Day 85: Beginning of the End

Last state. Last map.

Twelve states down, one to go! Eleven maps down, one to go! While we still have hundreds of miles and several mountain passes between us and the coast, it does seem the end is much closer than the beginning.

Along the Pend Oreille

We woke up this morning to a freshly brewed pot of coffee thanks to Judy. We both enjoyed a couple mugs while chatting with Judy and Steve and getting ready for the day. They recommended we take route two out of town instead of back roads, which saves almost ten miles, we were sold.

The route today closely followed the Pend Oreille River. It would sometimes hug the shore very closely and sometimes head into the woods a bit. It went through a few towns, mostly in the morning. We stopped for snacks about fifteen miles in at a gas station with shady benches and then for lunch at a Mexican restaurant in Newport, which we’d gone slightly off route to in order to get a Washington sign (they’re only really on main roads if at all).

After Newport, the roads were much quieter. Which also means minimal towns. We stopped for a rest break at a state park with nice shade and views. Then again at a picnic pavilion at the community center on the Kalispel Resevation. The Kalispel are one of the few native tribes who have not been displaced from their original land, though it is much much smaller than it once was.

We saw a point of interest on the map a few miles further down, so figured we might as well stop and check it out. It was a grotto up a small hill in a cliff side. It looks like the interior has been used for ceremonies as there is an alter in the center.

We rolled into the campground and found a shady site near the river. MJ went for a swim while I got settled. We had a mixed bag of a dinner. We optimistically got a bay salad in Newport, which may have pushed the limits of how far in advance one will survive on a bike tour. It was mostly fine, though a bit warm and not quite crispy/crunchy. However, the chicken and rice in gravy was pretty tasty and the level of effort super minimal.

Tomorrow, we’ll head over a mini mountain pass. Hopefully we survive it okay 🤞.