First off, lets be clear about something: I have zero bike touring experience. Before I started this trip the last time I had been on a bicycle was at least 10 years ago when I was in high school (excluding playing around with kids in Iraq). I only had vague memories of how to change a bicycle inner-tube. That is the level of experience I entered into this with. But, I believe adaptability is more a more valuable skill than planning or any possessing any level experience, so I was still eager to jump into this adventure. Anyways, on to Day 1.
(Disclaimer: I knew this was going to be a long story, that's why I didn't write it from my phone and promised to write it on my break day. 7 pages of writing later and I am surprised by how long it turned out. I am not going to take the time to edit it, I got better things to do, hopefully the writing isn't too rough. Sorry, if it is.)
Day 1: The Cedar River Watershed and Fear
In thinking about day 1, I saw two critical points:
1) Finding my way out of Seattle to the trail head.
2) Making the climb over Snoqualmie pass. For Washingtonian's it is considered a substantial mountain pass, and one of the routes crossing the Cascade Mountains---dividing Western and Eastern Washington.
I planned my route using Google Map's bike route and then confirmed it with a King county bike trail map. The route was straight forward enough: I would make my way South around Lake Washington and go into Renton where I would get on the Cedar River Trail which would take me out of town, and continue following the Cedar River up to Iron Horse National Park where I would get on that trail (an old rail line that has been converted) which would take me up over Snoqualmie Pass and into Cle Elum. I could then follow this trail out into Eastern Washington to where I would cross the Columbia River on Day 2. Seems pretty straight forward: follow a River to Iron Horse Trail and follow it.
One of the key items in my trip planning was my smart phone, both as a communications device (enabling this blog), but also to navigate major urban area. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to pick this up when I first arrived in the States and Verizon was mailing it to me, so I would be without this key piece of equipment in Richland at the end of Day 2. But, I lived in Seattle for a while, and I studied the route so I figured I could make it out Seattle.
Sure enough, after only a few wrong turns, I successfully navigated my way out of Seattle; found the Cedar River by the Renton Airport (more of a creek...especially for someone that grew up next to the Columbia) and got on the trail. Navigation challenge over. Now I just ride my bike over the mountains.
And then I met the Cedar River Watershed. Please, take a second to find this place on a map--and let me know if you do! I have yet to see any map marking the territory of this 90,638 acre (over 140 sq miles!) organization vigilantly protecting the water supply of Seattle. And, I do mean vigilantly.
Their access control points are equipped with motion sensor equipped cameras, an intercom system, electronic gates with key card access, they have numerous roaming patrols protecting their land, and the entire complex is surrounded by a 3 foot high triple strange barbwire fence--that's well over 100 miles of barb wire by my estimation! I encountered the first of their gates when the Cedar River crossed over Landsburg rd. I went up and down the road for a bit looking for where the trail continued, but eventually gave up and hit the call button on the intercom system.
The lady on the other end was nice enough to confirm that their road followed the Cedar River all the way to the start of the Iron Horse Trail, but their land was closed to the public. I tried to reason with her and explain what I was doing and convince her I was not going to damage Seattle's drinking water by riding my bike on their road. But, she was having none of it. She was nice enough to recommend a detour: All I had to do was take Landsburg road North to highway 18 take that up over Tiger mountain and then climb up to I-90 and take I-90 to North Bend where I could head south and get on Cedar Falls road--a 22 mile detour with 2 substantial climbs. Didn't sound too appealing to me.
So, I went to the other side of the creek/river to see about following their road on that side. Where I was promptly stopped by one of their security patrols. I tried to reason with him that riding my bicycle was not damaging to their water supply.....certainly less so then his pick-up truck going on their road. No luck,
So I continued North on Landsburg, towards highway 18, hoping to find something else. I eventually came to Taylor Mountain State Park, outside Hobart, where I ran into the King County Sheriff. I explained to him the situation and where I was trying to go and asked if he knew a better way. He also complained about how ridiculously territorial the Watershed people are and how even the Sheriff's department has problems with them and their paranoia about people entering their land---their first response on hearing a car has crashed on the road boarding their land is to worry about the police being on the watershed land. He didn't have any better route for me than the watershed folks. I also asked a few other motorists, all with the same result.
I then realized my mistake: These people drive cars everywhere. All the routes they know are car-routes. But, their were some people horse-back riding in on the rough mountain trails in the park, so I started asking them. They said the trails through the park eventually linked up with a small road that runs through the watershed land heading East, and it might go all the way to Cedar Falls Road.
Decision time: Take the long detour or make my way cross country. Well, I got a compass, and I am going East until I hit a River/Mountains....simple enough. Cross-country it is.
So, I hop on my nice new road bike and start up these rough mountain trails and make my way through the woods to the small road and start heading East on it.
So far so good. Small road gets smaller, small road turns to gravel, and get smaller. Literally, every tree on both sides of the road is marked with the Cedar River Watershed's no trespassing signs behind their barb wire fence. Finally I come to the small rural community, where each piece of property is marked by several no trespassing signs usually a "Beware of Dog," and a few with vague threats that the owner has a shotgun. After a few miles of this the road ends. Now we got a situation: I am several hours out from the main road in the middle of the forest surrounded by no trespassing signs. I decide to brave one set of private property signs and go up and ask the folks there how to get where I am going.
Like most country folks, they are very friendly and helpful--despite what all the No Trespassing warnings. They confirm that Cedar Falls road is indeed just a few miles East.....straight through the forest :(. I talk to them for a bit to try and sniff out if their are any trails or how I could get their on my bike. The wife says the only way is to take the road all the way back out to Landsburg Road, follow that North to Highway 18, and take I-90 over to North Bend where I can get on Cedar Falls rd...not this again! I prod some more and than man concedes that the Cedar River Watershed has a really extensive road network that defiantly would take me over there. Well, I am not about to back track!
I thank them for their help, head down the road a little ways toss my bike over the Cedar River Watershed's fence and start navigating their trails. After, some more thrilling rides on rough Mountain trails I come to a nice paved road that is headed East....but it slowly turns South and keeps going South, but their aren't any good turn-offs heading East. After a few hours, I come to a rough Mountain trail that will take me East. I follow that to the edge of the Watershed land up against some private property. So, I toss my bike over the watershed fence, and over the private fence and set off again. Find some locals and ask them for directions to Iron Horse State Park or Cedar Falls Road....they haven't heard of either! I ask, "How about I-90?" "O' to get their head South and then West to Landsburg rd, take that to Highway 18..." Not again!
Not yet deterred, I start riding North and come to another one of the Cedar River Watershed's gates where a member of the Watershed Security Patrol is calibrating the motion sensor. I ask him for directions and where I am at, he pulls up a map in his patrol card and I see I am in Selleck, WA and just 1 mile south of Cedar River! He confirms this, but the Watershed land follows either side of the River all the way up into the mountains, I can't cross the river unless I go back to Landsburg road. I try to talk him into letting me cross, but he is a loyal member of the Watershed Security Patrol dedicated to protecting Seattle's water supply and having none of it. I thank him for his help and continue down the road...
And hide in the bushes and wait for him to leave. As soon as he does, I toss my bike over the fence and take off through their land. I find the river and get on the road paralleling it. I follow this all they up towards Iron Horse State Park, after a few miles I see up ahead the gate that should lead me straight to Iron Horse State Park....with an employee coming in through it. He waves at me to stop, I wave back and pedal faster. He puts his car in reverse and backs up blocking me from going around the gate and rolls down his window. Before he can speak I say, "Nice day isn't it? Is this the right way to Iron Horse Trail?"
He replies, "Um, yes. But, this is watershed land, you can't be here. Where did you come from?"
Me: "O' really? I came from down South near Olympia. So, this gate takes me off Watershed land?"
Watershed man: "Yes, but..."
Me (interrupting), "Great, thanks! Bye!"
He then, shakes his head and drives off! Success! I have finally, at Iron Horse State Park having only jumped 3 fences and with some 20 miles of riding on rough mountain trails while trespassing! Navigation challenge over. Now I just ride my bike over the mountains. And, then I get on the trail.
"Trail Closed For Repairs", the sign on the first barrier reads. Whatever. Warning side on the side: "Snoqualmie tunnel closed" Their is probably a by-pass. "Trail Closed, Extreme Danger" on the second barrier. Extreme like the X-games? Get to a bridge and a third barrier, "Hazardous Conditions, bridge closed for repairs." Well I will just ride really fast then. Make it a cross the bridge: that wasn't so Hazardous.
35 miles of climbing later I up on the mountain a few hundred feet up above I-90 looking down a cliff at it. Its about 9pm and the Sun is setting, but I have finally come to Snoqualmie tunnel...and it is blocked by an 8 ft chain-link fence. One sign: "Extreme Danger" Other sign: "Tunnel Closed." No detour.
Hmmmm. What kind of danger are we talking about? Is it about to collapse? Bears living inside? The floor has collapsed and their are giant holes? I hear some water inside, is it flooded? Rapid bats? So what to do?
Throw my bike over and climb the fence, of course! I'm not crazy, and conduct a good risk assessment so instead of riding I decide to walk my bike through the Extremely-Dangerous-Hazardous Tunnel at night in pitch blackness with only a my cell phone for illumination. Two and a half miles later after close to an hour of walking I finally reach the fence on the other-side, toss my bike over, and climb that; Extremely-Dangerous-Hazardous-Pitch-Black Tunnel survived--I win!
It is night now, but it is a full moon and I am hoping to get a good meal in me before I go to bed to get all fueled up for the next day, so I decide to continue on. Besides, I am still about 30 miles short of my goal for the day. I see some buildings down by I-90 and head that way riding down a rough mountain trail. Unfortunately, it turns out to just be where they store the snow plows--no food. I continue on for about 5 miles paralleling I-90 doing some pretty white-knuckle riding that leaves my left hand numb from gripping the handle bars so hard that it pinches the nerves in that hand. I arrive at rest area and decide to call it a night there...its about 1100. Day 1 complete...25 miles short of the goal--Cle Elum. Five Fences jumped, four barriers bypassed.
One last thing: Thank you Cedar River Watershed for giving me an exciting day. Your vigilant paranoid protection of the Seattle Water Supply from that most pernicious hazard of bicyclists is truly noteworthy. Excellent work in keeping your extensive trail network in some beautiful wilderness use to insure the purity of the Seattle Water; well except for your numerous pick-ups patrolling the roads, and of course the fleet of vehicles needed to maintain the roads, the fences, and post the numerous signs. Cedar River Watershed, your fear is truly extraordinary and has demonstrated once again for me how toxic irrational fear is the enemy of Liberty. Having no fear is requisite to being truly free.
Day 2: Iron Horse Trail, My False Hope
Day 1, my hopes and dreams all rested on finding Iron Horse Trail--most of the day was spent in search of it. Day 2 I was planning on taking this trail most of the way to the Columbia River.
I woke up at 0630 and navigated my South back to Iron Horse Trail and continue on it. Iron Horse is a fairly nice gravel trail. I have a road bike, but it works well enough on a gravel trail (besides, it handled the rough mountain trails of Day 1 like a champ!) I just can't go as fast. But, there are also a bunch of dirt mountain roads that cross Iron Horse, each one, of course, having an iron gate to insure vehicles don't go on Iron Horse. There is about a 2 foot wide gap between the edge of the gate and the cliff...a little treacherous to go through clipped into a touring bike! After a few miles I come to another closed tunnel. Really? Another?
This one has a detour, so I follow that. It is a really rough trail with a super steep rocky incline, which despite all the rough mountain trails I went on the first day, is the first that forces me to dismount and walk my bike up. I follow the detour back around and rejoin Iron Horse. 5 miles later I come to another detour for a closed tunnel and this one has me go through a really nice park on a paved road, where I am making great time. When I come to the Detour sign pointing me back towards Iron Horse on another trail I decide screw Iron Horse--I have had enough of its trails, I am sticking to paved roads from now on.
I get into Cle Elum at 0930 after close to 3 hours of riding---probably about 30 miles with all the detours. I pick up a Washington State Road Map (that's right, I didn't have one before now) and stop at a diner to have a big breakfast while I plan out my new route. I decide to follow highway 30 to Ellensburg, and then take Vantage to the Columbia River, while I eat the biggest breakfast the waitress said is on the menu (a nice hearty skillet with scrabbled eggs on top). And, then I order a big Pecan Waffle to top it off.
I get back on the Road at about 1030 needing to do about 120 miles to make it to Richland. No World Cup Game for me :(.
It is funny how different a road you have driven many times feels different on a bike. I was expecting a nice easy drive, going downhill out of the mountains and then mostly flat with just a few hills. Little did I know that Wild Horse Ridge east of Ellensburg on Vantage is at 3,500 ft...higher than Snoqualmie pass. And, without a nice gradual climb over 35 miles! It was a brutal climb going up, but the decent was amazing, unlike on the mountain trails where I had to squeeze the breaks with a death grip, terrified out hitting a rock or a branch and crashing on the down hill. Going down the road I was able to let it go: I didn't, and couldn't, pedal for the next 5 miles, it was an amazing decent. And, it got me to a little diner where I-90 crosses the Columbia just in-time to catch the last 20 minutes of extra time in the Ghana-USA match while I enjoyed a shake!
The rest of the ride was mostly just grueling (and I am getting tired of writing...and I am sure you are tired of reading). Crossing the Columbia on I-90 was interesting (there is no shoulder on that bridge!!). And, battling the head win and the various climbs in the heat of the day was not enjoyable.
In summary: the first 2 days of the trip were rough. Massive trail problems day 1 and the morning of day 2 and a brutal, and then a lot of miles on Day 2 in pretty difficult conditions (crossing the blues (day 4) and day 1 were the only two days, so far, that challenge that day in terms of riding conditions). I don't plan on allowing any day of this trip being that rough.
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