Coffeeneuring: A Bike Challenge Everyone Can Love

By Barb Chamberlain | Published October 1, 2014

Latte art: bicycleBike challenges abound for a reason: There’s something about matching yourself against other riders or the clock or the calendar that gets people rolling. If you’ve been logging your miles in the National Bike Challenge that just wrapped up yesterday and are already missing that extra inspiration, have no fear — coffeeneuring is here just in time!

The brain child of Joe Platzner (@thatsrando on Twitter), a former board member of both Washington Bikes and Cascade Bicycle Club and a Seattle International Randonneurs member, coffeeneuring provides a caffeinated excuse for leisurely bike rides. Seven coffee shops in seven weekends — nothing to it, right? That’s why this is the challenge for everyone.

A randonneuring bike blogger from the other Washington, Mary Gersemalina at Chasing Mailboxes, put together the rules and launched the Coffeeneuring Challenge in 2011. Now in its fourth year, it seems tailormade for the bike-riding coffee lovers (coffee-drinking bike lovers?) of our Washington.

We’ll give you something to get started: Sign up for our e-news below and we’ll send you 7 “I arrived by bike” business cards you can leave at those coffee shops or anywhere else. (Supply limited so sign up now.)

[Tweet “I’m going #coffeeneuring & you should too.”]

BikesMeanBusiness_backlogo7

The other side of the card features a short message about the economic benefits of biking customers. For example, “10 bicycling customers can fit into 1 car parking spot.”

The cards, developed by Cascade Bicycle Club and sporting our logo and theirs, provide a brief message illustrating why bikes mean business and help inspire business owners to be bike-friendly. If you don’t want to wait for the mail and you’re in the Seattle area, stop by our Pioneer Square bike gift shop/offices at 314 1st Ave. South, sign up for our e-news, and we’ll give them to you on the spot.

Mary’s offering a coffeeneuring patch at her cost ($4) to those who successfully complete the challenge; request those directly from her following the instructions below (also on her 2014 Coffeeneuring Challenge post).

Coffeeneuring Rules

The rules, repeated here from Chasing Mailboxes for your convenience and with a couple of notes for our Washington twist:

  1. Ride your bike to 7 different local coffee shops from Saturday October 4 through Sunday, November 16. Any place that sells coffee qualifies as a coffee shop.
  2. You may also coffeeneur to a Coffee Shop Without Walls. A Coffee Shop Without Walls is a place you ride to where you then proceed to make and/or drink coffee. The Coffee Shop Without Walls is geared toward the bike overnight or bike camping participant. It also captures farmers’ markets, festivals, and the like.
  3. Only Saturday and Sunday rides qualify. Weekday rides are ineligible, unless one of the following applies to you:  a. You have a job that does not have a Monday through Friday tour of duty. In that case, your days off are considered your weekend; or b. You are retired, in which case you may choose any two days to complete your coffeeneuring outings. No other exceptions, unless you can make a convincing case for one to Mary.
  4. Only 1 coffee shop per day counts and a maximum of two rides per weekend. If you visit 7 coffee shops in one day, you may choose only one as a qualifying ride.
  5. Jot down a summary of your experience that includes: 1. where you went (address and website, if possible), 2. the date you went there, 3.  what you drank 4. a detail or two about your coffeeneuring ride, including your assessment of the “bike friendliness” of the locale; and 5. total mileage. Also, if you find any “must visit” coffee shops or tea places please share that as well.
  6. Take a photo during your outing, and submit it as verification.
    • WA Bikes note: Don’t wait until the end to share pictures with us — tag with #WAbikes #coffeeneuring on Instagram.
  7. Hot chocolate qualifies, as do tea beverages. Apple cider is also a coffeeneuring-approved beverage. Note: Drinks do not have to be hot! They just have to be coffeeneuring-ish type drinks.
  8. You may not combine your coffeeneuring ride with any other ride such as an organized century, populaire, or brevet. You may, however, combine your coffeeneuring ride with a grocery run, ride to the gym, an informal ride with your friends, or other transportation/utility-oriented ride. (If you do an organized ride, you may do another, separate coffeeneuring ride on the same day, e.g., a pre- or post-event ride to get a latte either before or after your organized ride.)
  9. Your ride must be at least two miles total, but there is no maximum so yes, you could ride 100 miles (or more!) for a cup of coffee.
    • WA Bikes note: Setting off on a fall bike tour inspired by Cycling Sojourner Washington? Remember to check out the Coupon Companion for coffee shop deals, including stops like Cinnamon Twisp Bakery or Caffe La Boheme on Lopez Island.
  10. There are no geographic limitations to the Coffeeneuring Challenge, except that your coffeeneuring must occur on planet Earth.
  11. You have to go to 7 different locales, although you may ride to multiple locations of a chain, if necessary. For the Coffee Shop Without Walls, you must prepare and/or drink your coffee in different places. That means seven different campsites/locales.
  12. Deadline for submitting Coffeeneuring Challenge entries is whenever the clock strikes midnight in your area on November 24, 2014.
  13. Send submissions to Mary: gersemalina-at-gmail.com. They may be in the form of links to blog writeups, screenshots of or links to your coffeeneuring Tweets, on-line photo galleries with accompanying narrative, Word documents with attached or embedded photos, or e-mail writeups and submissions with photos attached.
  14. Provide all qualifying rides at the same time. That is, send all 7 together, NOT ride 1, ride 2, etc.
    • WA Bikes note: Send it our way to Louise-at-WAbikes.org. Don’t wait until the end to send it to us. Write a post on your first weekend or your halfway point or some other memorable point and we’ll share some posts along the way to inspire others. We’d love to have a map, too, if you’ve put together a nice route someone else might enjoy.
  15. Prizes! You are eligible for a small prize from Chasing Mailboxes for finishing the challenge. Because of the increased interest in coffeeneuring, the premium will cost $4, which covers Mary’s costs. To purchase your prize, you may PayPal her at the gmail address above, or send your money by snail mail like Grandma used to do. Email Mary for her address.
    • WA Bikes note: Everyone who submits a blog post or Instagram picture to us will be entered into our prize drawing to win one of several oh-so-appropriate WA Bikes coffee mugs.
  16. Tara Rule: During Columbus Day weekend (October 11-13), you have three days to accomplish two qualifying coffeeneuring rides. (This is the Tara Rule.) Update! Residents of Canada may use Canadian Thanksgiving in place of Columbus Day.
  17. Vacation Rule: This rule has been updated! If you are on vacation during the coffeeneuring challenge, you may coffeeneur any two days of the week for the weeks you are on vacation.
  18. Veterans Day Rule: You may coffeeneur on November 11, Veterans Day, INSTEAD of the previous Saturday or Sunday (November 8 and 9). Veterans are permitted to coffeeneur on November 11 in ADDITION to November 8 and 9, in recognition of their service.
  19. Buying Beans Rule: You may use ONE of your seven coffeeneuring trips to purchase beans (or tea) from your local roaster or tea emporium for future consumption.
Cards with statistics about the value of biking customers that you can leave at businesses you patronize by bike are available from Cascade Bicycle Club or WA Bikes. Spread the word: Bikes mean business!

Cards with statistics about the value of biking customers that you can leave at businesses you patronize by bike are available from Cascade Bicycle Club or WA Bikes. Spread the word: Bikes mean business!

[Tweet “#Coffeeneuring=great excuse for a bike ride. Join us.”]

Coffeeneuring on Social Media

  • Twitter hashtag: #coffeeneuring
  • Flickr Coffeeneuring group
  • Coffeeneurs group on Facebook
  • Blogging: Mary will do periodic roundups of blog posts about coffeeneuring at Chasing Mailboxes. We’ll do that for Washington bike blogs here so send us your link via email, Twitter, or a comment here.
  • Instagram: Tag your photos #WAbikes #coffeeneuring and they’ll show up on our Instagram page
  • YouTube: If you really get into this and make a video of your expeditions, let us know and we’ll favorite it on our YouTube channel

Coffee Shops, Get Involved!

If you own a great destination for the coffeeneuring crowd and want to invite biking customers to your front door, sign up on the form below and tell us why you’re a great bike destination, along with any special offer you want us to highlight. We’ll include you in our social media and e-mails to people who sign up for the challenge so they can go hunt down your two-wheel deal.

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Posted in Bike Culture, Encouragement, Events, News | 4 Comments

Biking at Mount Rainier

By Louise McGrody | Published September 26, 2014
Hey, that's us!

Hey, that’s us!

Cycling the roads in Mount Rainier National Park has grown in popularity, but riding these roads in the summer during the height of tourist season is not always pleasant.  I prefer to tackle the park’s Sunrise Road early in the season, catching a narrow window of opportunity when the road has been cleared of snow but not yet open to motor vehicle traffic.

Fall is also a good time to bicycle in the park. Visitor attendance has dropped and drive-in campgrounds close by early October. The park recommends the following roads for bike riding:

White River and Sunrise Roads: I saw many cyclists riding this route last weekend when I was up there for a hike. It’s 16 miles one-way, twisting and climbing 3000 feet to Sunrise and an in-your-face view of the mountain. There is again a narrow window of opportunity to experience this route car-free when the Park Service closes it to motorized vehicles in mid to late October prior to the winter snows. Keep in mind that road maintenance may require the closure to bikes and walkers as well, so check ahead. You can read my spring ride description for more info.

Westside Road: Near the Nisqually entrance to the park, this 13-mile (one way) gravel route is open to motor vehicles for the first three miles, then becomes a hiking and mountain biking route to Klapatche Point. This road is sometimes closed due to rockfalls and washouts. Visit Rainier provides a ride description of Westside Road.

Carbon River Road: Due to recurring washouts, this gravel road is open to bikers and hikers only beyond the park entrance. The route is approximately 5 miles long and ends at Ipsut Creek campsite, making it a nice choice for a short bikepacking trip, or a bike-and-hike adventure. Visit Rainier has a Carbon River bike-and-hike post.

Remember, bikes are not allowed on any trails in Mount Rainier National Park. Check ahead before you go to make sure your planned destination is open, and be prepared for changing mountain weather conditions.

Resources:
Mount Rainier National Park
Visit Rainier

Related Reading:

Car-Free in the North Cascades: Washington’s Mountainside Ciclovia
Bike It: USBR 10
Gravel Grinding the Stillaguamish Valley
Bikepacking the John Wayne Trail

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Posted in Adventure, Rides, Tourism, Travel | Tagged | 2 Comments

Bike It: USBR 10 – A Long 92 Miles to Newport

By Guest Blogger | Published September 25, 2014

ione bridgeJohn Pope, WA Bikes board member and volunteer USBRS route coordinator, has put foot to pedal and is riding the newly designated USBR 10. His wife Michele is providing vehicle support and chronicling their cross-state adventure.

We hauled out of Colville in the morning with the goal of making it as far as Ione, crossing over the Pend Oreille River and camping at Edgewater Campground. This is also the crossing that takes you to Leclerc Road and the last stretch of the journey into Newport.

LeClerc RoadWe played our usual game of me driving a distance of 10 miles or so ahead then pulling over and waiting for John to catch up. The climb from Colville was steady and the pavement and shoulder quality were good, John felt it was one of the prettiest Tamarack forests he had biked through. It was going to be a relatively short day. John’s legs were fresh after a day’s rest and he was making good time. My job for the day was to investigate possible campgrounds for future cyclists. It should have been a sign of what was to come when the two campgrounds I checked were closed.

We were now out of the hills and the day was getting hot. With John about a half-hour behind me, I got to the outskirts of Ione and across the stunning red bridge to Edgewater Campground. We were there in time for an early lunch and restful day in camp. Only catch was that Edgewater was closed for the year too. Decision time.

It was disappointing news for John but the only choice we really had was to keep moving toward Newport and hope to find Panhandle Campground open 20 miles ahead. Leclerc Road is a beautiful stretch along the Pend Oreille River. Traffic was light, the drivers were courteous, and the road had both brand new pavement and some of the roughest chipseal along the way.

I probably don’t have to tell you that Panhandle campground…was CLOSED. Our destination would have to be Newport. We broke it up into ten-mile goals. “it’s only 10 miles to the Manresa Grotto. You can do that,” or  “It’s 10 miles to Usk. You can do that”.

newportAt Usk John took a 2-mile chance at a back road that turned into a gravel road. He was going to have to pull the last 16 miles of his adventure on a busy stretch of Hwy 20 at the end of a long day. Normally 16 miles would seem like nothing but his legs had gone from fresh to exhausted and his shoulders were cramping. He just kept moving. Naturally, just to make things more exciting, the big hill comes in the final mile.

After John’s very long 92-mile day, the ‘Welcome to Newport’ sign was such a relief. It is a small sign–no bells or whistles–but sure looked beautiful to us!

CommissionersI stopped at the Safeway in town to buy John some chocolate milk for an immediate reward and a bottle of scotch to celebrate at camp. We got to the OPEN Pioneer Campground a few miles out of town. John took his well-deserved shower and I was making dinner when it occurred to us that I had left the scotch sitting at the cash register. I don’t know which was worse…losing John on the trip out of Twisp or losing the scotch on his last day.

On our way out of Newport John stopped by the County Courthouse to thank Commissioners Steve Kiss & Karen Skoog. Unfortunately Commissioner Mike Manus was on vacation. Mike had worked with John on USBR 10 and he was sorry to miss him.

Including the USBR 10 spur route to Ione, John pedaled 440 miles in six days! This doesn’t include his layover day in Colville where he rode the short route in Blazing Saddles Bike Ride.

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Bike It: USBR 10 – Blazing Saddles and Colville Ribbon-Cutting

By Louise McGrody | Published September 24, 2014

John Pope, WA Bikes board member and volunteer USBRS route coordinator, has put foot to pedal and is riding the newly designated USBR 10. His wife Michele is providing vehicle support and chronicling their cross-state adventure.

WA bikes staffSaturday was a day of small town surprises and celebrations. We awoke to find hundreds of military veterans lined up outside of our RV for a Veterans Administration “Stand Down.” They were able to obtain clothing, shoes, dental care, haircuts, food and financial advice. Some had been waiting in line since 3am for the 8am opening. A little reminder to be thankful for what we have.

This day was John’s “rest day,” but he had his sights set on riding the Family Ride of Blazing Saddles, followed by the USBR 10 ribbon-cutting. He was joined this day by WA Bikes executive director Barb Chamberlain, and staffers Seth Schromen-Wawrin and Kate Johnson. Fellow WA Bikes board member Marc Mims of Spokane Valley was also on hand.

The century and metric century riders started early in the morning, followed by the 40 mile and family rides, all designed to get riders back to the Stevens County Fairgrounds in time for the big Chili Cook-off competition from noon to three. Crossings and aid stations were manned by Colville Rotary Club members in bright orange. An optional hill climb was included with temporary “Feel the Burn” tattoos given to riders who made the grade.

Back at the fairgrounds, the chili cook-off was getting underway. In addition to the chili cook-off competition, there were vendors, non-profit groups, and a beer garden. The Sara Brown Band provided musical entertainment.

During the cook-off, USBR 10 briefly took center stage. Barb and John were joined on stage by local bike advocate and Colville Rotary president Lynn O’Connor and Stevens County Commissioner Don Dashiell for a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Washington’s first entry in the national bike route network.

ColVelo Bike Club and Colville Rotary were thanked for putting on an incredible event. Bicycle tourism’s impact on small city economics and USBR 10’s ability to improve safe riding for both visiting and local cyclists was mentioned. Noting that this is the first designated US bike route in Washington, in the northwest and in the contiguous west coast states brought a cheer from the approving crowd. Barb cut the ribbon and the route was dedicated in Colville!

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Bike It: USBR 10 – Over Sherman Pass to Colville

By Guest Blogger | Published September 23, 2014

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John Pope, WA Bikes board member and volunteer USBRS route coordinator, has put foot to pedal and is riding the newly designated USBR 10. His wife Michele is providing vehicle support and chronicling their cross-state adventure.

Jason and Amy Edwards of Colvelo Bike Club showed up in Republic bright and early to escort John over Sherman Pass. Jason and Amy are bright and energetic cyclists who recently completed RAMROD. They were fun to be with, cheerful and enthusiastic on the 50 mile ride over Sherman Pass, elevation 5575’.

Riding out of Republic they sampled two paved miles of the Tiger Trail, a multi-use path that connects the town to Curlew Lake. Back on SR20 John apologized to intrepid sag captain Michele for ditching her while investigating the off-road trail, making her think that she had once again lost him.

The road east to the pass rolls over a few hills and then starts a steady climb. The further east they traveled the brighter the falls colors. They had a beautiful blue day and were able to stop at viewpoints to enjoy the landscape. Jason shared the location of a roadside mineshaft noticeable only to slow-paced and alert cyclists.

The eastbound ascent of Sherman Pass was surprisingly gentle on the legs, something John was concerned about at day 5. The curves on the approach were sweeping with good sight-lines and passing lanes. The chip-seal surface was better than that of the day before

kettle fallsJason and Amy are rockets going downhill. Despite a strong east wind, they reached speeds in the mid-40’s down the pass and formed a paceline through the Canyon Creek area. They stopped at a great overlook along the incredibly vertical Sherman Creek canyon before arriving at the Columbia River/Lake Roosevelt bridge. After the narrow bridge crossing we met John’s old friend Lynn O’Conner, president of the Colville Rotary and a key member of the ColVelo Bicycle Club.

Lynn escorted John the rest of the way into Colville down busy US395/SR20, with the same decent chip-seal shoulders but a lot more traffic. We pulled into the fairgrounds and were excited to meet the Rotary and bike club folks putting together Saturday’s Blazing Saddles Bike Ride and Chili Cook-off events.

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We Get Kids Rolling

By Barb Chamberlain | Published September 22, 2014

A picture worth a thousand words.

Children in White Salmon enjoying the bikes they got through the Safe Routes Bicycling/Walking Safety Education Program run by Washington Bikes with funding through the Dept. of Transportation. Photo by Amber Marra, White Salmon Enterprise.

Children in White Salmon enjoying the bikes they got through the Safe Routes Bicycling/Walking Safety Education Program run by Washington Bikes with funding through the Dept. of Transportation. Photo by Amber Marra, White Salmon Enterprise.

 

Amber Marra of The White Salmon Enterprise tweeted the picture out last Friday. We brought our bicycle/pedestrian safety education to White Salmon as part of our Safe Routes to School work in 40+ school districts so far. Every year, around 14,000 or so kids learn to walk and bike safely with our curriculum, and the number grows with each district we visit.

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The Whitehorse Trail: Partners, Progress, and Potential

By Barb Chamberlain | Published September 20, 2014

Snohomish County Bikes: an ongoing series highlighting great bike rides and issues affecting bicycling across Snohomish County.

Ready to create adventure on the Whitehorse Trail.

Ready to create adventure on the Whitehorse Trail.

When you hold an event and have literally every level of government represented—city, county, state legislature, governor’s office, state Department of Transportation, congressional delegation—you know you’re doing something right.

When private donors are willing to put up hundreds of thousands of dollars for a trail, you know you’re doing something right.

When over 50 people give up a sunny Saturday afternoon in early fall to come to an event that involves people giving speeches, you know you’re doing something right.

That “something” is the Whitehorse Trail in Snohomish County. As the Everett Herald headline read, “Restoration of Whitehorse Trail well on its way.”

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Branching off from the Centennial Trail, the Whitehorse Trail runs through the heart of Oso to Darrington through quiet, beautiful forested glades along the Stillaguamish River (great fishing!) with scenic views of the North Cascades including Whitehorse Mountain, Mount Higgins, Prairie Mountain, and more.

Wildlife, birds, and wildflowers abound. Largely undeveloped with large sections of original rail ballast, it draws hikers, equestrians, and people on mountain bikes. Repairing sections and improving the trail surface would expand its potential to include those touring on road bikes, bringing more tourist business to the towns that need it most.

When the dreadful mudslide wiped out portions of Highway 530 around Oso six short months ago, Washington Bikes had just received a grant to promote bike travel in Snohomish County. It was immediately obvious that in addition to identifying and promoting great bike touring opportunities, as we’ve done in our Snohomish County Bikes series, Washington Bikes needed to work with community leaders to find short- and long-term opportunities to grow local economies.

Tourism represents the third largest sector of the Snohomish County economy, and local elected officials were eager to communicate that Snohomish County travel is open for business and welcoming visitors. Through Washington Bikes policy connections and long hours of work with great partners who welcomed our help we’ve made bike tourism part of their economic recovery strategy, and it’s paying off.

Recovery efforts have resulted in rapid clean-up of the trail as Highway 530 has been relocated and is being rebuilt. A federal grant put 80+ people to work through Workforce Development, giving people jobs after long-term unemployment or job displacement. They live in the immediate area and get to enjoy the fruits of their labors with long walks on the Whitehorse Trail through the quiet woods.

At the event to celebrate progress and look ahead at future potential, Snohomish County Parks and Recreation director Tom Teigen said enthusiastically, “The partnership we’ve put together is really incredible—local, state, federal, private donations have all come together to get us to this point. And we’re here today thanks to Washington Bikes helping us connect the dots to be poised for even more progress on the trail.”

An anonymous couple has donated over $300,000 to the effort, enabling Snohomish County to repair and reinforce numerous bridges along the trail to prepare them for future decking and surfacing. With this donation, investments by Snohomish County Parks, and federal disaster relief funds for clean-up and repair as matches, the project is being submitted for possible state funding from the WSDOT Bicycle and Pedestrian Grant Program in the upcoming legislative session.

The long-term vision that has inspired so many partners: A completed Whitehorse Trail connected to the existing Centennial Trail in Snohomish County, ultimately connecting to the growing regional trail network across Snohomish and King Counties.

This network includes the East Lake Sammamish Trail, Sammamish River Trail, Burke-Gilman Trail, and future Eastside Rail Corridor Trail, now getting under way with the planning of the Cross Kirkland Corridor, along with other, shorter trails and on-street connections. Just think of the total trail mileage!

  • Whitehorse Trail: 27 miles
  • Centennial Trail: 30.2 miles
  • East Lake Sammamish Trail: 11 miles
  • Sammamish River Trail: 10.9 miles
  • Burke-Gilman Trail: 17 miles
  • Interurban Trail: 24.9 miles
  • Cross Kirkland Corridor: 5.8 miles

Total: 126.8+ miles of trails connecting to and through Snohomish County — and growing

Snohomish County bicycling offers miles and miles of separated pathways through gorgeous scenery, small towns eager to stuff you full of pastries and locally brewed or distilled beverages, farms inviting you to pick fresh produce, antique stores, art galleries, local museums, and more. Imagine the power of providing an easy bike route from the major population center around greater Seattle to all this—wallets on wheels will roll into town ready to refuel with calories.

That’s the vision that had everyone so excited at Saturday’s Whitehorse Trail event. That’s the power of partnership, and Washington Bikes is proud to help bring this project to fruition.

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Posted in Advocacy, Arlington, Darrington, News, Oso, Snohomish County, Tourism, Trails | 5 Comments

Bike It: USBR 10 – Okanogan Country to Republic

By Louise McGrody | Published September 19, 2014

wauconda

John Pope, WA Bikes board member and volunteer USBRS route coordinator, has put foot to pedal and is riding the newly designated USBR 10. His wife Michele is providing vehicle support and chronicling their cross-state adventure.

DetrosWe pulled out of Okanogan with a long day ahead of us. The secondary route outside of Omak was beautiful but could use a sign! We traveled many miles along the Okanogan River through scrubland until we arrived in Riverside where we visited the Detros Western Store (jeans long enough for Michele). After outfitting ourselves in some local garb, John hopped in the saddle and pedaled toward Tonasket while I visited the local grocery/antique/curiosity shop. It had everything one could need — including a collection of pocket lint dating back to 1993.

TonasketOur next community stop was Tonasket where we dropped by the Visitor’s Information Center and had the pleasure of visiting with Linda Black. Linda is a whirlwind of energy and great ideas. She has developed a bike campground behind the visitor center with top end restrooms and shower. She is a huge supporter of bike tourism and USBR 10 and cyclists are invited to camp here for free. John calls her a Trail Angel.

Next came the long arduous climb away from Tonasket and the Okanogan Valley up to the Okanogan Highlands and over Wauconda Pass, elevation 4,311 feet. There is a long stretch of narrow and winding road, with little to no shoulder, and the truck traffic can feel fast and heavy. This is offset by the stark pioneer beauty of the upland prairies and a long pleasant descent to Republic.

Nestled in a valley between Wauconda and Sherman Passes, Republic is a quaint tree-lined town with history steeped in the logging and mining industries.  Bike campers can pitch their tents at no cost in the city park on the west end of town. Be sure to visit Republic Brewing Company to sample handcrafted beers, ciders and sodas. And bring your own food.

Looking forward to Friday. John will be joined by ColVelo webmaster Jason Edwards and his wife for the climb over Sherman Pass. Then we roll into Colville in time for Blazing Saddles and a second USBR 10 ribbon-cutting event on Saturday. A layover day for the weary travelers!

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Posted in Adventure, Ferry County, Guest Blogger, Okanogan County, Rides, Tourism, Travel, USBRS | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Bike It: USBR 10 – Methow Valley

By Guest Blogger | Published September 19, 2014

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John Pope, WA Bikes board member and volunteer USBRS route coordinator, has put foot to pedal and is riding newly designated USBR 10. His wife Michele is providing vehicle support and chronicling the cross-state bike ride.

Toilet

Rustic camping.

We spent Day Three exploring the scenic Methow Valley. We left Early Winters Campground near Mazama and John pedaled past farms and ranches to Barn Bicycle Camping. Located midway between Mazama and Winthrop on Hwy 20/USBR 10, this stay-by-donation place for bike travelers is owned by Jan and Jim Gregg. It offers a solar shower, composting toilet and free wi-fi.

John’s next stop was Winthrop and the Methow Valley Cycle & Sport to stock up on bike tires (he had two blowouts on Day Two) and to thank them for their support of USBR 10.

Then it was on to Twisp and a great lunch at Cinnamon Twisp Bakery. Located at the confluence of the Twisp and Methow Rivers, this community has been an ardent supporter of USBR 10. The Methow Valley Inn hosted one of Washington Bikes’ early outreach meetings for this project.

Methow Valley Cycle - USBR 10

Cinnamon Twisp

From there things took a literal ‘turn’ for the worse. John continued on Hwy 20/USBR 10 to climb the 4020 ft summit of Loup Loup Pass while I managed to get turned around in a detour and took the scenic road along the Methow River into Pateros. I realized the error of my ways and turned around. The drive back to Twisp suddenly seemed longer, less scenic and much more twisty! After getting help at the construction site I headed over Loup Loup Pass and on to Okanogan — arriving at the same time as John! I offered to retire as his sag wagon but he declined my offer.

So Day Three was a day of lost and founds. Lost John’s helmet mirror and found it. Lost the bike pump and found it. I lost John and found him! All’s well that ends well!

Related Reading

Bike It: USBR 10 (Day One)
Bike It: USBR 10 – The Epic Climb (Day Two)
USBR 10, Northern Washington State

Posted in Adventure, Economic Impact, Guest Blogger, Okanogan County, Rides, Tourism, Travel, USBRS | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Bike It: USBR 10 — The Epic Climb

By Guest Blogger | Published September 18, 2014

WA Bikes board member John Pope is pedaling the newly designated US Bicycle Route 10 across Washington’s northern tier. His wife Michele is providing vehicle support and she submitted this post about Day Two.

east of cascadesWhat a wild and wonderful day on USBR 10.  We had a late start due to not one but two tire blowouts.  Then halfway through the day John decided to switch saddles, going back to his tried and true Brooks Saddle.

The uphill sections began with the narrow roadway through the Skagit River Gorge with activated tunnel beacons and a high bridge.  After Ross Dam you get a sense of uphill, but the real grind begins along Granite Creek where the road shoulder becomes rough and the fast cars feel the need to get going really, really fast.  The steep climb to Rainy Pass was helped by views of the high mountains, followed by a short downhill to Bridge Creek, then a final climb to Washington Pass and its views of Liberty Bell and spires of Early Winters.

The payback after all that climbing is a 40 mph downhill with sweeping curves from Washington Pass to Early Winters Campground, where we stayed for the night.   You really get the sense of fall in the air when traveling at such a speed.  Leaves are starting to turn.  There was a constant cascade of falling leaves along with the coolness that air takes on with the changing season.

Wendy-Preston-JohnWe met some fellow travelers on our journey today.  Some were eager to chat while others saw their destination on the other side of the pass and kept a steady pace.  One couple that stood out were Preston and Wendy from Bellingham.  They spotted John at the Diablo overlook and asked if he was the bicyclist that was biking the new USBR10!  They were very enthused and excited to have run into him after reading the article in the Bellingham Herald.

What occurred to me, as the sag wagon observer, is that you will be hard pressed to find more glorious views than the passes that we went over today.  It reminds me how lucky we are to live in this corner of the world.  It also reminded me that riding a bike on such a journey is a testament to dedication, tenacity and loving to truly experience life.

El SidYou may wonder about the “El Sid” t-shirt that John has been wearing.  Here is the back story.  John’s journey over the pass today was dedicated to our brother-in-law Sid McHarg, who was a lifelong bike commuter in Seattle until he was hit by a car while returning home from work. We are happy to say that he survived the collision but many broken bones later he is no longer able to ride his bike the way he had enjoyed.  A reminder to always be mindful of the humans sharing the road with us. Everyone is a story.

Day Two Stats: 57 miles ridden with nearly 5000′ of climbing.

early winters

John ends Day Two at Early Winters Campground near Mazama

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Posted in Adventure, Guest Blogger, Rides, Skagit County, Travel, USBRS | Tagged , | 1 Comment