what a day. i spent a few miles going through a tunnel from old train tracks, 55 miles of gravel, then got excited to finally find pavement only to see it was uphill for about twenty miles. the payoff was that i got to cruise about 15 miles going 25-30mph on my bike. the sun was beating down all day and i got a little sunburned. about 40 miles into my ride, i saw what i was looking for. a trail down to the yakima river. i couldn’t help myself, ran down and jumped in. i feel like i had earned it. i stopped for water a few places and also picked up a few extra water bottles because i was going through it so quick. now i’ve got almost 200 ounces of water. a local cattle rancher told me to be careful because the next five days or so in the area are going to be over 100. i was so beat up from the first day of climbing and the gravel that i thought my body would give up. i just keep pushing harder. i know that soon enough i’ll have the stamina and muscle that will make my days go by easier. i’m also changing my route for the next two days to cut out a few extra miles that i don’t need. about 40 miles into my ride

i stayed the night at cloud view eco farm just outside of royal city and the people here were more than welcoming. they made me dinner and we drank a few beers. the views along the way here were spectacular and i don’t think i’ll ever forget them. day 02 done.