Friend Steve from Sun Valley and I connected to guide him on a Spokane ride he will remember for a long time because of where and what we rode. I am the local. We met on lower south hill near Manitou park. Tuesday I thought the ride out while I lay in bed waiting for the sand fairy. I pulled it off navigation wise and performance. So did Steve. Ride not in MTBproject.
This is what we rode. We started riding treed residential streets in front of these incredible old large houses. We dropped in on N end of High Drive trails. We continued north getting closer and closer to I-90, railroad bridges, and Sunset highway. Found trail that dropped off the railroad grade which ended on pavement. We dodged a bit to pick up dirt again right under I90 and a “transient” camp. Side hill sandy trail dumped us into Peoples’ Park, turned left to ride a little pavement to a right turn back on the dirt. This trail dropped us along the shore of the Spokane river going downriver. Shortly the nasty hike a bike up a steep loose sandy trail that had kicksteps to use for us to drag our bikes up. Popped out on bench level w/ a cemetery. Rode on a perimeter road turning back onto dirt, again a narrow rider / hiker created bench cut trail in the river sand. Heads attention required to keep from lowsiding down into the river. We climbed away from the river to ride thru the Nunnery. We crossed under Wright bridge getting back on dirt in Riverside SP. A steep dirt climb connected to paved Centennial trail. We crossed highway then climbed up an abandoned broken up concrete pavement road. This joined a dirt road that we climbed a short distance to turn left and cross a locked cable. This put us right on the railroad right away. We road railroad ballast to you gotta know the trail is there descent off the grade. I knew there was a tread. Steve asked me if I really knew where I was going. I assured him I could still hear I90 traffic so I wasn’t lost. I hit the stub of a broken off branch that was hidden by remaining leaves. I hit on my right bicep. Jammed my shoulder. ( Feel no harm done). Out of the sketchy stuff to enter an archery range and rode thru w/o being a target. Crossed under the railroad entering Palisades Park. A steep climb over broken basalt topped out on Closed Rimrock road. We crossed Greenwood riding gravel to Indian Springs road. Dropped back onto horse hoof chewed up trail to cross Indian Springs creek. We recrossed Greenwood down lower riding on a wide sandy old right of way. Crossed the same railroad again then coasted down steep downhill entering another cemetery. I told Steve that we could either ride up the High Drive trails or ride city streets back to our vans. The pavement won. Steve got a taste of local stashes.
Steve and I parted at our vans, he heading on his road trip and me driving to friend Tom’s house where some of my stuff is stored in his basement. I was looking for my PCT journal and wool knickers. I found the journal but gave up going thru all my boxes looking for the knickers. I did retrieve a pair of sallopetts(?).
Tom and I joined Les at Manitou Tap house for beers and dinner. Tom is now charging me 2 beers a year for storage. Les and Tom are Boeing engineers that work at for Boeing Spokane plant where I worked for so many years. My friends at work were the engineers as we shared some of the same recreation. We have known each other for 25 years.
I followed Les out to his house near Mica to spend the night. He has an outside electrical box that I plugged into this AM while I defrosted my freezer. Propane energy source lacks umph to lower fridge temp but electric does. There was a sizable chunk of ice on the freezer wall. I heated a small pan of water to 160 degrees then put in the freezer compartment and waited for the ice to release from the wall. Short time later the ice was in the grass outside. I switched on electric and the temp dropped. I stowed gear for running and drove away.
Today was a rest day. Forecast called for showers. As I was doing bfast sprinkles fell that I hoped would turn to real rain. Just a tease.
I drove thru Spokane to north end to the laundromat I have used in the past where the attendants are helpful and cheery. back in ’13 with my arm in a sling they folded my shirts for me. I needed no help today.
I received an email from the DOL notifying me that my tabs are up for renewal and that the van needs to pass an emissions test. I drove back south into town to the emission testing site. No waiting line. Van passed. Next step was to drive to a licensing agency to buy the tabs. Back north again. I paid for the renewal tabs. I am now legal ahead of time and won’t have to wrestle w/ mailing the tabs to me somewhere on the road.
I goggled for a dispensary and found one on the north side. I bought an eighth of Blackberry for $40 which is street price.
I am now sitting in a parking lot at the Mead airport.
Last night I read some of my PCT journal. I remembered much of it but there were things I wrote about that I forgot about doing.
Tomorrow is to be sunny for another ride.
I will head back to Bend on Sat.
I definitely wondered if you knew where you were going a couple of times especially when you took off thru the weeds from the railroad track. It was a great experience doing some urban single track. Much different than the BC riding I’m doing now in Rossland although many of these trails are rideable from town. See you next time Craig.
Nice job of navigating, Craig. I went back a few years ago to try to recreate this route from the college to Palisades and gave up. Thought it was permanently closed off. Have a good trip back to Bend. Thought you were staying another night at the house so didn’t bother saying Gbye. You’re welcome to park at the Gemar RV site anytime.