Date: August 9-14, 2025
Day four was still under a Heat Advisory and like Day 3, we planned to end our trip by 10AM. Again, we woke up early for a quick breakfast and headed out on the trail in the early morning darkness. The ride started on a nice paved road before we were able to get back on the Palouse to Cascade Trail. We crossed over the Columbia River on the Beverly Bridge and found soft sand in sections. We could see our SAG Wagon in a mile in the distance and could smell the breakfast burritos as we got closer.
After second breakfast, we headed south for the road that paralleled the Palouse to Cascade Trail. Further east, the Palouse to Cascade Trail has "Goat's Head" Puncturevine, which would likely puncture every tire we had. The trail also looked overgrown, probably from years of riders avoiding this section. The road started off paved for a short distance then turned into a gravel road. There was another paved section through Smyrna, but the rest of route would be on gravel roads with gentle up and down hills.
We had a SAG Wagon supported break in Smyrna and at the Corfu historical site.
Our final leg include a short ride on Highway 26 and then up a steep steep road to an overlook of the Columbia Basin. We finished right as it started getting really hot and we had all the riders pour water over their heads and faces and take a break in the shade before loading up. There isn't a trail between here and our next campsite since there is an active rail line here.
We camped at the school in Lind. They were nice enough to allow us to sleep in the air conditioned cafeteria or lawn if we preferred sleeping under the stars.
Scouts spent the afternoon at the pool before returning to the school for dinner and sleep time. It would be another early morning wakeup to avoid heat the following day.