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 3

2016 John Wayne Pioneer Trail - Day 3

Day 3 was when we started to notice the trail terrain really changing - mix of sand and heavy river rock.  With my narrow tires there were moments I had to do quite a bit of walking and just sheer muscling of my bike down the trail.  Day 3 for many people is the hardest, whether hiking or biking or doing any physical activity.  Day 3 is often the day your muscles are the most sore, your emotions are really struggling for balance, your mental exhaustion may be peaking, your calorie burn is really starting to hit, etc.  It is a hard day and remembering to be gentle with yourself, push to your comfort level and taking breaks is so very important. So many lessons were learned on day 3 - when a detour is suggested, you should probably take it; when lost, ask for directions; when needing help, be willing to knock on doors; lean into the discomfort, fear, anger, frustration and journey; be open...

Trail riding notes: The trail can be a little tricky when you reach Ellensburg.  At the  old depot in Ellensburg, cross the road and continue on the trail for a short ways where it leads directly into W 14th Avenue; turn left onto 14th and follow through the CWU campus.  The road becomes E 14th Avenue and then E Dean Nicholson Blvd, when you reach N Alder St. turn right and follow until a 4-way stop light.  Continue through the stop-light and you will begin to ride onto the Ellensburg fairgrounds; rejoin the trail to the left where the brown trail sign indicates.  The trail continues on out of Ellensburg and through the small township of Kittitas.  As you leave Kittitas the trail will begin to gradually climb until you reach Prater Road (there is a large alfalfa farm to the right of the trail with very large hay stacks).  This is the detour around the closed trestle that crosses I-90, approximately 3 miles down the trail - take the detour!  Turn right on Prater Road, left on Boylston Road which will come to a 'dead-end' T at Stevens Road; there is a road sign and trail sign to follow.  Turn right onto Stevens Road and ride up onto the Yakima Training Center reserve.  If you choose to wait a day to begin riding the reserve early the next morning, there is a pit toilet and you can camp at the primitive West entry of the reserve. This is a dry camp and there is no water.

Trail angels: Brad King, CWU (Central Washington University) police, helped us re-find the trail after we got lost in Ellensburg.  No water at the campsite, so we went up the road and met a sweet ranching lady who let us fill up with her garden hose while her sweet dogs made sure we were welcome visitors.

Wildlife sightings: 1 milk snake, rabbits, mama Killdeer guarding her eggs, beautiful bird sightings - hawks pair hunting, Red Tail Hawk swooping, Turkey vultures, funny quail!!

Memorable moments: Didn't take a detour, went 6 miles out of the way; endured hiking up and down a 45 or more degree slope - I screamed at the top, "I did this!!! YES!!!!"  Sobbing, so brutalized.  Rode back ~3 miles in a wicked headwind.  Rachel got a tire puncture, heard a pop, saw white spray and then rolled forward so Stan's stuff sealed; never had to add air or anything.  Did some major hills and by the time we got to the military base we couldn't go any further.  Camped in a crazy windswept plain and planned to get up at 4am to try again.  Smells of dust, grass, sagebrush.

Vital stats:

33 bridges/trestles

28.76 miles

ATM = 3:47:50

MXS = 27.5 mph

AVS = 7.5 mph

JWPT Day 3

"There is a sacredness in tears.  They are not the mark of weakness, but of power.  They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues.  They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and of unspeakable love." ~Washington Irving