Sedro-Woolley to Wilbur, WA – 15th July 2021
This morning I have a chance for a longer chat with Tamara and Rani. Rani, who I thought was Ronnie for a while as this is what it sounded like, is from Israel and as soon as he says that I realise he has already stayed with some of the people I have, so we seem to be crossing over, he is heading to Seattle and I’m going east.
I was hoping to ride along the WA20 (HWY20) as this is the route I have been recommended, but it is closed just east of Winthrop due to wild fires so I would have to turn around as there is no other route through. After a discussion I decide to head south to pick up the WA2 and follow that eastwards towards Spokane.
It’s really very cold starting out, I am up in the mountains of the Cascade mountain range
The road takes me on up into the mountains and before long I am enjoying the most spectacular views.. and then I see this
Oh I so hope it’s not going to rain.
Around lunchtime I ride past this coffee stop, ohhh that looks interesting so I turn around and pull in.
This stop is dedicated to the area used in the film “Harry and the Hendersons’.. there is a small coffee stand, lots of memorabilia to buy and a shed that is the local Museum of Anthropology. I decide to avail myself of a coffee and a replacement baseball cap. One of the staff asks if I have seen the waterfall, no where is it? Behind the Museum are a few picnic tables and a viewing area from which I can see this amazing waterfall.. it’s called Bridal Veil Falls.
They also have a couple of porta-loos, I have to get a key from the coffee stand. I look in the first one and it is absolutely disgusting, I mean seriously filthy so I try the other one, (the key fits both), well just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse… the second one actually has a used sanitary towel sitting in the urinal… ugh!! I take the key back and quietly tell the women about the toilets, they say it is not their responsibility, someone comes once a week to clean them out; well I think maybe they should come more often.
Back on the bike and I am definitely getting warmer so time to take off some layers… more pretty photographs
and even one with snow still on the cap
Am soon arriving in Skykomish
and travelling along the part of the WA2 called the Stevens Pass highway heading towards Stevens Pass of course. Apparently it is a very popular winter sports area, with many ski runs and resorts.
Looks like there’s another small wild fire up in the trees here too.
Next I am going to visit Leavenworth.. no not the prison… I’m told that this is a little bit of Bavaria in the the Cascades… can’t wait
Seriously beyond kitch, I mean even the street names have been translated into German, it is actually quite authentic looking, just without the Bavarians I presume. The temperature now is ridiculously hot, up in the mid 30’s, hence the delicious Ice cream… yummy.
It’s now getting into mid to late afternoon and I need somewhere to stay tonight. There are no Bunka hosts in the area so a quick look on booking.com is required. I find a place in Wilbur about 100 miles away so another couple of hours at least.
The countryside is getting increasingly brown, the number of trees has reduced dramatically and I am really beginning to smell smoke in the air. I pass through this section and just have to stop for a photo. I’ve never seen graffiti’d rocks before… very random.
Then, a few miles further on I start seeing wild fires up in the tree line. This is the Wanatchee river area and on the wild fire mapping app it is showing as the Red Apple wild fire, not sure why it is called that, but it is right next to the WA2 so I do hope they have not closed the road.
The road then runs north beside the Columbia river and I see fire spotter planes over head and helicopters dipping enormous buckets suspended below them into the river to fill up and take back to the fire area.
Soon after I appear to have gotten past the main fire area and am also moving out of the mountainous region into the plains.
The land becomes progressively flatter and just before Wilbur I am definitely in the plains now… miles and miles of wheat and the wind is picking up too across the flat expanse.
Passing finally through Almira and into Wilbur arriving at my stay for the next 2 nights, I need some alone time.
I have booked a cabin at an RV park, I was not expecting it to be great to be honest, but you know what I am very, very pleasantly surprised. The owners are extremely friendly and helpful, they give me a lift in a little golf cart to move my luggage to the cabin, very much appreciated. I am really looking forward to my stay here, maybe I can catch up the blog because I am really so far behind and of course I need to get my washing done again.
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