Lind to Marengo is another hot, dry, no services section of trail. You might be fortunate to find trail angels in Ralston, but do not necessarily plan on this. There are also no services in Marengo, unless you can again find trail angels. Be sure to carry lots of water!!! Your only shelter will be the shade of grain silos/elevators. There is a small park in Ralston that you could potentially camp at, but there is no water there. There is also a significant road detour between Lind and Marengo. The trail maps that come with your permit offer a detour to Ritzville from Ralston and then riding back down to Marengo and on to Ewan or St. John. Our group opted not to take the Ritzville detour, but rather rode directly on to Marengo. If you are at all worried about having the help of trail angels in Marengo or being able to carry enough water, then I highly encourage you to take the Ritzville detour. There are services in Ritzville and I did not research this at all so cannot offer details on what is available regarding camping, supplies, etc. There are other blogs/resources that have information you can research; check out the "resources galore!" section on this blog for links. Before you reach Marengo, as you are going down Marengo Road, there is a huge grove of trees to the right; you could potentially camp there, but I believe this is private property.
Trail riding moments: From Lind, you will take 1st street which becomes Van Marter Ave, turn left/take Y to the left on Wahl Road to return to JWPT. You will take the trail the entire way until you reach Ralston. At Ralston you can decide if you will take the detour to Ritzville or take back farm roads to Marengo. I do not have the directions to Ritzville, but they are on the map when you receive your permit. Our directions are as follows: turn left onto highway 261, take second right onto Benzel Road which makes a hard, natural left; in approximately 1 mile, take first right on Roloff Road; makes a sweeping left and becomes Klein Road; follow Klein Road for approximately 6 miles and turn right onto E Gering Road; road makes natural hard left and becomes Snyder Road; follow for approximately 1 mile and turn right onto E Heineman Road, this will dead-end into a T; turn right onto Hills Road, makes sweeping natural curve to left and becomes E Urquhart Rd; follow for approximately 1.4 miles and turn right onto Marengo Rd. Follow Marengo Road for approximately 3.6 miles until it curves around near some large grain silos. You could potentially camp here overnight.
**Caveat: this detour exists because the HUGE trestle that used to cross Cow Creek no longer exists. I've become curious if it might be possible to ride this section as there is a small little road below the trestle that you could possibly take and get back onto the trail directly over Cow Creek (Google Maps Pin). That being said, I have no idea if this is a huge marsh; how big the creek is or any other information. From Cow Creek it does look like the trail continues on into Ewan. If you were going to attempt to ride this section, I would highly encourage you to drive the back country roads to see if the trail is accessible through this area.**
Memorable moments: Wicked rough trail, road detour at Ralston to Marengo had insane hills!! ~900 feet climbing and 625 feet dropped. No injuries besides regular bumps and bruises. Amazing old farm homesteads, grain elevators/silos, little railroad stops. Poor Sandy's lips became incredibly swollen from the sun and wind burn! Sandy bought a bag of grapes and we ate sun-warmed grapes throughout the day. Passed, and smelled, a mounted cow skull and dead, rotting coyote hanging over a "No Trespassing" sign.
Trail angels: Dale at Jim's Market super sweet and helpful. Found some lovely trail angels in Ralston who allowed us to use their bathroom and fill up with water. Their house was incredible!! So much history - 200 people lived in/around Ralston. The house we stopped at was a hotel, restaurant, whorehouse, dancing floor, meat locker and grain storage throughout its life. It had 16 rooms, but technically only 15 because no number 13. Lots of original parts and pieces. In Marengo we talked to a wheat farming family that told us there used to be 9 families living there, a grocery store and school. Marengo was the switch yard for the Milwaukee and Northern Pacific rail lines - one train heading west and the other east. When you ride down to Marengo you will ride past a huge grove of trees - these were planted in 1985 to attract birds. So many birds!!!!
Wildlife sightings: rabbits, pheasants, quail, lots of birds and insects
Vital stats:
4 bridges
~15 canyon cut-throughs
8 trestle bypasses, one of which was a marsh at the bottom
3 huge underpasses ridden through
35.56 miles
ATM = 5:28:36
MXS = 23.1 mph
AVS = 6.4 mph
Showing posts with label Lind. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lind. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 12, 2017
Othello to Lind
Okay, so weirdly enough, our group has not actually ridden this section in full due to challenges related to heat, starting points, personal health, etc. Rather than trying to weirdly overlap posts about what we've done and haven't done I'm choosing to write an entirely separate post. Othello to Lind is definitely doable, however, be aware of how hot and dry this section of the trail is and also what your capabilities are. There are absolutely no services between Warden and Lind and no residences. Warden has places to purchase water and several small restaurants; there is nowhere known to camp here.
Here's what it can be...
When you leave Othello you should continue on W Main St which becomes W Cunningham Rd, turn left on Booker Rd becomes Rd U SE becomes S County Rd and takes you directly to Warden. Once in Warden, turn right on 1st Street, about 0.6 miles down 1st Street, turn right on Fir Avenue and rejoin the trail almost immediately. This section, from Warden to Lind, is where we encountered the locked gates that we had to do a lift-over in 2016.
You will ride for approximately 20 miles on the trail and then cross highway 21 to continue on the JWPT for about a mile; the trail dead ends due to the fact that the Lind trestle no longer exists. The trail drops onto highway 21 which you will ride into Lind. Turn left on 1st street, turn right on 2nd avenue, the Sculpture Park is on the right or you can travel a little further down 2nd and the Town of Lind Park is on the left. You are allowed to camp in either of these. Lind has a little grocery store, Jim's Market, a tavern and is an excellent place to stop for rest and re-supplying.
Here's what it can be...
When you leave Othello you should continue on W Main St which becomes W Cunningham Rd, turn left on Booker Rd becomes Rd U SE becomes S County Rd and takes you directly to Warden. Once in Warden, turn right on 1st Street, about 0.6 miles down 1st Street, turn right on Fir Avenue and rejoin the trail almost immediately. This section, from Warden to Lind, is where we encountered the locked gates that we had to do a lift-over in 2016.
You will ride for approximately 20 miles on the trail and then cross highway 21 to continue on the JWPT for about a mile; the trail dead ends due to the fact that the Lind trestle no longer exists. The trail drops onto highway 21 which you will ride into Lind. Turn left on 1st street, turn right on 2nd avenue, the Sculpture Park is on the right or you can travel a little further down 2nd and the Town of Lind Park is on the left. You are allowed to camp in either of these. Lind has a little grocery store, Jim's Market, a tavern and is an excellent place to stop for rest and re-supplying.
2016 John Wayne Pioneer Trail - Day 5
Because we left from a different place than originally planned we did have to make some adjustments to where we were riding and we ended up doing quite a bit more road riding than planned. We rode through beautiful countryside and fields upon fields of numerous different plants. We rejoined the trail in Warden and the trail continued to kick our behinds! Rough trail - sand, heavy, deep gravel and river rock, overgrown canyons with tumbleweed and sagebrush, trestle bypasses (these are spots where trestles have been removed and you must ride around), and gates we had to lift over as they wouldn't open and there was no way around. We rode from Scooteney to Lind. Our plan had been to ride from Doris/Beverly to Othello. In 2017, we did ride from Beverly to Othello. From Othello you can ride on to Lind.
We are truly in the heart of Central WA and the agricultural center of our state. Absolutely beautiful and the columnar basalt formations are breath-taking!
**Trail etiquette note: when gates are closed and locked you will need the codes from your permit to open them. That being said, codes don't always work; be respectful of gates - if you see a way around them you could attempt this. NEVER cut fences, locks, change gate codes or leave gates open/unlocked.
Trail riding notes: If we had ridden from Beverly we would have arrived in Othello. I'm including directions for what we would have ridden rather than what we did ride. Once you cross I-90, turn right onto Highway 243 and proceed south, turn left onto Road 17 SW, take the first left onto Main street and you will dead-end onto a very rough parking area where the trail begins on the eastern portion. Proceed on the trail for as long as possible, the trail technically 'ends' in Smyrna, but you can remain on the trail if you wish. There are no services anywhere between Beverly and Othello, unless a trail angel helps you out; be sure to carry extra water! The trail eventually dead ends into where the railroad tracks are still in place and trains actively run. You must diverge from the trail at this point and best to do so prior to the railroad tracks. About a mile before the railroad tracks begin you will see a steep road-cut to the left, take this down to Road 17 (a gravel back road), turn right onto Road 17; eventually the road becomes Crab Creek Road and eventually changes to W Gillis Road; the road will take a sharp turn to the left, climb a short ways and you will turn right onto Highway 26. This is a busy highway, but there is a wide shoulder and drivers will usually give you space. Make sure you are visible! Turn right onto S Danielson Road (caveat: when we rode in 2017 this road was closed), makes a sharp right, follow and cross railroad tracks, turn left onto W Bench Road, turn left onto Hwy 24/S Broadway Ave, turn right onto Main street. If Danielson Road is still closed, you could continue on Hwy 26 all the way into Othello. You ride Hwy 26 until Othello where you turn left on 1st Ave, then right onto Main street. Othello has numerous services and is quite a large town; there are hotels and parks. When I attempted to contact the city regarding camping in the parks I did not hear back, but I would imagine you would be able to camp in the parks.
Trail angels: A sweet family offered to let us sleep under their balcony to shelter from the storm when we arrived in Lind. As we rode out of Lind a sweet gentleman asked if we needed help; Jeff at Tires West and Napa auto parts people let us use the bathroom and tried to help Sandy with her chain in Warden.
Memorable moments: Smells of wheat ripening, wet fields, chemicals, mint, thunderstorms. Sounds of machines and trucks roaring by, the wind in the wheat. Land of sage, sun and sand. Rainbow over Lind. Circle farming, crop duster, combines; old farmstead. Mama fell in the sand, Rachel fell into a tumbleweed and on a rock (gaining her the trail name "Tumbalina"). Encountered our first locked gates, combo worked on West end, but due to double lock and no correct codes we had to do a gate lift-over on the East end.
Wildlife sightings: 2 lizards, one was a horned lizard; crazy insects - butterflies, moths, ground hornets, DRAGONFLIES!! (translucent wings with black bars and black bodies); amazing owl (?) nest/hunting/eating spot; two covey of quail families - one had chick's that were teenagers and the other had chick's the size of silver dollars; 2 coyotes; 1 rabbit; amazing raptors - family of red tailed hawks hunting; white bird with black wing tips - not ID'd; saw 1 hit and dead Kestrel and a sparrow or Finch.
Vital stats:
5 bridges, 30 canyon cut-throughs, 8 trestle bypasses
45.09 miles
ATM = 6:01:54
MXS = 27.8 mph
AVS = 7.4 mph
My mom's bike computer:
45.26 miles
ATM = 5:38:29
MXS = 22.9 mph
AVS = 8 mph
JWPT Day 5
We are truly in the heart of Central WA and the agricultural center of our state. Absolutely beautiful and the columnar basalt formations are breath-taking!
**Trail etiquette note: when gates are closed and locked you will need the codes from your permit to open them. That being said, codes don't always work; be respectful of gates - if you see a way around them you could attempt this. NEVER cut fences, locks, change gate codes or leave gates open/unlocked.
Trail riding notes: If we had ridden from Beverly we would have arrived in Othello. I'm including directions for what we would have ridden rather than what we did ride. Once you cross I-90, turn right onto Highway 243 and proceed south, turn left onto Road 17 SW, take the first left onto Main street and you will dead-end onto a very rough parking area where the trail begins on the eastern portion. Proceed on the trail for as long as possible, the trail technically 'ends' in Smyrna, but you can remain on the trail if you wish. There are no services anywhere between Beverly and Othello, unless a trail angel helps you out; be sure to carry extra water! The trail eventually dead ends into where the railroad tracks are still in place and trains actively run. You must diverge from the trail at this point and best to do so prior to the railroad tracks. About a mile before the railroad tracks begin you will see a steep road-cut to the left, take this down to Road 17 (a gravel back road), turn right onto Road 17; eventually the road becomes Crab Creek Road and eventually changes to W Gillis Road; the road will take a sharp turn to the left, climb a short ways and you will turn right onto Highway 26. This is a busy highway, but there is a wide shoulder and drivers will usually give you space. Make sure you are visible! Turn right onto S Danielson Road (caveat: when we rode in 2017 this road was closed), makes a sharp right, follow and cross railroad tracks, turn left onto W Bench Road, turn left onto Hwy 24/S Broadway Ave, turn right onto Main street. If Danielson Road is still closed, you could continue on Hwy 26 all the way into Othello. You ride Hwy 26 until Othello where you turn left on 1st Ave, then right onto Main street. Othello has numerous services and is quite a large town; there are hotels and parks. When I attempted to contact the city regarding camping in the parks I did not hear back, but I would imagine you would be able to camp in the parks.
Trail angels: A sweet family offered to let us sleep under their balcony to shelter from the storm when we arrived in Lind. As we rode out of Lind a sweet gentleman asked if we needed help; Jeff at Tires West and Napa auto parts people let us use the bathroom and tried to help Sandy with her chain in Warden.
Memorable moments: Smells of wheat ripening, wet fields, chemicals, mint, thunderstorms. Sounds of machines and trucks roaring by, the wind in the wheat. Land of sage, sun and sand. Rainbow over Lind. Circle farming, crop duster, combines; old farmstead. Mama fell in the sand, Rachel fell into a tumbleweed and on a rock (gaining her the trail name "Tumbalina"). Encountered our first locked gates, combo worked on West end, but due to double lock and no correct codes we had to do a gate lift-over on the East end.
Wildlife sightings: 2 lizards, one was a horned lizard; crazy insects - butterflies, moths, ground hornets, DRAGONFLIES!! (translucent wings with black bars and black bodies); amazing owl (?) nest/hunting/eating spot; two covey of quail families - one had chick's that were teenagers and the other had chick's the size of silver dollars; 2 coyotes; 1 rabbit; amazing raptors - family of red tailed hawks hunting; white bird with black wing tips - not ID'd; saw 1 hit and dead Kestrel and a sparrow or Finch.
Vital stats:
5 bridges, 30 canyon cut-throughs, 8 trestle bypasses
45.09 miles
ATM = 6:01:54
MXS = 27.8 mph
AVS = 7.4 mph
My mom's bike computer:
45.26 miles
ATM = 5:38:29
MXS = 22.9 mph
AVS = 8 mph
JWPT Day 5
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