The Guardians of the Pacific Northwest East of the Cascades, Washington Day 109: Sept. 20, 2002  Back   |   Next

Note: Photos for this page coming soon! There was nothing but sagebrush and pines beyond the village of Wauconda. Or so it seemed. Four sentinels guarded the Pacific Ocean from westbound journeymen. The first was Loup-Loup Pass, a fifteen mile climb of approximately three thousand feet. As I approached, pheasant and grouse bolted from the dusty foliage along the road. The day was metered by three flats. Each and every time I pulled off my tire, I ran my fingers along the groove of the wheel's rim and found a thorn. I had three flats; one for each wheel. Besides more flats, Loup-Loup Pass was the only major obstacle. I earned my daily bread in a town called Republic when an old man hailed me from the driver side of his RV, saying, "His 'Adventurer' motorhome is the way to go." I told him he was probably right and pedaled the fuck away.