First, the news. Safe and sound and cold as a well diggers ass in Pendleton.
375 miles today.
Well, today was my short day and I couldn't have picked a better day to be short. I ran into my first signifigant weather of the trip today. I thought a thunderstorm just as I got into Boise, ID would have been the worst of it. It was rainy and cold when I stopped for gas so I dug out my long johns and electric vest and put them on. The vest plugs into a receptacle on the bike and heats up electrically. It is fabulous. I learned a lesson today. Now that I'm farther north I'm going to dress for the cold before I start out and then peel off layers as the day goes on if I need to. Remember what I said about a little rain and cold being the worst of it? HA! About an hour outside of Pendleton in a high pass it started snowing on me. I don' t mean just a little. Big, wet, sticky snowflakes. Seemed like the clouds were right down on the ground with me. I was running in and out of them. At one point it was snowing such that it was hard to see and it was building up as ice on my windshield. I was in a quandary. Do I stop? There was no place to stop. My only choice was to keep going. As I was going, judiciously I might add, the road kept getting worse and worse. The thermometer on the bike told me 41F but it felt colder. I was just hoping that the road wouldn't freeze. As it was it was very slushy. I started to stay in the trucks tracks. I guess they are good for something. As I came off the high pass the snow turned to rain and I was never so glad to see rain in my life. The photos are of the view from the parking lot of the motel and of the Chinese restaraunt where I had dinner. Not bad. Not bad at all. The Golden Fountain it was. As long as it wasn't the golden shower.
Tomorrow I'm off to Chilliwack, BC. I plan to cross into Canada at Sumas, Washington.
2 comments:
Sounds like a heck of an exciting (?) ride today, albeit chilly. Glad you had plenty of Mexican fuel in your system to keep you steady on the bike. A nap was definitely in order as you got to Pendleton mid-day. I'm thinking that you're going to find some muscles you didn't realize that you had, in the most unexpected places (and I don't mean the towns). You're a trooper and we're all pulling for you. Glad you're safe, and sound in body and soul. Looks like 53-degrees in Sumas at 9 a.m. and 60 by noon. Should be a beautiful day.
Your plan to dress warmly and then peel off as needed is a good one. The frozen north is a frustrating place for a Texan. Heck, it's May already--shouldn't we be wearing shorts and flip-flops? Stay warm!
Post a Comment