Irena’s 2021 Cross-Washington Mountain Bike Route
May 23, 2021 Grand Depart
Rialto Beach to Tekoa, Idaho State Line
Irena’s shake-down trip in preparation for the GDMBR
Day 1: Rialto Beach to Olympic Adventure Trail, 78 miles
May 23, 2021
40+ riders started in the Grand Depart at Rialto beach in the moss covered Olympic peninsula. Grateful to Pat and Tracy for the ride and support. Water droplets formed on my hat brim from the “heavy misting”. Pavement and hard pack gravels makes for fast 20 miles. Used two precious wipes in the first 1.5 hours. Bonus climbing miles after I dropped my gloves but my 71 year buddy Dave saved me when he picked them up. A patch of snow at 3200 ft turned into a long bike push through soft snow at 3400 ft but nice to have a track from other riders. Lake Crescent is beautiful but long. Olympic Discovery Trail was a nice gift with its smooth and mostly flat road. It took about 4 hours to loose myself in my head and in the trail. I lost count the number of times my bike computer “auto-paused” thinking that I was not moving on the big climb. Camp is where you make it...a random picnic table in a switchback on the Olympic Adventure Trail. I am happy with my 78 miles but it’s half of what the lead riders did!
Day 2: OAT to somewhere past Dungeness Forks Campground, 64 miles
May 24, 2021
My keenly tuned ear to raindrops falling on the tent kept me aware during night. I am never stoked to pack away a wet tent. Wonderful single track and the ODT made a pleasant and moist roll into Port Angeles. The rain jacket was deployed eventually. Coffee shop stop in Port Angeles for breakfast and to wait out the heavy rain. The ODT is amazing and took me near Sequim. Isn’t it always supposed to be dry there? I asked the ladies at the last gas station before the climbing began not to judge me by what I purchased and then inhaled an ice cream.
Climbing and more climbing. Chatted with two other rides and tried to calculate how far to go with big elevation gain ahead. In a sunny moment, I decided to press on past the last camp. Then Brian let me share the outhouse accommodation as it down-poured. Shorter XWA day 2 than planned (64mi) but good decisions.
Day 3: To Edmonds, 75 miles
May 25, 2021
Water water everywhere all the time. I used body heat to dry my riding shirt and shorts in my sleeping bag overnight. It kinda worked. Then I tucked my still soaked gloves into my bike shorts on my belly when I started my ride. I hike a bike anything over a 7% grade and especially the teens. It was a 2+hr hike a bike uphill first thing. Fast and cold descend into single track with wet foliage which turned my carefully dried gloves wet again. Never an empty water bottle with stream gushing next to the road but watch out where you step. One submerged foot. Best elk burger in Quilcene. Rhododendrons in their natural habitat. They call it “timber harvest” but I think it’s more of a land massacre. I cleaned and lubed the chain this morning but it was chirping by the end of the day again.
Hot shower to end the day and a little bike cleaning. Newspapers to soak up my wet shoes. Loved biking onto the ferry and getting reports of other riders. XWA day 3 at 75 meandering miles ending in Edmonds.
Day 4: Edmonds to Snoqualmie Pass, 85 miles
May 26, 2021
Dry socks day. Dry everything day! Early donuts with fellow riders. Resupply at Walgreens. If the trail looks like it does not go..it goes. This feels like an urban scavenger hunt. Trail angel Rodger and his pup on top of Norway hill trail with a cooler full of refreshments. Finally rode the Tolt pipeline trail and thanks PSE for the power line trail. My first time exploring the Redmond watershed - beautiful.
Novelty hill cruise down tasted sweet but over in a blink of an eye. I have never been so happy to get on the Snoqualmie Valley Trail. Met my own trail angels, Andrea and Jess, at the pass for some evening cheer. And what a treat to have Andrea ride with me for a bit. No picture of the campsite near Lake Keechelus since I set up the tent by headlamp. Day 4 was a long day for me. 85 miles. I think I rode every possible urban trail in the greater Seattle area.
Day 5: Snoqualmie Pass to Colockum, 80 miles
May 27, 2021
Like a cocoon, I mostly slept through the cold night. The trick to camping solo (after years of watching too much Law & Order) is ear plugs. I was craving the heat of eastern WA and I knew it was coming. Breakfast with my hubby in South Cle Elum after couple cold hours of riding was a wonderful break. On the trail steady to Ellensburg with many different shades of green and singing wind. My bike computer read 84 deg in Thorp, 94 deg in Ellensburg and at 5000 ft at the Colockum 43 deg before the temp dropped even lower. Since I decided to push past Ellensburg, my day included lots of climbing and I underestimated the brutal trail but views were incredible. We were just over the ridge from the Wild Horse Wind Farm so of course winds were howling. Justin told me to “climb high, sleep low” so I climbed high and slept high. That was not my plan but I again caught up with my buddy Brian while he was starting to set up camp. He pressed on with me for a while but we agreed that finding a protected spot and setting up camp was the better idea. 80 mile day 5 and past the halfway point. This state of ours has wonderfully diverse nature. Stunning views today.
Expecting a cold night, I put on all the clothes I had with me, including my rain jacket and two pairs of socks. Cooked a hot dinner in my vestibule.
Day 6: Colockum to Douglas Creek Campground, 73 miles
May 28, 2021
Hard to get out of the sleeping bag into the cold. 38 deg at 8 am when we started riding required long pants and down jacket. Cow patties everywhere. The cattle appeared to be surprised to see us. Under the power lines. Still a slow slog up. Much walking. Even the downhill was slow due to the rocks. Yelled at two large dogs who chased me barking and that’s how I knew I hit civilization again. Wow the Colockum was gorgeous but HARD. Sweet pavement at last and a windy slow bike into hot Wenatchee for resupply. A brief bike path was enjoyed out of town and merge to ride on the road reminded me why I am now leaning towards bikepacking rather than bike touring. My bike computer read 100 deg. Quite the change from this morning.
The climbing was steep but felt like I was gaining on the hill at a reasonable pace even though I was walking. I watched the road ahead for miles. Waved to a farmer. Bob, who I met the first day, rolled up on me in his Jeep looking for Jason. The fun exchange gave me some energy to continue with the climbing on this straight uphill road. Through the farmland at 2500 ft. The downhill was fast and rewarding and there was Jason out of nowhere. A welcomed company as we kept descending and descending further. Rolling through the sand just pointing it straight. Ankle deep stream crossing and bike carried for effect. The cold water felt great on my hot feet. Approaching 9 pm, finding a campsite was on my brain. Then in the canyon out of nowhere Douglas Creek. Jason was ahead so I didn’t get to say goodbye as I turned into a parking lot where I saw a pitched tent, not wanting to go by a possible good spot for the night. I setup next to a friendly Russian family (who offered me a map, thinking that I was lost, by the questions that I was asking). The crickets were having a party before my earplugs expanded in my ears. Day 6 at 73 miles done. (Finally a dam selfie)
Day 7: Douglas Creek to Warden Lake, 74 miles
May 29, 2021
38 deg. 6 am. Two knee deep creek crossings and now my feet are clean. Yesterday, Jason and I dramatized an ankle deep creek crossing. Today we weren’t there to take pictures for each other. Three crossings. Shoes tucked in the cockpit and socks in my pocket for each stream crossing.
Sunrise over the hills. Valley farming. Middle of nowhere. Hot Ephrata. Flat hot and dusty. Irrigation ditches. Moses Lake Sand Dunes on a hot Memorial weekend is a view into how other Americans recreate.
Many long straight roads. Lock combination for a state park gate didn’t work so I had to partially strip my bike of the bags so that I could lift it over. Finding my way through the potholes reservoir wildlife area and the Warden Lake area until I got to another locked gate. That was too much at the end of the day, so I decided to camp. Early end to day 7 but a nice camp site. There was also a bonus stream crossing that required me to push my bike up a bank. 74 miles on day 7.
Day 8: Warden Lake to Ritzville, 57 miles
May 30, 2021
The morning started with lifting the bike over two barbed wire fences and repacking. The cows were curious and scared of me at the same time. The farm smell of Warden. And the smell of me. Too many days since the last shower. Dreadlocks are forming.
Trail filled with tumble weed. It took some strong will to stay on route on the terrible, lose rocky trail and not to ride on the newly paved road running parallel. Very Slow miles. Happy to find a little mart in Lind, the tiny town with three churches and lots of parking. Barbed wire gates and many other locked gates. Relief when the lock combination worked and I didn’t have to hoist the bike over. Someone was leaving me carefully placed gummy worms at each gate - I did not eat them. Wind turbines on the horizon were a welcomed sight marking eastern WA. No shade unless you are in a culvert tunnel under the freeway or the shadow of a grain silo. Sun burned calves and terrible tan lines. Called it quit in Ritzville after baking in the sun all day and crawling towards Idaho. Day 8 at 57 miles. Today was a hard day.
Day 9: Ritzville to Tekoa, Idaho State Line, 110 miles
May 31, 2021
Sunrise over wheat fields. Sunglasses on at 5:30 am. Biking in the middle of the road. Fences. Gates. Cattle grazing. Near Rock Creek, I came across Palouse riders (horses not bikes) who make an annual 18 day trip across the state. Her grandpa has been doing it for 20 years. Lovely people and horses. Rolling gravel roads. Soaked my shirt, hat, buff in a creek and then my trail ended at a burned bridge. Backtrack to get around into Malden. I stopped in the shade figuring out cell service/water when I heard my name yelled. It was Brian! He caught me and was filling up water at kind strangers’ house. They invited me to do the same. It was a delightful break and Brian and I rolled from town together. This poor town mostly burned down when the forest fire swept through last year.
It was wonderful to have company again after three days on my own. Brian and I decided to ride the rest of the way together. About 3 mi before Rosaria, he got a flat. It was his last of many. I rode ahead to town agreeing to wait for him there. Water and food onboard, we analyzed how long the next 35 mi will take. Then we put the hammer down, taking turns setting the pace. Reached Tekoa in the daylight but the victory lap which takes another hour over 17 state line road rollers was the cherry on top. Grateful for finish line cheer with fellow riders, supporters and dot followers. This was the right bike for this route and no mechanicals. Justin picked me up and we made the night drive home. Day 9 at 110 miles from Ritzville to Tekoa.
The 700 mile cross-Washington ride is complete! 9 days from Rialto Beach to Tekoa on the Idaho State line.
Next up - Riding the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route starting on June 19.
