81-Newhalem-Darrington 

46.5 miles/+734.5 ft/ Total miles 3400.4

The ride today was easy but the weather conditions are challenging. The smoke from big fires in British Columbia now extends over most of western Washington. And at the same time, the temperatures are supposed to continue to be in the 90s – and even above 100 – for the next few days. In some parts of the country, such hot weather may be normal but in western Washington, it is not. It used to be rare to have days warmer than the mid 80s, with occasional days in the 90s. A stretch of 90+ temperatures for a week or more used to be very rare. Now it seems to happen much more often. 

My ride continued down the Skagit River to Rockport. Here’s how the river looks with haze and smoke:

At Rockport, I left the Adventure Cycling Northern Tier route, and headed south on State Route 530 toward Darrington. The road follows the Sauk River, and I was heading upstream. The Sauk is a beautiful river but it, too, was not its usual self today:

I had planned to stay at a RV park in Darrington, but when I got there, it did not look like such a great choice. Even the owner suggested that I might be happier at Squire Creek Park, which is just 3 miles west of town. It’s a county campground in the forest, so there is lots of shade and it seems cooler than in town (although it is humid and there isn’t much breeze). There just isn’t much I can do to escape the heat, and this is the best option for now.

I have enjoyed writing the blog posts nearly every day on this trip. While I am riding the bike, I think about what might be interesting about that day’s ride, and where to capture some photos that will show something of the ride. My only “computer” on this trip is my iPhone 6. At the end of the day, I transfer the best photos from my camera to the phone, using wifi built into the camera. Then I used the WordPress app on my phone to write the text and upload the photos. Most days, I use a little folding Bluetooth keyboard to do the writing, which makes a little laptop with my phone:

All together, this is a workable setup and adds minimal weight to the gear I am carrying. The keyboard is so cheap (made in China, purchased on Amazon) that I did not think it would last 2 + months, but it has (so far). Much easier than carrying a laptop or even an iPad. For me, it is worth it to be able to carry the camera (Panasonic ZS100) rather than a bigger tablet or laptop. 

I have also enjoyed all the comments and encouragement I have gotten from the followers of the blog. It really does help me keep going every day! Thanks a million for all of your support. It has made a huge difference to me.