2020 : Our Rides in Words, Photos & Videos

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I, too, think that Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres are 'the way to go'. Flats ruin ebike rides!

I use the MTB version (57-584) with 40 mm Panaracer Flataway Kevlar liners glued to the inside of the tyre; and, just to make doubly-sure, Tannus Armour and sealant-filled tubes.

And one more thing: Marathon Plus have refective sidewalls – an important safety feature – which just happen to show up rather clearly when a photo is taken using fill flash…

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Welcome Ania and Archie. We look forward to sharing your ebike adventures.
I like your thinking David!
 
On the road again... From Bellevue, WA to Everett, WA this afternoon. Via the 520, Sammamish River, North Creek, and Interurban trails.

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On the Sammamish River Trail, I encountered this self-propelled beach ball:

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The North Creek Trail had some nice grade-separated sections and a nice forest section north of Mill Creek:

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On the road again... From Bellevue, WA to Everett, WA this afternoon. Via the 520, Sammamish River, North Creek, and Interurban trails.

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On the Sammamish River Trail, I encountered this self-propelled beach ball:

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The North Creek Trail had some nice grade-separated sections and a nice forest section north of Mill Creek:

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Looking forward to that ride someday soon!
 
On the road again... From Bellevue, WA to Everett, WA this afternoon. Via the 520, Sammamish River, North Creek, and Interurban trails.

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On the Sammamish River Trail, I encountered this self-propelled beach ball:

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The North Creek Trail had some nice grade-separated sections and a nice forest section north of Mill Creek:

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That looks like a good route through a high traffic area. Were there many gaps in your bike route or was it smooth sailing?
 
That looks like a good route through a high traffic area. Were there many gaps in your bike route or was it smooth sailing?

Well, for the most part it was very smooth sailing. Clawing my way out of Bellevue was manageable, mostly on quiet streets or streets with decent bike lanes. There was a section of the 520 trail that was closed but there was a good detour through the Microsoft Campus (on very wide and quiet streets).

A section of the North Creek trail is incomplete and for now you are forced to ride on the shoulder of busy highway 527 for about 4 miles -- but there is a bike lane that full distance and cars were respectful of me (or at least of my GoPro). There were lots of intersections and you had to be watchful of right-turning cars.

There is a short section from the end of the North Creek trail to the Interurban trail where you are forced to ride on a sidewalk for about half a mile. The road is a busy 4-lane road with no shoulder. There were no pedestrians but I'd say that was the worst section.

Once you are on the Interurban trail it is smooth sailing to downtown Everett. There are brief sections on city streets, nearly all of which are quiet residential streets. Some sections of the Interurban trail are basically double-wide sidewalks.

So yes, the Seattle area does have some halfway decent cycling infra. Out of the 35 miles less than about two miles was without bike infra, and much of that was on quiet streets where the lack of such was not a problem. Count me impressed.
 
Are you on the Bruce, or Collingwood or??? Looks like a great place to bike.
50 clicks south of Owen Sound. Born and raised here, returned to my roots 5 years back (travel for work) making this an awesome home base. From here I'm 50kms to Owen Sound, 75kms to Kincardine and it's water's edge, 75kms to Sauble Beach and 75kms to Collingwood if I want to go east (great for snowboarding at Blue Mountain in the winter).

Still getting fully used to running the highways with my ebike - going east/west tends to be a lot less traffic then north/south into cottage country. Drivers have been good thankfully, especially when I remember to turn on my rear tail lights (even in a bright afternoon) often going 1/2 or fully over the lane to the left going around me.

With a bike carrier on the hitch I also get down to the GTA (pre-virus at least) and Welland Canal with friends when invited - so many great places to ride within 2 hours drive - but nothing better than leaving my driveway and going exploring for the day.

Cheers
 
Did my 3rd (metric) Century for this week. Tuesday was 100kms, Thursday was 116kms and today topped out at 141kms.

Plans changed as I went - hit a stretch of 'fresh gravel, drive slow' which felt like snow under my 50mm tires (with my riding weight and gear loaded on the back) but thankfully was able to make a 'Exit, Stage Left' and picked up the main highway north to a planned spot I had in mind for next time.

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Not too bad for a 270 pounder? 😂 Love my Ebikes. :cool:
 
The Road Reconnaissance on Rivers Bug and Liwiec

My brother was busy on Saturday; the weather forecast promised thunderstorms; yet I felt I must ride out, even alone. I prepared myself to travel light: No spare battery but water-resistant clothes in my pannier were necessary.

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I actually started and finished my ride at Point 13. That's where my close friends live yet they were not at home on Saturday. Just thought it could be a good start point for the travel.

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"Traffic jams don't pertain to me" :) River Bug (pronounce "boog") is a big river, one of these that define Poland. It is the frontier river that used to form our eastern border with the Soviet Union after WW2 and now "across the Bug" means Belarus and Ukraine. Here, the Bug bridge in Wyszków is seen.

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The 15th km, the main square in Wyszków. Poland has changed a lot since 1989, and especially after our accession to the European Union. Roads in Poland are surprisingly clean now; it is a rare case a cyclist gets a flat tyre nowadays here. Ugly and boring Polish cities such as Wyszków now look nicely, due to improved infrastructure, new paint and flowers. A gardener was actually working when I was there!


Just back there in 1993, Wyszków was made the symbol of an intoxicated town by Elektryczne Gitary (Electric Guitars) in the song "Wyszków tonie" (Wyszków's Flooded), lyrics of which compared the Bug-flooded Wyszków to alcohol-flood. Not anymore.

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A 1944 Soviet howitzer, 122 mm calibre in Wyszków.

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The area on Rivers Bug and Narew (called collectively "Bugo-Narew") is extremely popular for recreation. Not that far from Warsaw, the beautiful, woody and healthy area attracts holidaymakers. Kayaking is very popular on the Bug, with many places where a kayak can be rented. Here, the Bug in Wyszków.

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The Bug is an unregulated river where floods occur frequently. Here, the river in Kamieńczyk, one of popular holiday destinations.

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Water-gauges in Kamieńczyk. "44" means 4.40 m water level and that that's the emergency. Over 4.4 m means a flood (maximum level measured is 6.50 m).

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I stopped in Loretto (more on that later) and sat on a bench in a tourist shelter. I sensed a thunderstorm approaching. And the thunderstorm came in few minutes. I, and another cyclist who rode in completely soaked there were waiting for perhaps an hour until the thunders weakened. It was pouring! I put my waterproof outfit on meanwhile. Here, equestrians riding during the rainfall.

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There is a Virgin Mary cult location in Italy called Loreto. In 1929, a Warsaw priest Ignacy Kłopotowski who was an avid cult follower bought land here and the place was officially renamed to Loretto (with double "t"). The sanctuary is huge, only I could not picture the size properly. There is the sanctuary, a monastery, and a nursing house in Loretto.
From that moment on, it started pouring again. I rode out. My waterproof clothes worked!

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"Thunderbolt and lightning very very frightening me!" :D

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I had a rare chance to take a photo of a flying stork and then -- in those backwoods! -- a car emerged and spoiled the photo...

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Due to the fact I don't have a full command of my new camera yet, I was able to delete several nice pictures: A beautiful horse, a historical mill, or my brother Jacek washing my e-bike :(



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The ride stats.
 
I, too, think that Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres are 'the way to go'. Flats ruin ebike rides!

I use the MTB version (57-584) with 40 mm Panaracer Flataway Kevlar liners glued to the inside of the tyre; and, just to make doubly-sure, Tannus Armour and sealant-filled tubes.

And one more thing: Marathon Plus have refective sidewalls – an important safety feature – which just happen to show up rather clearly when a photo is taken using fill flash…

View attachment 56161

Welcome Ania and Archie. We look forward to sharing your ebike adventures.
Another Schwalbe Marathon fan here, over 6,100 miles covered and not a single puncture and they are still like new! Welcome Archie and Ania! :) Now I'm going to get a puncture... :p
 
Audaces Fortuna Iuvat (Rivers Liwiec & Bug, Off-Road)

Fortune favours the bold. All weather forecasts promised violent, Belarussian thunderstorms to occur throughout Poland on Sunday. It was pouring the night before. Yet my brother Jacek and I are tough men and we believe Fortune loves us ;) 8:30 a.m I drove into the Jacek's homestead with my Monster Trance inside the car, and Jacek was ready with his mechanical Giant Boulder Duo Shock. Jacek used to be a test driver for the automotive industry in his youth, so I let him overtake the steering wheel and to Wyszków off we drove.

Our route was similar to my Saturday's one with the important exception we would utilise off-road and gravel roads to the max instead of riding tarmac. After 13-14 km of uneventful ride we arrived to the tiny lake in Gaj, from where I started my road-based adventure the day before. It was a real Summer day, sunny, with temperature up to 29 C (84 F), almost no wind and high air humidity.

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Jacek taking pictures of me :)

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Why are we just riding and riding? Sometimes I dream of a proper sun-bath and taking a bath in a lake...

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Friends! I regret this photo could not render the drama of that steep climb! "Which way are we riding now?" -- Jacek asked -- "Straight forward, bro!" -- I shouted and spurted forward in the granny gear and in the POWER mode. The first part of the climb was loose sand...
Monster was climbing easily so I pulled over to take a photo of Jacek. He didn't even blink at the challenge; he downshifted to the small chain-ring and to the granny gear but after he overtook me, he... stopped. Or, the climb stopped him. He stood on his pedals and victoriously reached the summit. I just stamped on a pedal.... Monster did a wheelie :D I threw my body onto the bars and joined my brother in few seconds. Viva e-MTBs!

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"We're not going to make that hill, Jacek! There is no track ahead. Go back!"

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It's a morass. I was safe: Because of the drought in the months before, the morass was pleasantly dry and felt like a meadow.

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An anthill.

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The Jacek's Giant Boulder Duo Shock. Jacek: "Bro, I have to confess something to you; I've just understood my Giant was not a proper MTB..."

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"Jacek, I need a rest. My blood circulation is not in good shape now..."
"Ride on! We'll take some rest by riding tarmac!"
He was bloody right. Riding tarmac seemed to be effortless compared to off-road...

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On the River Liwiec, a tributary of Bug. The river is beloved by holidaymakers and tourist for its beauty. I had unforgettable bonfire parties on the Liwiec when I was 17-19. It was Urle on Liwiec where I got drunk for the first time in my life. I and my best friend Julian drank a half-litre bottle of cheapest, warm vodka straight from the bottle in ten minutes by bonfire on Liwiec... Many stories to tell 🙃


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Kayaking is the most popular pastime on Rivers Liwiec and Bug. A perceptive eye with notice a group of people taking a bath. The Liwiec is reaching their thighs, so shallow it is now.

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A family (or two families) kayaking.

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The place name translates to "Empty Meadows" :)

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That name may translate to "Wheel Housing" (an automotive term)...


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People bathing in River Liwiec near Kamieńczyk. Soon, Liwiec will join River Bug.

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A sculpture of a rafter in Kamieńczyk on Rivers Liwiec and Bug.

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"Fortuna audaces iuvat". The Fortune favours the bold. As soon as we reached Kamieńczyk and sat in a tourist shelter, it poured. Jacek asked me what time it was and suggested he believed it was 2 p.m. Why?! Because he read a weather forecast predicting raining in Kamieńczyk to 2 p.m. :D And yes, it was 14:00 hours sharp! There was a thunderstorm over Wyszków and another one approaching Kamieńczyk from the east. After a quarter, it stopped raining. We put everything into the race between two thunderstorm fronts. We made it. Dry.


When Jacek was driving back, there was a massive rainfall. The rainfall occurred throughout Poland and was so severe that the President of Poland felt he needed to express his opinion on the TV. I could see many cyclist wringing wet on my drive back home. But Jacek and I made it dry. Because the Fortune favours the bold!

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We were intentionally making circles near to my car to make up the distance to 50.00 km sharp!
 
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Audaces Fortuna Iuvat (Rivers Liwiec & Bug, Off-Road)

Fortune favours the bold. All weather forecasts promised violent, Belarussian thunderstorms to occur throughout the Poland on Sunday. It was pouring the night before. Yet my brother Jacek and I are tough men and we believe Fortune loves us ;) 8:30 a.m I drove into the Jacek's homestead with my Monster Trance, and Jacek was ready with his mechanical Giant Boulder Duo Shock. Jacek used to be a test driver for the automotive industry in his youth, so I let him overtake the steering wheel and to Wyszków off we drove.

Our route was similar to my Saturday's one with the important exception we would utilise off-road and gravel roads to the max instead of riding tarmac. After 13-14 km of uneventful ride we arrived to the tiny lake in Gaj, from where I started my road-based adventure the day before. It was a real Summer day, sunny, with temperature up to 29 C (84 F), almost no wind and high air humidity.

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Jacek taking pictures of me :)

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Why are we just riding and riding? Sometimes I dream of a proper sun-bath and taking a bath in a lake...

View attachment 56259
Friends! I regret this photo could not render the drama of that steep climb! "Which way are we riding now?" -- Jacek asked -- "Fast forward, bro!" -- I shouted and spurted forward in the granny gear and in the POWER mode. The first part of the climb was loose sand...
Monster was climbing easily so I pulled over to take a photo of Jacek. He didn't even blink at the challenge; he downshifted to the small chain-ring and to the granny gear but after he overtook me, he... stopped. Or, the climb stopped him. He stood on his pedals and victoriously reached the summit. I just stamped on a pedal.... Monster did a wheelie :-D I threw my body onto the bars and joined my brother in few seconds. Viva e-MTBs!

View attachment 56260
"We're not going to make that hill, Jacek! There is no track ahead. Go back!"

View attachment 56261
It's a morass. I was safe: Because of the drought in the months before, the morass was pleasantly dry and felt like a meadow.

View attachment 56262
An anthill.

View attachment 56263
The Jacek's Giant Boulder Duo Shock. Jacek: "Bro, I have to confess something to you; I've just understood my Giant was not a proper MTB..."

View attachment 56264
"Jacek, I need a rest. My blood circulation is not in good shape now..."
"Ride on! We'll take some rest by riding tarmac!"
He was bloody right. Riding tarmac seemed to be effortless compared to off-road...

View attachment 56265
On the River Liwiec, a tributary of Bug. The river is beloved by holidaymakers and tourist for its beauty. I had unforgettable bonfire parties on the Liwiec when I was 17-19. It was Urle on Liwiec where I got drunk for the first time in my life. I and my best friend Julian drank a half-litre bottle of cheapest, warm vodka straight from the bottle in ten minutes by bonfire on Liwiec... Many stories to tell 🙃


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Kayaking is the most popular pastime on Rivers Liwiec and Bug. A perceptive eye with notice a group of people taking a bath. The Liwiec is reaching their thighs, so shallow it is now.

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A family (or two families) kayaking.

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The place name translates to "Empty Meadows" :)

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That name may translate to "Wheel Housing" (an automotive term)...


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People bathing in River Liwiec near Kamieńczyk. Soon, Liwiec will join River Bug.

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A sculpture of a rafter in Kamieńczyk on Rivers Liwiec and Bug.

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"Fortuna audaces iuvat". The Fortune favours the bold. As soon as we reached Kamieńczyk and sat in a tourist shelter, it poured. Jacek asked me what time it was and suggested he believed it was 2 p.m. Why?! Because he read a weather forecast predicting raining in Kamieńczyk to 2 p.m. :D And yes, it was 14:00 hours sharp! There was a thunderstorm over Wyszków and another one approaching Kamieńczyk from the east. After a quarter, it stopped raining. We put everything into the race between two thunderstorm fronts. We made it. Dry.


When Jacek was driving back, there was a massive rainfall. The rainfall occurred throughout Poland and was so severe that the President of Poland felt he needed to express his opinion on the TV. I could see many cyclist wringing wet on my drive back home. But Jacek and I made it dry. Because the Fortune favours the bold!

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We were intentionally making circles near to my car to make up the distance to 50.00 km sharp!
Amazing ride, Stefan!
 
Just curious. Do you use your phone camera or do you take a DSLR on your rides?

Neither. Both my phone (iPhone 6—2014) and DSLR (Canon 20D—2004) are 'ancient' so, while I wait to replace them, I am using a compact camera with a fixed 28mm wide-angle lens.

This has proved a usable alternative and I have grown to like it. The camera fits snugly into my handlebar bag (Ortlieb Ultimate6 Pro with camera insert). Not having an interchangeable lens removes problems of getting dust and moisture inside. The downside is inability to zoom in close; however, there is the alternative of simply cropping the scene digitally either in camera or afterwards.

Stefan has taken an interesting alternative route: a high-quality compact with zoom lens. I am sure that he will share his experiences soon.
 
On to La Conner, a little drizzly but not really that bad. There was a section of the Centennial Trail that is impassable (S of Arlington), this involved about a 5 mile detour:



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The Stilliguamish River (North Stilly) from the Centennial Trail:

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Pilchuck Creek, again from the Centennial Trail:

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Famous Snow Goose Produce:

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Downtown La Conner. Which leaves me wondering why all artsy little harbor towns look the same...

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A loop ride in hot weather. First stop, was the Omak International Airport because there is a shady place there where it is nice to stop and sip water. I was hoping to see a plane move, but that never happens when I stop there. I felt out of place as they have put a sign on the shade tree proclaiming the spot a Designated Smoking Area.
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I backtracked a bit and then headed out on a road called Bide A Wee road. Then a turn onto Green Acres Road where the song got stuck in my head. Green Acres Is the place to be, Farmin' is the life for me, and so on Duh Duhhh Duh Duh Duh.....Duh Duh. Hey! I proclaim The Crop of the Week to be.....HAY. Later on, it will be Cannabis. That's what is growing behind the black fence.
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The obligatory bike picture with the bike aimed towards Conconully. I did not have enough gumption to ride there today. This was another water sipping break spot and the cherries in the orchard looked a bit sparse.
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So, off onto the Johnson Creek (pronounced crick) road for a long stretch and then onto another county road. I should mention that this was one of those rides when the wind keeps switching so one always has a headwind to ride into. Must be the topography or else the wind gods despise me. There also must have been some kind of a horse event as trucks pulling horse and stock trailers went flying by me. I predict that if there were horses inside of a couple of those, the people will have trouble convincing the horse to enter the trailer again as they were getting a very rough ride. Hey, here's some more Hay. Hay for my men, beer for the horses.
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Almost home, but this field of Mustard???? begged for a picture. I'm not sure that it is mustard, but that's what it looks like.
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I should have some cherry pictures, but they are not ripe yet in the immediate area. I did ride to the Farmer's Market yesterday and bought two pounds of beautiful cherries to gorge on. When I got home from this ride, I got the bag out of the fridge and dumped a bunch in a bowl. I LOVE fresh cherries. Tis the season!
 

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On to La Conner, a little drizzly but not really that bad. There was a section of the Centennial Trail that is impassable (S of Arlington), this involved about a 5 mile detour:



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The Stilliguamish River (North Stilly) from the Centennial Trail:

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Pilchuck Creek, again from the Centennial Trail:

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Famous Snow Goose Produce:

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Downtown La Conner. Which leaves me wondering why all artsy little harbor towns look the same...

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Did you get as far as the Nakamura Barn, or was the obstruction before that?
 
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