WA 3 day trip: Seattle to Okanogan Forest

[pedalpoet]

My buddy Colin just got a ’98 Triumph Tiger a couple weeks ago and was excited to go on a multi day trip. We decided to head into the Okanogan Forest in northern WA as neither of us had ever been there. Here’s my attempt at a Google Map of our 3-day trip from Seattle:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en...95a02c8bf8&z=8

Our two bikes look almost like cousins don’t they?



We left Seattle at about 10am on Bastille Day taking a rather boring route north to Arlington just to get out of town quickly. The ride from Arlington to Darrington and on to Hwy 20 (the North Cascades Hwy) is one I’ve ridden numerous times. It never get’s old. We stopped in Marblemount for gas stop #1, then continued on to Washington Pass for photo stop #1.



From there we rode to the “Old West Town of Winthrop” where we were both quite hungry, and ready to stretch our legs. We should have continued on to Twisp where we could’ve done much better than our $30 bill for 2 burgers and a basket of fries. They were good, but expensive. I didn’t take any pictures of Winthrop because I’ve been there a gazillion times, but it’s a theme town where the wooden boardwalks and old west storefronts all give the look of the “Old West.” A nice place, but Twisp is also nice and a lot cheaper (and just down the road.)

We headed west on 20 which turns north at Omak, and into country I’ve never seen before. From here we mapped the rest of the day on back roads which we hoped were paved. (Actually I think Colin wasn’t hoping, but I was.) We turned West on Pine Creek road and were rewarded with a beautiful twisty climb up above Fish Lake (gravelly corners) which dropped us down to the Sinlahekin Wildlife Area:



DIRT! The next 8-10 miles were a questionably groomed washboard ride through a really beautiful area. At one point I thought I was riding past a stick about 4 feet long until it coiled up next to me as I went past. Rattler!

I was happy when the road turned back to pavement. We stopped so I could check my bike out and all seemed nice and tight. But Colin had lost a couple screws out of his windshield/fairing assembly. British bikes!

We stopped in Loomis for gas stop 2. A very small crossroads of a town with friendly folks at the Loomis Quick Stop. I chatted up the owner for a while and drank a bunch of water and dumped some over my shirt. It was rather hot. On the way into Loomis we went through a herd of cows and were accompanied by a couple young males for 100 yards or so. I need one of those bike mounted cameras to capture this sort of thing. So far on the trip we had seen a baby eagle on the road, numerous deer, cows, a rattle snake, and leaving Loomis we came over a rise to be greeted by a herd of bighorn sheep. 25 or more mothers and their young. The mothers eyed us pretty good as we went through. (Again I need a bike mounted camera!) We passed a bunch of good looking free campsites at the north end of Palmer Lake (the proprietor of the Loomis Quick Stop recommended them) because it just wasn’t quittin’ time yet and we continued north on the Loomis-Oroville Road.

At the most northern spot on our ride we stopped for this shot:



I can’t really describe how beautiful this area is. Mountains, farmland, wildlife, twisty lonely roads. We were feeling very lucky and awestruck . We were greeted with waves and smiles when we passed the occasional local. We finally stopped for the night after 300 miles at the Osoyoos State Park in Oroville.

[pedalpoet]

Osoyoos Lake:


The next morning we were up at 6am and ready to hit a local diner and continue on. At Yo Yo’s in Oroville Colin says, We get to ride our motorcycles again all day! Yes sir, I reply. We headed east on the Oroville-Toroda Creek Road. More lonely twisty beautiful roads that headed to the pint-sized wooden town of Chesaw. Leaving town 5 or 6 bucks (stags?) crossed the road in front of us, climbing up a steep hillside with the sun backlighting the velvet on their antlers. We raced on and on to were I took these shots at Beaver Lake:





Eventually we hooked up with Hwy 21 south at Curlew and flew through a beautiful valley all the way to Republic where we gassed up for the third time. Entering Republic we encountered some construction and had to sit still for a while. Gave us a chance to talk over everything we had just seen.

We headed south again on Hwy21 heading for Gold Creek road to get off the beaten path. When we reached it we discovered it was gravel. No telling if any was pavement, so we decided to head south farther to Cache Creek road. It was a shorter ride to the town of Nespelem, and if it turned out to be gravel at least it wouldn’t be as far. As luck had it, Cache Creek road was a beautifully paved stunner of a road. A realy twisty climb, switchbacks no less, up then down the other side leading into some wide open country into town. Nespelem itself is rather poor looking, small, perhaps depressed. But again we were met with smiles and waves by the few locals we saw.
From here, south to the Grand Coulee Dam:



Then a straight shot farther south along Banks Lake and Steamboat Rock (again, I need a camera that I can shoot while riding) to Coulee City and Dry Falls Dam. Banks Lake has a dam at either end. I thought that was interesting. Even more so is Dry Falls itself a few short miles south of the dam:

[pedalpoet]

This 400 foot deep hole was apparently formed by a single geologic event. We took a bunch of photos, visited the visitors center and sat in the shade drinking water and eating trail mix. A guy in shorts sneakers and a helmet pulled up on an R1 with a bunch of right side damage and asked to borrow my phone. He was split up from his buddies and didn’t have his phone on him. We chatted briefly then he sped off. I hope he found them and made it home okay.

Colin and I gassed up and prepared for what we thought would be a boring straight flat ride west to Wenatchee. I wasn’t as boring as we thought it might be, but in comparison to the roads we’d been on in the last couple days, it wasn’t too exciting. Then to Wenatchee and Leavenworth, where we wound up Icicle Creek Road and found a great campsite on Icicle Creek.







What a great couple days of riding. Of course the next morning Colin says, We get to ride our motorcycles again all day! That’s right.

We left Leavenworth on the Chumstick Hwy, the north end of which reminds me of the north end of Hwy 1 in CA. Wooded and VERY twisty and steep. Always looking over your shoulder to the next sharp bend. So much fun it should be illegal. We hooked up with Rt 2 (the southern leg of Washington’s Cascade Loop) at Cole’s Corner where we had breakfast at the Squirrel Tree and gassed up for the 5th and last time. Rt 2 is beautiful but even on a weekday it’s a busy road. So it’s a relief when we reach the town of Sultan where we can take a left onto the Ben Howard road which is about 8 miles of lonely bliss that I make a regular habit of. It’s close enough to Seattle that I make sure to ride it every few weeks. After that it’s a few short stretches of hwy back home to unpack, look at the photos and dream of the next trip.

I will definitely make my way back to Okanogan and Ferry counties again. Thanks for reading my story!

[stephenwc]

Great report Chris.

That's a really good route. Next time I visit the relatives in Issaquah I might just be tempted.

Thanks

Stephen

[pedalpoet]

Thanks for the kind words Stephen...Drop me a line when you come to the area and want a riding partner on the right (wrong) side of the road