In Memory of Warmer Summers

June 11

Winthrop, WA

Today is the test of our resolve and that of anyone who takes on the task of the Northern Tier.  Just three days into the ride we encounter two passes that must be traversed, Rainy Pass and the beast of them all, Washington Pass.  Washington Pass sits at 5,477 feet above the very near sea-level one begins the climb.  The climb is 30 miles long.  The grade is not overwhelming but rather steep and very continual.  It is a grind.

Sallie and I did the climb up Grand Mesa outside of Grand Junction, Colorado in 2010 on road bikes that weigh in the teens.  Some say that Grand Mesa is the second-toughest climb in Colorado.  The ride we have today is a greater challenge by any standard I know of and we are doing it with bikes that weigh somewhere near 80 pounds each.  It is a grind.  It shapes the rest of the journey because if you make this, nothing will be as difficult, as arduous, or as long as this torture.  The reward is immense in gorgeous vistas but earned at every pedal stroke.