{"id":7795,"date":"2013-06-22T12:39:55","date_gmt":"2013-06-22T16:39:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tourdebocrie.com\/?p=7795"},"modified":"2013-08-01T16:49:51","modified_gmt":"2013-08-01T20:49:51","slug":"day-1-friday-june-21-mount-vernon-to-marblemont-washington","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tourdebocrie.com\/?p=7795","title":{"rendered":"Day 1 Friday, June 21 – Mount Vernon to Marblemont, Washington"},"content":{"rendered":"

It is tough to talk about the first day of pedaling, when you begin writing at the end of the day. \u00a0Hence, we depend on photos…….ah yes, the Beginning…..when training, eager anticipation and exploration meet. \u00a0We rose at 5:30 to catch the train, leaving behind the comfortable confines of the hotel and the city.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Finally started pedaling just before 10 am and were almost immediately plunged into the Rainforest of Washington state.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The density of fur, spruce and pine allowed only an occasional glimpse at the source of rushing water.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Each turn was bordered with towering trees\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

and an occasional field, grains still green with early growth.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Our ride today started in very crisp high 50’s and overcast; quite cold to walk into, but felt good once we warmed up, which did not take long. \u00a0The ride today was a constant low grade climb, the kind that doesn’t look like it is going uphill, but required a constant effort to pedal. We followed the Skagit River \"\"<\/a>and crossed many creeks that fed it.\"\"<\/a> It was not until mid-afternoon that we began to see some blue sky\"\"<\/a>warming the day to almost 70, but only when we were in the sun, otherwise it remained cool; the threat of rain remaining just<\/em> in the distance.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

We finally made it to our destination by 4:30, totally spent after 59 miles and six hours in the saddle! \u00a0Usually exuberant after our first day, we silently wondered if our previous training was not sufficient or our old bodies just weren’t responding like they used to. \u00a0Either way, it was\u00a0a Great way to spend the Summer Solstice.\n\t\t