Ross Lake National Recreation Area to Mazama, Washington - July 11, 2020

Written by Anders:

Today started much earlier than our previous mornings so far. We knew it was gonna be a grinder of a day, so we wanted to get up early and start pounding out miles. After a quick bite to eat we were out of the “campsite” and on the road towards Mazama. It was 9:00am.

From looking at the maps we saw we had about a 3000ft elevation gain to Washington Pass. Having not biked for more than a couple hours at a time, I wasn’t sure how I was gonna hold up. However, thinking about the climb ahead was not making it any easier, so I put in my headphones and tried to find my happy place.

Often times I was able to slip into a trance-like state of mind and forget about what I was actually doing. This helped as it was over 25 slow miles to the top. Throughout the climb we took many snack breaks to stretch the legs and let the butt and back rest. We reached the top around 4:15pm.

Following the seemingly endless uphill was a shot down the mountain. This was a thrill. At first it was a little nerve racking to be going so fast with all the gear tied to the back, but after awhile it turned into a more gradual coast. Definitely the most enjoyable part of the trip so far. We breezed down to Mazama in no time and found ourselves a taco truck to enjoy a well deserved meal.

During this time my dad was in contact with long time island friend Donald Heggenes. Don had just gotten a place here in Mazama, and offered to let us stay the night. We were very pleased to find out it was only a few miles away, and upon arrival were blown away at how nice the accommodations were. 

We bathed ourselves and threw in a load of laundry. I hoped Donald doesn’t mind that we used his brand new towels and memory foam pillows. With the road washed off my body and clean clothes on my back, I’m feeling almost as new as the house we’re staying in. Ready for another day on the road tomorrow.