We decided to go on a weekend bike tour for the last weekend in June. Ideally we wanted to do something local, like the San Juan Islands. However the weather wasn't looking promising so we opted to go east.
Last year we had gone on a bike tour with friends and part of that tour was down Banks Lake, which begins near the town of Grand Coulee. We quickly sketched out a route that began in Grand Coulee, repeated the stretch down beautiful Banks Lake then went east on Hwy 2 to Wilbur and finally north on Hwy 21 to a place called Keller Ferry. The ferry is free and shuttles vehicles and passengers across the Columbia River daily from about 6:30 a.m. until almost midnight. It's actually a Washington State ferry. We became more intrigued by this ferry and were practically centering this ride around the ferry. The route continues north for about 5 miles then due to time constraints goes back west across the Colville Reservation.
Route plan in hand, we quickly got ready — bikes, panniers, tents, then logistics. We found a motel in Grand Coulee (Trail West) that would allow us to leave our car until Sunday after we checked out Saturday morning.
On Friday before we left we slightly panicked about the distance the first day of our ride. Our first day would cover nearly 70 miles. I'd been riding anywhere from 15 to 25 miles at a time on my bike commute two to three times weekly for maybe a month. Randy's training consisted of occational jogs, one bike commute home and a couple mountain bike rides. Now, riding a road bike isn't terribly strenuous in itself if you're used to biking semi-regularly. However, the backside usually is the first to suffer if you're not used to it, followed by the neck, shoulders, and arms. Still we had all day to ride the distance so we only fretted a little.
We arrived in Grand Coulee Friday night around 9:30 p.m. Just long enough to settle into sleep. Surprisingly we slept well and got up early without prompting by a pesky alarm. The sun was bright but the temperature still cool so the first part of the downhill to Safeway was brisk. We provisioned at Safeway because provisional stops along this route would be rare. We bought full sized sandwiches (mistake) each, a muffin, coffee, and an orange for breakfast.
Our first stop wasn't very far away but it is mandatory to stop at the windmill sculpture garden on the south side of town. It's a cool place. You'll see in the pictures.
Then we rode down Banks Lake, which is lovely. However, there are cracks in the pavement about every second or third pedal stroke that we had forgotten about the previous year. They are annoying but not enough to never ride it again. Banks Lake is a beautiful ride. It was my favorite part from last year's tour.
It only took a couple hours to get to the end of Banks Lake, which was surprising since we were both loaded with panniers. We stopped at the crossroads of Hwy 155 and Hwy 2 to eat a quarter of the sandwiches we had bought. There's a broken down old cafe and gas station that is picturesque in an eerie way. You'll see in the pictures.
The next leg of the route heads west through the rolling wheat fields, which are incredibly green this time of year, on Hwy 2. Traffic was light, the shoulder was good enough. The route was continually uphill on a slight grade but we had a bit of a tail wind so even that part when more quickly than we thought it would. Still, by the time we got to Wilbur, our next provisional stop, our bodies were feeling the effects of bicycling. We had traveled 55 miles already and it was only 1:00 p.m. After the mandatory grocery store stop we ate another quarter sandwich.
The clouds were rolling in so we briefly debated staying in Wilbur but instead we put on jackets and opted to continue the final 14 miles to Keller Ferry where we would camp in a National Park Service campground for the night. The route up Hwy 21 to Keller Ferry is more uphill with climb that appears daunting at about mile 65. There isn't much of a shoulder but n much traffic either.
At the top of the hill, the view opens up to the Columbia River basin. And there's a sign that warns motorists to travel at only 15 mph. If there had been traffic we'd pass it. The down hill was 4 miles of curves that did require some braking to make the turns. It was fun and well worth the long uphill ride to get to the top.
To our surprise it was only 3:00 p.m when we arrived in camp. The campground host was very friendly and helped us find a spot that was quiet, grassy, scenic, and away from hordes of children. The screams of delight are fine from a distance. We went to the marina store to buy coffee that we had forgotten at the grocery store in Wilbur and a bag of potato chips, which is essential after a 72-mile ride.
We enjoyed a can of Guinness and potato chips at our picnic table while we took in the sit around us. We walked to the ferry, rested on the grass, puttered with our stuff, watched all the people, boats, fisherman cleaning their catch. Better than tv!
Dinner was some vac-packed pulled pork from the Wilbur grocery store, reheated on a tiny alcohol stove, baker buns, sliced cucumber, and a second Guinness. After dinner we wandered back to the ferry, puttered a little more before we decided it was late enough to turn in. There was still plenty of campground noise but we fell asleep in the midst of it all. My bladder woke me up at around midnight. Camp was quiet and the stars were bright and shiny. The next thing I remember is daylight.
We were up early, breakfasted on oatmea, turkey jerky and coffee. Even though the route for the day was only 32 miles, we packed a lot of water because there were no provisional stops for about the first 30 miles and it was warmer and hillier today.
The ferry ride across was quiet and pretty. The river was dead calm since there was no wind and no boats out yet. Across the river our ride took us along the Columbia onto the Colville Reservation. Hwy 21 doesn't have much of a shoulder but there's no traffic either. The route is rolling until we had to turn west on Manilla Creek Road.
Manilla Creek Road is about 14 miles long. The first eight miles are a long slow climb for an elevation gain of about 2500'. My knee was a little sore so I couldn't really stand on the pedals. Plus that's difficult to do with panniers because it makes the front really unstable. It's possible; it just doesn't feel secure. I spun away up the hill and Randy waited for me here and there. It took about 2 hours to climb the hill but we were glad we had plenty of water.
The rest of the road is a fun dowhill all the way to Hwy 155, which goes back to Grand Coulee. We spotted a packed gravel path that paralleled Hwy 155 along the Columbia River so we took that. Riding the path was peaceful and scenic. The path eventually ended in front of Grand Coulee Dam, which is very cool.
But then we had to figure out how to get back to the highway and back to Grand Coulee. We got lost briefly but I asked for directions in a grocery store and found out that we had to cross the bridge we had ridden under then climb up and over the dam to get to Grand Coulee. By then it felt hot but a little rest in the shade and we were ready to finish the ride. We knew we were within a few miles of the end.
Turns out you're supposed to walk your bikes across the bridge but I didn't see the sign until I had zoomed past it. Oh well. We rode down a shady street for a short distance then started the climb in the blazing sun. The climb was short compared to the one on Manilla Creek Road. Still we were glad to be at the top and coasting down toward Grand Coulee. And then a short final climb back up to the motel and our tour was over for a total of 104 miles.
We stopped at Safeway for Vitamin Water, potato chips, and quarters for a shower down the road. The previous day when we had stopped at a rest area to use the bathroom we noticed showers for a few quarters. It was perfect. We showered and had a snack before continuing the journey home. Here are the pictures.
You always amaze me with your vigor, Corinna. I look forward to seeing the photos.