With a few days available for some bike travel and rainy weather forecast for Western Washington, it shouldn't have taken me too long to decide on a destination east of the Cascades.
The eastern slope of the mountains is also known as the dry side.
Yet, it was an agonizing process until I realized that it was just me and my bike and some gear. I didn't have to worry about anyone else's needs or keeping someone else happy.
I really couldn't make a bad choice.
So I chose a route that started in Cle Elum, about 90 minutes by freeway, and climbed up and over Blewett Pass on Highway 97 and eventually down to Wenatchee on the Columbia River.
Forests and dry hills
The route took me from the pastures around the old railroad town, through the Wenatchee National Forest, and down through the irrigated apple orchard region to the bone dry hills on the shores of the Columbia River. Then I turned around and retraced my tire tracks.
The bike tour fulfilled all my expectations. There's nothing like four days bicycling and camping in the outdoors to rejuvenate my spirits. And covering 170 miles of road, included two mountain passes, loaded down with 30-35 pounds of stuff proved to me that I still got it.
Downside
On the downside, most of my bicycling was on major roads. Highway 97 has a decent shoulder most of the way over the mountains, and there's plenty of space when Highway 2 and 97 join up east of Leavenworth. But the traffic volume was annoying at times.
I attached my Yakima one-wheeled bike trailer to my Lemond Tourmalet bike for this tour. I carried my smallest tent (a 2-person REI Half Dome), down sleeping bag, 4 days of clothes, map book and some food among my essentials. On every climb, I made the pledge not to carry so much stuff on my next tour.
Three campsites
Since I got a late start out of Cle Elum, I stayed at the first campground I came to — Mineral Springs Forest Service campground. Naturally infested with yellow jackets this time of year, the National Forest Service campground sits just across the creek from the highway. Running water and no-flush toilets for a cost of $15/night.
There are many free roadside campsites through the mountains here, although a water filter and/or tablets would be necessary. Many of the campsites are on mining claims, and paved and gravel roads leading to camping areas criss-cross the forests.
The second day took me through the apple orchards, across the Columbia River, and upstream to the Lincoln Rock State Park. The park is named for a rock outcropping across the river that resembles Lincoln's profile. It was first photographed from a passing steamboat in the 1890s.
For the third day, I made a short return ride to Wenatchee to camp at the Wenatchee Confluence State Park. My site was about 50 yards from the Apple Capital Recreation Loop, a well-used 10-mile bike trail that makes two crossings of the Columbia River.
These campgrounds have restrooms with pay showers and cost $21/night. Spaces can be reserved, and I was lucky to find a site at them. I'd like to see Washington adopt remote sections of campgrounds where bikers and hikers could stay in a remote, communal setting. It's more difficult for these folks to find a place to camp if all the developed sites are reserved.
Finale
The last day I challenged myself to a 66-mile return ride to Cle Elum. The first 40 miles to Blewett Pass took 5 hours. The final 26 miles was a mostly downhill run that I finished in 1:45. Lucky for me, most of the Labor Day weekend traffic was headed in the opposite direction.
This might be my last extended bike tour for awhile, but the experience was so good that I'll definitely be planning some overnighters in the fall.
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