Thursday, July 13, 2017

JWPT Take 2! - Day 4

We were determined to make it home as once you leave Lake Easton there are few campsites between Lake Easton, Rattlesnake Lake and Duvall. The Snoqualmie Valley Trail does not allow camping off the trail, so we needed to push for home.  This was made much easier by the fact that what we had ridden up just a few short days prior we now got to ride down.

Memorable moments: Head wind. EPIC LONGEST DOWNHILL EVER!!! F16 flew over screaming up the I-90 canyon. Tons of people on the trail. We essentially rode around Lake Easton (we discovered this later on when we looked at our maps). Fabulous "you should" list compiled on the way down Snoqualmie Valley trail. Celebrated with dinner at the Duvall Grill.

Wildlife sightings: Douglas squirrels, 4 Townsend chipmunks, 4 soaring turkey vultures, 1 sage grouse, 1 bunny

Vital stats:
50 trestles
9 gates
3 tunnels
2.7 miles to trail start from Lake Easton campsite
ATM = 0:27:10
MXS = 17.6 mph
AVS = 5.9 mph
Once on the trail...
64.76 miles
ATM = 7:14:13
MXS = 16.7 mph
AVS = 8.9 mph

Nick's GPS:
66 miles
ATM = 9:01:49
MXS = 20.62 mph
AVS = 7.31 mph
840 feet elevation gain
2,887.1 elevation loss

JWPT Take 2 - Day 4

FINAL STATS

Total miles ridden: 250.22
Total hours in the saddle: 25:45:11
Total trestles: 148
Total gates: 48
Total tunnels: 11
Total canyon cut-throughs: 64
Total elevation gain: 4,379.5
Total elevation loss: 4,022.1

JWPT Take 2! - Day 3

After spending a lovely night in Thorp by the Yakima River, being able to clean up in the river and dry out our gear we had a conversation about how far we wanted to continue down the trail or not. Nick felt he had experienced the trail and knew that farther down the trail it was not going to get any smoother or easier.  We decided to ride a short distance to Ellensburg and would then turn around to head home.

The day was cool and grey with off and on sprinkling, mistiness that eventually became constant rain. After Ellensburg we turned around and headed back towards home, but the trail and weather was kicking our butts. We took a brief break and ate at Smokey's BBQ which was delicious! Back on the trail, as we left the canyon leading back towards Cle Elum, we decided to divert up onto the road and ride the road for a ways to give our bodies a break. The road was quite challenging, but we managed to make it to Lake Easton where we set-up camp in one of the small bike camp sites. Whether you are headed West or East, this is a great campground to stop at! Bike campsites can be directly ridden to after registering at the ranger station and there are lovely hot showers that you can purchase tokens for.  We definitely took advantage of this as we were frozen and soaked when we reached Lake Easton.

Trail riding notes: to reach Lake Easton's campground from the trail (not road riding like we did!) watch for a brown trail sign off to the left (if you are heading East)/right (if you are heading West) indicating a very small trail that leads you through the forest [if you reach the large trestle over the Yakima River in-flow to Lake Easton you've gone too far (heading East); short trail is very shortly past trestle on the right (heading West)]; the trail takes a sharp left hand turn after 0.3 miles and continues on for another 0.4 miles where it will make a right hand turn onto old US Hwy 10. You'll travel on this road for 1.5 miles, then turn left onto Lake Easton State Park Rd to register at the ranger station. They will provide you with a map to the bike campsites and shower tokens are available for purchase.  Whether you are heading East or West the next day simply follow these directions in reverse to return to the JWPT.

Memorable moments: Wind, rain, fog = freezing! Rode the road a bit which felt so good on our derrieres. Met 2 ladies walking a section of the trail. Met a guy riding since July 10 from Newport to Plummer to Tekoa to Issaquah and home again due to an article he read about the trail closing. HOT SHOWERS at Lake Easton!! Lovely Smokey's BBQ where we ate a delicious meal. Decided not to ride through Ellensburg, turned back at the trail sign.

Wildlife sightings: Hairy woodpecker, 2 HUGE turkey vultures in a snag, 5 bear scat, 1 ground squirrel, Cedar Waxwings eating Saskatoon berries, 8 deer (1 was a buck), Quail coveys, Bald eagle flew over our camp in the morning

Vital stats:
35 trestles
16 gates
2 tunnels
41.83 miles
ATM = 5:41:27
MXS = 21.6 mph
AVS = 7.3 mph

Nick's GPS:
43.1 miles
Camp to Ellensburg = 5.26 miles one way
Ellensburg to Lake Easton = 37.8 miles
ATM = 7:44:19
AVS = 5.57 mph
600 feet elevation gain
269 feet elevation loss

JWPT Take 2! - Day 2

We got up with the bird song and the sun(!) which helped us warm up before setting off down the trail.  Our intention was to ride from Hyak to Thorp and camp at the same spot the Trio had in July. The sun was gloriously warm and the fall colors out in force.  When we reached the canyon outside of Cle Elum that leads to Thorp we rode through an archway of gorgeous, brilliant yellow Black Cottonwood trees.  We saw loads of bear scat and were very aware of our surroundings; which is why when we happened on a herd of free range cattle (1 of which was sleeping in the ditch next to the trail) it was very startling and when the sleeping cow stood up our brains had a bit of a stutter between cow versus bear.  It was pretty hilarious and we laughed for quite some time!!

**If you are needing trail directions please reference our July Ride**

Memorable moments: scared by black bear-cow (hilarious moment!); gorgeous fall colors!! So, so very sweet to camp at the same spot the Trio did.

Wildlife sightings: 2 ground squirrels, 1 Douglas squirrel, 2 turkey vultures checking us out, scared a Raven, Pileated woodpecker, 1 sage grouse in full freeze mode, 3 huge piles of bear scat, 1 baby garter snake

Vital stats:
26 trestles
22 gates
4 tunnels
12 canyon cut-throughs
46.85 miles
ATM = 5:15:38
MXS = 17.5 mph
AVS = 8.8 mph

Nick's GPS:
48.7 miles
ATM = 6:47:36
AVS = 7.17 mph
118 feet of elevation gain
866 feet of elevation loss

JWPT Take 2! - Day 1

We began our day in such a thick fog that you could hardly see the trail in front of you and it drenched us to the bone which also made us quite cold.  We also had to ride on the road from our house to a different trail access point because King County was renovating the trestles on the trail. We began our ride around 7 a.m. and headed straight out from our house towards Hyak on the Snoqualmie Valley Trail.  We reached Rattlesnake Lake around lunch time and stopped for a rest and food.  By this time the sun was starting to come out and we were warming up, but still drenched with sweat and the morning fog.  The steady climb up to Hyak began after Rattlesnake Lake and it was hard going!  Neither of us had trained with weight and Nick hadn't trained the long distance we were doing on day 1.  For need and memory's sake we stopped at the waterfall from our July 2016 ride and refilled our water. After what felt like forever, we finally reached the Hyak tunnel and proceeded through.  We used the hot air blowers in the bathroom and hot water to warm up and dry as much of our gear as possible, then set-up camp a short ways down the trail. By the time we ate dinner and set-up camp it was dark and we fell into our sleeping bags.  It got quite cold that night, probably into the low 40's/high 30's and much of our gear did not dry completely.

**If you are needing trail directions please reference our July ride**

Memorable moments: Brutal day of riding! Started on the road from the house due to trail construction. Got on the trail at the white post. So foggy this morning we were drenched and the fog turned to rain on our glasses and helmets. We saw some friends on the way out and said a final farewell as they were moving away. Filtered water at the same waterfall the Trio did. Made it to Hyak!! Camped at the side of the trail after utilizing bathroom and hand dryers to wash and warm up.

Wildlife sightings: Grey squirrel, Townsend chipmunk, lots of Flickers and Juncos, beautiful fall colors

Vital stats:
51.02 miles
7:06:43
MXS = 28 mph
AVS = 7.1 mph
2,821.5 feet of elevation gain
37 trestles
2 tunnels
1 gate

Nick's GPS:
53 miles
10:49:00 (Nick forgot to turn the GPS off at rests and stops)
AVS = 4.59 mph

JWPT Take 2! - Day 0

After seeing our struggles and triumphs on the JWPT, and me throwing out ideas, Nick decided that he wanted to ride a portion of the trail and see what it was like.  We planned for a couple of months and trained for about 6 weeks. It was pretty funny to complete our training rides and see signs for an upcoming marathon and know we were going much further!

We chose the latter part of September to ride due to scheduling and intended to ride from Duvall to the Prater Road detour, turn around and ride back home.

We used our Specialized hybrid bikes with touring tires, 4 panniers each, I had a handlebar bag and Nick had a small stem bag for holding snacks.  We did not have a satellite tracker, but gave our route to family and friends and also used our Garmin GPS unit which had emergency capabilities if we had any difficulties.  I knew that for the section of trail we'd be riding we would have occasional cell reception and could check in as needed.

Day 0 saw much packing, planning and putting things together as we intended to start our day bright and early...

A Trio & A Trail's 2016 Final Stats & Big Thanks!

We finished the trail, said our goodbyes and went back home. The ending of our journey was incredibly emotional and moving and in reflecting back we wish there had been more of a closing; a time to share stories, reflect on our adventure and have closure.  This is vitally important and I strongly encourage you to celebrate your accomplishment whether big or small; if you rode the entire trail or sections, detours or your own roads.  Celebrate!!  You just rode almost 325 miles!!

After our trip we totaled everything up and here's our final stats:

  • Total miles ridden: 319.27
  • Total miles walked: 12.46++
  • Total hours in the saddle: 44:27:29
  • Trestles: 125
  • Tunnels: 9
  • Canyon Cut-throughs: 199
  • Trestle Bypasses: 24
  • Railroad crossings: 2
  • Gates: 8++ (apparently I didn't count the gates we managed to work around!)
  • Gate lift-overs: 3 or 4
  • Total elevation gain: ~10,000 feet
  • Total elevation loss: 8,000 feet
We had soooooo many fabulous human beings and organizations who supported our journey:
  • My hubby, Nick - trail support extraordinaire!
  • My dad, Richard - so much help with maps, routes, satellite, prayers and more
  • Our friends, Aaron & Connie - supported precious cargo on the East side
  • My sister, Sarah - schlepping everyone across the pass and cheerleading
  • My brother-in-law, Ryan - cheerleading
  • Family and friends for following our journey online, praying, cheering
  • Jakroo helped bring my jersey designs alive and we loved wearing these for our group
  • All our lovely trail angels who provided us shelter, water and listened to our stories
  • Edge & Spoke, Redmond helped me prepare so much for this trip with gear, bike tuning, and advice
  • Allegro Cyclery helped my mom and Sandy prepare for this trip
  • Good To-Go Meals were the meals we used the most for our dinners

2016 John Wayne Pioneer Trail - Day 9 - CELEBRATION!!

We rode from Rosalia to Tekoa and then the final 5 miles to the actual Washington/Idaho border. Conceivably you could ride from Pine City to Tekoa. Please refer to our Day 8 post that includes directions around the removed Rosalia trestle and through the Rosalia marsh.  You really begin to relish the change in scenery as you start traveling towards Tekoa.  Aspen groves, Ponderosa Pines and other evergreens intersperse with marshes, thick vegetation, and rolling fields of wheat, alfalfa, chamomile and other agriculture.  This is also an area where there are large egg distribution centers and seed producers.  There are huge marshes outside of Tekoa and when we rode in 2016 they were impassable; however, in 2017 these areas had been mowed and vegetation killed back so we were able to ride quite a ways through the marsh.  There is definitely a spot you reach where you could choose to wade through or just hop up on the road, ride a short ways and return back to the trail. There aren't any road or trail signs to indicate where these short detours are, you will just have to sense for yourself and choose ways that work best for you.

The trail officially ends in Tekoa, just up the main road where there is a large sign called "Slippery Gulch", however, if you want to reach the actual WA/ID border you'll need to ride up and onto the trail for the 5 miles to the true border.  The Tekoa Trestle has no decking and there is no way around it so you have to watch for a small road that will take you up on to a farm road you can ride into Tekoa.  If the marshes are overgrown again, then you can ride the farm roads into Tekoa.  I've included directions below with farm road detours and staying on the trail.  Tekoa has a couple of restaurants, a market and a wonderful, somewhat self-serve, B&B - Tekoa Lodging.  We had our family meet us at the border for celebrating our accomplishment and a ride home!

Trail riding notes:
  • Rosalia to Tekoa with farm road detours: As you leave Rosalia, ride North back on S Park Ave, left on W 7th St, left on Horlacher Road, left up onto the trail (you'll see the gate and signs). Once up on the trail you will have to wade through the Rosalia marsh; follow the trail for 6 miles. At this point, you will reach a huge trestle that no longer exists; you need to walk to the left and up onto Pandora Road; turn right and ride down Pandora Road, then right on Wilhelm Road; follow Wilhelm Road for 0.1 miles and then left back up onto the trail.  Follow the trail for another 6.6 miles, you will notice the trail bed significantly changes from gravel to thick marsh grass as you look North into a canyon cut-through. There is a tiny dirt road of about 500 feet long to the right and you can take this to get on the farm road detour; turn left onto Lone Pine Rd; follow Lone Pine Rd for 5.2 miles (LOTS of hills) and then it makes a natural left hand turn, cross the bridge and then ride up to Hwy 27; turn right onto the highway and follow for 0.2 miles, then turn left onto Spring Street (if you wanted to go into Tekoa and take pictures at the Slippery Gulch sign and trail end you would ride 0.6 miles down Hwy 27 and turn right onto Crosby Street; the sign will be on your right); follow Spring Street for 0.3 miles, it dead-ends in a T at Washington Street; turn right onto WA Street, then left onto the trail.  Finish the trail in 5.3 miles where there is a small sign to the left that states "End of WA DNR Milwaukee Road Corridor".
  • Rosalia to Tekoa via the marsh: As you leave Rosalia, ride North back on S Park Ave, left on W 7th St, left on Horlacher Road, left up onto the trail (you'll see the gate and signs). Once up on the trail you will have to wade through the Rosalia marsh; follow the trail for 6 miles. At this point, you will reach a huge trestle that no longer exists; you need to walk to the left and up onto Pandora Road; turn right and ride down Pandora Road, then right on Wilhelm Road; follow Wilhelm Road for 0.1 miles and then left back up onto the trail.  Follow the trail for another 6.6 miles, you will notice the trail bed significantly changes from gravel to thick marsh grass as you look North into a canyon cut-through.  If the marsh is passable, you can go ahead and keep riding! Follow the trail for another 2.2 miles; at this point (in 2017) we reached an extremely soggy, overgrown marsh and diverted up onto the road for a short ways. Turn left onto Chase Road, right onto Lone Pine Road and follow for 1.2 miles; at 0.1 miles on Lone Pine Road stay to the right at the Y to continue on Lone Pine Road; at 1.2 miles turn right on a dirt road (no name) then left back onto the JWPT. Follow the trail for 1.1 miles where you need to exit onto the farm road to ride into Tekoa as there is no way down from the absent trestle; turn left onto Summer Road for 200 feet, then right onto Lone Pine Road; follow the road for 1.1 miles and then it makes a natural left hand turn, cross the bridge and then ride up to Hwy 27; turn right onto the highway and follow for 0.2 miles, then turn left onto Spring Street (if you wanted to go into Tekoa and take pictures at the Slippery Gulch sign and trail end you would ride 0.6 miles down Hwy 27 and turn right onto Crosby Street; the sign will be on your right); follow Spring Street for 0.3 miles, it dead-ends in a T at Washington Street; turn right onto WA Street, then left onto the trail.  Finish the trail in 5.3 miles where there is a small sign to the left that states "End of WA DNR Milwaukee Road Corridor".
Memorable moments: Pouring rain in the morning; waded through a marsh first thing; Mama was ecstatic that she had decided to put on her long pants and keep them on! We ended up wading into Lone Pine marsh a ways before turning around, where we spotted our friends and my hubby, Nick, riding down the road towards us. We ended up riding the road into Tekoa all together. Back in the Pines and rolling wheat fields. Nick was at the finish line with a toilet paper line and videoing, took tons of pictures and waited about 2 hours for my dad, sister and brother-in-law to arrive. We said our goodbyes and ate an epic dinner at our friends'!

Wildlife sightings: 6 coyotes, 2 red tailed hawks, 1 harrier, 1 owl, 2 mice, 2 chipmunks, birds bathing in puddle

Vital stats:
70 canyon cut-throughs, 7 bridges/trestles, 8 trestle bypasses
Duvall to Tekoa = ~10,000 foot elevation gain and 8,000 foot decline
27.19 miles
ATM = 4:06:05
MXS = 20.6 mph
AVS = 6.6 mph