This past weekend, I chaperoned a scout troop on the John Wayne trail from the South Cle Elum trailhead, all the way to the Columbia River at the Beverly trailhead. We were dropped off and began riding East on well packed rail bed, under I-90, and above and along the Yakima river. Pretty scenery everywhere. Once in Ellensburg, we went east on 14th to Alder, and then South on Alder until we saw the trail continuing east off to the left. The trail is good here also and we finished Day 1 by being picked up at the Kittitas trailhead. We shuttled to, and camped overnight at, the Wanapum campground.

     The next morning, we shuttled back to the Kittitas trailhead to continue on Day 2. The trail condition around Kittitas was pretty good with some horsey footprints and waste but not a hassle to avoid. Once you get to the trestle over I-90, and into the Army’s Yakima Training Center, the softer, sandy, trail begins. You need to begin your gradual ascent in the looser, sandy, mush up to the Boylston tunnel (closed indefinitely) and its well marked bypass route. Once you summit over the tunnel, you begin descending to the Columbia very gradually through the Army land. There are a couple trail segments where larger crushed rock might cause caution but it isn’t bad currently. The descent was enjoyable and pretty in places with the exception of two flat tires the troop needed to fix. The views in the Columbia descent were wonderful and the trip over the Columbia to finish at the Beverly trailhead was memorable. I was on my gravel bike with a 42mm tire on front and a 38mm tire on back. Find some time in your endeavors to do one, or both, of these Day 1 or Day 2 excursions we did.

Day 1......

Day 2 .....