Day 3 Sea to Sea 2008 Levenworth to Ellensberg

Today was a good ride. We cycled 59 miles and went over another pass at 4000 feet. The climb went on for 2o miles. It was sunny and cool in the early part of the day but got hotter as the day went on. I managed to get into camp at 2PM and Hank got in at 530. He did finish it today. It was another hard day for him as the heat affects him later in the afternoon. We hope he can get out earlier so he can finish his ride earlier. The mountains climbs are tough as we are both in our lowest gear and pedal as fast as we can but can only do 4-6 miles an hour up the mountain. However we are both thankful we can do it. There are many people we know who could not do this.

Hank says his ride today was easier today than yesterday and is finding some slower riders for companionship. He is happy to be through the Cascades.

Yesterday we cycled past snow along the side of the road. It was a 40 mile climb to the top of Stevens Pass. The last 35 miles were down hill. It was really cool. I hit a speed of 37 miles/hour going down the mountain. We rode past a rushing mountain river into Levenworth that cooled down the valley we were biking into. It was a real relief and felt invigorating.

Today as I came down the mountain I hit 41.5 miles per hour. It was a thrill.

Because I managed to get in early, it was nice to have more time to relax and go into town. Yesterday when we were in Levenworth I would have loved to stop but it was such a long day that I just wanted to get into camp, take a cold shower and sit down.


Several people are experiencing difficulty on the tour. A couple of them have had to ride in a support vehicle as they were having difficulty getting up the mountains or the heat is affecting them. Fellow cyclist are very supportive and encourage each other a great deal. With lots of young people on the tour there is a high level of energy and enthusiasm. At the end of each days ride they are eager to go for a swim, bike into town to see the sights. Oh to be young again. They seem to be the Ever Ready Bunnies.



The weather here is hot and dry right now and is supposed to be like that for the next week or so. It hit 102 yesterday from what we heard and 101today. There has been rain in the area but we did not get it. We are praying that we will not get the weather like people in Michigan are having.



We had 9 flats on Monday and 11 flats yesterday. One person had 6 flats in the same day. On Monday 13 people feel and Tuesday 6. This happens easily if one is not paying attention to the cyclists in front of you. If one wants to look around and observe the scenery than biking close together is not a good idea.

We are thankful for all the support staff who are providing support to the tour. The kitchen staff are doing a great job feeding us with excellent meals. The meals are ready on time and there is lots of food. Thanks to Lavonne and her team.

Our SAG (support and Gear) team which provides support on the road are falling into a routine. Yesterday the cyclists were running out of water and needed to get their bottles filled as SAG stops due to the extreme heat. Today the SAGS were running out of water and they are buying more water containers to ensure cyclist have more water when they need it. This tour could not be as successful if we did not have these very important people with us. I hope to take pictures of them in action as the tour goes on so you can see who they are and what they are doing.

Old abandoned farm along route 97 on way to Ellensberg
Some scenery along our route.
I am resting along the route and soaking my over heated feet in a cool stream along the road. It felt really good and cooled me down.

Gathering of cyclists at construction site
sign on road telling people we are on the road
Having come in early has given me time to write more on my blog. Hope to update you again tomorrow as we have a shorter day with no steep climbs.

We thank the Lord for this great time together.