Drier Territory

I have now completed 242 miles in four days of riding (one abbreviated day and three full days). I definitely feel like I'm making good progress. After that much riding, my legs are getting a bit sore. They started out that way this morning, but once I started spinning the pedals on my bike, I felt better. I was able to complete a respectable 70 miles, starting in the town of Twisp, going over Loup Loup Pass (4020'), through the towns of Okanagan, Omak, Riverside, and Tonasket, plus I completed the first 1000' vertical feet of Wauconda Pass at the end of the day. I'll finish Wauconda Pass tomorrow morning and then tackle Sherman Pass (5575'). Much of the terrain today felt very much like Colorado. It also warmed up quite a bit into the mid-90's this afternoon.

I included a picture of one of the Washington State Highway 20 signs in this entry. Highway 20 has been my route from Anacortes to my current location. And I will stay on it all the way to the Idaho State Line. I have been on secondary roads that paralleled Highway 20 some of the time, though I've never strayed very far from Highway 20.

Washington State Highway 20 sign outside Twisp.

I just thought this was a pretty view as I climbed a hill out of Twisp this morning.

Ready for a long descent into Okanagan.

Apple orchards just outside Okanagan.

Yes, that dark green line in the middle of the picture is a cornfield.

I did see a couple deer and a couple Gambel's quail today. They were all too fast for me to get pictures of them. I thought the quail were especially cool since I've never seen them in the wild before. I also saw a roadkill fawn and just a short while later, a roadkill coyote...oh, and some roadkill skunks; even though I could have taken pictures of them, I opted not to. (You're welcome.)

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