Day 1- Anacortes to Newhalem

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I’m typing at the end of day three since our 4g has not been robust enough and there’s no wi-fi. We dipped our rear wheels in Pacific waters as the ritual demands and headed eastward. An inauspicious beginning, my rear tire was flat but Mike (our B&B host) quickly fired up his commercial compressor and we did enough to get rolling. Also typical of Day 1 uncertainties, we got off track several times so didn’t make blazing time. Our goal, as stated, was to make Newhalem (a hydro plant for Seattle Light) by 5 and we rolled in a little after 4 to the first drops of a drizzling rain. We gorged on junk food from the general store and pedaled back to our campground for the night. I’m sure we’ll get better at setting up the tent etc. but all things considered it went fairly smoothly. I fought with replacing my rear tire since it continued to slow leak all day requiring several stops to top it off. In the rain and besieged by mosquitos, I struggled and eventually wrestled the new tube into submission and Maja and I both settled in for a cold, rainy evening, raindrops percussing on our tent fly. Tomorrow our goal is Twisp but the challenge will be Rainy and Washington passes.

With a tip of the hat, let the games begin!

with_a_tip_of_the_hatHere we are on the eve of our grand adventure, staying at the Gateway Bed and Breakfast in Anacortes, WA. Thanks to Bernie and Joyce Zeldow for putting us up last night in Seattle and for driving us up here this morning.  Our bikes were reassembled and ready for us at the Skagit Cycle Shop and a shakedown mini-ride shows all systems ready to go.  Our first day is planned to to be 85 miles or so to Newhalem, WA, and the campground there. A full dinner tonight should get our engines ready to fly and we’ll head out early AM in hopes of making Newhalem before the sandwich shop there closes at 5. Weather forecast is clear and sunny so it’s off we go!