The Palouse to Cascades Trail: Rock Lake to the Idaho Border

The rolling hills of the palouse region await you on the Palouse to Cascades Trail.

The Palouse to Cascades Trail: a guide to crossing Washington by bike

A guide to crossing Washington on The Palouse To Cascades Trail.

Palouse To Cascades Trail. Day 1. Cedar Falls (*Technically Easton) to Ellensburg

It’s amazing how much the reality of an experience differs from the expectation, especially when you’ve been planning something for a decade.

A decade? Yes. That’s how long I’ve been planning this ride. That seems ridiculous now that I’ve typed it out, because while it sounds impossibly long, it doesn’t feel like it now that it’s finally done.

Palouse To Cascades Trail. Day 2. Ellensburg to Othello

From Ellensburg, over the Columbia, to Othello.

Intro to Capitol Forest

Capitol State Forest is an absolute wonderland of gravel. The nearly one hundred thousand acres of land is managed by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, and contains almost six hundred miles of gravel roads. It is a destination for hikers, horseback riders, campers, and dirt bike enthusiasts. It is also home to some amazing single track for mountain bikers.

The Elbe Multi Strada

Back in May of 2015, a friend invited me to a self-supported gravel ride in the hills around Elbe and Eatonville put on by a local frame builder. The ride was in its second year, and looked like it would be a fun chance to explore some places that I had never been on a bike. I figured that forty-ish miles with 4k of vertical would be hard, but well within my limits.
I was wrong of course..