Day 5 (6/10)

Yesterday we left Cascade Locks after a late start, and Becca peddled across the Bridge of the Gods to the Washington side.  Lots of hills and tunnels, but overall traffic was not so bad.  I did a 5 mile ride on a trail in Cascade Locks and was duly humbled; this is 1/10 of the ride Becca did and I was pathetically tired!  



Along the way, I caught up with Becca at a wayside on the Columbia River where we met a man who had been living in his van for 7 years after selling 2 houses.  An inspiration for simple living. When we arrived at Columbia Hills Historical State Park in a place called Lyle, WA, we met 75 year old Kate, who was biking around the state, sleeping in a tent, living the dream. Wow! Puts my tiny little worries into perspective.

Kate came down to our campsite to hang out and help Becca with her first flat tire.  A wind and rain storm blew in, but we were safe in the Nomad Moon, and apparently Kate stayed warm and dry as well…

The park had a serendipitous trail of ancient native petroglyphs.  Apparently, this area has been permanently inhabited by humans longer than any other spot in North America, which was a surprise to me.  I thought the Southwest had older civilizations. 



Today I drove Becca over to The Dalles, OR because, alas, she could not get that damned tire off the bike to change the flat, even with help from me and Kate.  So a bike mechanic fixed the flat and I drove her back to Lyle, WA, where she took off riding.  What a trooper! 


While Becca rode her grueling 50+ miles up some serious hills, I visited an exotic animal rehab center, and stopped by the Maryhill Stonehenge Memorial (a WWI memorial).  Fascinating what you'll find in out of the way places.


 

By the time we met up again, at a funky windsurfer camp down by the river in a settlement named Roosevelt, WA, Becca was ready for root beer, ice cream and Junior Mints...Oh yeah, dinner too! More rain and wind at night (good timing again) and a loud chopper sound we couldn't figure out till morning. Rather than hovering helicopters, it turned out to be wind turbines. Between that noise and the 100-car trains going by, sleep was elusive.  Ah, the joys of camping!



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