Leavenworth Loop 2016 (pics)
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Leavenworth Loop 2016 (pics)
This is one of my personal spring classics. First time I've done it on anything other than my trusty Cervelo. Almost crashed playing around off road in the ponderosa, got a bit of a sunburn (it rained every day for 3 months), and spent some time in one of my favorite places. I didn't see another cyclist and apart from when I was on Route 2 or near town, I barely saw anyone. Saw lots of balsam root, a few glacier lilies, and the snow is melting quickly.
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I go hang out near Plain over the 4th of July, and that area is a joy to ride.
Nice pics!
Nice pics!
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beautiful!
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What are hills like in that area, I have been there, but only passing through never to ride. It is beautiful there.
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My area faves:
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/7515850
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/4512949
We'll do these again with a group on April 26 & 27.
Cle Elum to Leavenworth and back via Old Blewett Pass is another favorite century.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/7515850
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/4512949
We'll do these again with a group on April 26 & 27.
Cle Elum to Leavenworth and back via Old Blewett Pass is another favorite century.
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Do you really ride right by Lake Wenatchee without going in to check out the view??
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Reading this thread reminds me that I have a friend who moved up to Stehekin a few years ago; told me about what an impossible, little place it is. I'd like to visit.
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I've been to Stehekin a few times, didn't think anyone outside the state had heard of it. The fastest I ever got there was a two day hike on the Chelan Lakeshore trail. You should definitely go visit.
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Nice ride, nice pics; thanks for sharing...
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Usually. I know what it looks like. I suppose when one hikes and rides in the PNW long enough, one might become a little blasé about some things. I'm just riding my bike. Old Blewett is always magical though.
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Did you happen to meet a fellow named Marc Coggan? It's a super-tiny place, right, so I imagine the odds are pretty fair you may have! He moved up there to join an old squeeze, perhaps back around '06 or '07, upon retiring from a local university here.
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The name isn't familiar (I'm bad at remembering names), but that doesn't mean I didn't meet him.
"Downtown" Stehekin has one road, with a store, a post office, a hotel, a camp, and a NPS building. There are bike and kayak rentals along the lake. There's a building with public laundry and showers (Stehekin is just off the Pacific Crest Trail so thru-hikers bound for Canada stop there). Everything in the span of about two city blocks. There's an organic garden toward the end, and a bakery; we'd walk down, get lunch, walk back and eat it along the lake, and talk to people. The locals (there are maybe 50 residents, and 2 or 3 phones) always seem interested in the visitors, I think when you live in that kind of isolation you like hearing about the outside world. But I'm really bad at remembering names. If he's even a little bit talkative and has been down by the main part of town in the past few summers, I've probably chatted him up.
You've seen pics of the town, right?
"Downtown" Stehekin has one road, with a store, a post office, a hotel, a camp, and a NPS building. There are bike and kayak rentals along the lake. There's a building with public laundry and showers (Stehekin is just off the Pacific Crest Trail so thru-hikers bound for Canada stop there). Everything in the span of about two city blocks. There's an organic garden toward the end, and a bakery; we'd walk down, get lunch, walk back and eat it along the lake, and talk to people. The locals (there are maybe 50 residents, and 2 or 3 phones) always seem interested in the visitors, I think when you live in that kind of isolation you like hearing about the outside world. But I'm really bad at remembering names. If he's even a little bit talkative and has been down by the main part of town in the past few summers, I've probably chatted him up.
You've seen pics of the town, right?
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The Blewett loop is great for the low traffic, the ponderosa forest, and (if you go counter-clockwise) the fast switchbacks at the bottom.
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That looks like a great loop. I love the riverside photos.
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Guess I'm about to hijack my own thread.
The first time I wound up in Stehekin I hiked in from the Cascade Pass trailhead. It took three days, the trail starts off going up steep switchbacks until it comes out above the tree line in these lovely glaciated meadows. I'd day hiked up there plenty of times and kind of assumed that's what the whole trail would be like. Actually it goes over a pass and descends into a wooded river valley, bummer.
So after three days of hiking with a heavy pack, I get to Stehekin, and somebody just cancelled at the hotel so I get a soft bed and a shower. And a fantastic sunset.
There are no phones or TVs in the hotel, but they have a common room with windows and board games.
Night shot.
After the hike I had a few days, so I rented a bike. Wouldn't do well in the hot or not gravel thread, but it was a good time.
If you ever get the chance to visit, you should. You don't even have to hike in, there's a ferry and a float plane service.
The first time I wound up in Stehekin I hiked in from the Cascade Pass trailhead. It took three days, the trail starts off going up steep switchbacks until it comes out above the tree line in these lovely glaciated meadows. I'd day hiked up there plenty of times and kind of assumed that's what the whole trail would be like. Actually it goes over a pass and descends into a wooded river valley, bummer.
So after three days of hiking with a heavy pack, I get to Stehekin, and somebody just cancelled at the hotel so I get a soft bed and a shower. And a fantastic sunset.
There are no phones or TVs in the hotel, but they have a common room with windows and board games.
Night shot.
After the hike I had a few days, so I rented a bike. Wouldn't do well in the hot or not gravel thread, but it was a good time.
If you ever get the chance to visit, you should. You don't even have to hike in, there's a ferry and a float plane service.
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To each their own, but I don't understand this. I have to drive 260 miles round trip to do this loop. You're closer to route 2 so you might have a 200 mile drive. Either of us could go out and ride 50 miles from our front door. The reason I do it is because the scenery is fantastic, it's a better place to ride. If I was blase about it, I'd stay home and ride around town.
The Blewett loop is great for the low traffic, the ponderosa forest, and (if you go counter-clockwise) the fast switchbacks at the bottom.
The Blewett loop is great for the low traffic, the ponderosa forest, and (if you go counter-clockwise) the fast switchbacks at the bottom.
Except for the return along Hwy 2 on the Chumstick route, the east side is frequently better riding and usually much drier. I spend the night and do a couple rides when I go over there. Looking forward to checking out the new big burns near Chelan this year.
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I've spent lots of time on the PCT.
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