DONE DONE DONE!

From: Victoria, BC
To: Kirkland, WA
via: Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona (ugh!), Utah, Colorado, Wyoming (winds!!!), Montana, Idaho, and Washington again.

And it's done. There was much going on in the last days - including a bit of a home stay on a almost 100% self-sufficient farm with the most adorable alpacas. Oh and Washington Pass has one heck of finishng two mile kick on it. Plus what trans-nation trip is complete without a little pot smuggling tale to round things up courtsey of some of my campsite mates.

There may be more cycling (I still have to get to Vancouver and then to Invermere for my car, some portion I may cycle) but for having to draw the line somewhere - it ends here.

No significant thoughts other than a fairly deep relief that I do not have to bribe myself up another mountain pass (and the three corresponding hours of suffering), that my bottom bracket did not give out, and that I otherwise survived the logging trucks and road construction.

Some bits to remember

best climb: Going to the Sun, Glacier National Park
Worst day: First day in Arizona. I think that was the worse day of cycling in my life. I think it was possibly one of the worst days of cycling in the history of cycling.
Best Descent: 30 odd mile descent from North Rim of Grand Canyone to Kabab (the desert is much better when you don't have to pedal and you can go fast. I think a plane is proabably the best way to see the desert.
Worse descent: Into Lincoln City when it was pournig rain, freezing cold. All the gunk on the roads got kicked up into my eyes so I couldn't see and my glasses fogged, the bob trailer was going boucning all over the place behind me. If joe's tire hadn't flatted, I probably would have stabbed my own.
Bloodiest day: When, in a rush to make Batman, I drop my bike and the big chain ring digs four teeth-sized chunks into my calf. Blood streaming down my leg, I think: well it's not like I have a first aid kit anyway, and limp off to the ticket booth. (I only missed the previews)
Closest I came to quiting: Never really happened. Mostly because the times I was about to lose it, there was no option to quit. Although in Zion National Park, waiting for my tent, I sometimes thought: would it be such a crime to just go home now?
Strangest thing said to me: A guy, after he realized I was with Michael and Joe, asked me if I did all my own pedalling (yes, i replied, i do). Also been asked by a motorist at a stoplight "are you cool?" (Yes, I replied, I am)
Number of other female solo cyclists met: One. (I was also the only one she met)
Number of problems I had as a single female? None.
Most inane song stuck in my head: 'Mary had a little lamb' In desperation, tried to reverse engineering the plot of Cats based on fragments of the soundtrack. Very hard. I have no idea what that musical was about.
Strangest habit: Have started referring to my bicycle and me as 'we' as in 'yes, we did this or saw that'
Would I do it again? Yes, but next time its going to be South America :)

Bye!!!

Republic, WA

Sherman's pass turned out to be epic. And not in a good way. Its 23 mile climb, with, as stated before over 4000 feet of elevation gain - the most of which seem to happen in the last seven miles (UNFORGIVEABLE). What was even worse is that, as far as I could tell, for the last seven miles, there were lots of places a road could have gone that did not involve all this climbing. You'd look around, and everywhere would be going down except the road! I had a lot of rage against the road builder - it got personal. ("why are you doing this to me?!?!?! I hate you!!!!!"). If he'd had suddenly shown up I'd have cheerfully bear sprayed him. Plus it was really cold at top, so on / off with the layers constantly, and still chilled on the descent.

Last night - no the night before last - I shared a campspot with Dan and his wife Jean. They are memorable for how generous they were with their beer, and also because their house had just burnt down that day (Jean told me that it was the first time she'd been able to say the words without crying). I'm not sure what kind of house it was, as it was in a friend's shop, and the shop burnt down. Something about a fifth wheel home? I don't know. But it was very new, had all their photos, etc. of when the kids where babies.

I didn't ask about insurance. From the way Dan said, "we will just start all over again."
It didn't sound like they were expecting a windfall of cash.

Going to hang out in Republic until I fill slightly less resentful to road surveyors everywhere and then will tackle the next climb - a meager 2000 feet. Should be a fun-filled afternoon!