The quiet night creekside actually was pretty dry, but before we could rouse ourselves from our sleeping bags... a downpour. Then, by the time we were about ready for our second cup of coffee and letting our oats cook, it had stopped. Bonus. Timing of the rain has really been on our side! So other than packing away a wet tent, it wasn't too bad.
We hooked up with Dennis from Boston (it was his day 8 or 9 and he's planning on doing the whole route from Banff, AB, to Antelope Wells at the US/Mexico border) for most of the day's ride, which involved some a pretty, moderate maze of dirt and gravel logging roads with, yes, ups and downs, but nothing too excessive--or at least not worthy of a google map elevation profile with a grade percentage warning...
Day 3: Cedar Creek camp to Clearwater Lake camp - 48.4 miles, 7.5 average speed. With various stops, an 8.5 hour day.
During one of the early climbs, we came around a corner and --- there again, a young brown bear at the side of the trail ahead. Alaine was again up in front (she's afraid to get too slow on the hills because she might tip over, and I'm afraid of bears--at least ones that might want to turn me into bear poo). She made noise (frantic lalalalalas then jiggling her bear bell) and the bear ran off. Thankfully, no protective mama bear visible. But later, when we were going through some grassy single track, I saw something up ahead and said, "Wait! That's moving." And Alaine pulled out Finnian's old camp whistle/compass and started blowing like mad while I got some snaps. The big black finally turned around and toddled off.
That little black dot is a big bear (really)
The day gave us some awesome forest roads, rushing creeks, lush understories towered by fir and pine trees, hard but doable ups and fun downs on solid gravel. Damn fun, especially when we got into the fast range/ ranch area. Alaine doesn't like to go downhill too fast, but she enjoys when she can pedal fast and in control.
After Dennis left us once we reached Highway 83 we went on toward Holland Lake and got some great views of the Mission Mountains to the west and Swan Mountains to the east beyond which we rode on to reach our destination of Clearwater Lake. Throughout the day we'd seen many colorful blooms, but some white puffy-headed ones made us marvel the most. And then we came upon a plateau-like area where the Dr. Seuss (on happy pills) plants were in crazy abundance.
We did have to push (yes, push) up a short stretch of dense understory single track ala Chuckanut's most difficult (a connector between forest roads), so Alaine had to retract her argument that we didn't have to train on the squirrley trails of the Chuckanuts. I certainly wasn't expecting it either, because of the wide roads we had been having, but, thankfully, it was a short push/heft and not pouring rain at the time.
We reached the Clearwater Lake trailhead and coasted/walked our loaded bikes to lakeside where we found a spot for the tent -- perhaps too close for comfort for two canoe camping women but we weren't about to push further along the lake (and no nice lake access) after a 48 mile day.
A pair of nesting loons serenaded us to sleep. They also called back and forth to wake us the next morning. Well, the pelting morning rain made its noise too. But that was short lived, while the loons kept on through coffee and breakfast and breaking camp.
ph & ab
No comments:
Post a Comment