We conducted a successful High Adventure 9-14 August 2025.  This is due to extensive research, planning, exceptional support, a vigorous train up and a lot of luck. 

If you are reading this and considering this trail for High Adventure or a personal adventure, we highly recommend it.  

This was an excellent Adventure for all, but did require a considerable amount of planning, logistics and adult support.

Important Links:

• 2025 Palouse to Cascades Biking High Adventure August 9-14, 2025

  • Day 1 2025 Palouse to Cascades Biking High Adventure August 9, 2025

  • Day 2 2025 Palouse to Cascades Biking High Adventure August 10, 2025

  • Day 3 2025 Palouse to Cascades Biking High Adventure August 11, 2025

  • Day 4 2025 Palouse to Cascades Biking High Adventure August 12, 2025

  • Day 5 2025 Palouse to Cascades Biking High Adventure August 13, 2025

  • Day 6 2025 Palouse to Cascades Biking High Adventure August 14, 2025

• 2025 Palouse to Cascades HA Plan

Research

A considerable amount of research went into planning for this Adventure.  

Key sources of information

• Troop 305 in Walla Walla who complete this trail every 3 years

  • We did a zoom meeting with their leaders

    • Jake Hollopeter

    • Peter Early

  • They shared vital information on how to safely get a group of Scouts across the state, how far to ride each day and where to camp

• Kelly Ditto 

  • Took a group of youth from Spokane 6th Ward and filmed their adventure

  • Video is inspirational and motivated Scouts and Parents to choose this Adventure of others

  • Shared very important information used in our planning process

  • Itinerary

    • Day One  Cedar Falls to Cle Elum and shuttled the bikes and boys to the campground (Lake Easton)

    • Day Two Cle Elum (shuttled from Camp Easton) to the Beverly Bridge

      • Camped at the Sandy Hollow campground on the Wanapum Reservoir

    • Day Three planned or ride to Orthello

      • Discovered bridge was out

      • Backtracked, rode a few miles and did pickup

• Troop 122, in Mill Creek, WA

  • Discussed previous trip with SPL and Scoutmaster

• palousetocascadestrail.org

  • Website offline in early 2025

  • Review Archives

• So many YouTube Videos and trip reports were reviewed

• Ride Leaders from 2025's Adventure - obviously 

Training

You should NOT skimp on training.  This was vital for the success of our Adventure. 

Training started in the winter on non-icy weekends.  We had a training ride on most weekends, and at least twice a month, depending on the Lead Adult's schedule.  The goal was to get in 200-300 miles with a 50-miler prior to High Adventure.

We started out with shorter rides to identify which bikes needed to be replaced.  We worked up to 30 mile rides and switched up routes and destinations to avoid monotonous rides. 

We kept track of everyone's milage and this would later be used to determine priority for participation in High Adventure.  Luckily we had enough seats for everyone who were able to and wanted to attend. 

Several Scouts leveled up significantly over several months of training.  They were far from being physically or mentally ready for High Adventure at the beginning of the training, but were capable after several months of riding. 

NOTE: the key part of training is for the team and leadership to get to know the riding capabilities of each rider.  This is vital for future rides on High Adventure.  The slowest riders will determine the pace of the entire time.  Focus on motivating these riders and working on efficient and sustainable riding to improve the overall performance of your team. 

Level of Risk

Of the three main types of High Adventure we do, Backpacking, Cycling and Canoeing, Cycling is the most accessible for a mixed group of Scouts.  Cycling should be safer than both remote Backpacking and Canoeing, but with the addition of Scouts who would otherwise not participate in another type of High Adventure and the speed associated with bikes, there are real risks of injury, maybe more so than other Adventures because of increased participation by younger and less physically mature participants. 

This is NOT a week long Scout Outing designed for a mixed group of youth.  This IS High Adventure designed to challenge older Scouts. 

Risk Factors of THIS Cycling High Adventure

• Remoteness

  • Despite access to the road and SAG Wagon Support, many points are a good distance from the road

  • The Yakima Firing Center does NOT have vehicle access, unless you coordinate an emergency evacuation with the military base

  • Injuries and bike breakdowns can result in being stranded in the desert for hours

• Heat

  • Eastern Washington is MUCH hotter than Western Washington in the summer

  • Regular Eastern Washington temperatures in the summer place the crew at risk of Heat Injuries

  • Heat Waves in the summer will drastically increase the risk of heat injury and can result in cancelation of this adventure 

• Scout Participation 

  • Scouts AND Adults who would otherwise NOT participate in other High Adventure programs will consider a Cycling Adventure because biking is "easy".  These same Scouts will likely be at greater risk of exhaustion or heat injury and will increase the risk of exposure to the entire crew

• Speed

  • With bikes comes speed

  • High speed crashes can result in severe injury or broken bikes

  • Even at slow speeds, Scouts can and will easily collide, especially when braking, switching lines/lanes or trying to pass each other

  • Other riders, pedestrians and dogs on the trail can lead to unexpected collisions 

• Terrain 

  • There are certain sections of the trail that are potentially dangerous

  • Loose gravel in many places increase the risk of a crash, especially with very novice or timid riders

  • Downhill sections allow for high speeds, higher than is what is safe for most riders

  • Landing on gravel can result in significant injuries 

  • There are steep cliffs adjacent to the trail in many places

    • Yakima Firing Center has replaced many bridges with built up culverts with basically cliffs on both sides - it is easy to approach these at high downhill speeds

  • Bridges

    • It is possible to ride off a few of these

    • One on the last day (Seabury Bridge) is elevated over a road and does NOT have railings

      • Falling off this will result in severe injury or death

      • Slots between boards on this bridge can catch a wheel, resulting in a sudden stop and likely injury to rider and/or bike

• Equipment Failure

  • This trip is VERY dependent on equipment functioning properly

  • Flats are the most common type of failure and are generally easy to address

  • Bikes take a beating with constant rattling over gravel

    • Older bikes or bikes with lower quality components may fall apart, leaving you stranded 

  • Crashes can critically damage a bike and leave the crew stranded 

Team Members

Priority Seating

We could not conduct this adventure the way we did without support vehicles.  The number of vehicles and seats limited how many people could attend.  We developed a priority system for those wishing to attend.  After sharing this plan with the group, several parents stepped up to help.  In the end, we didn't have to turn anyone away who really wanted to join this adventure. 

• Anyone volunteering to drive would have First Priority for their youth

• Second Priority: 2-4 Adult Riders 

  • You can't conduct High Adventure without minimum Adult Support

  • 2 minimum for a small group

  • 4 for a larger group

• Third Priority

  • Youth based on miles of training completed

• Fourth Priority

  • 18-21 year old riders

• Fifth Priority 

  • Additional 21+ year old riders or support crew

Actual Crew (2025)

• 10 Youth Riders

• 2 18-21 Year Old Riders

• 3 21+ Adult Riders

  • We wanted 4

  • One Lead Adult

  • One Roving Adult

  • One Trailing Adult

• 4 Adult Drivers

  • 1 drove the SAG Wagon with trailer, water, snacks and repair gear

  • 2 worked as cooks and did daily shopping for food

  • 1 worked for the cooks

  • We had a last minute add of a 5th driver, 5th wheel and towed camper

• One extra youth

  • Plan was to hang out with mom at camp

  • Mom drove so youth had first priority seating

  • Because mom drove, we had just enough room for everyone who wanted to go

• 2 Stay Behind Support Crew

  • Monitored Satellite Messenger Coms

  • Relayed information to parents

  • Coordinated Evacs if needed

    • Not needed this trip 

We lost one adult and her 2 youth during the trip and had to move one adult rider to driving duty.  Late night restaging of vehicles allowed him to ride the next day to his vehicle.

The support team also offered up extra vehicles that could carry more people or gear than what the drivers had. 

Vehicles

• Short bed, crew cab pickup with camper shell and trailer for bikes

  • Main SAG Wagon 

  • Back of truck used to store repair gear, extra food, water and shelters

  • Trailer used for seating at stops - sometimes with canopy over trailer

• Long bed, crew cab pickup with hitch mounted bike rack (4 bikes max and only certain bikes would fit)

  • Used to carry Scout Gear - back was full

• 2 minivans

  • Used mainly as people haulers

  • Back used to store more delicate gear - such as larger chargers

• 5th wheel crew cab towing a camper

  • Camper used to store and transports much of the troop gear

  • We put a LOT of gear in the camper - it helped a LOT

  • Most campsite gear was stored here

Route Selection

Route Selection was based mostly on previous High Adventures by Troop 304 and tailoring to our group's abilities and circumstances. 

This Rails to Trails trail is relatively flat with minimal inclination.  This allows for reasonably fast riding if you have the right bike and are comfortable riding on loose gravel and a bit of sand. 

Major Sections Skipped:

• Othello to Lind

  • Railroad is still active

  • Major bridge out

  • Requires lengthy travel on roads

• Marengo to Malden

  • Multiple bridges missing

  • Tunnel closed

  • Significant bypasses

  • Huge distance with limited and unacceptable camping options

Maps:

• Aug 2024 Map: parks.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2024-08/Palouse%20to%20Cascades%20Trail%20full%20trail%20map_0.pdf 

• Rough Google Maps: maps.app.goo.gl/DyvtNCiXCtRvmcwX6 

• 2023 West: ridewithgps.com/routes/44350130 

• 2021 West: ridewithgps.com/routes/36054769

• 2021 East: ridewithgps.com/routes/37024565 

• Archived Information:

  • Route Description West of the Columbia River: palousetocascadestrail.org/westofcolumbia 

  • Route Description East of the Columbia River: palousetocascadestrail.org/eastofcolumbia 

Lodging Plan

The lodging plan shaped our daily routes.  

We contacted several schools and city parks and came up with the following plan.  

Troop 304 has camped out at Fire Stations, Schools, State Parks, City Parks, Churches, Community Centers, homes of friends.

2025 Lodging Plan

• Night 1 Aug 9, 2025

  • Lake Easton – Sites: 87 and 82 and 83

    • Weekend summer camping required reservations months in advance

    • Plenty of space for our group

    • 82 was right next to showers and bathrooms

    • This campsite required driving to get to swim area

      • Riders could also ride there, but they were not up to more riding

• Night 2 Aug 10, 2025

  • Kittitas Secondary School

    • The shower room was open until 4, requiring us to rush showers between 5 groups

      • Youth

      • 18-21 year old males

      • Adult males

      • Adult females

      • Late people who missed their time slot

    • Youth swam at nearby lake

    • Hose was available to hose off after lake

    • Open bathrooms by sports field 

    • Most everyone slept without a tent

    • Nice cool area with just enough shade by school to rest in mid day - but when do sprinklers turn on?

    • Outside outlet by snack shop

      • We popped a circuit breaker when RV tried to do too much while the microwave was used in the cafeteria 

• Night 3 Aug 11, 2025

  • Camp Wanapum – Sites: 21, 20 and 24

    • Site 21 was used for RV parking and Adult camping - it has nice view of water but no shade

    • Sites 20 and 24 (adjacent to each other) had an area behind them with trees that allowed for shaded rest in the middle of the day

    • Plenty of open camp sites available on a summer Monday

      • We still reserved 2 prior to HA

    • Bathroom and Private showers right next to 20

    • Swimming available in river

• Night 4 Aug 12, 2025

  • Lind-Ritzville Middle School 

    • There was a heat wave so school allowed us to camp in cafeteria with AC

    • Bathroom must be unlocked with each use and on other side of school

    • Swimming Pool in town was open, even though it was advertised as closed

      • You have to ask or drive by to see if it is open - $2.00 for open swim

    • "Secret" bathroom in Kitchen used by Adults only

    • Many of us opted to sleep outdoors - this was a mistake

      • Frequent trains passed by blaring horns

      • Dog next to school barked most of the night

      • Most of us had inadequate sleep, which effected mental performance the following day

        • Scouts appeared exhausted at end of ride the following day and were unusually quiet 

    • Our RV guy popped a circuit breaker here to

      • This cut off power to most of the outlets in the cafeteria 

      • Required that we call in a maintenance guy to flip a switch on the other side of the building

• Night 5 Aug 13, 2025

  • Malden Park

    • We originally wanted to camp in Rosalia due to distance from Idaho

      • Pool and bathrooms were closed due to funding issues

    • Plan was to sleep in the Malden Park

    • Town leaders in Malden allowed us to use community center

      • Large room with kitchen

      • AC

      • Bathrooms indoors in addition to bathroom and showers outdoors

      • Plenty of places to plug in electronics

      • Plenty of parking right behind community center

    • Town leaders offered to drive us around in the fire truck - we were too tired to accept 

• Night 6 Aug 14, 2025

  • We headed home and arrived just before 8PM

Routes

• All routes can be altered as needed by Ride Lead

  • Rides can have different start and/or end points than what are shown on maps

  • We made a few adjustments as needed

• Palouse Day 1 - Rattlesnake Lake Homestead Valley Trailhead to Lake Easton

  • maps.app.goo.gl/DJ2Ad7mPu3hatPk67

  • connect.garmin.com/modern/course/332899647 

  • We started at Homestead Valley Trailhead to allow questionable riders to ride on Day 1

• Palouse Day 2 - Lake Easton to Kittitas

  • maps.app.goo.gl/54P6WYzrVRSFdaVNA

  • connect.garmin.com/modern/course/344656301 

  • Last leg of route was shortened by getting on Kittitas highway 

• Palouse Day 3 - Kittitas to Camp Wanapum

  • maps.app.goo.gl/idZGSxkx8ePVn5wp7

  • connect.garmin.com/modern/course/344657884 

  • Shortcut at Doris Road was used to shorten route by 4 miles

• Palouse Day 4 - Camp Wanapum to Othello

  • maps.app.goo.gl/vDDKyZFchtL4GT2R8

  • connect.garmin.com/modern/course/344661040 

  • We debated how far to ride this day and ended up going 37 miles to planned end point

• Palouse Day 5 - Lind to Marengo

  • Part 1 maps.app.goo.gl/W2UW2DECDfSdo5nv6 

  • Part 2 Cow Creek Trestle Bypass (ridewithgps.com/routes/40171787) can't be mapped on Google

  • Part 3 maps.app.goo.gl/9AK4VQzySpX3VSbQA

  • connect.garmin.com/modern/course/344664473 

• Palouse Day 6 - Malden Rosalia to Idaho

  • maps.app.goo.gl/32NDVgDtvs85kX9V8

    • Map does not show bypass into Rosalia

  • connect.garmin.com/modern/course/344665976  

  • We shortened this day to 25 miles to allow adults to sleep in and for us to get home prior to 8PM

Cow Creek Trestle Bypass
ridewithgps.com/routes/40171787 

Bridge Concerns

• Pine Creek Bridge #1 47.2402, -117.2710

  • Bridge is missing

  • Take bypass at dirt trail or on Pandora dirt road to Pandora paved road

• Bridges between Pine and Seabury are long gone ages ago

  • Trial descends to road and reconnects on other side

  • One trail is a little offset so don't freak out when you don't see trail on other side; look to your right

• Seabury Bridge 47.1997, -117.2065

  • No railings. Closed per State Parks for safety reasons

  • Bike Tires can fall between wood planks

  • Caution when crossing and only ride single file

SAG Wagon Plan

Preplanned points for SAG Wagon Support

• Our SAG Wagon was equipped with a trailer, two pop up shelters, ice cold water, a cooler of sports drinks and snacks.  It also carried Breakfast Burritos on most days.

• For rides of 25 miles - plan for at least 2 SAG Wagon refill points

• For rides greater than 25 miles, plan for a stops no greater than 10 miles apart

• Palouse Day 1 - Rattlesnake Lake to Lake Easton

  • Route

    • maps.app.goo.gl/DJ2Ad7mPu3hatPk67

    • connect.garmin.com/modern/course/332899647 

  • SAG Stops 

    • Hyak 

      • maps.app.goo.gl/4ocH1xX76GC2xLRZ9 

      • First day - plan for packed lunch break and extended break

      • Remainder of trail is downhill to camp

    • Lake Easton State Park Campground: maps.app.goo.gl/tEo8Eo2gnh9Ntcaw9 

      • East Campsite

        • Sites: 73, 87 and 82

• Palouse Day 2 - Lake Easton to Kittitas

  • Route

    • maps.app.goo.gl/54P6WYzrVRSFdaVNA

    • connect.garmin.com/modern/course/344656301 

  • SAG Stops 

    • Cle Elum Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail: maps.app.goo.gl/4G2MBKyRoa2m8S8w9 

    • Thorp Fruit & Antique Mall: maps.app.goo.gl/H5Tde16cbHTR6Kqj9 

    • Ellensburg Kiwanis Park: maps.app.goo.gl/KvHgrhgcANktWFS4A 

    • Kittitas Secondary School: maps.app.goo.gl/RFsAHULw2sp2Bkmn8 

• Palouse Day 3 - Kittitas to Camp Wanapum

  • Route

    • maps.app.goo.gl/idZGSxkx8ePVn5wp7

    • connect.garmin.com/modern/course/344657884 

  • SAG Stops 

    • Renslow John Wayne Trail parking

      • maps.app.goo.gl/at1s8JAJFYYgbHHQ7 

      • Last chance to refill water before entering Yakima Firing Center

      • Steep hill back up to trail

    • Exit point from Yakima Firing Center

      • Near the Cove Park is shortcut is taken

      • At trailhead if exiting on Palouse Trailhead

    • Camp Wanapum – Site: 21 and 20 and 24 maps.app.goo.gl/qgYbb7someTZwr7H9 

• Palouse Day 4 - Camp Wanapum to Othello

  • Route

    • maps.app.goo.gl/vDDKyZFchtL4GT2R8

    • connect.garmin.com/modern/course/344661040 

  • SAG Stops 

    • Where Crab Creek Road Crosses the trail in Smyrna 

      • or Lower Crab Creek Road 46.83974, -119.5966 

        • maps.app.goo.gl/AZqKPWgQHwE8GwL7A

        • Pulloff next to railroad crossing 

    • Corfu

      • Historical Site

      • 30 Mile Point

    • Overlook at 46.8020, -119.3279

      • Planned Pickup Site

      • Farm Parking

      • maps.app.goo.gl/nEkDNYNfMHEpyBaw9 

      • 37 Mile Point

    • Lind-Ritzville Middle School: maps.app.goo.gl/BozZgjAAiTizQB2f6 

• Palouse Day 5 - Lind to Marengo

  • Route

    • Part 1 maps.app.goo.gl/W2UW2DECDfSdo5nv6 

    • Part 2 Cow Creek Trestle Bypass (ridewithgps.com/routes/40171787) can't be mapped on Google

    • Part 3 maps.app.goo.gl/9AK4VQzySpX3VSbQA

    • connect.garmin.com/modern/course/344664473 

  • SAG Stops 

    • Pizarro

      • 46.9493, -118.4500

    • Ralston Memorial Park

      • https://maps.app.goo.gl/FJ3T75qTFukpwv7a7 

    • Marengo Road Crossing 47.02315, -118.19531

      • Planned Pickup Site

      • Silos

      • maps.app.goo.gl/Rtp6mMmbsS62kPPbA 

    • If Scouts want to keep going:

      • Benge-Ritzville Road 47.0502, -118.1222

        • 4 miles past Marengo Silos

        • maps.app.goo.gl/EdQb1c7req418nZW8 

        • You'll need gate code

      • Revere Silos 47.0833, -117.9251

        • 25 miles past Marengo Silos

        • https://maps.app.goo.gl/snBSFjVPXQEBBdqo9

    • Malden City Park

      • Camp Site

      • maps.app.goo.gl/nqNFZfWhERnTQM8e8 

• Palouse Day 6 - Malden to Idaho

  • Route

    • maps.app.goo.gl/32NDVgDtvs85kX9V8

    • connect.garmin.com/modern/course/344665976  

  • SAG Stops 

    • Steptoe Battlefield State Park Heritage Site in Rosalia

      • maps.app.goo.gl/Q28Zbbs1HPNQ3hyy5 

      • Restrooms

      • We used this as a Start Point - but it can be used at the first SAG stop if a longer route is used

    • SAG Wagon Stop at Pine Creek Bridge #1 on Summer Road

      • Bridge Bypass

      • 47.2395, -117.2711

      • Mile 7

    • SAG Wagon break at Lone Pine

      • 47.2212, -117.1522

      • Allow support vehicles enough time to get to vantage point to take picture of riders crossing Tekoa Bridge

    • Tekoa Trailhead 47.2289, -117.0755

      • maps.app.goo.gl/ujem32wDxMySpFLx8 

    • Pick Up: 47.2959, -117.0399

      • maps.app.goo.gl/9g3zDAroQyzWdxbF6 

      • Where Tekoa Idaho Road meets John Wayne Trail

HEAT

• NOTE: This is a "Scout Led Event", but it is the responsibility of the Adult Leads to keep everyone safe

  • Adults MUST take an active lead role in safety

• It was really HOT and we were under a heat advisory starting at 2PM Sunday through late Tuesday

• August in Eastern Washington should probably be avoided for units from Western Washington

  • We did it in August and we made it work

    • You may not be as lucky or prepared enough to make this work

  • July my be better

  • July or August will require experienced Adult Leaders who:

    • Know when to adjust the pace

    • Can make the call to take a rest break when needed

    • Will ensure scouts are drinking water and filling up water bottles

    • You really should have 2 Adult Riders who know how to avoid and treat heat injuries

      • Our Adult and Scout Lead were experienced in identifying and treating heat injuries

• We used Wet Bulb Globe Forecasts to help us plan next day rides

  • digital.weather.gov/?zoom=7&lat=46.91727&lon=-119.9908&layers=F000BTTTFTT&region=0&element=9 

  • Adjust this tool so that it shows Wet Bulb Globe Temperature 

  • Adjust times to see forecast and review hour by hour

• We had leader meetings every evening and reviewed the WBGT for each hour of the following day

  • Black conditions require an immediate vehicle extraction

    • All riding stops if safe to do so

    • Stopping on a blacktop road without shade is obviously worse than stopping  just about anywhere else

  • Red was to be completely avoided

    • Plan ahead to avoid these by adding a buffer and ending ride prior to becoming red

  • Small sections of orange may be acceptable

    • Long sections of orange should be avoided

    • Active cooling by pouring water over head and body may be needed

    • Limit exertion 

    • Early vehicle extraction may be needed depending on conditions during the ride and condition of riders

  • Yellow requires precautions

    • Leadership required to ensure hydration and proper pacing to avoid overheating

    • Later in the trip, one parent asked to avoid yellow conditions and to wake up earlier

      • This may be needed, depending the the Riders in your crew

    • It may not be possible or feasible to avoid Yellow conditions during a summer ride in Eastern Washington State

  • Green is "Safe"

    • You can still overheat in green conditions

    • Riding and resting in green is generally safe

• On Sunday through Wednesday we had hard finish times with safely buffers

  • Day 1 wasn't too hot

    • We got to the trailhead when we got there

    • It took a long time to figure out how to get bikes into a smaller trailer that we have never used before

    • We finished our ride for the day before it got really hot

  • Day 2 had a hard end time of 2PM with a goal of 12PM

    • We had a departure time of 6am

    • We just made it to the end by 2 PM due to very slow riding and many many long breaks

    • One Scout was very uncomfortable riding on loose gravel and traveled very slowly

    • We finished just before 2pm

  • Day 3 had a hard end time of 12PM with a goal of 10AM

    • After Day 2, we used a 5MPH travel time (to include breaks) to planning purposes

      • We also allowed riders to opt out of this section

      • Riders with narrower tires opted out - which helped with ride times

    • Wake up at 3AM with departure of 4PM

    • Finished before 10AM using shortcut

  • Day 4 had a hard end time of 12PM with a goal of 10AM

    • Wake up at 3AM with departure of 4PM

    • Finished around 10AM 

    • We were really hot at the end of this ride

      • We cooled everyone off by pouring water on them and taking an extended break in the shade

      • One adult rider was a borderline heat casualty at the end of this ride

  • Day 5

    • WBGT forecast for this day wasn't too bad and we were past the Heat Advisory

    • One parent asked for an earlier start to avoid any yellow conditions

    • Wakeup at 4AM with departure of 5AM

  • Day 6 was green all day

    • We slept in until 6AM and shortened the ride mostly to allow for timely return home

    • We did have to slow down scouts who wanted to race to the finish line

    • One scout actually asked if we could skip water resupply points - we said NO

• Pacing

  • One of our adult leaders is an experienced expedition provider and watched out for signs of heat stress

  • We slowed scouts when needed

  • We took breaks as needed

  • We poured water on scouts and one of our adults at a few points

  • On Day 4, scouts were pretty HOT after the final climb

    • We poured water on all each of them and had them rest in the shade before moving on

    • One adult leader did look concerning, but recovered after pouring water on him and allowing him to rest in the shade

      • It is important to note that our SAG Wagon set up two shade canopies at each stop and had cool water (sometimes with ice) for refilling and pouring on riders

  • If you allow Scouts to set an unsustainable pace, it is easy to push a few of them into heat exhaustion 

    • Adult Ride Leaders MUST ensure that Scouts and Adults at greatest risk of heat injury ride at a safe pace to avoid overheating.  This WILL slow the group AND extend exposure.  Adjust start time of rides and limit distance traveled as needed.

  • It is possible that a Scout or an Adult will find that NO pace is safe for them to ride at in the conditions experienced on the trail

    • At risk Riders can take a day off and hang out with the camp camp crew

    • Riders may wish to head home early

• Water

  • We had all Scouts fill up on water at each stop

    • We really had to push them to do this

    • Scout priority for some was to get on phones at breaks and disregard refilling water

  • Adult leaders and our Scout Lead had extra water bottles strapped to their bikes

    • We did use these on Day 5 at the Cow Creek Bypass

  • Daily reminders on why drinking water is important was required 

• Sports Drinks

  • These seem like a good idea, but should NOT take the place of your 2 bottles of water

  • One Scout vomited on a ride after drinking a mix of Crystal Lite and Red Bull

• Drinking Water

  • When is the last time you urinated?

    • If it's been a while or they don't remember, they should probably drink some water

    • Urine should have very like straw color 

      • Dark yellow urine suggests dehydration

      • Frequent stops to urinate clear fluids suggests over hydration

        • Over hydration has potential consequences such as electrolyte imbalances and hyponatremia 

        • Cooling can be enhanced by pouring a little water over head and back as needed

      • Dark brown or other funny colored urine should be reported to medic

  • Avoid forced hydration which causes other problems

    • Hyponatremia

    • Refractory cessation of drinking water when not being forced to drink water

    • Focus on education 

      • Importance of hydration on cooling and performance

      • Urine color and frequency 

Bike Transportation

We had 15 Riders and needed a Trailer, 4-bike hitch carrier, one bike strapped to the top of gear in a pickup truck and 2 extra bikes in a camper.

The trailer we used for High Adventure was smaller than the one we used previously - this made it challenging to get all of our bikes packed up for transport.  We sent spare bikes in different vehicle to meet us later in the day. 

Reconfiguring the trailer and use of 2 $5 cargo blankets from Harbor Freight allowed us to do this:

Mountain Bikes without bottle holders under the downtube were the easiest to load and transport (see above).  The gravel bikes required a little more care when loading and securing.  We really should have tested this trailer on previous rides.

For our hitch carrier, only certain bikes in a certain order would allow you to fit 4 bikes.  We took a picture to make future loading easier. 

HANDLE WITH CARE - We recommend that an experienced Adult Rider personally load and unload all bikes (Scout can move bikes to and from trailer).  This reduces the risk that a Scout will damage a bike during packing, transport or removal from trailer.  Damage to spokes or rear derailer could end the trip for a Scout or entire crew if it's an Adult Lead Bike. 

Bikes were locked during transport or when left out overnight.  

Bring multiple long cables (stored in vehicles) to allow you to lock up bikes in different configurations, such locking up bikes to different trees

Communications

Radios

• We had at least 8 radios

• You really should have a minimum of two radios

  • One for lead Adult

  • One for trail Adult

  • Additional radios for other ride leaders and drivers proved mostly helpful

• 6 plus Baofeng radios

  • Programed with special DCS (Digital-Coded Squelch) using a computer

  • We weren't able to access the DCS code during this Adventure

  • The programed channel we used early on did not allow these radios to hear broadcasts from other radios

• 2 Rocky Talkies

  • Dependable GMRS radios that transmit at 5-Watts

    • Avoid channels 8-14 which are limited to 0.5 Watts

• We were unable to match the DCS of the Baofengs

  • Baofengs were unable to hear transmissions from the Rocky Talkies when the special coded channel was used

  • Rocky Talkies could hear all transmissions

  • We solved this problem by changing to a 5 watt channel that the Baofengs weren't programed with DCS

    • Now all radios could communicate with each other

Satellite Messengers

• Lead Rider

  • Occasional messages/locations sent to support team during rides

  • Tracking map shared with troop

    • Parents and Safety Team and home to follow crew on website

• Roving Rider

  • Tracking on

  • Used by SAG Wagon to track riders

  • Also used once when Cell Coverage was out and we needed to get a simple message out

• Driver

  • Carried as emergency backup coms with cell coverage was not available 

Photography

• Most photos and videos were taken with smartphones

  • Lead rider had special feed bag just for phone

• Waterproof camera carried

  • Not used

• Video Recorders

  • Roving Rider had GoPro on bike

  • Lead Rider borrowed Sony recorder

    • Didn't work most of the time

• SAG Wagon driver took a lot of photos at stops and along the way

  • This was HUGE

• We used a private SmugMug account to consolidate and share images after the Adventure 

Bike/Gear Requirements

• Mountain Bike 

  • 2+ inch tires

    • To negotiate the soft gravel and sand on the trails, 2 inch or wider tires and needed for most Scouts to keep up with others

    • It is possible to run 32mm tires for this trail

      • Some experienced riders swear by this - likely gluttons for punishment

      • This will NOT work for Scouts - it won't, especially on Day 3

      • Scouts should not be allowed to ride Day 3 with tires narrower than 2 inches

    • We did have adults and one experienced Scout ride on 45-50mm gravel tires

      • These will work fine for the entire trip except for Day 3

        • The first 4 miles of the Yakima Training Center has soft sand (Day 3)

        • It is a real struggle to ride on anything narrower than 2 inches

          • Requires extra skill

          • Requires a lot more effort

          • Doable for experienced riders in good shape

    • What is the true minimum tire size?

      • An experience rider and get by with 35mm tires, but will struggle on first leg of the Yakima Firing center

      • Inexperienced riders with gravel tires will get thrown around when riding in loose gravel and slow the entire group to a crawl

      • Again - 2 inches is the minimum tire size that should be allowed for Scouts participating on this trip

  • Note on Bikes

    • We didn't want Scouts to fork out a lot of money for this trip

      • Money should not limit participation in Scouting

      • After completing this trail, we have a more realistic view on equipment needs

      • Plan to spend at least $750 for a bike

    • The quality of your bike matters

      • Several of the bikes used at the beginning of training were far from being acceptable for a 200 miles gravel trip

      • Older and economy bikes just don't ride the same as newer Mountain Bikes

      • In the future, our Ride Leads will have a much lower threshold on what bikes will NOT be allowed to ride on this trip

    • Road and Hybrid Bikes are NOT appropriate for this trail

    • Gravel Bikes should only be used by experienced riders who are in excellent physical shape

    • Recommendation:

      • Have Bike Expert in Troop shop for used/new bikes online

        • Ours found several REALLY NICE bikes sold because people were moving or only rode it once and didn't get into riding

        • $3000 bikes for $500-$750

      • Look for clearance sales on last year's models around Christmas time

        • Two of our Bike Leads rode new bikes purchased on Clearance prior to Christmas

• Helmet

  • Must fit - this should be apparent during training

    • Make sure your sunglasses work with your helmet

    • Sunvisors were NOT needed during training, but was really nice on early morning rides in Eastern Washington where we rode towards the rising sun

  • We threw several extras in the truck and didn't need them

• 10 essentials

  • Minimize 

  • Maps can be printed from links above

  • Fully charged cellphone is recommended for safety reasons

    • Yes - they are distracting and you'll need to decide on what rules you'll want to implement on use

• Bike Light 

  • We rode through several dark tunnels - one is 2.3 miles long!

  • We started 3 of our days in the early morning before sunrise and required good lighting to see the trail

  • Adult leaders brought extras

    • These were used by Scouts who lost theirs

  • We found out that one Scout didn't want to wear his headlamp because it blinded him when the light reflected back from his glasses - we learned this after we no longer needed lights towards the end of the 2025 Adventure

    • Make sure Scouts actually have lights, can mount them and they work (batteries, bright enough, don't blind them and fit their forehead if worn on head)

• Water – 2 liters

  • With frequent SAG Wagon stops, 2 liters is adequate

  • Bottles on bike (compared to carried on your back) are ideal

    • Feedbags on handlebars made it easier to access water and snacks while on the go

  • Camelback style bags are OK and preferred by some Scouts

    • These seem more difficult to fill for Scouts

  • 4 liters are better...but needs to be mounted on bike and not carried on back

    • This is what our main adult and scout leads carried

• Tire Repair Kit

  • 2 Spare Tubes AND patch kit

    • Recommend patch kit that uses cement

  • Those running tubeless setups were still required to carry tubes and a patch kit

    • We plugged one tubeless tire and the overpriced Dynaplug system used worked really well

    • We HIGHLY Recommend running Tubeless Tires

      • All but one of the Adult Riders and Scout Lead ran Tubeless

      • The one adult rider without Tubeless tires converted to Tubeless in camp after multiple flats on Day 3

        • We had lots of spare gear, including newish spare tires

        • We wished we did this conversion PRIOR to Day 3

      • Gravel Bikes also upgraded to GravelKing Pro Tires for this trip

• Backpack or Bike Bags

  • Not having a backpack not only allowed for easier riding, it also allowed for better cooling

• Snacks!

  • What we told our Riders to bring:

    • 1 snack per 30 minutes of riding

    • Plan on 6-8 hours of riding a day

    • Pack Daily Snacks in 6 separate Day Bags

  • With the quick breakfast followed by burrito breakfast and SAG Wagon stops with snacks, we hardly ate any snacks

    • Consumed maybe 3 snacks a day during rides

• Proper clothing

  • Padded Bike Shorts HIGHLY Recommended

    • Recommend that Scouts NOT sleep in these to avoid fungal infections

  • Safety Glasses (shaded!)

    • We brough extras

  • Pants and Long Sleeve Shirts will protect against the sun

    • Make sure pants don't get caught in chain

    • NO Jeans!

    • One Scout insisted on sweatpants

      • He did better than expected

      • Right pant leg was shredded from chain

Adult Rider Gear

This gear was carried by our primary Adult and Scout Leads

• Extra Water

  • Used on Day 5

• High Intensity Bike Light

  • Used on morning and tunnel rides

  • Mounting on top of helmet allows for more versatility 

    • Lead Adult and Youth Rider used Cateye AMPP 900 lights mounted on helmets

      • High intensity can be used for the 2 hours before sunrise without issues

      • Recharged at night 

• Extra Light

  • Carried as backup

  • Passed out to Scouts

• Headlamp

  • Good for bike repairs and gear checks if needed

• Bike Computer with GPS and route programed for each day

  • Vital to have

    • You MUST have a GPS computer in the group

    • Although possible, it would be foolish to ride without one

    • You should NOT attempt the Cow Creek Bypass without a GPS

• Tube, patch kit, pump

  • Used

    • We plugged one tubeless tire

    • Changed several innertubes - mostly on the same bike (converted to tubeless after Day 3)

  • Have Scouts use their pump at home so they know how to use it without breaking the valve (that's a thing) and have it set up for the valve type they are using 

• Bike tools

  • Used a few times

• Paper Maps

  • Nice reference to have - placed in top tube bag with transparent top for phone

• Permit with Gate Codes

  • Codes used several times east of Columbia River

• Reading Glasses

  • Not used during rides

• Radio

  • Used frequently and throughout the day

  • At a minimum, the trail rider and lead rider should have radios

• Satellite Messenger/Tracker

• First Aid Kit

  • Used several times - lots of road rash

• Extra Snacks

  • Passed out a few times

• Toilet paper or wet wipes 

  • Used several times

• Bike Shoes

  • Used by main Adult and Scout Leads

  • Was problematic during training for Scouts who didn't tighten down cleats correctly or know how to clip in

  • Only recommended for experienced riders

• Feedbags 

  • Used for snacks, water, phone (easy access for photos), radio and trash

• At Camp or in SAG Wagon - comprehensive repair kit

  • Included several bike locks and long security cables

  • Extra tires, tubes, valves, sealant and spare parts

  • Consider extra derailleur hangers for lead bikes

    • Hangers can be damaged when Scouts crash into you or when loading/unloading bikes

    • Broken hanger could mean the end of the trip if an adult leader's bike goes down

Food Plan

One Adult Driver took the lead on food with a backup adult.  They developed a menu, shopped for supplies daily and cooked "Quick Breakfast", Breakfast Burritos, put together lunch and cooked dinner for the adults.

The Scout Riders were responsible for Scout dinner, but there was some overlap.

Meals

• "Quick Breakfast"

  • Grab and Go food - mostly pancakes but oatmeal once

  • Sometimes cooked as early as 2am or the night before

  • Last day was individually packed cereal and milk (after we lost our primary cook)

• Breakfast Burritos

  • Delivered by SAG Wagon to first stop

  • Goal was to get Scouts out on trail ASAP for early rides

  • Made the night before or early in the morning

    • This was offered by our Food Team and wasn't rejected

    • They got up at 2AM on some days to prep meals

  • The burritos were so filling, we didn't dip into our snacks much

  • Our rides were slow enough that our bodies could handle the extra task of processing full bellies early in our rides

• Lunch

  • Sandwich materials - you make your own

  • After one ride, ingredients were left in coolers and Scouts weren't interested enough to get it out and make their own lunch

  • Our head cook had to head home early and we didn't have a lunch set up for the following day

    • Emergency plan - We used sliced up SPAM and Microwave Rice - which wasn't too bad

• Dinners

  • Different each night

  • Lots of instant mashed potatoes

    • Easy and seemed fine

    • Not great if you can't eat this

  • Hamburgers one night

  • Hotdogs and "bratwurst" one night

  • Spaghetti that was donated to us the last night

This was a learning process.  There wasn't enough food prepared for the first dinner or the first breakfast.  There isn't time to wait to see if everyone is full in the morning and cook more if needed. 

We had two double burner stoves and a grill for pancakes.

Daily Leader's Brief

We had a meeting every evening, generally right after dinner.  This included all Adults participants and the Scout Lead.

Topics/Agenda

• Recap of today's ride

  • From start to finish

  • List of everything that was problematic and what went well

  • Share funny stuff that Scouts did or said

• Weather Report

  • Overview of next day WBGT - hour by hour

    • An iPad was used to show group the hour by hour forecast

  • When needed - review of air quality

    • This did threaten to affect one day

  • Determination of when we want to be off the trail

    • Add is a small buffer

  • Backward planning based on expected Rider speed

    • Generally average 5MPH with breaks

      • Speed based on slowest rider

      • They can and should go faster, but they didn't - except on the last day

    • Some days required a departure time of 4AM with a wakeup of 3AM for riders and 2AM for cooks

• Route Overview

  • Review Route

  • Optional start and finish points if applicable

  • Key points along route

  • Challenges

• Scout Lead Report

• Addressing thoughts and concerns of each leader

• Finalization of plans for each team

  • Food Plan

  • Transportation Plan

  • Rider Plan

  • Swimming Plan

• Separate discussion between Adult Lead Rider and SAG Wagon Driver on when are where to meet the team

  • Points can be texted via group message

Swimming

Swimming was an option for most of the days on High Adventure.  This should be considered and planned for.

One adult leader took charge as the Aquatics Director.  When in doubt, have Scouts wear life vest in water.

Not sure about swim options?  Ask the locals, they know what's open and and what's available.  Websites are often nonexistent or out of date in this part of the world. 

Hospitals

Harborview Medical Center - Seattle

• Trauma Level I and Ped Level I

• Children's Hospital Seattle (Ped Level I)

Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center – Spokane

• Trauma Level II

• Providence Sacred Heart Children's Hospital (Ped Level II)

Kadlec Regional Medical Center - Richland

• Trauma Level II

• Pediatric Level III

Clinics

NOT for significant trauma

KVH Hospital – Ellensburg

• Level IV

• Kittitas Valley Urgent Care

MultiCare Yakima Memorial Hospital - Yakima

• Level III

Lind Medical Clinic - Lind

• Mom and Pop clinic

• We used it for a minor injury in 2025