Today we cycled from our dispersed campsite at the Noxon Reservoir to the Kilbrennen Lake Campground. We had blue skies with a few clouds. The road surfaces were a mixture of paved and non-paved.
Riding statistics: on Friday, June 14, 2024, day 45 on the route, it took 10:00h (06:48h moving time), between 6:51 and 4:52, to cover 113 km (70 miles), including 1419 m (4656 ft) elevation gain, with an average speed of 17.0 km/h (10.6 mph), while reaching a maximum speed of 48 km/h (29.8 mph). During this ride the average temperature was 25 °C (77 °F) with a minimum of 12 °C (54 °F) and a maximum of 42 °C (108 °F).
Totals: it took 11 days, 13 hours, 47 minutes, and 40 seconds of cycling time to cover 4032 km (2505 miles), including 44409 m (145706 ft) elevation gain, with an average speed of 14.8 km/h (9.2 mph).
At 4 am, a truck rumbled past our campsite. Then another, and another. Between 4:00 and 5:30, about six trucks roared up the dirt road on a nearby climb, likely logging trucks. There was no safety concern since we were set back from the road, but the noise was relentless. By 6 am, the trucks had stopped. As I dressed, I heard raindrops on the tent and braced for the worst. But when I unzipped the door, the sky was clearing, revealing bright blue above us, a false alarm.
We packed up and continued along the Noxon Reservoir, where the lake ended at a massive power plant. Soon after, houses began to appear, marking the outskirts of Noxon. We didn’t stop in town, but crossed the wide river below the power plant and carried on. Our first stop was a gas station, one of only two places to grab food. We bought essentials and hoped the second option, a pizza and deli, would be open. It was, and we ordered a sandwich to go. We ate it later, and it was fantastic, like a club sandwich from home.
From there, we followed a paved road until turning right onto gravel. Not long after, we began the climb to Snake Pass, a 7-kilometer ascent with 400 meters of elevation gain. The road was good, and the climb was easier than expected. At the top, a smooth downhill stretched ahead. The area felt remote; we only saw one truck the entire time.
About 25 kilometers further, we reached Troy, our last formal town before the border. We stocked up on groceries for the rest of the day, tomorrow, and possibly the morning after. The store had everything we needed, plus ice cream.
After Troy, a few smaller climbs led us to Kilbrennen Lake Campground. With only a few first-come, first-served sites, we were lucky to find just one occupied. We chose a spot with a bear box, perfect for storing food overnight. After dinner, we rested.
According to the forecast, this might be our last summer day. Cooler temperatures (13-14 degrees Celsius) and a high chance of rain are expected tomorrow. Fingers crossed it won’t be too wet.
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