Lead Butt 1000 - Day Three, July 17, Thursday

We left Carlton at who knows when in the morning, and stopped for breakfast in Twisp. This is a cool little town, more authentic than Winthrop, but still hip. Or trying to get to hip, as soon as possible.



Winthrop was our fuel stop; Cajun loved the western theme.







The gas station attendant told us that there were lots of deer on the road, and in fact their tow truck had brought three bikes down off the hairpin turn the day before. Two of them were brand new bikes, a Harley and a BMW. Ouch. One guy was hurt, I guess, so we just give up that silent hopeful thought to the Road Guardians that he is really okay.


Cajun stopped in awe as we approached the hairpin turn before Washington Pass and Liberty Bell Mountain. I had told him that this pass was far more spectacular than any other he’d seen in Washington, and though he believed me, I think it still took him quite by surprise. It’s something you have to see to really appreciate. The bigness is just bigger, the wow-ness is just wow-er.









The passes were cool. We had bundled up that morning, so we were doing the best we could. Heated gloves would have been nice.

After Washington Pass, we also crested Rainy Pass, and then commenced our final westward leg toward Anacortes and Orcas Island. We tried to get a glimpse of Diablo Dam from the town of Diablo, but we couldn’t. It had been a long time since I had been there, and I couldn’t remember how to best get a view of the dam. I know, we could have gone to the dam itself, but that road is gravelly, and I hate heights, and, um, just no thanks. I’ll show Cajun pics online. Bless the internet! Here are pics of Ross, Diablo and Gorge Lakes.








Our coldest time by far was the Upper Skagit Valley, which was shrouded in mist and fog.

Cajun is interested in someday doing some adventure (long-distance, dubious terrain) riding, and so we stopped at Skagit Power Sports to look at KLRs and V-Stroms. They were sold out of both! These bikes have great reputations, and now that everyone is trying to save on gas, they are buying these solid workhorse bikes. Nothing to see! Oy! We also went to Skagit Harley Davidson to get a gasket for Cajun to use later.





Finally the sun came out as we rode into Anacortes. Cajun stopped to get special oil, and I stopped at Westedge Cycle Repair to see what that clacking was really about. Sadly, Rob, the very cool and accommodating proprietor, said it’s about $300 in parts in labor. It appears that, through a series of smaller oversights on my part, as well as because the place that put on my new rear tire misadjusted my axle (it wasn’t evenly tightened), I have toasted my chain and sprockets that were new not a year ago. Crap. I just hope that’s all it is. I am cashless, near maxed-out on the old credit cards, and beginning my new life as a massage therapist. These are not lucrative, fat times. It will all happen, but I don’t’ like the stress of hearing $300. The place that did my tire won’t even consider helping me out, since they say it’s been too long since the tire was put on, and since I just put 1000 miles on the bike in 3 days. The last chain went 17,000 miles, so something’s fishy, that’s for sure. Oh well, I am just going to do what needs to be done.

The ferry ride included taking pictures of Gnomely driving the boat, the obligatory cup of clam chowder, and a short chat with Andrew Ratshin of Uncle Bonsai and Mel Cooleys fame. He and his wife, and about a million other people were going to Woodsong, a folk festival on Orcas. It’s the same day as Doe Bay Fest, an indy band festival. Dang!







It was good to cruise into Doe Bay, knowing I was home and Cajun was near to his long-awaited soak in the hot tubs. We upacked, tubbed, and crashed (slept, not crashed on the road).