June 19, 2004: Ritzville to Spokane ValleyRitzville to Spokane Valley
Thursday, June 19, 2004
Westbound: Moses Lake to Ritzville Eastbound: Spokane Valley to Sandpoint
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June 19, 2004: Ritzville to Spokane Valley |
Having gone to sleep very early, it was no challenge to be up and about well before dawn. I used the microwave to heat my remaining pasta meal purchased on Moses Lake and puttered about the room, arranging and packing my stuff. I wanted to be on the road by 7 in case my friend from dinner got her expected early start, but didn’t make it out the door until about 7:10, an otherwise early, even virtuous start for the day.
It was a bit cool but not any problem whilst moving. Continuing through town and then eastward, it was a few miles until I again reached the highway. There wasn’t much traffic, but there did seem to be a bit of a headwind. I just settled in for the ride. The land continues to be desert. By now I was east of the irrigation from the Grand Coulee. After about an hour on the highway, I was ready for a rest stop and glad to see the signs announcing one. Just as I left the highway, a passing car honk exuberantly—I assume my friend had gotten a late start and just caught up with me.
Like others, this rest stop had coffee and other drinks served by volunteers, this time from a church. I asked them to keep an eye on my bike while I inspected the plumbing and they cheerfully agreed. While away from the front of the rest area, I also took some pictures. One was intended again to portray the contrast between desert and irrigation. Another captured a bird letting the strong wind support it in place relative to the ground.
Desert + Water 
Bird Hanging OutUpon my return, they gave me some hot chocolate and we chatted about my trip and eventually details of my route. One fellow had a vacation home near Sandpoint. When I told him I expected to go north from Spokane and then east to Sandpoint, he encouraged me instead to go east or northeast first. His experience towing boats taught him that going north in Washington incurred more climbing than going north in Idaho. His experience sounded on point and persuasive and easily convinced me to consider adjusting my route. After nearly an hour in the rest stop, I realized that I had to get going again and bade then guys thank you and good bye.
The next segment had some climbing but nothing that lower gear and slower speed couldn’t handle. Crossing Lincoln County provided another transition as increasing altitude and proximity to the Rocky Mountains provided more rainfall. Each mile brought more greenery and eventually more trees.
Not long after entering Spokane County, the state kindly requests bicyclists to leave the Interstate. Having driven through the Interstate through Spokane, I knew this request was reasonable, but I was still concerned about the route I would follow. My worries were unfounded. The bypass has good signs. Most of it has good pavement and only a few blocks in downtown Spokane are bad because of potholes and the like. East of downtown, the route is a little less interesting and I might have lost it at one point but by then the streets are a grid and recovery was consequently no problem. I must have been getting hungry, however, because I did manage to get confused on the location of the Motel Six I hoped to visit. And when I swallowed my pride and asked directions, I managed to add nearly three miles to the day in trying to follow them. Eventually I arrived at the motel and got a nice room. It was only about 1pm.
After a shower, lunch at Subway, unpacking, and fiddling with the computer, I concluded that I had more stuff than I really needed. I thought about shipping the computer home—it and its support crew might have been ten pounds—but feared that doing so was a drastic step and included risks of packing and misdirection. I could, however, identify some clothing that seemed excessive, the maps I had used so far, and some miscellaneous equipment that I thought I wouldn’t need. The front desk confirmed that there was a Mailboxes across the overpass, about half a mile south. Favoring my ankle, I set off with my dearly to-be-departed stuff under my arm. The service at the store was excellent and nine bucks or so later my “surplus” was on its way home.
Dinner was nothing special and I was soon back in the room. With my early start to the day, falling asleep was a challenge I managed to master.
69.57 miles in 5:10:32 on the bicycle for an average of 13.4 mph.
Westbound: Moses Lake to Ritzville Eastbound: Spokane Valley to Sandpoint