D10 Davis Creek to Genoa

I am writing this one as a wait to see if my host Andy will make it back before I leave. He's the maintenance supervisor for Genoa. There was a main break in town. The permanent repair kicks off today. 

In a few minutes I'll ride over to get a tour Andy arranged of the old Indian School. I am interested but somber. They did a lot of damage to individuals and cultures. I am worried about how the school will be presented. Andy seemed to acknowledge the pain they caused but didn't want to elaborate. I wonder what the town thinks of the school. 

Yesterday I awoke to a beautiful morning. I had moved my spot because I was next to what passed for what I think was a Mennonite kegger. The kids were well behaved but kids and loud. 

David had arrived late and was camped near me in the nice tent only section. He was on a memorial road trip with his dad's ashes. He was going to Iowa where he grew up to revisit places where they'd had good times. 

I was on my way by 8:40. The first couple of miles were on winding hill roads. After a while the road dropped and turned right into straight hilly roads. The air was hazy. I  suspected it was wildfire smoke. I didn't want to know. I was. I coughed a bit, but it wasn't as bad as Seattle. My last ride in Seattle triggered long dormant asthma. Luckily, it disappeared before my trip.

The ride began with rolling hills and winding roads before dropping, turning right and becoming rolling hills and straight roads. My days of wide shoulders were over, but I got an occasional gravel segment to catch a break. Traffic was very light until my road merged with US 281 for about 8 miles. I was happy to say goodbye.
(note the haze)


I ate a sandwich in Wolbach near the community building. All the towns have one here. After Wolbach it was 22 miles of straight rolling hills. I got to Fullerton where I saw fancy old houses with carriage entrances on the side. A Subway with AC and cold drinks was an oasis. I had a chocolate milk which is a good recovery drink… or maybe I just wanted to drink chocolate milk. Then I noticed the I've cream! Subway has ice cream? The cookies and cream was so, so good.

(Wolbach)

Fullerton is in the Loup Valley. It was a flat 17 miles to my host, Andy's place in Genoa. I texted him to let him know I was close. He said he'd keep his eyes open for me. I was about 4 miles out when I stopped to fiddle with my headphones and snack when I see a guy a little older than me wave from a car parked in the same turnout. It was Andy! He was looking out for me. 

I pedalked the last 4 miles to Genoa where I met Andy again. He's the kind of guy who's give you the shirt off his back or in this case his bed. He slept in his recliner. 

Andy does a ton of organized rides in places as far as Idaho and British Columbia. He volunteers too and has a big community. He's Genoas one man infrastructure maintenance man. He was dealing with a water main break when I was there. He oversees the contractors. He's also a county commissioner. 

We went to his lady friends house for dinner. The chat on the drive over drifted from bikes to local history. I wish I'd taken a rest day here, but I have a Warmshowers host in Omaha who can only host the 19th. I would be rude to cancel. I slept like a log soon after we got back. 

(Hydro powerplant using a canal off the Loup River)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Consolation Tour - Seattle to Yakima and back - D1 Home to Carter Creek

Image
I am not sure who'll actually read this, but writing this is helping me get through my recent cancer diagnosis. I couldn't do the continuation of my planned cross USA trip so I did a five day trip from home to Yakima via the Cascades to Palouse Trail and back via Naches Pass. To paraphrase my brother, spinning my pedals was better than spinning my mind. Overview static map: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/48494574 Day 1 Map: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/220754440 Animated Map: https://www.relive.cc/view/vwq1gzDDdLO (This was the only entry written the day of the ride. It was written in the dark at Carter Creek ). Today's ride begins with me nervously pondering which way to ride my big loop. Go counterclockwise to Greenwater or clockwise to Snoqualmie Pass. I flip flopped all the way up to my departure. I decided to ride my commute route into work to see folks in the office. Work is a comfort in these times. I was worried about the rain situa...
Read more

Consolation Tour D3 Yakima Canyon to Little Naches River

Image
Static Map:  https://ridewithgps.com/trips/221899884?privacy_code=Hrw5hypqs7SqCpXgaV4qYVyJRR6aVWVB Animated Map:  https://www.relive.cc/view/v1vjY87M8Jq I woke up a little after six. The sky was blue but the sun hadn't reached the canyon floor. I listened to the morning birds while I contemplated the day ahead. The Waffle Caffe in Yakima two hours away, beckoned. With just a mini breakfast of bars and dried fruit, I set off down the road. Beaufiful views abounded. I found myself stopping to snap pictures almost every mile. Traffic was light. Most of the time I had the road to myself. Despite the number of times I have driven the canyon, the experience was new. I thought about my mom who drove the canyon almost daily to attend classes at CWU to finish her BA while being a new mom and managing a marriage that was heading toward the rocks. The canyon walls seem to enclose us on our own personal journeys. The canyon is more developed than I remembered or ma...
Read more

Consolation Tour D2 Carter Creek to Yakima Canyon

Image
Static map: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/221188106?privacy_code=aq0uBAb1YD3hG0VxuuIfF4J5F4JOE5iy Animated map:  https://www.relive.cc/view/vXOnkz8kn56 The day began gray at Carter Creek. I slept well despite a visit by a small critter outside my tent. In the morning I found a stroupwaffel in my handlebar bag. It all made sense. The morning prep was easy paced and steady. I was on the trail by 8:17 on the nose. The sound of the creek pervaded the camp but as soon as you reached the trail you could hear I-90. It was a strange feeling being so physically cut off with the sounds of the modern world still present.  The trail continued up past the Lake Annette trail where I spent time with college friends, Kisho as a baby, and Jesse's family at various times. This was a different perspective having taken so long to reach it. I'd find that a lot of this trip. New perspective on familiar places.  I passed the snow shed where I'd been on my fir...
Read more