Day 15: July 6

Day 15: July 6th 32,048 on the odometer

The temp got down to about 30 degrees last night. A bit chilly outside, but comfortable under the covers. I do have some concerns that Ceci’s sinus problem has become a cold.
The morning is crisp and clear; the snow clouds are gone so we have an unrestricted view. We pack the bikes back up, and I replace the plastic sidecover that has fallen off the Vulcan yet again. It takes hours for us to break camp and load up. We have some microwave fare breakfast at the camp store and head back out the way we came in.
The lake is gorgeous. One of, if not the, prettiest bodies of water in the country. The color is spectacular. Ceci takes a lot of pictures. As much as we liked Yosemite, Ceci likes this more. I’m digging all the snow. I miss the snow, which very rarely occurs in east Texas. I’m also liking the roads.
The park roads were twisty enough, though the pavement wasn’t exactly smooth. U.S. 97 and 20 aren’t bad as far as major highways go. State highways 126 and 22 are scenic with lots of gentle sweepers. Just a bit of traffic. 224 has the sweepers and scenery with no traffic at all. Nice.
We go through Portland and into Washington to ride the much hyped Columbia River Gorge. It seems to be on almost everyone’s places to see list. The road is nice with some twists and turns, and some nice views of the gorge. The pavement is good too. It isn’t as impressive as the hype though. It is nothing compared to the Hudson River Valley I grew up around in New York. Not as pretty as the sights we have already seen this week. It is a lot better than the desert from the weeks before though.
We stop in Stevenson, about 20 miles into the gorge. The Econolodge is the first suitable hotel we find. The owner is eager to please, even offers to let us park the bikes in our room. We politely decline, but happily park them in front of the room, under shelter from the walkway and stairs above.
I don’t bother to unpack my bike at all. The constantly changing bunjee net arrangements and soft bag refitting is what is taking us so long to load in the mornings. Hopefully not unpacking will save us an hour tomorrow morning. Quick detaching hard luggage would be really nice.
They have a computer in the lobby of the hotel, so we both catch up on some e-mail before heading to bed. Whatever ethnic food the owner is cooking in the residence behind the lobby smells delicious and is making us hungry.
We covered 322 good miles today. Good roads, good scenery, and not too terribly short a distance covered. We have gone about 3,300 miles since leaving home.