One day only...

There are times when you just want to get out of town for the day. So I took the super-sized version of my bicycle out to seek new sights. After a nice brunch with the Otter, I went east to find my fortune. I had taken Canyon Road between Ellensburg and Yakima many times, and have often wondered just what was going on above those tall bluffs you see from the river. Ergo, a mission...

Turns out you can connect the towns via a different route besides the canyon route or the interstate. It also turns out that a fair portion of is not paved. Not a big deal to a guy with a dirt bike, I'd guess. Bigger deal to a street guy riding a tall, loaded 500lb bike with knobless tires. With serious crosswinds and nowhere to hide. I was more Ewan and less Charley, but got through dirt, rocks and gravel okay. Mostly because I had no choice. Beautiful country up there; a lovely meeting of sage and pine. In abundance: wildflowers and quail. Its a fabulous place to explore, and looking at the maps post-ride, I see that I didn't even scratch the surface.

Return was via the canyon, then to the old Thorp highway. 296 miles. Temps in the 80's. A great day; this one felt like an adventure.


PS - Is knobless a word?