Ride Report: Mountains, Canyons, Plains, Sun & Rain

Went on my longest ride to date last Saturday over the Cascade Mountains and down into the Colombia River basin. 387 miles in all. The ride kicked off at 8am in Snoqualmie Pass which meant an early start as it takes me an hour to get there. After meeting with the five other riders we headed east down out of the mountains.

We got off if I-90 as soon as we could and rode through some rich pastureland with lots of horse ranches. This section was very enjoyable as all the traffic was on the interstate so we had some wonderful roads to ourselves. A little further down the road the mountains started closing in again and we ended up on a road high above I-90. As it blasted its way through these foothills we were on a little road that hugged the hillside high above. Again, very cool.

From there we wandered down into Ellensburg to gas up and then hit the Yakima Canyon. This road had been on my must do list for some time as it gets rave reviews on biker forums and it certainly looks twisty on Google Maps. It turned out to be both very enjoyable and a bit of a letdown. It was enjoyable in that it was very scenic. It was disappointing in that it was not that twisty. Most of the corners were fast sweeping bends but with a strictly enforced speed limit of 45mph it was a more of a leisurely cruise than canyon carving. Still enjoyable though.

After lunch in Yakima we headed east on SR-24. Change in landscape again as this was rolling grasslands with hills in the distance. Long straight undulating road with winds sweeping across the plain. The wind kept it interesting as it was not too violent but enough to force a gentle lean. Felt like I was road surfing

At the end of this plain we finally hit the Colombia River. This is a big river that drains from the Canadian plains and works its way down the eastside of the Cascade Mountains before emptying into the Pacific Ocean at Portland, OR. I don’t really understand why in the midst of so much water the surrounding land is so dry. It’s almost as if the river is sucking the life out of the land it flows through. Proceeding up the east side of the river was kind of dull. Long straight roads with not a whole lot to see, we finally met up again with I-90 where we crossed over to the west side.

We immediately got off and had a quick stop over at the petrified forest and then the Wild Horse Wind Farm where I finally got some action pics.

Headed west on Vantage Highway, the original road before the interstate was built, through rolling hills. Good road for bikes. From there it was westward bound through farmland where the wind was violent enough to knock you over, then a torrential rain storm getting back over the Cascades. After the 90’ heat in Yakima this was like winter time again. Good job I had my rain gear with me!

Finally got back home after 12 hours on the road, exhausted but exhilarated.