Today served as a rest day where we had no goal of riding any further along our intended route. After two consecutive days of riding in near, sometimes above, triple digit heat, we felt it wise to take a day of rest.
Sleeping in until 6:30 was nice. By this hour, I find it difficult to sleep through the chatter of birds. Garrett and I both worked on odds and ends with our gear and bikes. We also ventured to other parts of the campground, including the shore of the Snake River.
After lunch, I elected to take all the gear off of my bike, and, for the first time since March, take an unburdend day trip to Palouse Falls State Park. This involved riding up 700+ feet out of the Snake River valley, but this was actually enjoyable given that I was riding the bike without hauling or pulling any additional weight.
First impressions can be misleading: Palouse Falls State Park is 2 miles off of WA-261 down a lonely gravel road. It could easily be taken as a gimmick, given that one would not expect this dry, hilly, sometimes barren land to feature a waterfall. Ten dusty and bumpy minutes later, a nearly 200 foot waterfall emerged to the northeast!
This state park was interesting in many regards. Aside from the waterfall itself, it appeared that it was undeveloped; yet to be bastardized by commerce and overuse. Beyond the parking lot, the park has little that resembles human activity: outhouses, unmarked hiking paths, and minimal fences. The lack of development really allowed for full and uninhibited enjoyment of the waterfall, river valley, and surrounding rock faces.
Tomorrow we will leave Washington as we ride into Lewiston, ID. Goodnight!
