Bike tour/Sep 2020

This page is for planning a bike-touring trip from Seattle to Portalnd via Yakima.

When

September 18-26 (8 days; tentative)

Where

Seattle to Yakima to Carson to Seattle.

Schedule

As of Aug 23, this schedule has no wifi/shower at the overnight locations for the first 4 days.

Day 1: 9/18 Friday

Note: Iron Horse Trail is now called Palouse to Cascades.
Note: Mika will be moving at ~5 miles/hour on gravel, so it'll take ~5 hours for North Bend -> Hyak Parking Lot (~24 miles). Home -> North Bend (~4 hours), so the suggested schedule would be 8/9AM-6PM, with all the stops.

Route: Home to 1) Carter Creek Primitive Campsite (52 miles/4000ft), or 2) Hyak/Cold Creek Primitive Campsite (~60 miles/4500ft), or 3) Meany Lodge (~70 miles/5000ft) [Google Map Link]

Plan

Stop for water and beer in North Bend before heading onto the trail

Food

Breakfast: home
Lunch: pick up/consume something at supermarket
Dinner: camp food/beer/cider

Overnight: Camping in [1]:

[TODO] note the water, reservation status, fees, other info

There are four campgrounds along the trail (not all are on Google Maps), each with three to four campsites, one picnic table, and a vault toilet. They are located at milepost 2109.5 at Roaring Creek, milepost 2113.2 at Cold Creek, milepost 2123.2 at Carter Creek, and milepost 2127.1 at Alice Creek. [[2]]

Camping is primitive but it's free and first-come. Toilets and picnic tables are available at each campsite. When we stayed at Cold Creek last time, it was very clean and only 1.5 miles from Hyak Parking lot, so we got water there.

The last campsite for the day is Roaring Creek at the end of Keechelus Lake.

Sunset in Snoqualmie Pass is 7:09PM; sunrise at 6:50AM next morning.

Other camping options from west to east:

Danny Creek Campground
Commonwealth Campground
Snoqualmie Campus
Crystal Springs Campground: $18/pp/night
Meany Lodge (2 miles off the trail at crystal springs)
Lake Easton Campground
Silver Ridge Ranch

Day 2: 9/19 Saturday

NOTE: gravel downhill is slow and hard work!

Route: 1) Carter Creek Campsite (~83 miles/1000ft), or 2) Cold Creek Campsite (~73 miles/300ft), or 3) Meany Lodge (~67 miles/360ft) to Yakima River Canyon Campsite

Plan

Stop by bakery and/or cafe for snacks or lunch in Cle Elem or Ellensberg
Scenic bike trip down the Yakima River canyon

Food

Breakfast: camp food
Lunch: Ellensburg supermarket
Dinner: camp food

Overnight: Camping at Yakima River Canyon Campground?

Other options for places to stay: See this map 1) Bighorn campground (closest to Ellensburg on Yakima River Canyon), 2) Lmuma (between Bighorn and Yakima River Canyon Campsite), 3) Big Pines (right by Yakima River Canyon Campsite), Roza (closer to Yakima)
Not all sites have water, so check the website.
[TODO] note the water, reservation status, fees, other info

Sunset at 7:05PM; Sunrise at 6:46AM next morning.

Day 3: 9/20 Sunday (possibly wifi/shower day if we stay at a motel)

Route

Option 1 (super easy day): Yakima Canyon to to Yakima Nation RV Park (~38miles/38tft) (or motels nearby)

Option 2 (much harder): Yakima Canyon to Brooks Memorial State Park (~72 miles/3000ft); may involve riding on gravel while being chased by dogs + hot, dry road (Route 97: ~38 miles) up to a pass (no towns/shops). If we do this, we should make Day 4 a super easy day and stop in Maryhill to admire Stonehedge).

If anybody needs to make the trip shorter, there's an option to take Route 12 from Yakima towards Mt. Rainier.

Plan

If we're doing Option 1, we have more time to play in the canyon in the morning AND pick up tamales at Los Hernandez in Yakima or Union Gap. Open only from 11AM...
If Option 1, the next day will be long and hard (63-77miles/3000-3500ft).
If we're doing Option 2 (hard day), consider leaving the campsite around 7AM, so that we are not on 97 during the hottest hours (i.e. after 1PM). 38miles of mostly downhill on paved road from the canyon campground to the beginning of 97.
If Option 2, pick up tons of water/gatorade in Wapato or Toppenfish as there are no shops or houses on 97. And it's hot.

Food

Breakfast: camp food
Lunch: Route Option 1) tamales! or Route Option 2) pick up something in Yakima, Wapato, or Toppenfish and have it on route 97
Dinner: camp food

Sunset at 7:01PM; sunrise at 6:49AM.

Day 4: 9/21 Monday

Route

Option 1) a: Yakima Nations RV Park (~63 miles/3000ft) or b: Brooks Memorial State Park (~25 miles/380ft) to Maryhill State Park, Option 2) a: Yakima Nations RV Park (~77 miles/3400ft) or b: Brooks Memorial State Park (~39 miles/770ft) to Columbia Hills Historical Park,

Alt destination: all the way to Maryhill State Park (long day)

Plan

Be sure to get water in Toppenfish as it will be another ~50 miles before the next water stop and it will likely be hot and dry.
Pick up food for the night in Yakima?

Food

Breakfast: camp food
Lunch: pick up at Option a (long): Yakima/Wapato/Toppenfish supermarket/bodega and Option b (short): Goldendale supermarket

Overnight

Camping in Maryhill State Park or Columbia Hills Historical Park

Day 5: 9/22 Tuesday (Wifi/hot tub PM!)

Note: Mako needs to be on a call on Wednesday AM, so it'd be good to be in Carson by Tuesday.
Note: Route 14 is a little busy and the shoulder is small; a few detours can be taken (though a little more climbing); the tunnels have "bicyclist-in-the-tunnel" lights.

Route: 1) Maryhill State Park (57 miles/2000ft) or 2) Columbia Hills Historical Park (~40 miles/1300ft) to Carson Hot Spring.

Plan

Get in early and soak.
There used to be a "natural" hot spring but last time we went, it dried up. We should look up and see if we can hike there.

Food

Breakfast: camp food
Lunch: pick up something in one of the towns
Dinner: Brewery pizza??

Overnight (to be reserved): Carson Hot Springs and SPA

Sunrise at PM; sunrise at AM.

Other options: Bonneville Resort

There are two routes, with and without bus.

The hood river shuttle is a dial-a-ride and runs four times a day across the bridge. No bicyclists and pedestrians are allowed on Hood River State Bridge and the nearest bridge is 20 miles away. The bus leaves Port of Hood River at 8:25, 12:00, 1:40, and 4:30 and costs $1 per person. Runs only on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. We must call (509) 493-4662 in advance to make sure that the bike space is available.

We want to arrive in Carson before 4:30pm to take advantage of the bath and wrap which is available only until 18:00. Google suggests ~5 hours (48.6 miles) from Maryhill State Park to Port of Hood River. It should 97 minutes (17.2 miles) to Carson from the other side. If we make the 1:40 bus, we should make it to Carson in time.

After Carson, it gets hilly, so I suggest shorter distance each day.

Day 6: 9:23 Wednesday (Wifi/hot tub in AM)

Note: Mako has a call in the morning, so this needs to be a short day.

Route: Carson to Swift Forest Camp (~38 miles/3200ft).

Plan

Sauna in AM; biking in PM.

Food

Breakfast: somewhere in Carson
Lunch: pick up something in Carson?
Dinner: camp food

Sunset PM; sunrise

Day 7: 9/24 Thursday (Wifi/shower day for some at least)

M has meetings on Friday, so she needs to be in a place where she can take calls in AM. Wifi would be nice.

Route Swift Forest Camp to Morton (e.g. Seasons Motel, 200 Westlake Ave, Morton, WA 98356; wifi yes) (~55 miles/4700ft) OR to Randall (e.g. KM Resorts - Maple Grove Resort; wifi yes) (~46 miles/4100ft)

Other people may want to stay at locations closer to trailheads etc.

Option 1: Swift Forest Camp to Iron Creek Campground, Forest Road 25, Randle, WA 98377 (36 miles; 3800ft)
Option 2: Swift Forest Camp to Cowlitz Falls Campground, 889 Peters Rd, Randle, WA 98377 (51 miles; 4300ft)

Day 8: 9/25 Friday (Wifi/shower in AM)

Mika has a call until 2PM.

Route

Some options include: Elkamp, Rocky Point

Day 9: 9/26 Saturday

Route to home! Or optionally one more night of camping!

Day 10: 9/27 Sunday

extra day

Resources and Links

Meals

copied from 2015; modify

Day 1: Breakfast - Before leaving
Day 1: Lunch - Cold lunch (e.g., sandwiches, etc)
Day 1: Dinner - Hot dinner cooked at camp (with stove, etc). (STOVE)
Day 2: Breakfast - Hot breakfast cooked with camp stove, etc. (STOVE)
Day 2: Lunch - Lunch at diner or similar in Ellensberg?
Day 2: Dinner - Tamales from Los Hernandez or, if we're feeling lazy, cooking at Yakima campground (STOVE)
Day 3: Breakfast - Hot breakfeast cooked at Yakima campground (STOVE)
Day 3: Lunch - Cold lunch eaten on road (e.g., sandwiches, etc)
Day 3: Dinner - Hot dinner cooked at Maryhill campground (STOVE)
Day 4: Breakfeast - Hot breakfeast cooked at Maryhill campground (STOVE)
Day 4: Lunch - Hot/cold lunch in Port of Hood River while waiting for shuttle bus?
Day 4: Dinner - Restaurant at Carson brewpub (e.g., Barnstormer)
Day 5: Breakfeast - Breakfast at cafe in Stevenson, WA
Day 5: Lunch - cold lunch and/or snack at Multnomah Falls?
Day 5: Dinner - early dinner at Deschutes brew pub in Portland before train

Review from 2015

we should have brought more hot sauce.
we need heat-resistant/non-scratch utensils.
heat packs were useful.
REI Huevos Rancheros looked/felt a little too digested. Pad Thai was great.
french bread breakfast is great.
bring salt/pepper and peanut butter/jam packets.
tea/hot chocolate was great.
avoid gravel road as much as possible.
lots of camping options in the canyon.