4/28/24 It’s time to get started on this blog again. First to update everyone on our ride to the Columbia River last fall.
09/24/23 We left from our home in the very southern tip of West Seattle and headed into the city. To get to the east side, we had to navigate the bicycle route across Lake Washington on the I-90 bridge, which also means you have to climb up to the Mount Baker Tunnel for pedestrians.
09/24/23 We got a good look at the new light rail stations and I-90 bridge construction as we pedaled next to heavy traffic in n our own protected lane across the floating bridge. The only thing not protected was our eardrums!
09/24/23 On Mercer Island we watched a lacrosse team practice , then on to Bellevue where we had to navigate designated bike trails that suddenly turned into urban streets with little or no signage to point the way.
09/24/23 By Issaquah, Paul was famished! A Triple XXX burger revived him. Sadly, the famous Triple XXX Burgers went out of business a few months later, making this Rhe’s one and only experience at this iconic 50’s drive-up joint.
09/24/23 The ride after Issaquah was beautiful to start with, then we ran into trouble. Part of the bike path was closed, so we had to climb a very big hill and Rhe’s legs started cramping. We weren’t sure we would make it to North Bend. But we did, and had a good soak in the hot tub at our VRBO.
09/25/23 Next morning all trace of the cramps were gone. On our bikes, and now we get to climb the John Wayne Rail Trail to the Snoqualmie Tunnel at the top of the pass. A beautiful and glorious day, with only a smattering of rain. Lots of trestles and fall foliage.
09/25/23 At the tunnel, we donned our headlamps, pulled on our rain gear (it’s wet in there!), and pedaled to eastern Washington through the 2.25 mile hole in the mountain. It’s very dark in there.
09/25/23 At the other end of the tunnel, there was some kind of trail ride going’s on. Lots of horses and trailers. We headed up to the ski hill, where we stayed at the motel off the freeway, and enjoyed a beer at the brewery across the street.
09/26/23 Next morning we woke up to rain. So we ate a big breakfast at the motel diner, then got going. First we biked around the west side of Lake Keechelus - the lake I-90 borders to the east.
09/26/23 On to Easton and Cle Elum. There’s a lake at Easton! Who knew???? That’s what you miss driving on the interstate. At Cle Elum, they have made a park on the trail commemorating the town’s history as a train station.
09/26/23 We passed an elk trying to hide in the trees along the trail. We saw lots of osprey and eagles and some turkeys raced us for a few yards up the trail. It was nice to be far enough away from I-90 to hear something other thanks traffic.
09/26/23 In Ellensburg, we stayed at the Hotel Windrow in downtown. Five stars from us! They gave us a broom to clean our bikes, then locked them in somebody’s office for safekeeping. Dinner was half a block away at the Julep.
09/27/23 Last day on the trail! We followed the River out of town and suddenly we were in sagebrush. At first we tracked with I-90. But then we crossed over and entered the US Army Yakima Training Center. This is a wide swath of beautiful, empty land.
09/27/23 There were lots off cuts in the landscape for the trains to pass through when this was a railroad. These were reminiscent of a Lord of the Rings scene, and we both felt like Merry and Pippin on the backs of orcs being carried through Rohan.
09/27/23 We decided to stop for lunch. This was when Stig told us we had left all of the good lunch makings in the refrigerator in the hotel room . Thanks to a jar of peanut butter, Paul did not die of starvation.
09/27/23 After hours of cycling in the desert, we starteded downhill and coasted to the Columbia River. We crossed the Columbia River on the Beverly Bridge, the new pedestrian and bicycle bridge that allows us to avoid the I-90 bridge at Vantage. Paul’s brother, Jon, was there to pick us up.
09/27/23 The Palouse to Cascades Trail goes to the Washington/Idaho border, but after the Beverly Bridge the trail is not as well maintained and there are fewer services. We will try that when the trail is more developed. From Seattle to Beverly, WA, this was a grand ride!
If you are ever wondering what to give someone who is going on an adventure involving lots of physical labor, I recommend a hanky. Friends gave me this one and it has been incredibly useful for wiping off sweat and blowing my nose almost daily. FYI, it’s the best!
