John Wayne Trail 2014: Day 7

From E-burg west, the trail was maintained and park property

I started the next day feeling great and looking forward to better trail in the future. The trail west of Ellensburg has been maintained very well as part of Iron Horse State Park. It was still a dry and hot day but there was a nearby river to cool the air and I steadily gained elevation toward the cascade range. All of this was very welcome after many days of hot, dusty, dry, trail with gaps where bridges used to be and locked gates across it.

The Yakima river was always near

Cool old converted bridge

So pretty

There were waivers to sign outside the tunnels

More windmills on the west side of the valley

Happy to be here

Cool old farmhouse

There were lots of signs along the trail

There were lots of irrigation canals in the valley

All along the trail were old pieces of the original railroad

There were more and more trees as I rose out of the valley

As I approached Cle Elum, I saw a really cool outdoor museum of sorts. There were signs all along the trail but there were plenty here. There were also plenty of artifacts on display from the time the railway used to be in use. What I found interesting was the history of electric engines! I had no idea that was a thing and I don't want to write much because I will likely get it wrong. But there was a big powerhouse for that purpose.

Bridge over the Yakima river in Cle Elum

An original train car

The old Cle Elum train station

An old powerhouse. Apparently, they had electric powered trains!?

More Yakima river

Definitely more forested than before

300 miles! Most of the way to Seattle but only 1/2 of my trip

As I got higher in the mountains, the air got cooler and cooler. It was nice. Another nice thing was the grade of the trail. The railroad laid tracks pretty flat and with a low and steady grade. That meant I could keep up a good pace climbing the mountain and didn't have to worry about switchbacks or climbing up and down hills. It was just a continuous almost flat trail. I would regularly pass signs where old train stops had been.

The mountains bid me come exploring

Lake Easton. My campsite is over there somewhere.

Yakima River above lake Easton

I finally arrived at Easton State Park around dinner time. It was so beautiful there at a mountain lake when I had been in Eastern Washington a few days earlier. I rode my bike around the lake to get to the campground and got a hike/biker campsite. I felt very special walking in without a reservation and taking one of those spots! I even made a small campfire to celebrate!

Lake Easton from the north

My first Hiker/Biker spot!

Made a little fire from twigs and stuff just because

As I went to bed I tried to prepare for the Seattle area, which I would be riding through over the next couple days. It would be something of a shock the next day seeing hundreds of people. I never saw a single person on the trail all the way from Idaho to the west side of Ellensburg on this day. Tomorrow, I would rarely be on my own.

John Wayne Trail 2014: Day 6

My campsite in Vantage

I woke to a beautiful sunrise the next morning, took a shower in the camp bathroom, and began my ride. I was told that the trail had been closed from the river to Ellensburg so I chose to take a back road north from Vantage over the mountains and into the city.

A sunrise view of the gorge. It was drained for damn repairs.

Cool place! Brings back memories...

There was about 1 mile of easy riding. Then, the road climbed west over the mountains. The climb was miles long. I was glad that I started pretty early but the asphalt still got pretty hot. As I approached the top of the ridge, I began to see windmills (and feel the wind). I also got to see the cascades across the valley. Through the haze, those mountains looked so green! It was a welcome sight.

Miles of uphill riding out of the gorge

Happy little bunny

Getting close to the top!

There had been a fire here but flowers were beginning to grow

View along the ridge

Entrance to the wind farm

First views of Adams and Rainier

Riding down into the valley was very nostalgic because my wife and I lived in Ellensburg during our early college days. Everything was familiar and full of memories. I visited all of the old haunts, said hello to some of my favorite professors at CWU. I visited the first two apartments that we lived in. I stayed with an old friend from college. Thanks Sue!

There's Ellensburg, with Adams to the left and a fire to the right

Looking NW toward the fire

Stacks of timothy hay

An absolutely necessary stop

The fire was just north of Ellensburg

1st college home

2nd college home

Staying with good friends from college

John Wayne Trail 2014: Day 5

After a 15 minute drive out of Warden, I found myself at a nice farmhouse owned by a sweet Danish couple. I took a shower and slept really well. The next morning we had a great time getting to know one another.

Slept in a comfy bed where farmhands stay during busy times

They were the founders of "Stockrose Farms", and had all sorts of interesting information about the area. For example, the factory in Warden is one of the larger producers of french fries in the nation! Also, we talked about the difference between dry farming and irrigation farming. I was also introduced to some fun traditions.

My wonderful hosts

A traditional Danish breakfast: bread and butter with marmalade

That stuff burns going down but it is supposed to be good for you

Antique farm equipment

Upon returning to Warden town center, I started south. I was told that many bikers get hit on the highway to the West of the town on their way to Othello. It was better to take the state road south through all of the farms. The ride went very smoothly and I made it to Othello in no time.

The Warden supermarket and Subway

Nice park in Othello to rest in

After a snack, a midday rest, and a quick lunch, I took of for Vantage. I did this section of Washington on the highway for two reasons. First, the trail really rough through this section of Washington and I was trying to make up miles from earlier in the day. Second, the old bridge across the Columbia is fenced off because it is supposedly too rotten to cross. I chose to bypass all that and ride straight to the I-90 bridge. I was sailing East along the side of the highway when I started feeling a breeze. Over time the breeze became stronger until, about 5 miles from the gorge, I was riding into a gusty 30 mph headwind. I worked incredibly hard to maintain a very slow pace, a very frustrating day!

Do you know the muffin man?

Without irrigation, this region is pretty dry

Where is the fire?

Now imagine 20 mph winds in your face

Now imagine 30 mph winds in your face

The Columbia river!

It got quiet down in the gorge

I had assumed there would be a way to cross I-90 on foot. When I got there, I found no such path. So I waited until there were no cars in sight and booked it across the bridge. I would never suggest this to anyone but it worked for me at the time. I arrived at Vantage just as the sun was setting and got a campsite, paying at the gas station for it. It was windy on this bank once the sun went down. My tent would have blown away if I didn't store things in it. I was excited to see some old friends in Ellensburg the next day.

Looking past vantage toward the fire