Crossing mountain passes by bicycle always gives me a lot of satisfaction, but I get the most thrill from bicycling on rolling rural roads.
I enjoy using my big gear to power downhill and gain enough momentum to help me up the next rise. At the top a view of the landscape unfolds in front of me before I dive into the next tight valley.
Some of the best rolling terrain I've ever ridden is in the Palouse region of southeastern Washington, above.
This is a wheat and legume-growing area encompassing hundreds of square miles of silt dunes created during the last Ice Age. Farm roads wind around these humps and hallows, mostly avoiding the steepest climbs.
It is dry and hot here in the summer, when you can probably avoid raingear or jackets on most days. Instead, you'll need plenty of water and sunblock.
My introduction to bicycling in the Palouse came during the 2004 Ride Around Washington, presented by the Cascade Bicycle Club. My son and I experienced some hot rides and gusty winds, but we enjoyed everyday on the week-long ride.
Former Seattle Times reporter Eric Sorenson apparently also enjoys this area for bicycling, and penned a travel piece about the region in Sunday's paper: “Biking Washington's Palouse (through amber waves of grain).”
He gives his favorite four bicycle routes in the area, and tips the Tour de Lentil Metric/Half-Metric Century coming up this Saturday (Aug. 20) in the town of Palouse. It coincides with next weekend's National Lentil Festival.
If you interested, there are plenty of other rides through the Palouse. A list of rides starting in Pullman is available at the B & L Bicycles website.
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