Empty road ahead photos
01-27-17, 10:40 AM
#1676
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Ha ha. This is the John Wayne Pioneer / Iron Horse Trail. It goes from North Bend to Idaho. In the winter, they groom the section from Crystal Springs to Hyak for Nordic skiing. This is from a 17 mile ski tour. Flat as a pancake, which turns out to be a lot harder than hilly terrain.
Do they rent skis?
01-27-17, 11:07 AM
#1677
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Beginning of Pipestone Pass (State Highway 2) heading west toward Butte, MT. I had stopped by the side of the road for a snack and to put on sunscreen. Nice little climb:
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/18716211
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/18716211
I haven't been to Montana in a very long time. It was stunningly beautiful when I was there and I've been meaning to go back for years. I've been toying with the thought of a bike vacation.
01-27-17, 11:08 AM
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The rest of the trail isn't groomed for skiing. There are about 8.5 miles of it that are groomed from November to the end of March. Typically from Wednesdays through Sundays. There's a grooming report you can check in the morning before you leave.
Crystal Springs and Hyak are sno parks, they're areas in state parks that get plowed parking. We buy an annual pass to use them. There are no services at the parks other than a portapotty at the trailhead.
But the Snoqualmie Nordic Center is walking distance to the Hyak trailhead. They rent skis. I don't know if you have to use them on their property or not. REI in Seattle also rents skis (classic and skate).
A mile up the road is Cabin Creek, which is less scenic, but has a bunch of twisty, hilly loops.
That said, if you wanted to come out here to ski, for more than a day or two, the Methow Valley would be a much better destination. There's something like 150 miles of groomed trail. Lots of great lodging, some good restaurants, plenty of places to rent skis. You can ski one way from Winthrop to Mazama on flat ground and get a free shuttle back to your car. Or, you can spend a week skiing hut to hut over Rendezvous Mountain, all on immaculately groomed trails.
Here's some Methow Valley skiing, this is in Rendezvous Basin and Gunn Ranch Road.
This is the Methow Community Trail.
01-27-17, 11:56 AM
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Not from that one segment. They are from my 11-day tour there last June.
This was the full route minus the final few miles from Adventure Cycling's headquarters back to the campground I started from:
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/14890942
Made a little album:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/105349...57667672266654
The photos are not as good as the ones from by 2014 tour there, during which I did a shorter version of the above route, but I don't have access to that album right now. I have actually toured in the state four times since 2009. Some really beautiful country and lots of places to camp. Have this on tap for this June:
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/18316675
I may have to cut out the leg to Glacier N.P. and back if it doesn't appear that the west side of Going to the Sun is going to be fully open by my planned arrival. (Heavy snow pack so far this winter.) If I do have to skip it, I will substitute a loop through Kootenai National Forest earlier in the trip that will take me to Libby. I won't mind terribly as I have ridden up to Logan pass three times before.
01-28-17, 08:12 AM
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Another one from Montana during a 2011 tour there:
01-28-17, 10:50 AM
#1681
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Not while I was cycling, but..... 
02-23-17, 03:10 AM
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02-28-17, 06:34 PM
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well hello there
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__________________
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Two wheels good. Four wheels bad.
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Two wheels good. Four wheels bad.
03-10-17, 12:30 PM
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Local riding roads, and one at night. Talk about a road to nowhere, try riding up a lonely mountain road at night. The only place the road goes is into the darkness.
03-10-17, 01:52 PM
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03-10-17, 02:43 PM
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03-10-17, 02:44 PM
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03-10-17, 05:13 PM
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GMR is part of the Tour de California.
I did a ride beyond Crystal Lake with a but to a place called Dawson Saddle. IIRC, it was about 8000+ feet of climbing.
GRM, the basic out and back is 40 miles with nearly 5,000 ft, almost all on the out section.
03-29-17, 09:48 AM
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04-16-17, 10:13 PM
#1695
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This is a pointless 20-second video of an open road (and my cockpit) that only a dyed-in-the-wool roadie could possibly waste 20 seconds on.
Warning: you don't get 20 seconds of your life back if you watch this.
Warning: you don't get 20 seconds of your life back if you watch this.
Last edited by rousseau; 04-16-17 at 11:19 PM. Reason: Grammar
04-17-17, 07:12 AM
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04-20-17, 08:48 AM
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Dry Coulee Road, near Ephrata WA.
