Winthrop to Lake Bonaparte WA

June 30, 2015

Winthrop to Lake Bonaparte WA

This was the second day of 153 kms per day.  I had originally planned a slightly different route which would have avoided the two back to back long days however just a few days before we left something happened at the campsite and they cancelled my reservation.  A quick scramble and we wound up with two long days followed by a short day.  It all would have worked out however we are 20 C above normal so it made the two days almost impossible.

To day was forecast to be a real cooker and we were not disappointed.   We got on the road at the normal time of 7:00 Am, while it was still a little cooler. We had a short down hill followed by 15 kms of 4%.  It was a brutal climb as the temperatures are now approaching 32 C.  This was followed by a 20 km downhill which took us into Okanagan WA where highway 20 merges with highway 97 .  Highway 97 is a very busy road and right out in the middle of the heat of the valley it was 38C.  We had 50 kms to grind up to the turn off  at Tonasket.  As soon as we made the corner we were face with a 10-20 kms headwind which felt like it was right out of the blast furnace.  Ed and I ground along until we were within 24 kms of the turn when Julie came along so we jumped in the van.  Ed and I hung out at Tonasket until everyone was there.  Julie sagged Earnie up to the campsite and the rest of us set off. It was 43 kms east of town and with the exception of a few kms in the middle almost all of it was up hill.  At least the head wind had shifted and was now a tailwind.  Not that it was much help as we were grinding along at 8-12 kms/hour.   We got to within 14 kms of the campsite before Julie got back with an empty van and we all jumped in.   We got into camp at right around 4:30 pm making it a 9.5 hr day. 

The camp at Lake Bonaparte is a little fishing camp. Not at all upmarket but cute as anything.  A fish camp right out of the story books.  Loons calling across the lake, sassy ducks leading their brood, stuffed fish in the office, row boats and canoes tied to a tiny wharf. The camp restaurant is really funky and smells great. I am really looking forward to supper.

Terry