We are back to finish the XWA Mountain Bike Race Across Washington route! Othello was quickly put behind us. Right outside of town we were buzzed by a crop duster- pretty cool. We traveled on gravel roads through fields to Malden, then caught the Palouse to Cascades Rail Trail. The terrain wasn’t too bad, gravel that was fairly packed so we could keep a good pace. We pedaled into Lind and stopped at Jim’s Market for.bite to eat and take a break.
The cashier told us the summer mountain bike traffic from the trail has become a vital economic infusion into the town’s economy. We were happy to oblige!
We soon crossed HWY 395 and then started a rough, loose stretch of about 18 miles to Ralston, by far the roughest section of trail so far. In places where the rail tresses have been remove or broken down, the.trail would drop down a side of the grade into the wash or ravine or canyon and then climb back up thee other side. On one of these descents, I ended up in a rut in really soft soil and it swallowed my front tire. I lost control, going about 20th and over I went. Glad the soil was soft, but did sprain my left wrist pretty good. Certain positions on the handlebars bring a lot of pain, but I figured out a couple positions that are tolerable. I also have aero bars that I can rest my elbows on and rest the wrist.
At Ralston, we turned north off the rail trail and then west a little bit to pedal into Ritzville, our goal for the day.
68 solid miles. Was mild today- mid or low 80s, but humidity was up about 70%.
Foundation for the Future 
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