Liberty and Coffee

What is it about a mountain pass that calls... no, begs, for Bavarian complicity.  We often use passes close to us for traveling to get to places we need to get to in a hurry, not often savoring the scenery because we have passed through them hundreds of times and count the familiar features as stages to be checked off in the goal of a destination.

Today, I changed that.

Mrs. RedTigre was working all day and others were off doing their thing and not returning my texts so I went off on a morning to not just ride Blewett Pass, but to know Blewett Pass.  Between Wenatchee and the "Big Y" (intersection of Hwy 97 and 2) is the time to listen to the bike, feel for irregularities, and watch in amazement the level of the Wenatchee River as the runoff kicks into overdrive this time of year.  Top off fuel and hop onto the 97 South at the speed limit until the DOT shed is behind us and the mouth of the pass in front.

Wow...

The windshield has to stay down and the helmet faceplate up... the smell of fresh pine, assorted deciduous trees, fresh mountain streams and mountain air is seductive. With nary a soul behind me, this has to be taken slowly as I come down to 45 mph and take the first set of corners.  I've hit these many times at speeds that force you to pay attention to every track way too often, no need to be a curve cowboy today so the payoff was incredible... and Mistress loved it.

Blewett came to be from the prospect of gold, and from gold came the horse trails, then wagon, then upgraded well enough for the first automobile to cross in 1923.  They actually turned the wagon trail into a state highway but went to a lower, less treacherous run in 1957.  On the North side of the pass you can see the old highway as it originally rode above the new and remains in whatever state nature has left it while unused over the years. The pass was to have been renamed Swauk Pass, for the creek and former lodge that used to cater to travelers 75 years ago, but people never used that name and Blewett stuck.

In a few weeks, I believe the Old Blewett Highway will be accessible (snow melted) and if you want an exciting ride to see what the old section of road was like, I encourage you to take it one time on any bike.  I doubt any bike would have problems, but it is a low maintenance paved road with debris on it at any given time, so relax and enjoy.

At the summit (4102 ft.) is when you first realize how quickly you have climbed, and then the drop down the South side begins. Through Mineral Springs (the original Swauk Lodge) and down to the historic mining town of Liberty. People still live up here year round and even take gold from the hills from time to time.  Mining was an incredibly hard life and success was the only way you stayed.

Down to the Liberty Cafe for a cup of coffee, and then the same relaxed trip return.  I would often see a string us cars coming up behind me in a hurry, so I'd grab the next pullout, let them hurry past me, reluctant to share, and then have the next 5-10 miles to myself as I made my way again up and over.  I took one turnout and as I was waiting for traffic to pass looked to my right to see a WSP trooper tucked back 20 feet shooting radar.  We smiled to another as I took off and within the next few seconds the next stream of cars I encountered coming my way had a car ripping in the outside lane that gave the trooper a purpose in life and off he went with lights flashing.

As my friend Ferris said, "Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it".

Bloody right.