It's all about Spokane

[pdedse]

The NE corner of Washington has always interested me.  This week it was time to stretch the CB's legs and head for Spokane.  I've visited Spokane once before, driven through a few times by car, but really wanted to explore the surrounding area.

Monday, Aug. 18


I was all set to take camping gear and make this a big circular route, heading into Canada a bit, but then a friend who works with a hotel told me that he could get me a really great rate at a hotel at the Spokane airport...$45 a night.  Hmmm...lug camping gear around, look for spots, pack up each morning, or...


But it would change my plan and routes.  My body voted for the above and I decided I could live with various mini-circular routes around Spokane.  

Hilight section of Day 1, hiway 821 between Yakima and Ellensburg


Just before beginning the above section, had to stop to appreciate the apple groves and production. 






Then the fun part of the day








It's a relaxing feeling to know that you have a place lined up for the night, that you don't have to scurry around looking for a camp site.  It allowed me to stop and smell the roses, or rather visit a fruit stand


Santa María wasn't there, but Mario was.  He had the equivalent of Mexican country music blaring full blast, but lowered it so we could hear each other talk.  In a land full of apples and peaches...he had neither!  Only some nectarines and every other fruit imagineable.  I asked how much for two promising nectarines and he said no charge!  Then I saw the selection of papayas and they are my favorite fruit.  But we both looked at each other thinking, yeah, too big for motorcycle travel.  I told him where I was heading and he said "looks like there's room in your backpack"...so it was $5 for the papaya and nectarines.  Then he practically insisted that I accept a bottle of water--made me wonder if I was looking haggard as the afternoon was warming up.

Took that fruit break in Odessa
 


Leaving the fruit orchards behind, I begin to experience the vast wheat fields of eastern Washington


Recently harvested field


I grew up in Kansas and the western half of the state has a fair amount of wheat, so I was feeling a bit nostalgic.  At the hotel, dropped my luggage and realized I didn't have to repack everything till Friday.  Spent the evening planning Day 2.

[pdedse]

Tuesday, Aug. 19

400 miles to get here, was about 100 more than I want to do these days.  For a northerly route, thought about heading into Canada, but that meant for another 400 mile day so something a little less ambitous made sense


Hiway 291 along Long Lake was pretty enough...
 
...with an interesting dam at the western edge


North on hiway 395 lead me to Kettle Falls where it connects with 25 which I wanted to take south along the Columbia River / Lake Roosevelt.  


The early afternoon was warming up nicel and since I was "packing"...


...couldn't pass up the opportunity to swim and got in about 200 meters. 


I swim between 500 and 1000 meters 2x per week, so to break up a day's ride felt pretty special.

The riding was perfect, the kind that makes you giggle just because it does.




Two Rivers Resort where 25 leaves the water




I enjoy taking in the farms among the wheat.  Some are so tidy and neat, and I would love to spend a day with them and watch their operation come planting / harvest season




And it is harvest time...I stopped several times to watch the combines at work and a few people stopped to check to see if I was OK : )


It was all good.

[pdedse]

Wednesday Aug. 20

Today would be spent going east to do a loop around Coeur d'Alene Lake.


I-90 in the distance


Homes, resorts, cabins, docks and marinas...then more homes, cabins and docks, perhaps thinning a bit the farther you ride south along the 20+ miles of shore on the eastern side of the lake






I would think that boat mechanics and dock installers / repair people would always be in demand here.



After the lake area, the St. Joe National Forest riding hiway 6 was spectacularly good, and then after you come out of the forest, it's back to wheat fields and hay


The bike spent lunch in the shade of the flag at a park in Potlatch


And then a sea of wheat as I meandered north by northwest back to the hotel


From the curvy, forested shores of the lake, throught the rises and descents of the forest, and then back to wide open agricultural areas--it provides a wonderful mix of inviting riding.

[Cormanus]

Lovin' it so far. Looks dry?

[pdedse]

Lovin' it so far. Looks dry?

Spokane area gets about 17" (432mm) of rain per year, where I live in Gresham (the wet-side of the mountains) receives 47" (1194mm).  I asked about irrigation for the wheat and was told no, that enough rain falls at the right time.

[rdprdp01]

Reminds me more of Kansas than Washington. Great ride and thanks for the pictures. Please keep them coming! David

[pdedse]

Thursday, Aug. 21

I've been to Grand Coulee and Coulee Dam area a few times; the first time was on my '17 CB100ex soon after I bought it in 2018.  I've ridden the area a bit on my DR650 as well.  I don't mind a return because I think the area is particularly beautiful.  To get there, I'd have to go through the town of Davenport for the third and fourth time this trip on hiway 2, and the circle would end up more looking like the letter "p"


90 miles out to Coulee City, and then north on hiway 155 which is the area that I like most




Banks Lake is the name given to the body of water south of the dam.  I'd really like to boat on this sometime.




Coulee Dam: It dams the Columbia River...far from home, yet the same waters that run 15 minutes away from where I live in Gresham.


After the dam, followed hiway 155 north to hiway 13, which takes you east across the Colville Reservation.  Fun, wide-open riding with long, swooping curves and great visibility


It's only 20 some miles traveling east on 13 till it meets with hiway 21 which leads back to the Columbia River


And to the ferry to cross back to the south side.  This ferry runs constantly from 6am to 11pm--once it arrives, any cars or bicyclists even hikers...the ferry immediately leaves and heads for the other side.  I happend to arrive just as the ferry was landing so I didn't even have to wait 5 minutes...


Two other bikers were already there, some Spokane guys were doing their own day ride.  It's only about a 15 minute crossing and there is no cost.

Had lunch at a beach on the other side and then another swim.  But there were lots of underwater plants growing nearly to the surface, so it felt a little spooky swimming through the "forest".  Still, quite refreshing.

The south side dock where I got off the ferry


After the lunch and swim, it's up and up and up on hiway 21 towards Wilbur.






And once you're up top, it's back among the wheat fields.  


Days 2-4 were all around 225-250 mile days, very relaxing.

[Cormanus]

Interesting about the rainfall pdedse. Tasmania, the island state where I used to live, has a similar experience from west to east.

[pdedse]

Friday Aug. 22

Got up by 4:30am to get packed and be on the road by 6 as I wanted ride and have lunch with a friend from Pendleton.  


Even though the forecast called for temps near 100, the morning air was deliciously chilly. 


The Snake River on hiway 127 a few miles before Dodge, WA


Gotta love the morning light


Quite a few of these guys


Got to Pendleton around 10 and after visiting, checking a few things on the bike, "psmcd" and I took off towards Heppner on hiway 74.  We switched our very different bikes and he got to enjoy (?) the refined nature of the CB1100, and I got to feel what a real after-market seat feels like for the DR650.  


I could be persuaded to give up my bleacher-pads that I use on my DR.

After a fine lunch in Heppner, psmcd and I parted ways.  I was gettin' a little tired and the temps were doing as forecast.  I-84 is never a first choice for me, but phone said it was 1.5 - 2 hours closer compared to some indirect roads to get to Madras and then back to Gresham.  The idea of being next to the Columbia River with the 100 degrees felt like a wiser choice for today.  

These fans are totally worthless in the high heat...they don't even have them turned on


I stopped at Arlington along I-84...it was hot.  Stopped for water mainly...and I realized I had my hammock with me.  Hmmm...what's the hurry to get home in the hottest part of the day?  There wasn't any.  Set up the Bear Butt hammock at a park and fell asleep for about 45 minutes.  

Even time for some ice cream after the nap

Bought a gallon of water and drank 1/3 of it, and poured the rest of it inside my helmet, soaked my shirt, shorts and socks...and around 6pm, it was a little cooler.  Felt rejuvenated, and hopped on the entry ramp to I-84, and....was heading the wrong way.  : (

Once you're on the hiway, there's no turn-arounds, so I had to travel 10 miles east back to the nearest exit and then finally started on my way home again.  The setting sun was in my eyes, but it beautifully lit up the Columbia Gorge.  

Seemed right to end the trip riding along this magnificent river on a warm summer's eve.

---

Reminds me more of Kansas than Washington. Great ride and thanks for the pictures. Please keep them coming! David

Riding through all that wheat made me curious...does Kansas produce more than Washington?  

YES, it does!

But we're not first...who knew North Dakota was king of wheat in the USA!

[Cormanus]

Thanks for another enjoyable journey pdedse. Always fun.