Day 4: Okanogan County is Very Friendly
Descending on a bicycle is some great fun. If you lean forward far enough, you can’t really see your front wheel, so all you get is the road and the wind on your face. At 40 miles and hour it’s quite exhillerating. My bicycle developes a slight wobble when the bags are unballanced though, which can be pretty terrifying at high speeds. The descent from Lone Fir Campground was wobble free, and I was really flying down that hill.
A Trans America Bike Tour has always been a dream of mine. It’s only been a question of when, as a tour that can reach lengths of 4000 miles takes a while. Hearing my dad mention one of his old partners making the trip was my first inspiration. The fact that that partner accomplished the trip on a bike identical to the one hanging in front of my dad and I while he described the journey also helped. Slowly over the last few months the idea became a reality. When I recieved my nod from UW, and some encouragement from my boss I starting gearing up.
In which I travel to Oregon, Yosemite, San Francisco and Mt Rainier, drinking and climbing throughout.
Ian Bloom and I were once joking with each other in Red Rock, Nevada about a certain dope gauge with which one could quantify the radness of one’s life. If I were to have such a gauge, it would have been redlining this entire month. My apologies for keeping people waiting on an update here, I’ve been all over the west coast, climbing, hiking, drinking, climbing some more, and now bicycle touring. Lets start at the beginning:
Audrey Alholm takes us on a rampaging 45 mile trail running enduro sufferfest in Yosemite Valley.
The forecast was pretty bleak this weekend in The Valley, with rain and cold all day Saturday. I was determined to get out however, and so was Audrey and thus The A Team was formed. We made our caffienated way out to the great glacial church Saturday morning chasing thunderheads all the way east. We made a significant pitstop for cherries and strawberries somewhere near Oakdale.
It loved to happen, in which I take a trip to Santa Barbara and Auburn Quarry with transcendent companions throughout.
Train trip! The wonderful Alyssa Rogers had her senior thesis art show “Darkness Becomes You” on wednesday and I took the opportunity to stage a visit to Santa Barbara. Amtrak was largely uneventful except for the radness that was our lead engine.
Andrew Bondesson 