Morning  came early at the KOA and people were standing in line for chow at 6:30am!!!

There is always quite a selection of food for breakfast and lunches. Something for everyone!!

High security at the KOA. You need a ticket to get in through the security gate. If you try to go IN the OUT gate . . . time for new tires!!!

We rode the remaining 5 miles to Concrete, where we were suppose to have stayed last night except for the closed campground. Quite a welcome into town and seems very appropriate.

We got on a county road the North Cascades Highway and rode it for about 20 miles. Low traffic and great surface. This tree farmer and Stewardship program member evidently only takes visitors by invitation!!!

David had found a current Washington tagged license plate and eventually turned into the police, who demanded to see his passport, insuring he was not a revolutionary from the motherland. The plate was probably stolen. BUT . . . here was a unique use of several plates

Great riding and great scenery . . .

. . . lots of flowers blooming in the ditches and people gardens already, including these foxgolves . . .

Nice!

First road kill of the trip . . . I’ll be keeping track of them!

Half of us grouped up in an opening along the side of the road near an abandon table. It was missing two legs and David propped it up with two sticks so it was usable.

, , ,we were enjoying our break when Darla drove up in her van, left it parked in the middle of the road and turned on her four way flashers . . .

. . . she is a bus driver and picks up her first kindergartener at 6:10am, on this road, and had noticed the table. She thought it looked salvageable and came back in the afternoon to get it.

David and Mike helped her get it into her van . . .

it fit like a glove!

 

Here she is striking a glamour pose for David, our table procurer.

Mark and his trailer rig . . .

Soon we ended up in Marblemount,  where we had been guaranteed was the best shopping in a 50 mile radius!

. . . Marblemount it is right on US Bicycle route 10 and you can see at least one of the restaurants caters to bicyclists.

They did have a good supply of food including SOOOOOOOOOO . . . many type of Vienna Sausages!!

This is a GREAT idea. Instead of using plastic bottles how about a cardboard carton? Have not seen this in the MSN area.

Jim and Allen are on deck for cooking tonight . . . I wonder if it involves peanut butter????

Our daily food allowance is $240. It covers dinner at night, and breakfast and lunch the next day. Usually we have no idea what the total will be so have the cashier subtotal the amount, at several intervals during the check out, making sure we don’t go over budget.

We need to haul the food 19 miles to Colonial Creek Campground, our home for the night, so we divided into 14 bags. The first 8 of us were able to haul it all so when the remaining 6 got into town . . . they were home free!!!

Great viewing as we pedal along . . . water flowing everywhere!

Stay on high ground! The series of dams we would be biking by supply 20% of the electricity for Seattle. Quite a watershed!!

We also had to bike through two tunnels today. One of them was long enough to have a light flashing system to warn drivers of bikers in the tunnel. A wide load went through the same time Mike N. was going through and combination of the closeness of the vehicle, road surface and water caused him to fall over into the traffic land after the truck had passed. Luckily there was no traffic behind the truck.

We stopped along the way to view the first of several dams we would pass. With any kind of viewing area, good restaurant or point of interest you are bound to see some of our lineup.

Nice view down the gorge.

. . . one of the THOUSANDS of little streams that feed the watershed that turn the turbines . . .

We were HIGH above the gorge when we pedaled by this sign. The blue sign says, ‘This area ABOVE flooding’!!!

. . . another one churning away producing those kilowatts.

This one is for Ron . . . well preserved!

Great local art in the sculpture garden built by the Seattle City Lights utility.

We met Margie who had biked up from Marblemount. Originally form Seattle, they now have a condo there and live the rest of the year in  Marblemount. She was excited because the community was having a meeting tonight to discuss the sighting of two wolves in the area. Some want to preserve them and build a pack . . . other already want to shoot them. Sounds like WI!

Soon we entered the Cascades National Park. Great vistas as we pedaled along. We are in the mountains now!!!

We reached Colonial Creek Campground, out home for the night and sort of filled the group site. Better hope your neighbor doesn’t snore . . .I have ear plugs!!!

The normal routine seems to be to buy about 4 pounds of some sort of meat (or god forbid, meat product) to go into our meal. Allison is a vegetarian so we make the dish, she scoops out what she wants and in goes the meat. Déjà vu all over again . . . just like with Caitlin on the Trans Am. Tonight it was Andouille sausage . . .

. . . that went into a quinoa, tomato, onion, garlic red pepper stew. YUUM!!!! there was none left.

Jim has a unique bag that fills up his air bed . . . movie of the whole operation on the way!!!

We are in bear country and there have been several sightings so everything that has ANY scent to it must go in the bear box, Toothpaste, deodorant, FOOD, toothpaste . . .goes in the box!!!! Good night!