Beautiful pre-sunrise sky over a nice calm Columbia River. No wind to speak of…too bad the day didn’t stay that way.
I got a head start this morning, the earliest since the morning on Vashon. I was rolling out just before 8:00. We had said we wanted to start early because we had a rather long day ahead of us on the Palouse to Cascades Trail. Everyone (except me) was concerned about riding the sand.
Here’s some photos I took on my way to the P2C.
This is called “The Cove”.
Wanapum Dam
Turns out the P2C was up beyond those rocks (didn’t know that when I took the photo).
The Beverly Bridge in the distance.
Ruh roh, load of apples got spilled!
I got to the place where the P2C crosses the road. In the beginning, the whole point of this trip was to ride to the grand opening of the Beverly Bridge. Of course, the opening didn’t happen. I was hoping to at least be able to ride up to the bridge, but I was only able to get part way.
I was a good girl, and didn’t go beyond here (if it had been a weekend day, I totally would have gone closer).
Too bad, so sad…
I rode back just as the others were arriving. I told them about the barrier. They decided not to bother.
You have to register when you enter this part of the trail (which, incidentally, is still signed everywhere as the John Wayne Pioneer Trail) because the trail traverses the JBLM Yakima Training Area. I filled out the form for all of us.
Then promptly stuck it in my handlebar pocket (it was supposed to go into the Iron Ranger). Oops!
After some more conversation about tire pressure, we headed on the trail.
Thomas and Bob.
It was a steady 3% grade going up. The surface was not really sandy, mostly just small gravel. Thomas was happy as he was having no issues.
I would get ahead, but Thomas was never far behind. I didn’t think there would be any water until Kittatas, but shortly after getting on the trail I saw a sign pointing to potable water. Good to know! I was carrying a little over 1 1/2 liters.
We just kept going up the grade. Eventually, we came to areas where they had cut through the rock for the railway. The first one, I happened to see a large buck (maybe elk?) to my left. It was running parallel to me. I stopped and waited to see if it would come back up and cross the trail. It did!
There he goes!
In the cuts, there was quite a bit of fallen rock. This would prove bad for Bob.
We’d been going along for awhile. It was coming up on 11:00, so I stopped in one of the cuts for a snack. Thomas rolled up shortly. We both had a snack, then Thomas did some adjustments to his front rack. In the meantime, Bob and Janet caught up. Bob had fallen on the rocks. He was okay, but had a skin tear on his forearm. We washed it off, put some Neosporin on it, and a bandaid. I think he will be a little sore tomorrow.
Right after we started going again, it was as if someone had flipped the wind switch to on…turned on Mother Nature’s fan to high. I’m not kidding, it went from zero to very very windy in a heartbeat! Of course, it was a headwind! I wondered who had called up the wind! I think it was all Thomas’ fault. Just before he had said, “Man, a headwind is terrible!” The wind gods decided to prove him right! At this point, we were only 14 miles in. We had a long way to go.
I didn’t take anymore photos until we got to the Boylston Tunnel. We’d heard the tunnel was technically closed, and there was a bypass, but Bob had talked to some riders who had gone through it. I got to the turn for the bypass ahead of everyone else. I decided to ride toward the tunnel to see if we could actually get through. The trail became more overgrown, and then very marshy. Yeah…my feet got wet before I decided it was a no go and turned around. Thomas was just pulling up when I got back.
Bob and Janet had yet to catch up. Thomas and I made a big “X” and an arrow pointing to the bypass road. Just as we finished, I could see Bob coming. I told him about the tunnel situation (we asked him if we weren’t here would he have seen the X and arrow, and not gone toward the tunnel. He said he would have gone to check out the tunnel). We took the bypass. I was able to ride the whole thing, but it wasn’t easy. At one point, I happened to go look over the edge. It was right where the tunnel began.
Perhaps, if we had just gone through the wet marshy area, it would have been okay…who knows…
We followed the bypass until it came back to the trail.
The wind was still blowing like mad, but at least now it was downhill, the tunnel being the highest point.
Next up was the Renslow Trestle. I could see I-90 down below so I knew we were getting close. Also, this was the part of the trail (from the tunnel to the trestle) that had the sand everyone had talked about. MC did just fine, but it was also bumpy from the horse hoof prints. Oh, and the incessant wind. Did I mention it was windy? It was soooo windy!
I-90
Coming up on the Renslow Trestle.
A good parking spot for MC. The wind was really whipping on the trestle!
We had another 6 miles or so to Kittatas.
The old train station.
We stopped and got some food and drinks. We were all pretty hungry. I even go a grocery store corn dog. I told Thomas it was the best corn dog ever (only because I was so hungry…it really wasn’t).
From Kittatas, we all had our own plans. I was going straight to the KOA in Ellensburg. I needed to get to the office before it closed so I could get laundry detergent and quarters. Bob and Thomas wanted to go visit the bike shop, and Janet went to the grocery store.
I got to the KOA shortly after 5:00. I showered and started my laundry. Bob messaged me that him and Thomas were at the Perkins, and Bob had bought a whole Peanutbutter pie. I moved my laundry to the dryer, and hopped back on my bike to go meet them, and have some pie. I had two slices (one for dinner, and one for dessert).
Today was longer in mileage at 41.9 miles, but more importantly, it was long in time due to the wind. Even as I write this in my tent, the wind is still blowing. Hopefully, tomorrow it will be calm, at least for awhile in the morning.
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