6/11 Petrified Tom Petty

We woke up the next morning relieved to still be alive but were quickly shocked into action when we learned that the piece of grass that we camped on was not the Gingko Petrified State Park but a private "campground" that charged 20 dollars a head.  So we packed up quick and told them that we had just come in that morning and went back to the blustery diner to eat some food and watch some soccer.  We soon discovered that Tom Petty was playing at the Gorge Amphitheater a few miles away on that evening and we understood why our campground was high priced real estate.  We watched some World Cup games at the blustery cafe including the Uruguay France game while we talked to some people from Uruguay and we looked up facts about Uruguay in the world almanac.   Carrie and Ashley headed out to Potholes State Park.  We hoped to see them the next night at Palouse Falls State Park. We rode to the Gingko Petrified Forest State Park checked out some petrified wood and petroglyphs.  We next headed down to the river to wash some clothes and fix our bikes.  We threw the disc in the scrubland as we mingled among the concert goers.   We rode out of the Park and back across the Columbia on the Vantage bridge and went south to find some camping along the river that we had heard about.  We set up camp, swam some more in the river, and gathered around the campfire.

Will got a quintuple stack of burgers as we watched some world cup games. 

This Guy is jealous

Aloe Vera for the burn!

On the way to the Gingko Petrified Forest State Park

Petrified Wood

Petroglyphs

 A little bit of knowledge

You can see the Vantage bridge that we crossed the night before in the background

We were happy not to end up like this fellow traveller 

While Goody fixed his bike we found an area to throw the disc and met some happy concert goers.

We rode out of the park

We crossed the I-90 vantage bridge again and found some free camping on the river along with many others who had sojourned to this area for Tom Petty's infection American rhythms

Goody looking good

Goody's hammock set up

 

6/10 Down the Columbia

We woke up to a blazing sun and ate some doughnuts and bananas that Luke and Stephanie had left us for the journey  We met up with Carrie and Ashley at the grocery and got on the road.  Route 2 drops down to Wenatchee along the river through orchards and it was a nice ride.  We got some food in Wenatchee and picnicked at Wenatchee Confluence State Park, where the Wenatchee and the Columbia Rivers meet.  We got in some swimming, listened to some music on some speakers that Carrie or Ashley had and played some disc in the fields.  We left town and were dismayed to see that the Pedestrian bridge over the Columbia was closed so we had to go with the traffic on the 285.  We then ran down the stunning Columbia River Gorge on 28.  Will, Goody and Pete found a cool cave on the side of the road.  We rode east from Trinidad to Quincy.   We were going to go to Potholes State Park but for some reason we changed our mind and decided to go to Vantage.  We headed south from Quincy after witnessing a thunderstorm and then rode Interstate 90 west to head back towards the Columbia and our campsite in Vantage.  Riding on the interstate is legal in some areas out west but it was not incredibly enjoyable.  As we approached the river we began to descend from the upper walls off the gorge down to the river.  As we descended quickly going south we were struck with strong 50 mph wind gusts coming from the west.  Me and me high center of gravity noticed this as a threat and slowed down and I held my balance as the gusty winds hit us from the side.  We then made a sharp turn directly into the wind on the Vantage bridge.  As interstate drivers flew close by us at 70 mph on the narrowly shouldered bridge we rode with all of our effort to stay moving forward into the strong gusting wind.  To our delight halfway across the bridge the shoulder widened significantly and we were able to sigh a breathe of relief as we continued with the insane process of riding into a avalanche of air.  We turned off at the first exit and were pushed into the Blustery Cafe where we were informed of the 60 mph plus gusts we had just overcome over some milkshakes and fries.  We made camp in a grassy area that we believed was a state park, thankful to be alive.

Our campsite at Luke and Stephanie's in Leavenworth

Will enjoys a wonderful breakfast of Beer and an Electrolyte Tab

Riding along the Wenatchee River on Route 2

Orchards

The town of Wenatchee

We chilled at the Wenatchee Confluence State Park, where the Wenatchee meets the Columbia.  We swam a bit in the river and threw the disc around before heading back on the road

From Wenatchee we headed south and east on 28 along the mighty Columbia River

Ashley and Pete chillin on the 28

Dan, Pete, Ashley Will and Goody

This is Carrie, she won a national title as a rower at Princeton

Chillin with the  Columbia on the 28

We followed a bike path as far as it went and then returned to the 28. 

Rock Island Dam

 

Someone spotted a cave and Will, Goody, and Pete went to explore it.

Waiting out some weather in Quincy

 At the end of the day we rode west on I-90 to get to Vantage

We descended south from the top of the walls of the Gorge as the wind gusted from the west