Northern Exposure

Poised to climb a mountain, we geared up and galloped out into the day. Smack in the middle of a fruitful valley we were bombarded with signs for growers large and small. Cherries were the main sell and not being able to resist them any longer, we pulled over. Just from the cooler, the Raniers  were cold and juicy. We entertained ourselves through the rest of the dry heat by scarfing down the cherries and spitting the seeds into the wind. So fitting that we demolished the Rainier cherries on the way to Mt. Rainier! Route 12 took us along the Natches River where fishermen stood waist deep, angling the waters for trout. An increase in elevation brought trees and refreshing air as we swerved our way upward. A glance over my shoulder caught a white peak. Miles later, Rainier deigned to make another, more open appearance. Flirting with us for miles, this volcanic giant loomed larger at every turn. And we weren't even in the park yet! My "Granny Pass" to the Nati

Even though it's hot, every ride is one to remember. A cool morning teased us with its promise. In long sleeves, we rode out to conquer Steven's Pass. Rascal's odometer clicked over to 77,000 and we laughed at the fact that it took 7000 miles for a 3500 mile trip. We do weave about! Expecting a free ride to the mountains, we were snookered between Sultan and Goldbar by stop and go for an hour, the result of Saturday traffic and 3 lights. Fender to bumper we crawled, the mercury rising by the minute. As all seemingly never-ending situations, it finally passed and we broke loose. Rising in altitude, we rocketed up Route 2, an open four lane climber into the Wenatchee National Forest.  Ascending easily, Rascal made her power known by eating the upward slopes like candy. Green veined mountains clued us in that we were close to the pass, where a popular ski resort sits. At 4000 feet we were ready to slalom down. Our cheese break at a rest stop clogged with hundreds of

I have fallen in love again, but with an old flame.There are so many facets of Washington, that even with its flaws it still is a gem. We experienced all its faces today. In BC we were constantly reminded of fire and had to restructure our routes because of it on several occasions. No mention of it in Washington rode us into our closest encounter yet. The fire cloud that awed us in the night spewed smoke and ash into the valley in the morning. The fire appeared to be in our planned direction, but we took off anyway,  expecting to be turned back at any point. Never reaching the road, the smoke gave us passage and then disappeared in an instant as we rode through.  Traveling route 20, one of our favorites, we soared out of the desert and into the Northern Cascades. Cool ice capped glaciers abruptly appeared and snow edged the road at points, even though it was 78 degrees. Following the Skagit River, the sinuous road gave Rascal free rein as we rose in elevation and crunched to

It was time to say good-bye to Canada and British Columbia, but we needed to squeeze out one last drop of pleasure before we left. A warm welcome of a day shooed us out of a Merritt onto highway 97c. The ascent into the mountains surprised us with a dramatic drop in temperature. I tucked in behind Jules and shivered gladly in my sleeveless shirt, trying to collect all the cool, knowing that the next valley would snatch it away from me. Invigorated, we ate the curves for breakfast, and scaled the mountain with ease.  The Okanagan Valley stole our chill, but the lake gave us respite as we took our wine and cheese break under a willow tree. Lake Okanagan, 84 miles long, is surrounded by vacationers cooling off from the heat, fruit trees and vineyards. As happy swimmers, kayakers and jet skiers played around us, we relished our moment in the shade. Remembering our ascent into the hellish temperatures of the valley from last year, we savored every breeze from the lake. Out into t

We are running in circles, just to prolong our stay in BC and use up as many roads as we can. Out the door from Pemberton, we relived Route 99. Glaciers in the morning gear you up for the rest of the day and brunch by a sweet spot next to a stream helps even more. Easily we took in the reverse of yesterday's wild ride. At Lillooet, we turned down route 12. The blast furnace opened and and we rode full on into it. The dusty dry smell of trees and undergrowth thirsty for rain filled the air. Waiting tenuously, the forest seemed to stand in dread of any carelessly thrown cigarette or random lightening strike that would explode into instant flames. The heat was so intense, it felt like the parched vegetation might spontaneously combust. Signs warning of avalanche dangers were supported by mountainsides strewn with fallen trees, wiped out by sliding snow. Rivers were clogged with logs and stone slides oozed onto the road. Special avalanche tunnels divert the slides overtop of the