The Bitteroot 300

 After escaping the gloom of the northwest we headed east across Washington.  It was a beautiful drive in an area we had never seen before.  Our route took us across the state north of Mt St Helens and the scenery was the closest thing I've seen in the US to the places I've skied in British Columbia.  Big green valleys surrounded by steep, tree covered mountains and beautiful rivers.  The elevation is not as much as I would have thought around here with the valleys only around 1500 ft and the passes around 4500.  We didn't spend much time exploring because I was trying to get to Coeur d'Alene [CDA], ID to meet up with my Pagosa friend Jim Hayes to do a bikepacking tour in the area.  While I was on the bike tour Kelly would be keeping the RV fires burning in a very nice RV park on Lake Coeur d'Alene.

I met up with Jim in the quaint little town of Wallace, ID, about an hour from CDA.  The bike route we took started on the trail of the CDA bike path and headed east to meet up with the NorPac trail.  Once we got to where the NorPac connected route finding became a bit challenging.  There was no signage whatsoever and we had no cell coverage to use phone map programs. We ended up going old-school and asking at a convenience store for directions.  As we headed in the direction described and were standing there scratching our heads a gal came along on a mountain bike so we flagged her down for directions.  It turns out she was the race leader in the Great American Wheel Race, a cross-the-US bike race that is following as many rails-to-trails and gravel roads as is possible.  Her name is Rhonda Wright and, last I checked, she was still in the lead.  She outdistanced us old codgers pretty quickly and we were on our own again.  The road was steep and pretty rough, requiring some pushing of our loaded bikes uphill but we soon got to some flatter sections and the riding was a nice 3% uphill grade. [Sidenote. Jim is 77 and is a beast for doing this stuff.  He'll probably be doing this after I have given up.]

After 2000 feet of rocky climbing we finally reached the top of Lookout Pass and enjoyed a long downhill run through the woods to the approach to the Hiawatha Trail.  This is probably the most popular tourist attraction in the area and there was still very little signage other than a small painted sign saying 'East Portal'.  The state of Idaho is clearly not going broke putting up signs.  We were dismayed to find that the approach to the start of the trail was 2 miles and a 500' climb.  Not what we were looking forward to at this point in the day.  The couple power bars we had for lunch had worn off long ago.

Well, I must say that the climb was worth it.  The Hiawatha trail starts off with a 1.6 mile, unlighted  tunnel.  Very chilly, very dark and kinda muddy.  Headlamps are mandatory.  The 17 miles of downhill that follows is nothing short of spectacular with 10 tunnels and 7 trestles, many of them several hundred feet above the terrain below.  The trail is well maintained and pretty smooth so the riding is easy.  We ended up being the last ones on the trail and when we got to the bottom everything was closed up and we had to climb under the barricade to get out.  We still had no cell coverage and had very little idea how far it was to any town so we just pointed the bikes downhill and hoped for the best.  We did have camp food and camping gear but were really hoping for some 'real' food as it had been a long day.  As the shadows got ever longer I spent some quality time fixing a flat tire...not what I was hoping for.  Good thing it was about the longest daylight day of the year.  Finally, the somewhat rough gravel road turned to pavement and we guessed we were nearing the town of Avery [population 14].  As we stopped and took a quick break I thought it would be a good idea to fall off my bike as I was stopping.  This turned out to be a good thing as a nice couple was coming by on a 4-wheeler and asked if I was ok.  I was fine as I have become quite practiced at falling off my bike over the years.  While chatting, Laurie said we could buy any supplies at the little town store where she worked.  When we arrived the owner, Jerry, was grilling some food for a few fishermen and was kind enough to put a couple more burgers on for us.  A burger and a beer = a great end to a great day. 53 miles and 2500 feet of climbing.

Day 2 found us riding the pavement most of the way down the St Joe river to the town of St Marie.  A very nice and pretty easy downhill run of 48 miles.  The St Joe River is very pretty and I would like to come back and fish it if I get the chance. We were able to find a motel room in St Maries and a pretty decent pasta dinner close by in town.

Day 3 started with a short shuttle to the east end of the Trail of the Coeur d'Alene, a 72 mile paved bike path which would lead us back to the start in Wallace.  The shuttle is highly recommended as the only road is very narrow, windy and has a lot of truck traffic.  It was $20 well spent.  The trail, itself, is a superb bike trail with very smooth pavement, great scenery and [best of all] mostly downhill,  I finally saw a moose, Yea!  It was pretty far away and it coulda been a cow but some locals on the trail said they had been seeing it all week...it counts.   Although our start was a bit late we made it another 40-some miles to a camp spot near the town of Cataldo where we were able to get a shower and some pretty good food at the only restaurant around.  We stuck around for karaoke but, as Jim wimped out and wouldn't sing On the Road Again with me, we opted for a small campfire and off to the tents.

The weather prediction for the final day was pretty bleak but we escaped the rain and just had to deal with some cool and cloudy weather for what Jim's guidebook said was a downhill run back to Wallace.  This was not even close to true as we climbed another 500 feet to finish up the ride, All in all a great trip.  Thanks Jim.

After getting shuttled by Kelly back to CDA we spent a few days there.  We were camped in a nice RV park right on the lake and within walking distance [about 3 miles] to downtown CDA.  This is a very nice small city with some beautiful parks, lots of bike trails and a lovely downtown area.  We spent the next few days walking, riding and exploring the town and enjoyed it very much.  

Bike trail bridge

JIm Hayes on Hiawatha trestle

Hiawatha trail view

Hiawatha trestle view

Hiawatha tunnel

The Great Northwest

 After leaving our camp in Oregon we headed to the Olympic Peninsula of Washington where we set up camp in a small RV park in the town of Hoquiam, WA on the Hoquiam River. We never did really figure out how to pronounce that name since each person we asked said it differently. No fancy amenities at this one but a nice shower and laundry. It's amazing how little it takes to be thankful for when you are on the road.  We had a great site right on the river where we enjoyed sitting on the bank watching the river go by...or would have if the wind ever stopped blowing, the sun had come out, and the temperature had risen out of the 50's.  It's the middle of June for god sakes!  I'm sorry but we have become hopelessly addicted to sunshine after our years spent in Colorado and California.

That given, the Pacific Northwest is one of the most beautiful places on the planet I have been to when the sun is out and the weather is nice.  The other 90% of the time it is not my cup of tea, weather wise, but we did enjoy exploring the area.  Hoquiam was a good jumping off spot to see some of the beautiful scenery the peninsula has to offer.  We day tripped up to Lake Quinault and did a really nice hike thru the Quinault rain forest which was amazing for the amount of life per square foot. The Olympic rainforests are the only temperate rainforests in N. America with the only others being in Japan.  [Note: don't quote me on this as I may have made it up]. I grew up in the dense forests of the east coast but this place makes the New Jersey woods look like the Mojave.  Every square inch is covered with some kind of life; huge trees, vines, bushes, moss, fungus.  It seems as if you laid down for a nap in there you would be devoured by plant life in hours.

Later in the day, we were able to spend a couple hours on one of the WA beaches.  We were lucky enough to hit it on a rare sunny afternoon with little wind.  Even with temperatures in the mid 50's it was quite nice.  Kasha loves chasing frisbee on the beach and running in the shallow surf. She had a great time and wore herself out to the point that she could hardly get back in the car.

We originally planned on spending a bit more time on the Olympic but I'm afraid the aforementioned weather really saps our will to live so we will be pulling up stakes a bit earlier than planned and heading for warmer climes.  Next stop will be in the Idaho panhandle where I plan to meet up with my friend, Jim Hayes, from Pagosa and joining him for a 180-mile bike tour while Kelly holds the fort in Coeur d'Alene, ID.

Quinault Rain Forest

Rain forest stream

Hoquiam River Camp

Kelly could have used this sign 25 years ago

To the big city

 The next leg of our trip saw us relocating to the Salem, OR area getting some quality time with Sarah, Steven and Ellie.  Ellie is just about the smartest, most athletic and darn near cutest 3 yr old on the planet.  We had a great visit with their lovely family and had lots of Ellie-time.  

Also, I was able to have a fortune in RV-power related equipment sent from Amazon to Sarah and Stevens house.  Shoulda been sent in a Brinks Truck, not UPS. Now I've got to try and get it installed and working.  Never give up!

While in the area, we were able to get over to Silver Falls State Park, an hour or so from Salem.  En route, we stopped at the cute little town of Silverton, OR.  You should go...it's cute.  The hike we did in the state park was very pretty, with some very large waterfalls and nicely kept trails.  This, like other state parks we have been in, are not very dog friendly, with all dogs [leashed or not] banned from quite a few areas.  I get it, but a pain for us.

This area, like many in Oregon, is very bike-friendly with lots of bike paths and some nice country riding past their very green pasture and little traffic.  There are a lot of bikies in OR and the drivers tend to be more bike-aware and generally nicer to bikers than in our hometown.  I have been enjoying the road biking very much on this trip and have been getting out a few times a week.

While here we were camped some of the time by the county fairgrounds.  A nice, if un-exciting spot in a  big parking lot but adjacent to some green pastures. Not a bad view if you look out the back.  We had to vacate the fairgrounds due to a flea market over the weekend so we decided to move to a 'REAL' park.  Space was a little tight [Happy Hour next to your neighbor's sewer hookup anyone?] but the amenities were something we are not used to...pool, dog park, dog washing station, free ice cream sundaes.  We were 'livin' in high cotton'.  But, alas, all things must pass so we rolled up the Yahtse board and headed north once again.

After leaving the Salem area [we miss you guys] we headed north to the little town Vernonica, OR, about an hour NW of Portland on the Nehalem River.  This is a very nice, small town and we have been camped in their town park which is set up for RV;s.  On our way here we had lunch with some friends we hadn't seen in years; Bill and Anita Bruce.  We know them from the old days in Etna, CA and it was great to be able to spend a few hours catching up.  They have a lovely home in Beaverton, OR with a yard that is straight outta Home and Garden. After setting up in our new location, Kelly headed back to Ukiah for granddaughter Danaya's 8th grade graduation.  Congratulations Danaya.  Well done and keep up the good work.  I will let Kelly tell you about that adventure on her Facebook page.

And, during Kelly's hiatus, I have been tending to camp here in Vernonica without adult-supervision.  I filled my time enjoying riding on the Banks-Vernonia state trail.  A very nicely paved bike and pedestrian trail that extends for over 20-miles along the old railroad grade between the two named towns.  I love these rails-to-trails routes for cycling as there is no vehicular traffic to worry about and the grade is never steep as these trails follow the old railroad lines.  I think the maximum grade is 3%. Not too bad.  This trail is one of the nicest I've been on with great scenery through the lush northwest forest and a bunch of old railroad trestle crossings.  The park where we camped is at the hub between the Banks-Vernonia trail and the Crown-Zellenbach trail which runs northeast to the Columbia River Basin.  I thought it would be similar to the other but, NO,  the CZ trail starts at the trail head with a 15% climb for the first half mile. [non-biker note...that's STEEP] I'm afraid I had to walk that one.  The trail then turns to a loose rock surface [again, sucky for riding].  After, climbing some more hills I came across some local folks out for an MTB ride.  They said the road ahead was washboarded and steep with more loose rock.  I turned around.

I know you're all dying to know about my battle with the RV power.  Hey, it's only been going on since Moab on April 2 and we are now well into June.  I think I've finally got it.  The lithium batteries are working and charging off the solar panels and we are now carrying a small generator for cloudy spells. I'm not getting cocky...you know how these things go.

Grandaughter Ellie 

Sarah and Ellie

Vernonia Park Campground

Banks-Vernonia bike trail

BV bike trail, Buxton trestle

Danaya the granddaughter graduate

Granddaughter Reigan

Kelly and her crew in Ukiah

Still Coasting

 The next stop on our journey has been a couple hours up the coast to the town of Yachats, the self-proclaimed Gem of the Oregon Coast.  That claim just might be true as the town has a delightful blend of quaintness, artsy businesses and beautiful scenery.  We decided to brave the off-grid camping of the Cape Perpetua Campground.  Cape Perpetua was named by the famed explorer Captain James Cook who made spotted the cape but never set foot on land in 1778.  The campground connects to a number of trails that offer some spectacular views of the shoreline.  I took Kasha down to the water one evening where she became infatuated with a seal pup who was swimming around the rocks we were on.  

As for our off-grid experience...not so good.  With the cloudy coastal weather, the batteries didn't get much of a charge and we spent a quiet evening playing Yahtze by lantern light.  Even with the dim light and opportunities to cheat I lost our best of 5 match.  Foiled again.  The next night was more of the same and we decided to re-locate to an RV camp in the nearby town of Waldport where we could have full hookups and could work on the power issue.   This power issue is getting the best of me and I decided to stop cheaping-out and order some new lithium batteries, a charger and generator which would be delivered to our daughter Sarah's house near Salem, OR where we would be in a few days.

Waldport has some really nice, wide, sandy beaches where Kasha had an absolute ball.  She loves chasing sticks and splashing through the shallow surf to cool off.  She never seems to get tired on the beach.  The Alsea River enters the ocean here and there were lots of seals near the shore which were of great interest to Kasha.

Kelly and I took a day to get the kayaks out at Ona Beach, a ways above Waldport. Heading upstream on Beaver Creek we paddled for a couple easy miles on the Beaver Creek Estuary.  Lot's of birds and very peaceful.  I also took a morning to do a 20-mile out-and-back bike ride up the Alsea River.  I've been enjoying the road biking that I seldom do in Pagosa due to the poor biking infrastructure there and I enjoyed the moderately hilly, low traffic ride very much.

Weve enjoyed our coast time, spending most of May here but we are ready for some warmth.  For those who haven't been here, it is never really cold but it's never really warm either.  We are both ready to warm up a bit and are looking forward to moving to the Salem area where we can visit with Sarah, her husband Steven and our granddaughter Ellie.