When last we left you, Jackie and I had checked into a plush B&B at the end of the Centenial Trail in Snohomish. We slept well, enjoyed the morning breakfast at the Countrymen B&B, chatted with the owners, and moved on to our riding. I would recommend the Countrymen to anyone in this neck of the woods.
We started out on country roads, that were not heavily trafficked on a Saturday morning. There were many bicycle riders out, serious enthusiasts in pacelines hammering the hills, as well casual riders talking and grabbing coffee. The cloudless weather was glorious, and the temperature slowly rose. Before long we connected to the Sammamish River Trail, then the Marymoor Trail, and finally the Sammamish Lake Trail down the East side of the lake.
A giant red dragonfly to a liking to our tail flag for several minutes. We named her Daisy Jr.
All and all, we rode about 35 miles to arrive in Issaquah, home tof our good friend Linda S. Issaquah is about 15miles east of Seattle along the I-90. It is a newly developing area, still rural in many areas but beggining to fill in. Nonetheless, the trees, hill, and lakes everywhere make the area seem further from the city that it really is.
This area is quite hilly, and by the end we were exhausted, owing to the 95F temperature in the mid-afternoon. Linda met us and carried our packs in the back and Daisy on the top of her Rav-4 a few miles to her place up the top of a substantial incline. We hereby declare Linda as Trail Angel Number 2. (By the way, Linda has hosted the Ready Riders three times over the years, in 2012, 2013, and 2017.)
We enjoyed homemade pizza and late night conversation with Linda’s nieces, Amelia and Annika, who are lifelong friends of Jackie’s. Around midnight we conked out another fluffy bed. I’m starting to feel like a softy.
– Steve
Daddy, you’ve always been one.
– Jackie