blowing!

Third day: A walk in the park.

I woke on the third day to beautiful pre-dawn, partly cloudy skies. The atmosphere was edgy and it looked like t-storms would be part of the days ride. The trip to Wenatchee was only about 38 miles and I was in no hurry to get going because I would arrive way too early into town and would need to find something to occupy myself before I could get into my motel. I strolled down to the hotel's free breakfast and had a nice leisurely meal. When I left town, there was a longish uphill (5 miles) to contend with but then on it was all a gradual river (Columbia) plain downhill to Wenatchee. The air stayed cool and it did not rain on me for the most part. I even stopped and did some site seeing along the way at Wells Dam. It was a nice ride. However, about 5 miles out of Wenatchee, the winds whipped up to a furry and it was so tough to keep the bike going and upright. The gusts must have been 25-30 MPH! I also had to negotiate, once in Wenatchee, a crazy town with too many one ways and no bike lanes. Not fun.Once I settled into my room - yes, a nap was taken. Then up on my feet and I strolled downtown to get a bite to eat at McGlinns Public House. Great food, nice atmosphere - but by this day (#3) I was starting to miss my wifee poo and pup. Not bad - but just thought she'd like this place with me and having a beer. When I strolled back to the hotel - the sky darkened in light and clouds - storms were coming. When I fell asleep later, big rains pounded Wenatchee. Great, what will tomorrow bring?

Day Four - FINAL PUSH DAY!

This day was the last day of riding and a final push into Cle Elum and to see my support crew who was to meet me for my big finish. The day was going to be somewhat like the 1st day - in the mountains, but not a long and as hard. Today's ride would see me over one more mountain pass - but I was buoyed by the fact I'd see my sweetie at the end. When I woke up - I was pretty nervous to open the curtains and see what the weather was going to be given last nights t-storms. Ease open the curtains... hmmm, not too bad. I see some blue skies but mostly rain soaked clouds. And it was cooler for sure- low 50s. I prep the bike, load the gear and put on my cooler weather clothes and head out. I go15 miles along the Wenatchee river and beautiful apple orchards before the pass starts. Ok, time to bear down. It 25 miles of climbing. I get in a groove and like yesterday, use music from my Iphone to keep the energy up. I climb to the top of Blewett and am so happy! I feel a sense of relief and success is at hand. Just 20 miles away - and its all downhill. I call Jen the minute cell reception gives enough bars to see where we should meet and she is in a heinous thunderstorm going over Snoqualmie Pass and sounds like it ain't no fun. She asks how I'm doing and if  I am getting the same pelting and I said - no, its nice here! But, then I can see, toward the west - storm clouds are coming my way. I start to hammer the Burro so I can beat the storm. I'm 6 miles out and BOOM, the skies open up and it feels like I am being water boarded! I decide I am not going to take the time to put on rain gear, I'll be ok for the last push. Yah, right.By the time I get to Cle Elum, I am soaked to the bone and it is cold and windy. I pull into a warm coffee shop, have two danishes and coffee and Jen pulls up a few minutes later and I made it, she made it, Luna made it and its all DONE! Boy did I feel great! What an accomplishment. Jen and I chatted, walked the Lunaticky and headed over to Suncadia for two days of R&R!

Ok, so what does it all mean?

Would I do this again? Yes.
Was it all fun, shits and giggles? No.
Best part: Meeting new people who you would never have had a change to meet otherwise, completing the long goal and getting in shape!
Worse part: Feeling a bit anxious on the first day, the long slog up Rainy and Washington Pass and missing family.

I learned a lot about myself. I learned I could persevere under some pretty tough conditions. I learned everything in life is one step (pedal) at a time. If you start thinking about that huge, heinous goal or issue, you'll get so overwhelmed by it, you'll never accomplish anything. And finally, I learned I love touring by bike. Its such a neat way to see the country near and distant to you. This morning, I was walking to my car to head to work and a wind russled an Alder tree's leaves and it immediately took me back to the ride and what I would see, hear, smell and feel on the road. Hmmm, when can I head out again on my next trip?