Niehart
Pie Smuggler
This did not happen because there are no pictures. If it had happened this is how it would have gone.
I woke up to nice crisp [42 degrees] but foggy fall morning. Looks like Mr. Sun is going to burn that damn fog off, so it’s time to get on the bike and go somewhere.
Let’s see, Stevens Pass is the closest. That will work, all right then, time to get this show on the road.
Ran all of the back roads [some fun ones like Ben Howard Road] from Woodinville to Sultan and Highway 2. Yahoo, I have sunshine and no traffic heading east on Highway 2. Hey there is the sign for Index, think I’ll turn off on the Index-Galena Road and wander up to Index. Stopped at the Index General Store for a cup of joe [42 and sunny]. Me and the cup of joe walked out onto the bridge over the Skyhomish River. In the summer this river would have been full of whitewater rafters but now it was just fast, clear, clean and quite beautiful. I noticed a couple of young men looking at my bike so I walk over a talked with them. They were on their way to climb a 500 foot granite cliff known as the Index Town Wall. The wall has some of the most technical climbing in the state.
It is just amazing how many interesting people you meet just because of the bike.
Ok, time to get back on the road and back to Highway 2 east. But wait, this sounds like a commercial, I think I’ll drive the Old Cascade Highway that starts a little bit before the pass and runs about 13 miles long. It’s like driving in a tree tunnel because of the overhang of trees from both sides of the road. It was a little frosty because the sun [37 degrees] could not get to it but no ice. Tasty little stretch of road and did I mention, no traffic?
Ok, back on Highway 2 East to Stevens Pass. The colors were awesome, funny how two days can make a big difference in the colors. Then I rode down the east side of the Cascades to Coles Corner. At Coles, I headed north again on Highways 207 and 62 to Alder Creek Horse Camp and then south on Chiwaswa River Road and Chumstick Highway to Leavenworth. Fontanaman has great report and pictures of this area.
https://www.fjrforum.com/forum//index.php?showtopic=141530
I stopped in Leavenworth [11:20 and 50 degrees and sunny] and ate a late nondescript breakfast. After breakfast, I headed south on Highway 97 towards Blewett Pass. But, as always, I got side tracked and took Old Blewett Pass Road [NF7320]. Have you noticed that if they have Old in their name they are always interesting? This is not a fast road, in fact it rough with rocks, trees and slide on it but the views are great and there is no traffic. I reach the top of the pass at about 12:30. The temp was 49 degrees and the views were forever. Don’t you just love a road where you see something you want to look at, stop in the middle of the road, leave your bike and walk over and take in the view?
After Old Blewett, I was back on Highways 97 and 970 south [with some back road of course –Red Bridge Road] to Cle Elum and I90 West. I90 West has lots of construction going on which gave me a good excuse to take the back roads to Easton [Mohar Road – Westside Road – West Nelson Siding Road] and I90 again.
The Snoqualmie Pass is a four lane freeway pass. But, here comes another one of those butts, if you get off at the pass and take Alpental Road and NF58 there is a great little road [Denny Creek Road] that has great views, switch backs and, you know what I’m going to say here, no traffic. This road comes back to I90 at Exit 47.
But being the fartsmeller that I’m, I went right across I90 to Tinkham Road and headed west. I thought it was a paved road, not! For some reason this gravel road reminded me of my friends Haulin Ashe and Panman, I don’t know Fred W but his name also flashed before my eyes. Let’s just say while I was standing on my pegs driving through the gravel and mud, I had lots of time to reflect. Tinkham Road enters back onto I90at exit 42.
I made it all the way to exit 38 before I turned back off and rode that awesome road up to the State Fire Training Academy and then back down to I90, under I90 and west on SE Homestead Valley Road past Olallie State Park. Are you starting to notice that most everything here has Indian names?
Then it was back on I90 at exit 36 and back off at exit 34. There is a great little loop out of North Bend [428th Ave SE] passed Mount Si and west again on SE Reining Road. If you do that road correctly, you end up a Snoqualmie Falls which I did. I stopped, had a cup of joe and walked up to the falls viewing point. That’s always a good stop, falls and the tourists are both worth looking at.
Then it was more back roads home to Woodinville. Not very many miles but what a great day.
Thanks for taking the time to read my long winded ride report. Oh and no pictures so it did not happen.
I woke up to nice crisp [42 degrees] but foggy fall morning. Looks like Mr. Sun is going to burn that damn fog off, so it’s time to get on the bike and go somewhere.
Let’s see, Stevens Pass is the closest. That will work, all right then, time to get this show on the road.
Ran all of the back roads [some fun ones like Ben Howard Road] from Woodinville to Sultan and Highway 2. Yahoo, I have sunshine and no traffic heading east on Highway 2. Hey there is the sign for Index, think I’ll turn off on the Index-Galena Road and wander up to Index. Stopped at the Index General Store for a cup of joe [42 and sunny]. Me and the cup of joe walked out onto the bridge over the Skyhomish River. In the summer this river would have been full of whitewater rafters but now it was just fast, clear, clean and quite beautiful. I noticed a couple of young men looking at my bike so I walk over a talked with them. They were on their way to climb a 500 foot granite cliff known as the Index Town Wall. The wall has some of the most technical climbing in the state.
It is just amazing how many interesting people you meet just because of the bike.
Ok, time to get back on the road and back to Highway 2 east. But wait, this sounds like a commercial, I think I’ll drive the Old Cascade Highway that starts a little bit before the pass and runs about 13 miles long. It’s like driving in a tree tunnel because of the overhang of trees from both sides of the road. It was a little frosty because the sun [37 degrees] could not get to it but no ice. Tasty little stretch of road and did I mention, no traffic?
Ok, back on Highway 2 East to Stevens Pass. The colors were awesome, funny how two days can make a big difference in the colors. Then I rode down the east side of the Cascades to Coles Corner. At Coles, I headed north again on Highways 207 and 62 to Alder Creek Horse Camp and then south on Chiwaswa River Road and Chumstick Highway to Leavenworth. Fontanaman has great report and pictures of this area.
https://www.fjrforum.com/forum//index.php?showtopic=141530
I stopped in Leavenworth [11:20 and 50 degrees and sunny] and ate a late nondescript breakfast. After breakfast, I headed south on Highway 97 towards Blewett Pass. But, as always, I got side tracked and took Old Blewett Pass Road [NF7320]. Have you noticed that if they have Old in their name they are always interesting? This is not a fast road, in fact it rough with rocks, trees and slide on it but the views are great and there is no traffic. I reach the top of the pass at about 12:30. The temp was 49 degrees and the views were forever. Don’t you just love a road where you see something you want to look at, stop in the middle of the road, leave your bike and walk over and take in the view?
After Old Blewett, I was back on Highways 97 and 970 south [with some back road of course –Red Bridge Road] to Cle Elum and I90 West. I90 West has lots of construction going on which gave me a good excuse to take the back roads to Easton [Mohar Road – Westside Road – West Nelson Siding Road] and I90 again.
The Snoqualmie Pass is a four lane freeway pass. But, here comes another one of those butts, if you get off at the pass and take Alpental Road and NF58 there is a great little road [Denny Creek Road] that has great views, switch backs and, you know what I’m going to say here, no traffic. This road comes back to I90 at Exit 47.
But being the fartsmeller
that I’m, I went right across I90 to Tinkham Road and headed west. I thought it was a paved road, not! For some reason this gravel road reminded me of my friends Haulin Ashe and Panman, I don’t know Fred W but his name also flashed before my eyes. Let’s just say while I was standing on my pegs driving through the gravel and mud, I had lots of time to reflect. Tinkham Road enters back onto I90at exit 42.I made it all the way to exit 38 before I turned back off and rode that awesome road up to the State Fire Training Academy and then back down to I90, under I90 and west on SE Homestead Valley Road past Olallie State Park. Are you starting to notice that most everything here has Indian names?
Then it was back on I90 at exit 36 and back off at exit 34. There is a great little loop out of North Bend [428th Ave SE] passed Mount Si and west again on SE Reining Road. If you do that road correctly, you end up a Snoqualmie Falls which I did. I stopped, had a cup of joe and walked up to the falls viewing point. That’s always a good stop, falls and the tourists are both worth looking at.
Then it was more back roads home to Woodinville. Not very many miles but what a great day.
Thanks for taking the time to read my long winded ride report. Oh and no pictures so it did not happen.
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