I woke up Saturday morning to a flat tire, which prolonged me getting out of camp and on the road; I had a cup of coffee with Matt from the neighboring camp and got on the road about 8am.
I climbed along the Tieton River which cuts through the huge lava flows from the surrounding volcanoes. Climbing above the lava flows, I ended up in alpine country which reminded me a lot of the Sierras. The mountain walls turned from basalt to granite, snow became visible on the slopes, and waterfalls were everywhere. The beauty helped offset the miles of 6% grade.
After passing Rimrock Lake and Clear River Falls, I finally reached White Pass. Bombing down the other side at 35+ miles per hour, I came around a corner and there was Mt. Ranier, swallowing the entire skyline. Unfortunately, the top half was enveloped in clouds, but it was still impressive.
I continued to descend down to the Cowlitz River and the Big Bottom Valley. I cruised into the little hamlet of Randle to enjoy a day of rest tomorrow. A good first week with 465 miles pedaled.