The votes are in and Troop 60 has selected the Palouse to Cascades Trail as our High Adventure Route.

We have a lot of work ahead of us and will start reserving camp sites immediately.  

As a backup, we plan to ride the Olympic Discovery Trail should weather, wildfires or reservations on the Palouse prove to be undesirable. 

Leg 1

Rattlesnake Lake to Lake Easton

• This is the first leg of our epic adventure

  • It starts with a mild upward grade - not hard, but you will feel it

  • The second half has a light downhill grade - an nice boost to camp

• Starting at Rattlesnake Lake, Ending at Lake Easton- 38 miles

• Starting at Olallie State Park, Ending at Lake Easton - 34 miles

• Starting at Rattlesnake Lake, Ending at Hyak - 21 miles

• Starting at Olallie State Park, Ending at Hyak - 17 miles

Camp 

• Primary - Lake Easton

• Alternate - Cold Creek Campground (Park at Hyak)

• Backup - Roaring Creek Campground

• Backup - Thorp School

Sites

• Ragnar - Remnants of Railroad Depot

• Change Creek Trestle

• Hall Creek Trestle

• Mine Creek Trestle

• Garcia Station Sign

• Hansen Creek Trestle

• Avalanche Shed

• Snoqualmie Tunnel - 2.3 miles

• Keechelus Lake

• Keechelus Lake Avalanche Shed Remnants

• Tunnel 49 / Whittier Tunnel

• Yakima River Bridge

• Modern replacement of original Milwaukee bridge

• Tunnel 48 / Easton tunnel

Leg 2

Lake Easton to Kittitas

• Day 2 includes a gradual downslope to Ellensburg

  • Ellensburg is not a bad place to stop, and group can tour around the college campus

  • It's not that far to ride to camp if camping in Kittitas

• Starting at Lake Easton, Ending at Kittitas - 45 miles

• Starting at Lake Easton, Ending at Ellensburg (Kiwanis Park) - 38 miles

• Starting at Lake Easton, Ending at Thorp - 30 miles

Camp

• Primary - Kittitas

• Alternate - Camp Wanapum

• Backup - Lake Easton

• Backup - Ellensburg KOA

Sites

• Yakima River at confluence with Cle Elum RIver

• Cle Elum - Train station

• Tunnel 47 / Thorp Tunnel

• Tunnel 46 / Thorp tunnel

• Thorp - Fruit and Antiques plus Icee

• Trestle over Yakima River

• Trestle over Hwy 10 and BNSF RR

• Ellensburg - University

• Ellensburg - Recycle Bike Shop

• Historic Kittitas Depot 

Leg 3

Kittitas to Camp Wanapum

• This is the most challenging section of the trail

  • We travel through a remote section and through a military base

  • First part of trail through Army Base can be soft and has an uphill grade

  • Group should stock up on extra water and hit the trail early in the day to beat the midday sun

• Starting at Kittitas, Ending at Camp Wanapum - 32 miles (not including possible 4 mile shortcut)

• Starting at Prater Road, Ending at Camp Wanapum - 29 miles 

• Starting at Kittitas, Ending at Beverly (other side of Columbia River) - 30 miles  

• Starting at Prater Road, Ending at Beverly - 27 miles 

Camp 

• Primary - Camp Wanapum

• Alternate - Sand Hollow Campground

• Backup - Beverly Dunes

Sites

• Historic Kittitas Depot 

• Renslow Trestle

• Site of historic Boylston Depot

• Boylston Tunnel

• Cheviot

• Rye Station Sign

• Rock Cut

• Doris

• "New Doris" - 2 faucet water pump

• Cohassett Station Sign

• The Cove Park

Leg 4

Camp Wanapum to Othello 

• This section starts on gravel trails and transitions to road

  • Road is used in second part of ride as parts of trail have puncture vines and rest trail is unmaintained or is still used by rail road

  • Can stop pretty much anywhere along this path (30-50 miles)

  • There is a nice overlook of valley at 37 miles mark

• Starting at Camp Wanapum, Ending at Othello - 46 miles 

• Starting at Beverly , Ending at Othello - 39 miles 

• Starting at Camp Wanapum, Ending at 46.8025, -119.3298 - 37 miles 

  • Nice High Point and view of valley

  • Primary plan

• Starting at Beverly , Ending at 46.8025, -119.3298 - 31 miles 

Camp 

• Primary - Lind Park or School 

• Alternate - Ritzville Wheat Land Communities’ Fairgrounds

• Backup - Othello Fairgrounds

• Backup - Ralston - simple and free (509-659-0893)

Sites

• Beverly Junction

• Columbia River 

• Beverly Bridge

• Crab Creek Bridges

• Milwaukee Road Taunton Substation

• High point overlook of valley

Leg 5

Lind to Marengo 

• This section enters scablands

  • Trail section is pretty remote with limited camping opportunities

  • Goal is to get most out of this section and end at a reasonable spot

• Starting at Lind, Ending at Marengo - 25 miles (Silos)

• Starting at Lind, Ending at Benge-Ritzville Rd (around Carlmar) - 30 Miles (nothing here)

• Starting at Lind, Ending at Ewan - 50 Miles

• Can start in Ralston (16 miles east of Lind) if camping there

• Can start in Warden (32 miles west of Lind)

• There are a handful of gravel roads you can get picked up on or take to a paved road

Camp

• Primary - Rosalia City Park

• Alternate - Malden City Park

• Backup - Saint John Fairgrounds or Park

• Backup - Camp at Tekoa

Sites

• Lind Trestle - Missing Trestle

• Ralston - tiny town with park you can camp at

• Cow Creek Crossing

• Railroad crossing

• Marengo

• CPT and PTCT intersection (we don't plan to ride this far)

• Revere

Leg 6

Rosalia to Idaho

• This is the final stretch to Idaho

  • Last bit of trail has a few mud holes that you should walk around

  • Depending on how the group is doing, and where we camp, this last day can be as long or short as desired or needed

  • The Tekoa Trestle should not be skipped, unless you have a phobia

• Starting at Malden, Ending at Idaho Boarder - 35 Miles (can be shortened to 30 if you take PCM Road)

• Starting at Rosalia, Ending at Idaho Boarder - 25 Miles

• Starting at Tekoa, Ending at Idaho Boarder - 6 Miles

Sites

• Rosalia - cute town

• Rosalia concrete arch bridges

• Seabury Bridge

• Tekoa Trestle

• Tekoa - small town

• Washington-Idaho state line