Day2 Everett to Skykomish

Everett to Skykomish ride Day 1
Luggage was being loaded at 6:15AM until 7:30 AM this morning, so when I showed up at 6:25, I was the last to load my luggage. I rushed though breakfast and was within the last dozen to leave the Everett Boys and Girls club. This is so typical of bike rides.
It was 3.3 miles over to the boat launch where there was a tire dipping into the Pacific ceremony. On the way I realized my odometer was still in km rather than miles. I corrected that at the boat launch and after a quick dip was on my way.
The weather was foggy and misting so the road was wet. After the boat launch there was a bridge with a huge expansion joint and Patrick and two other riders went down. Patrick has huge road rash on his thigh and his elbow is swelled up to double. As I went by they were loading one rider into an ambulance. I am rubber necking it and I go down at about 2 mph. As I am getting up Dr Richard hits it and he goes down. I am fine and Dr Richard has a sore back. I will give you an update when I get one.

By 9:30 Am the mist has turned into a steady rain. It is really miserable as the temperature is 8C. Needless to say I did not tarry at picnic where it is just pouring. My new bike computer has become water logged and quit working so I have to rely on the road markings, but they are pretty good. We had been told that there was only enough hot water for around twenty showers so there was an added incentive to put the boots to it. I think I was about the fourth to hit the showers. IHAD HOT WATER!!

The town of Skykomish is right on the rail line and was a place where they fuelled the engines for the push over the Cascades. The diesel tanks leaked into the ground water and polluted the ground water so they are in the process of moving the town and digging out the dirt and moving the buildings back into place. The whole town might have 300 people so there aren’t a lot of buildings to move, but the town smells of diesel. We are camped at the ancient old school which is 50 feet off the rail line and every 20 minutes a container train blasts past. Normally I do not floor flop however do to the pouring rain and cold temperatures I have elected to crash in the gym.
Supper is being cooked in the school cafeteria and it smells great. Internet is painfully slow so no pictures. I have some totally sodden pictures.

Terry