Having forgotten to buy breakfast on the way to Republic, this morning we stopped for breakfast at a local cafe/ diner at a service station. A cooked breakfast was a pleasant change of pace from the usual porridge. We knew we were only aiming to get over the next pass today, so with just 40 miles to ride to the next town, we took our time at breakfast. We set off just after 10am.
It was a steep and consistent gradient all the way up the pass but with cloud cover, trees for shade and better mental preparation following the last 4 passes we reached the top sooner than we expected at around 2pm. This was the highest pass and our highest point in our journey so far.
From here on it was predominantly downhill to Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake, with a few ups that took us by surprise. The sun came out with a vengeance also. The temperature soared to 42C. After crossing the bridge over the lake we were surprised to find the town was not on the lake but in fact up a large hill to the East. In the heat this sapped at our reserves.
Once in town we asked at a local information office about local groceries and camping. They kindly called up the town hall and gained us permission to camp in the city park, with all the usual amenities nearby that we would look for at a camp site.
An easy afternoon, a dinner of hotdogs with chilli and a rest day tomorrow has all of us in higher spirits.
For pictures visit facebook.com/RollingEagleCyclingExpedition
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