Riding in some rain, sun, rain...

We came through several rain showers on our way here. Dave is cleaning the bike as the chain picks up a lot of grit when it's wet. We were on a packed limestone trail yesterday as well. 
It's been alternating between sun and rain all day today.  Mountain weather. We did expect this kind of weather in the largest temperate rainforest in the world.
We so wanted to leave the homeless shelter/motel we were at last night that we didn't care what the weather would be. Also we're getting so antsy to see what these passes are going to be like!

I won't be able to post for a few days since tomorrow we will ride into the North Cascades National Park. We will camp as close as we can to the first of two passes we need to complete in one day. There are bear safe boxes in the campground so I'm sure we will use them as we have no car to store our food! We picked up some freeze dried food in Sedro Woolley so that will taste good when we roll into camp.

There aren't any campgrounds once we start climbing until we get down to the other side. There is supposed to be a steep downhill initially, after the second pass (Washington Pass, the highest pass we will climb) .  Dave assures me he will take it slow.

The rain is supposed to lessen significantly in the next few days though. That will be nice, I'd like to see the peaks.
We have seen so many unusual trees and bushes. Everything seems to be flowering! The trees are covered with moss from all the rainfall. Lots of evergreens, cedars and Douglas fir, which isn't a fir at all, but related to the hemlock. The air smells so fresh and sweet; which is a good thing as we gasp for air on the climbs.
Hwy. 20 continues to have reasonably good shoulders except for the stretch coming into Marblemount. The traffic was all on the other side of the road as it's the end of the weekend for many folks.
First picture is when we waited out some rain and Dave got into some brambles.
Second picture is the mountains, getting bigger.
Third pic: mountain humor?
Fourth is where we waited out some more rain.
Fifth pic is needed bike maintenance. Sixth one is an ice cream stop. Last; more mountain humor?