i tried. really i did. i was going to sleep in and take my time getting to walla walla, meeting my brother and sister-in-law when they got home, around 5 or 6.
the problem is i got tired after my day yesterday and so i crashed early-ish, around 11pm, and then i couldn't sleep past 7am which, if you remember, is actually 6 pacific time. so what was supposed to be a late start ended up starting around 7:45. oh well.
i have to say, though, highway 12 is pretty awesome. i was on it all day, from missoula to walla walla, through lolo pass and idaho down into lewiston and then into washington (yay!) and walla walla. a fantastic road. exactly what i though 89 was going to be. nice and twisty, but not too crazy that i needed to drop below 4th gear. good speed limits, fantastic scenery and, in spite of the crisp weather (blame my early start) and some less-than-ideal road conditions for a stretch before lowell, one of the best sections of highway i've been on the entire trip. if they just finished repaving, it would definitely be one of my favorite all time rides. and the best part? it was through lush, full evergreen forest. it's so good to be back in the pacific northwest. unfortunately, my camera was still exhausted from yellowstone (battery) so i couldn't get any pictures. most of you reading this know what pacific northwest forests look like. evergreen excellence.
even when i dropped out of the pass it was still lovely, carving through canyon country in idaho before heading into the plains of eastern washington, following the river the whole way (which river? i'm not entirely sure. clearwater? the name may have changed throughout the trip).
a celebratory lunch in clarkston (the first town in my home state) and now i'm here in downtown walla walla (i missed the turn to my brother's house, but he's not home yet and i was going to head downtown anyway).
and tomorrow i'm home. it's weird to think about and yet, in some ways, a relief. i'm a bit road-weary. i'm already starting to try to get back into the swing of things with work stuff and the like. in fact, i already have the rest of my evenings booked this week before i'm officially back on the job sunday (if you're in the area, my welcome home shindig is at pies and pints tomorrow night, starting 7ish). the upside? i'm still riding strong, still enjoying every minute of it, and though i miss home, i'll be ready to jump right back on the bike (as soon as i wash my gear and she gets her 12K scheduled maintenance. she's a little overdue already). i don't think there's anything better than that. 8K+ miles and i'm ready for more.
anyway, i'll have the stats rundown tomorrow, along with the best/worst of for the trip. it's been awesome, but it's time to get home.
next time, i'll be posting from sea-town (or suburbs thereof)!
rftc,
scott
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