Further into the route the road surface ranged from sandy, to rocky, to rutted, to gravel. I had a
disagreement with a rut and bailed badly. My bike landed on my foot and I was pinned in the middle of the
road. Thankfully our communication system allowed me to yell at Alberto that I had fallen and that my bike
was lying on my foot. I completely lost the back end and the rear tire came around and the bike fell over. I
didn't even really have a chance to react because before I knew it I was lying on the ground with my foot
pinned under the crash bar. I escaped injury free, to my surprise, and we continued on. Thank goodness for
a decent pair of riding boots.
Falling in love with the town of Chelan is easy to do. When we came down into the valley from the dry
forest we were shocked to see the really fancy houses along the lake and lots of boats out on the lake.
Chelan was a hive of activity, and seemed like a real destination for people who live in the area. The sun
was unforgiving for those of us wearing full riding gear though, I think Chelan is best enjoyed on the
water in a pair of shorts. We made a quick stop for provisions then quickly followed the route back into
the mountains.
The dirt roads were fun and the scenery was very nice. There was plenty to enjoy. The heat of the day was
getting to me though. My eyes hurt from all the hot air blowing at my face and I was feeling very fatigued
by mid afternoon. It was hard to concentrate and manoeuvre the heavy bike. I was trying to stay hydrated
but I eventually ran out of water. I've never been so happy to see a campground. We barely brought the
bikes to a stop before we were stripping off our gear and running into the ice cold river. What a glorious
feeling.