Home stretch - sort of

Can't write long - the daughter has to be at school early today to broadcast the lunch menu, fact of the day, opening prayer, and the Israeli national anthem.

Ed has made it to Cascades National Park in Washington. He must have meant it when he said he was ready to ride again! He did tell me his tentative plan from there to Missoula:

From North Cascades National Park, he'll head to Twisp (not to be confused with Qwisp cereal), then South to Grand Cooley dam and maybe toward Spokane. From there, Sand Point, Idaho, and on to Missoula, Montana.

Oh, and his description of the ride from Bellingham to Sedro Wooley - "Basically a lot of llama farms and dairy farms. You could tell the real farms from those bought by doctors for 'fun' by the cars parked out front - truck for real, Volvo for 'llama investors'."

HERE'S THE MAP LINK, YA BIG FREAKS

And a few pictures:



Wild Beasts tamed by pepper spray.

The view from the back of the ferry.

World's largest gold pan.

Almote

Well, it's been three weeks since he set out on his little mancation-adventure and we're getting ready to have Ed Daddy home. Not that we aren't supportive (obviously) or happy to be capitalizing off his craziness, but it's just not the same without Ed. Sigh...

This weekend, he'll meet up with Pete and Sandra, cousin and in-law, for fun and mayhem - maybe even camping and Hold 'Em. I think the last time he saw them was at the big Witterholt family reunion on Orcas Island. Funny, he's meeting them in about the same place.

Oh, "almote" is what my nephew used to say when he missed a shot at basketball. He's a big teenager with a truck now, but he could make free throws at age 4.

So Ed is "almote" home. We're not sure exactly when he'll get here, but I have to start planning the party - and getting the garbage ready for him to take out.

Want to know where he is?

CLICK HERE FOR THE MAP LINK YA BIG FREAKS

The last picture is tire tracks - what he rode through - again, a case FOR the ferry. Don't know what that middle picture is - any guesses?

Magic Ferry Land

The ferry ride is turning out to be a great thing. Ed described for me the ferry scene - like an airport waiting area but nicer. He's got a sleeping bag and can set up outside on a covered porch or inside on dining benches. When he's able, he'll send pictures.

For now, here are a few more pictures he sent me from Haines. I'll try to ration them out until he can send me more in Washington. And of course,

CLICK HERE FOR THE MAP LINK, YA BIG FREAKS



L'shana tovah to my Hebrew peeps, too!





The above would be the case FOR the Ferry!

Ferry Godmother

Look how skinny he is! At least he remembered his rain jacket. The blue jacket is Jill, the "fan" Ed met on the road. She was riding to the ferry also, but was freezing and bundled up. A guy in a truck came upon Ed and told him there was some "Russian guy on a bike" behind them and maybe Ed should wait for the guy and ride with him, just in case.

Well, it turned out to be Jill and after the two bike nuts swapped gear lore, Jill said "I'm headed to Juneau." and Ed said, "I'm headed to Denver."

So Jill said, "Oh, you're THAT guy - I've been following your wife's blog!" Her comments are on Sunday's post.

Now that Ed's on the ferry, here's the last Map point he sent me this morning:

CLICK HERE FOR THE MAP LINK, YA BIG FREAKS

Comments straight from Ed
ON THE FERRY:
Against Ferry:

• Cussedness of doing it as planned no matter.
• Much of anything that ever happened in this part of the world is from plain stubborn cussedness. This almost won the day.
• Jasper\Banff. The other end of the overland route. Problem is, with elevation, by the time I get there, same problem with snow in the passes already getting here in the north.

For Ferry:

• Mancation is fundamentally a pleasure trip.
• Better to board ferry of my own volition than be forced to load the bike in the back of a Mountie's vehicle or onto a Greyhound across a thousand miles of Canadian prairie.
• Never been on Haines road or seen southeast Alaska. Road spectacular, we will see about the ferry passage.

A SHOUT-OUT
A StoLat to the Cooks of White River Yukon Territories (see "Smarty Pants" post). It was a privilege to sit by their stove. They have been in the area since 1969 and I am sure there are travelers all over the world that share this sentiment.
Among their comments:
“Need some gas?”
“I suppose your wife's new boyfriend in Denver lent you the bike.”
“Take care, there are Lions.”

ON TRIP PHASES:
It seems the trip has developed into three distinct phases:
1. Spectacle Headwinds [just completed]
2. Passage No Berth [about to begin]
3. East in the West [in development]


ON PICTURES:
If you get any at all, they will be coming from an unknown email address at the giftshoppassportphotoplacewithcopymachine. I had to pick some, print actual pictures, and now they are supposedly going to scan prints and email. I kid you not.

I’m sure there was a better way, but was in no position to argue.

I did try to group them by location or theme such as the Yukon, or Cold Enough for you, but no telling how and if you will get them, and of course you will have to make up your own captions as I was unable to attach my wiseass expert commentary. I have many more, but will have to wait for next opportunity. Raining, rain, rain, here. Will call while loitering at ferry terminal for hours this evening.

So here are some pictures, without captions, so how about this: Give us YOUR captions in the comments section.