Our first hotel night! We are at the Royal Motel in lovely (?) Omak, Washington. Our maps took us through the less than savoury back roads where we had our first "chased by a barking dog" moment, and finally saw a side of the state that was not entirely mountain passes, quaint country roads and rivers.
Today we traversed our third pass, Loup Loup, at a modest 4020 feet. The beginning was instant; suddenly we were in the desert of eastern Washington, complete with tumbleweeds, and climbing a horribly steep grade. It didn't relent much but was at least shorter than the previous two major climbs. Just as we approached the end of the climb, we saw "I LOVE YOU JEREMY" written on the shoulder, surely the handywork of Jamie and Jeremy, a couple we met two nights previous in Newhalem who are on their way to Maine.
The descent was amazing, as the lack of trees that prevented shade on the way up offered the benefit of incredible views on the way down. As I was toying with the idea of going to the plus side of 70km/h, this horrible joke in the form of a steep incline came out of nowhere grinding the operation to a halt. I have never laughed so hard while being so pissed off before!
The interruption passed, and within an hour we rolled through Okanogan and then it was on to Omak. In Omak, a quick stop at the tourist info office pointed us towards the motels, the several fast food outlets, and the Wal Mart SuperMegaCenter. Cheap groceries, fresh supplies, three burgers, onion rings, and a blizzard later we were feeling mighty excited to relax in that air conditioned room, knowing that an actual bed awaits.
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