RedSpoke Day Two

Skykomish to Lincoln Rock

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Seems that the trains run by about every hour in Skykomish. Our tent was probably 100 feet or more from the track but it seemed like the track went right through our tent. The roar of the deisel was only outdone by the deafening bellow of the four horns as the train said hello to us each hour. Needless to say 5:00 a.m. came very early. Breakfast was tasty and included eggs, sausage and potatoes but I made sure not to eat too much. As we got ready to leave, Brett identified another flat on his rear tire and quickly replaced the tube. The ride up the pass started quickly as we left Skykomish. As the grade approached 6% to 7% I found myself slipping into my granny gear and gutting it out. It was 17 miles to the top so it was going to be a long slog. I wore my summer sleeveless jersy and was quite comfortable most of the way as temperatures were in the 60's. My pace was 5 mph to 6 mph. Brett and a lot of the others were riding up at 8 mph to 10 mph at least at the start. I missed the first alternate route up the pass which was the old Cascade Highway. It had less traffic and was a lot more scenic than straight up Highway 2. I caught the SAG stop half way and did the 2nd alternate route the last 8 miles. Brett was way ahead of everyone and blew by both alternate routes and the SAG stop without stopping. Quite impressive. I think he was at the top at least 45 minutes before everyone else. We reached the top and took pictures (I'll get from Brett and post a few). After a short break we started down the pass toward Leavenworth. It was a great downhill ride although not as steep as our ride up, only 2% to 3% grade. We didn't get up to top speed but probably averaged 35 mph for several miles as we headed down. The ride along the Wentacee River was very scenic with spectactular views of white water heading down the canyon. In Leavenworth we took a break, had something to eat and then headed out. Not a block from the SAG stop Brett had another flat on the rear tire. This was surprising since we'd replaced both tires and tubes on both wheels with new equipment. This time we checked the rim tape and found a small hole that apparently was causing all the flats. We took it to Scott, the mechanic and he replaced the rim tape and we were off. The ride to Lincoln Rock was fast and hot. At Lincoln we had a cold beer and jumped in the Columbia River to cool off before dinner. The dinner was the best of the trip with salmon, chicken and pasta, with ice cream for dessert. We played cards a little and then headed to bed since breakfast was set for 5 a.m.