Season 4 Episode 1 (7/19-7/21) Funny how luck works

Season 4 Episode 1 (7/19-7/21) Funny how luck works – 

7/19/24.

While thousands of flights globally were being cancelled, including the departure at the gate next to ours, we flew without a hitch from Newark airport to Seattle. We didn’t even know of the mass software glitch until my sister texted us shortly before boarding. Count ourselves lucky!

On the plane, I watched the seat back screen and our flight path cross over our intended bike route: Lake Erie, Wisconsin, Minneapolis, Fargo, Bismarck, Great Falls. I marveled how in 6 hours we could fly across what it would take us 10 weeks to cycle. I guess that I have flown hundreds of times, but never before thought of the progress we’ve made in travel time from the era of the covered wagon - until today.

I also thought software glitches don’t stop analog bikes from riding.

Day “zero” logistics ran smoothly according to plan: flight on time, transfer to rental car, drive to Bellingham bike shop, bikes reassembled. (Well the bike repairs were not according to plan but a minor glitch.)

In fact at Enterprise rental car, when they saw we were challenged fitting both bikes into our vehicle, they gave us a free upgrade to a truck. Count ourselves lucky.

Heather even forgave me for dropping the 55 pound bike box on her foot.

*     *     *

7/20/24 Bellingham, WA to Concrete, WA. 57 miles.

As we checked out of the Coachman Inn to begin our ride out of Bellingham, we learned State Road 20 (SR 20), our route for the next week, had been closed for fire fighting 2 days ago but reopened 24 hours later. I again counted ourselves lucky but now started to worry about this luck spell. I knew from my younger years as a backgammon and card player that luck runs both ways. I wondered when and how would it balance out?

We rode a short distance to Boulevard Park for the customary rear tire dip into the waters of Bellingham Bay.

Will we really make it to dip our front tires into New York’s Long Island Sound and what will change within us over this journey?

Our first 18 miles or so were along the very scenic Chuckanut Drive, where the Cascade Mountains fall off into the sea.

View from Chuckanut Drive.

It soon became flat riding through farmland and our first glimpse of snowcapped peaks to our east.

The Cascades and what we would soon be riding towards.

The town name is from the cement factory that ran 1892-1966 that helped build local dams.

Concrete, WA Main Street

We spent our first night in the town of Concrete, WA, population 794. The Cascade Mountain Lodge on the outside had seen better days but our renovated room had a hot shower with terrific pressure - better than my home! This journey was off to a great start. (Don’t judge a motel by its exterior is an important lesson.)

*     *     *

7/21/24 Concrete to Colonial Creek Campground in Cascades NP. 45 miles.

Perfect temperature riding east into the Cascades on SR 20.

Lunch stop in Marblemount, population 198 and one of them made me a great grilled salmon salad.

Because there would be no places to buy food, we stocked up on tonight’s dinner and tomorrow’s breakfast and lunch - that plus our camping gear made this the heaviest load with which we have ever cycled. BTW sign is wrong as 12 miles later is a general store that is last food stop.

Yes we take touristy photos.

An antique. I asked an 8 year old boy if he knew what this was. Reply: no.

Newhalem, WA gazebo called Temple of Power that honors the area’s hydroelectric importance.

This is when you pray your bike lights are strong enough to be seen and are charged.

Diablo Dam in Upper Skagit River.

Diablo Dam holding back the Skagit.

We arrived at Colonial Creek Campground around 2:30pm nice and early to set up camp and enjoy exploring. This was our first time camping just the two of us in 29 years.

Heather working hard to inflate our air mats.

Abundant bear warnings. All food and any scented toiletries stored here.

Among the risks I think about, I don’t worry about bears. Though the article I read 10 days ago about the rabid bear that threw a hiker 400’ off a cliff did stay in my head. 

Heather in 50 degree glacial waters of Colonial Creek.

We were enjoying the magnificent setting and heading back to our site when we met a Park Ranger. (Well, truth be told, she met us to admonish me for being too close to the geese. A fact I figured out on my own when a goose turned to me and hissed at me.) She told us of the bad news. Highway 20 was closed again due to fire!

This sucks!

I was well aware of fire risk in the western states and had tracked fires for years in my professional role as an operator of tours and adventures out west. For the past 3 months planning this trip I’d thought about it. Our friend Seth was cycling cross country a few years ago when he left Seattle and only got as far as Spokane, WA before fires cut him off. He then had to fly from Spokane east to Minneapolis, then ride back in a westward direction as far as he could to Montana. So I thought about him and how did he pivot and what an emotional low that must have been.

I was despondent. Probably the lowest of my lows in 3 previous cross country rides. I knew this was beyond my control and could only hope the road closure would be like last week and re-open in 24 hours. But hope is not a strategy.

What next as we had 3 meals worth of food, no internet, 12 miles ride back to a general store, and no idea how many days this would be? A detour by car would be an inconvenience of several hours but by bike it would be several days.

7/20 Bellingham to Concrete

7/21 Concrete to Colonial Creek

Copyright Mark Segal 2024.