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| Volcanoes of Washington Bike TourSeptember 10 - September 23, 2003 |
Breakfast at the Birchfield Manor started with excellent granola served in petite little bowls as a sort of appetizer. I had been craving a simple breakfast and inhaled the granola. The rich food we were eating was starting to take its toll. I was feeling bloated and slow. I should have just had a few more bowls of granola, but instead joined in with the others and had the eggs, potatoes and bread. It was very good, but too rich compared to my normal bowl of whole grain cereal.
The day started out with us making a wrong turn in the first 0.1 mile. The route directions said to turn left at the stop sign on Nob Hill Rd. Well, there's now a traffic light on State Route 24. Small detail. Since we were the last to leave once again, the van was just behind us and Mark and Kate pointed us in the right direction.
On the way out from Yakima Kerie and I stopped to check out the Indian Painted Rocks. We could walk right up to the paintings that were very exposed and vulnerable. The area should be more controlled as the paintings are irreplaceable.
We passed many apple and pear orchards with trees loaded with ripe fruit. The large wooden harvest boxes were scattered below the trees waiting to be filled by the migrant workers. Lunch was in the small town of Naches in the town park. After lunch there was a gradual climb along the Naches River, with cars zipping by at around 60 mph. The wide shoulder helped.
Gradually we rode into an area of large evergreens as we approached Whistlin' Jack Lodge in the Wenatchee State Forest. Whistlin' Jack's is an interesting, older lodge probably catering to fishermen and road tourists. The rooms all smell of heavy cigarette smoke, but the rooms had large picture windows overlooking the Naches River. I took a quick dip in the jacuzzi while others grabbed a quick beer.
I spent a little time sitting next to the pay phone sketching the lodge. While I was sitting there a couple of hunters pulled up in an old camper to use the phone. “Tell him to be sure to bring some tequila.” Glad we weren't camping next to them that night. Afterwards Kerie and I met Harry Cooper, the #1 Dishwasher for the Lodge who was fascinated with my Bike Friday. I had another filling dinner of rainbow trout, vegetables, salad, rolls and some pumpkin pie.