The plan for the last leg

(Susan)

It’s amazing how close we are to being done now. With Montana being so long and its winds so ornery, it really made the Pacific seem farther than it was.

Short distances aside, we have our most difficult cycling coming up, as we take the high passes of WA-20 over the Cascades. Here’s the route profile showing the four big passes, all of which are much, much more intimidating than little old’ Marias Pass over the Rockies:

We’ll do slightly less mileage per day so that we get just one pass a day. With gains up to 4,000 feet in 20 miles (Sherman Pass, the steepest and first), we’ll definitely be putting in a full day’s work. Here’s the agenda:
Today, 36 miles through flats to Newport, WA
Saturday, 56 miles to Ione
Sunday, 51 miles to Kettle Falls
Monday, 41 miles over Sherman Pass to Republic
Tuesday, 67 miles over Wauconda Pass to Omak or maybe Okanogan
Wednesday, 45 miles over Loup Loup Pass to Winthrop or maybe 13 more to Mazama
Thursday, over Washington Pass and the little blip of Rainy Pass and then as far downhill as we feel like coasting.
Barring us taking a rest day somewhere in there, which is likely, we’ll hit the Pacific at Bayview a week from today. It will then take us 2 days by bike and ferry to reach downtown Seattle.