[yes this was almost five months ago - hey I've been busy with the rat race :(]
Date: 5/24/16
Start: Alice Creek CG, John Wayne Trail, Iron Horse State Park
Date: 5/24/16
Start: Alice Creek CG, John Wayne Trail, Iron Horse State Park
End: Lake Easton
State Park
Miles: 32
Time: 3 hours, 27
minutes
Elevation Gain: 1355
Day two greeted me after a not too bad night’s sleep. The nearby
highway kept me awake off and on throughout the night. Open the tent- the
weather is much like yesterday. Overcast with medium gray clouds occupying the South
Fork Snoqualmie River valley. But no rain dotted the tent or the lonely John
Wayne Trail (JWT). My general direction today would be southeast. And this
happens to be the direction from my tent to the slightly damp picnic bench –
where oatmeal would cook while I sipped hot coffee.
The oatmeal was hearty. I peppered it with raisins and then
layered on brown sugar. The day before, I stopped in North Bend for some dinner
items at the store and ever being the planner – I said I gotta get that little
something for tomorrow’s morning breakfast. The glazed old-fashioned donut
tasted fantastic with the oatmeal. Once the gullet was full, I broke camp and
started riding the false-flat railroad grade southeast to the Snoqualmie Summit
tunnel.
I was a bit tense this morning. Riding can make me anxious
(see day 1 post). And you got that right if you are thinking the summit tunnel made
me a bit worried. One thing that set up some jitters, was the day before, in
North Bend at the local bike store, the owner stated he wasn’t sure the tunnel
was open yet for the season. I thought holey crap; I didn’t even think to check
this before I left. If I got to the entrance and it was gated closed,
essentially my route now a box canyon, I’d have to retreat back down the
Milwaukee line toward North Bend. The trip, sans calling a last minute audible
to hit I-90 and ride the interstate, would be a bust.
But, the nice part of day 2 was a shorter mile total. All on
the JWT railroad grade, thirty miles to Lake Easton S.P., I ride gently up hill
for 10 miles, traverse the bullet straight 2.3 mile tunnel and then gently
descend down the east side of Snoqualmie pass to Lake Easton – 20 miles later.
Did you catch that the tunnel was 2.3 miles? Yes, indeed it is. This tunnel is
the longest in North America that has been repurposed from rail to trail. Again,
I am a bit nervous to this part of the day. But, pedal I did.
About three miles from the tunnel entrance and around a
gentle right hand turn – in the distance I was surprised to see a bear staring
back at me. Bear! Brakes! Holey crap! I have never ever been this close to a
bear. Between this cinnamon colored black bear and me was about 35 yards. He looked at me and I looked at him.
Quickly I needed to determine if I had any possible exit
route- so I craned my neck to the trail behind me to see where I could go. Yep,
the trail was there in case I had to flee. But, I did not feel very good about
this option. I was calm enough to reach into my handlebar bag and grab my
camera and snap a couple pictures of the nob eared, cinnamon colored bear.
After the pics were snapped and placed as 1s and 0s on the digital memory card
of the camera, I decided to make a slight move forward to see what the bear
would do. I pedaled a few strokes and all of sudden the bear turned left and
bolted up the hill into the pines. This was my cue to start pedaling as fast as
I could on up the JWT and not look back. After about 70 yards I stopped, fully
winded and again craned my neck rearward. My friend had disappeared.
I nervously chuckled then widely smiled thinking this was
quite the (dangerous) treat so far today. I assumed the day’s routine again –
that being pedaling, pedaling and more pedaling. Having some adrenalin coursing
through my body – it must of made my mind quite introspective. As I pedaled, it
occurred to me, the concept of a real fear vs. an unreal (irrational) fear.
That being the bear was real fear, the tunnel was irrational fear. This little
distinction seemed to provide me some comfort approaching the tunnel entrance.
But in my mind, I had to run through a series of rational thought exercises to
quiet my “fear” of the impending black hole.
Bear will maul you. Tunnel is safe.
Bear will eat you. Tunnel is safe.
Bear will stand on top of your dead corpse and pound it’s chest
in victory! Tunnel is safe!
The tunnel bore telegraphed its presence a mile or so down
the old rail. I could see the top of the bulwark of aged gray concrete looming
above the trail and the forest ahead. Well, its coming I thought. I could then
see the tunnel bore in full view, just ahead. It’s open! Ok, here we go.
I snapped a few more 1s and 0s - digital cam self-portraits
of me in front of the tunnel, gathered my bike’s headlight and my headlamp out
of my panniers (yes needed two lights for backup) – fired them up and pedaled
into the black hole.
Within 30 feet the temp dropped to a cool 34F. I did not
want to linger too long and let the mind get away from me and saddle me with
self-doubt. As my eyes adjusted to the dark, I was pleasantly surprised to see
at the end of an understood, but not able to see beyond my LED lights,
vanishing point – a very small dot of light. Could this be the other end? Or
perhaps another traveler to whom I will converge with somewhere midway - in the
darkness and be ever so grateful of the passing, comforting tunnel visit, OR
maybe robbed of my wares as if the Hole-In-The-Wall gang still existed and held
up trains!
The tunnel was really peaceful actually. The tunnel has been
restored and the old dirt surface very smooth. You make good time – it feels
slightly down hill heading east. The faint white light steadily got brighter
and bigger. I stopped to take some photos.
After 34 minutes of pedaling – a long time in a pitch black
tunnel, I popped out through the east tunnel portal. The sun was shining and an
older couple was advancing toward the entrance with their headlamps on. They
were going to walk through and have a picnic on the other side.
Being that I was now in the Snoqualmie Pass Ski area
environs, I decided to head to the ski area and grab some munchies and charge
the iPhone. This decision required a 180 degree route reversal and I was forced
to pedal uphill for about two miles to the base of the ski hill. I stopped in a
coffee shop, charged the phone and hung out for about an hour. The sun was out,
but it was windy and there was a chill in the air for sure. I was hoping I
would leave the Seattle – slash- western part of the Cascades less-than-optimal
weather behind but it was clear the temps were going to be cool and a strong
wind was in play for the rest of the day. But, I only had 20 more miles to the
camp ground.
The JWT, from the east tunnel portal, routes along the south
shore of Keechelus Lake. The lake is the source of the Yakima River. It’s a beautiful ride. I-90 skirts the north
end of the long lake – I’ve travelled this road likely 100s of times in a car,
always wondering what the far side was like.
After about 9 miles the JWT peeled off of the south end of
Keechelus. Looking at my GPS unit, I had about 12 miles to the campground.
Three miles from the lake, I came across Whittier. This must
have been a stop on the old Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad.
But, doing a quick Google search, I could not find much information.
I continued to ride, the trail crisscrossed with the Yakima
River – it was lovely. Three miles out
from my day’s destination, Lake Easton State Park, low and behold, Lake Easton
appeared. I continued to ride around the shore and found the entrance to the State
Park. Yea I’m in. I pitch my tent. The campground is very empty.
My day 2 ride planning told me that across the highway was a
diner with some 2 star reviews. I head out on the unbagged Burro (aka the
Fargo) and she handles like a young colt, bucking, snorting, happy and feeling
spry. Me too actually. All of our heavy gear is back with the tent. It’s about
a mile and a half to the Parkside Café and Turtle Lounge.
I roll up and it looks pretty quiet. I
stroll in through the glass front door and a nice waitress greets me and says –
sit anywhere you’d like. Every seat, booth and counter top spot is open –
nobody is in the place. I need to find some juice for the iPhone, so I sit down
in the corner, next to an outlet. I notice on the south wall a large
‘sculpture’ of a turtle. It took me a while to take it all in. The sign outside said HOME OF THE TURTLE. This must be the Turtle. I mean this
thing takes up the entire south wall, made out of flagstone, has turtle teeth
and a turtle eyeball (yes one, the sculpture was in profile) a little turtle
hat, straddles a wood stove and has an alcove on the right with a door – which
to my delight I find out leads to the Turtle Lounge.
Ah ha! I’m moving. Unplug
the iPhone and head under the turtles neck – into the dimly lit bar. I’ll have
an IPA and a burger, medium and with fries. I start to relax. The day’s ride –
slash- chore is done. I just need to drink and eat. Nice. The bartender was
going through the bottles of booze on the shelf behind the bar and calling out
to a man sitting at the bar. Bo, we only got three bottles Smirnoff, one bottle
Jack, one bottle Cuervo left. I gathered the man at the bar was the owner. When
she got to Glenlivet, she started to be a bit more animated and said this bottle
has been hear for years. Bo- nobody ever orders this crap, she said. Its too
expensive she continued. Bo said yah probably should get rid of it. I was so
tempted to order a shot, but I thought I gotta ride back to my tent and the IPA
was hitting the spot anyway. By the way, I do love all single malts – including
that “crap” Glenlivit. I ate, drank, relaxed and rode back to the campground
and hit the rack.
Anyway- here are more pics from the day.
Cheers!
