Having wrangled 2 weeks off of work in early May, our intrepid cyclist embarked on a tour of NW Washinton State. It had been 4 years since I did a decent bike tour and it left me wanting more. Great scenery, people, camping etc. 1400kms ish in 13 days. No rest days that I had planned, as I felt good and just wanted to ride. Tacked on a few days at the end in Idaho and Montana. Grateful that there is some life left in this aging carcass! Just found this quote today: "Having good health is like a friend you don't want to lose." (Dots on the map are where I spent the night)
Drove out to Grand Forks where a Warmshowers.org host, John, let me park my van for a few weeks. We chatted a few hours and I left early saturday morning, while John left for Vancouver to donate a kidney!
Bit early for Thanksgiving.
The banks of the Kettle river. Border crossings during this trip were no problem at all.
Maybe not a good place to set up a tent.
Tons of old vehicles lying around in rural areas.
...and other strange creations
Smokey the Bear lives!
Ferry over the Columbia river/resevoir, near Keller
...and the subsequent climb back out of the valley
One of many free campsites. Just chatted up the host asking for a senior and/or Canadian discount!
One could be forgiven if one assumed that this photo was taken driving from Calgary to Banff. However, those are the Cascades.
..and then there is coulee country
Fantastic lenticular cloud that looks like a wicked tornado, formed over Wenatchee.
The German town of Leavenworth. Lots of intricate wood work.
The only rain of the whole trip....1.5 miles from the summit of Steven's Pass. And then it cleared up for the downhill.
Ski resort at the top had closed a few weeks ago.
Finally, after all the passes I've biked up in my life, this one is named after me!
...and campsites that weren't open yet, but the locals said camp there anyways, as I'm on a bike.
My fave berries are just getting started. Salmon berry.
Posted this on Google Reviews:
Rolled in on my bicycle, early on a cool morning from Money Campground a few weeks ago. Lovely Sandy warmed me up with a delicious green/lemon/honey tea and interesting conversation :)
....which is where they filmed this movie from way back in 1986.
....more old cars and bizzare creations....
...gotta be Elvis
Great lunch in Snohomish
Unexpected detour around Boeing, with a bridge out near the Mulkatea ferry. Just as I arrived, a bolt land in front of me. I looked up and I can tell you that it was not an Airbus that had just passed overhead. 😆
Shark fins?
Yep...bikes go first!
Catherine, a retired United church minister spotted my bike at the town library in Clinton and invited me to camp on her sheep farm. Dinner and tales of her, count 'em, 5 traverses of the USA on her bike!
it always has been....esp Vegas
Did all of south to north of Whidbey island and then over to San Juan Island for a half day, half loop ride.
Some short, stubby lighthouse...
Mt. Baker is still on my bucket list of places to ski! Gotta love the contrasts of the Pacific NW.
Typical dinner. I didn't bring a stove and didn't miss it at all. Keeping the bike as light as possible, I'll buy dinner and fill up the water bottles towards the end of the day.
The only accomodation I paid for on the whole trip. $12 for a hiker/biker site at deception pass.
That's one flat rat.
...and more
....and more
One can never get enuf of Mt. Baker.
Yes you read that right. There are so many cyclists touring the San Juan islands in summer, that they hold up traffic. Imagine that. I didn't see any, as I was early in the season.
Art entitled, "No pain, no gain" Well ya...with a saddle like that.
Rained as soon as I got in the tent and stopped just as I woke up. Perfecto.
Wild/stealth camped a few nights as well. This one half way up Washington pass at Thunder Lake.
...for Kerouac fans...some history.
The jagged north cascades
...and their giant snow blower.
Great art work...
Great hostal too in Winthorp....clean...quiet....
newly rebuilt...spacious....
....and bed bug ridden
...as confirmed by this image I Googled up. Didn't feel a thing and no bite marks, but it was full of blood when I squished him!
I think the owner needs to call Steve.....a sign I saw in Wenatchee.
So almost without expection, on a daily basis, when people found out I was from Canada, they would apologize! For Trump and his comments/policies/tarrifs etc.
Looks like Sam Elliot!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evdOO9EAFU8&t=236sWell....for me, one of the food items that sums up fine American dining is....
....good old biscuits and gravy. I don't wanna know what's in it. I'm a sucker for high quality food.
Not really....bikes are on the shoulder. Except this one.
One of many happy, chatty Americans.....who apologized.
Never heard of a bike camp. But I'll take it! picnic table, grass, wifi, elec plug in, washroom. Well done Tonasket! Behind the visitor centre. It's on the Adventure Cycle, northern tier route: Anacortes to Bar Harbor Maine, or the other way if you prefer.
Authentic....1/2 block away from the bike camp
...did I mention it was free of charge....
My new fave sandwich. Whole grain English muffin with broccoli sprouts and mustard.
My first warmshowers stay where I had a warmshower! (We hosted lots of cyclists in Libya, Colombia and Ecuador....no room at the Inn in Cowtown :(
In the town of Republic. Deluxe accomodation....
...and great conversation from 2-10pm with Boyd a retired mine engineer who worked for a Canadian company and spent some time working in Ecuador and Dianne a retired postal worker who tried a new recipe on me; lemongrass thai soup...yum! They've done some short bike touring trips and just love meeting and hosting cyclists. About 200 or so over the last 13 years. Again, they are on the norther tier route and I was their first guest of the year.
1st cyclist from Calgary.
...and the brownie that awaited me in the morning....
Is this speaking to my advancing decrepitude?
Typical American Haute Cuisine. Gas station food offerings.
They only cycle tourers I met on the trip. They had just started at the Canadian border and where following the Columbia river south to Oregon on half paved and half gravel roads.
Rattler?
Trail BC and it's infamous smelter. World's largest producer of Zinc in the world says the sign. The last day I rode from Northport WA, to Trail, Rossland and back to Grand Forks.
Crossed the border when it opened at 9am, did the killer 10k hill from trail to rossland....
Coffeed up at the Grind in Rossland, but couldn't get out of town until 3pm, as the locals kept stopping for a chat! Love that town! I still had 100km to go, with 2 passes in between me and Grand Forks!
Note the flag pole.
.....and so I rolled in to GF at 9:30pm, just before it got fully dark. 150km day.
...and crawled into the back of my van.
...and headed off to Crescent Valley/hippie land near Nelson to visit cousin Rick and Ashley and their new baby Ryker.
Art in a coffee shop in Salmo.
American tire art
Biked a 115km loop from Creston BC into Idaho the following day.....
...and then a half day ride into Eureka Montana and back on Sunday morning....for what else?....bisuits and gravy!
The US/Canadian border....yes...the barbed wire fence. Grass is just as green on either side, although we Canadians would argue its greener in the great white north😆
This guy seems to be in a hurry to get back to Canada....
guess I better get back too .............and back to work!
Below are my trip notes....just skip it unless you are a bike nerd that needs to geek out on the details.
Bike Trip: Washington State/Cascade loop
2025
Drive to Grand Fords from work Fri. 2:30 to
8:30-9ish BC time about 8 hours, 732k?
Sat May 26-Grand Forks to Republic 57k camp
Bear Creek and Sanpoil River free, no one there. 97k 19 avg 5:06tm
Sun-Keller Ferry 50k. Coulee city 127k 17.1
avg 7:23 tm. Free city campsite, host said leave by 8am
Mon-Wenatchee 108k 14.7 7:20, city
campground free b/c I left early
Tues-93k Steven’s Pass. Last 1.5 miles in rain. Index coffee drive
thru. Sandy. Home of Harry and the Henderson’s sasquatch. 85k. Money creek
campground closed/free. 2 miles south of skynomish 127k 14.7 8:38
Wed- Clinton on Whidbey island, Catherine
retired united church minister invited me to camp on her sheep farm. 6669 Holst
rd. 206-321-7604 105k 16.6 6:17
Thurs-Deception pass state park. Paid 12
for hiker/biker. 90k 15.8 5:41
Fri-20 to Ferry near Anacortes, 40k on San
Juan island, 62k 13.6 4:33 Anacortes
city park by ferry. Free talk host out of $16.
Sat- Thunder Lake (2 kms ish before
Colonial campground) about 2 of 3 dams. 150k with wind 17.8 8:22
Sun-Washington Pass 12:30pm 55km 5 hours
saddle. Winthrop Hostel $35-didn’t pay, no reception, no answer phone, 2 bed
bugs! left note. Major laundry in shower, free food. 107k 15.1 7:03
Mon-Tonasket bike camp in town behind
visitor info, free. 115k 14.9 7:43 Loup Loup pass 10k up 32k
Tues- Republic via Wacuanda pass 44k
11:15am. 67 km 13.3 5:07 1:30pm email warm showers in library. Stay with Boyd and Dianne 509 846 3292 (Patty
neighbor hosts too).
Wed-Northport 124k 16.4 7:32 Sherman pass
6am to 9:15 30k ish. Noisy junction 67k,
Yappy PCT hiker. Only touring
cyclists/bikepacking doing Columbia rambler bikepackingroots.org Camp at boat
launch free with permission from 2 ladies, Cindy and Janet in gas store. Odometer 1281 12 days.
Thurs- 9am border Waneta. Trail 19 k 1:15tm
1300 odometer. Computer had stopped when
I adjusted quick release on fr tire at border.
Border was about 15 km…..so add 15 km.
Rossland 10km uphill from Trail in mostly 1st gear. Steepest of trip. 30km 12:45pm. Leave at 3 with 1.5 coffee and 100 k or so to
get to GF. Strawberry/Nancy Green pass
53km, Paulson/Bonanza pass 74km 6:20pm. Long DH to Christina lake. 9:30pm GF! 133km plus 15, and call it 150km
total. 60 max 8:23 tm 15.8 avg
1430kms in 13 days in a row!
(Fri 1st day off riding-Visit
Rick at family near Nelson)
Sat-Creston loop 2 borders, 115km 20.1avg
5:43 tm Jnct hiways 1 and 95 2 hours,
noonish.
Sun May 11-Eureka out and back from
Grasmere old gas station. 57km, 19.1 avg 3 hours tm. Back 1pm to van. Drive
back to Calgary by 5:30 Calgary time.
Odometer 1600kms in 15 days with one day
off. At age 62 😊 No real hip, ankle issues,
just occasional, very minor. No flats,
bike ran perfectly except squeaky suspension seat post for a few days was silent when I
oiled it up a 2nd time. Marmot sleeping bag too cold. Big agnes air
mattress excellent. Tent perfect. Saddle comfy. No stove, no problem. Wore
helmet less than half the time. Floro
orange cap with sahara neck cover was excellent, never blew off. No Strava.
Phone and Batt pack never too close to empty.
New ‘hood’ grips excellent. A few days of left pedal tick.
