Day 1: Dayton, WA to Lewiston, ID
Take home message: Make sure you fully research your planned route
Day one arrives on me and my support crew, as usual, with a flurry of activities to be done. Me, Jen and Luna (the wonder pup) had spent a couple days wine tasting in Walla Walla. Ahhhh, very relaxing and a bit of calm before the tour. Can't beat that. But the sun is up and we need to load the car and head on down the road.
As usual, I somehow manage to conscript Jen and Luna into service for these tours and they do such a great job - getting me to my start and picking me up in the end. I lure them with all manner of special fun things. Hey babe - you wanna go wine tasting this July? We can take Luna too I say. Luna loves wine tasting I add with a sheepish grin.
Dayton, WA is the jump off point. From Walla Walla to Dayton is about 20 miles. I'm a bit anxious as we drive down the highway, heading toward the eastern part of Columbia County. We arrive in Dayton, I gotta find Patit Road since that is where the cranks start turning on the tour. Ok, we're here. Unload the bike from the car, load the bike with the gear. Check all bungee straps. Cinch down the helmet. I think I am ready.
Heading out! Dayton, WA from Scott McKibbin on Vimeo.
Normally, Dayton to Lewiston is a rather simple route to navigate. One just heads east on WA highway 12. Just keep pedaling and soon you'll be in Lewiston. It's very pretty, Palouse farmland and rolling hills. However, the route tends to loop north and then back south before heading into the first major community - Pomeroy. When I did my route planning, I looked at this on a map and felt there must be some side roads that can shave some miles as well as getting me off the busier highway. Well, yes, according to Google Maps - lookity right there. In Dayton, I just need to head out Patit Road to Hartsock Road to Hartsock Grade Road to Tucannon Road to Blind Grade Road and then onto Linville Gulch Road to Pomeroy!
The first 25 miles from Dayton along Patit Road are beautiful. My excitement is up, my legs fresh and I'm on my way. There are large wind turbines on the hills, a very creative steel sculpture park representing the Lewis and Clark expedition and lots of chirping crickets in the grasses along the road. Really a great morning.
Doing good. Time for a selfie!
At the top of Patit Road - the Vines to Bitterroots tour hits its first major issue. THE ROAD TURNS TO GRAVEL.
What?! I still have 40 miles left in the days route... is it all going to be on a gravel road?!! I start to have a mini panic attack. I could ride all the way back to Dayton and start anew for the day and take highway 12. Ummm. Ummm. Shit. No. I could call Jen and say come get me. Ummm, she's on her way to Montana - she ain't gonna want to come get me! There is not cell service out here anyway. Ummm. Ummm. Shit. Boy this tour is off to a great start I grumble to myself.
There ain't a lot around...
The Burro looks beaten and my spirits a bit beaten as well.
About 10 minutes later, as I take a Power Bar break - a car is heading down the road toward me. I got get some intel on this road - so I wave him over.
What's up buddy - he says. I ask - how far is this road gravel?
He says, kind of noncommittally - three, maybe four miles. Then adds it connects at the bottom of the canyon with Toucannon Road and that is paved. He says the dirt part is pretty well maintained. Ok, I tell him I'm heading to Pomeroy and he just nods his head. I say, ok thanks so much for the information.
I guess that is what I will do - keep on a pedaling per the planned route.
A few shots of the gravel road - Hartsock Grade Road.
So, at this point, I'm not sure what the best way to get to Pomeroy. I know that Tucannon Road heads back out to Highway 12. I can pick that up and I'm sure Pomeroy is not far at that point. Or I can stick to my original route... but I am now quite concerned about more gravel roads lurking around each and every bend out here in rural Columbia County! So, I make a route change decision, I head out Tucannon Road to Highway 12. Ok, life is good. I did make a change in my route - but, hey I'm back on track.
Heading down Tucannon, the wind picks up. Ahhh, that is why those wind turbines dot each and every bluff out here. I get it now. And the wind picks up some more. I ride about 20 miles before I hit highway 12 and when I do - I am happy. Now all I need to do is slog this road for the rest of the day - can't be more than 30 or 40 miles based on my calculations. Then a highway sign appears and says Pomeroy - 20 miles and Lewiston 52 miles. I do some quick math... my bike computer says I have ridden 40 miles... the day's total was only about 64 miles... at the end, today will be 90 miles long! Oh crap... this sucks I think to myself. Really? I've got a loaded touring bike and I am basically going to ride a century (100 miles for you non bike peeps out there)!
I get a bit discouraged. But, what are you going to do? I just have to keep pedaling.
I make it Pomeroy! I pedal up to the tiny grocery store, grab two cold bottles of water and a pre-made sandwich and head to a cute little park for a bite.
Love these old county seats!
So once I am in Pomeroy, I know its only 33 miles to Lewiston. But I have already rode about 55 miles. I am getting spent. I just need to keep plugging along. My next reference point to focus on (one must never focus on the total miles, but break it up into smaller bites) is when the highway joins the Snake River. This is only 19-20 miles out. I can do that.
After a bit of pedaling the road starts to increase in its rate of climb. This goes on for about 10 miles and I'm starting to need to take mini rests along side the road - this is usually a sign I'm getting tired. Still, by my calculations, I have at least 10 miles to go before the river and flat terrain.
Then... it appears. The top! I stop for a break at the rest area, make sure them truckers are checkin' their brakes, take some pics and its all down hill to the river! Yee haw!
The Snake River!
On the road... close to Lewiston now.
Well... after 91.04 miles, 6:41:13 hours of riding, 8:24:59 of elapsed time, 4,259 ft of elevation gain and an average temp of 84.9 °F - I arrive at my hotel.
Pics looking out from my balcony down on the Snake River and Lewiston and Clarkston
I was planning on spending the night in a campground close to town. But the hotel made more sense to me since it was a long day with some unplanned 'issues' and the next day (day 2) was going to be a long day with a lot of climbing. Why not treat myself to a hotel?!
So, the map below, sums up the routing issues I had today. The big green 'ear' that goes clock-wise was the cause of the extension of total miles today. The added miles were tough - but the uncertainty in route and road quality in my original route makes me feel like I made the right decision.
My original route planning back in the spring, which used on-line maps and some paper maps failed to identify the actual road type in the areas of my 'shortcut'. When planning your routes, always make sure you vet the route quite well before embarking. Having said that... this is going to happen from time to time if you tour on a bicycle. You're going to find yourself off course or even lost. This is what makes touring fun as well. Who knows what you'll see around the next bend in the road!?
