Wildwood

Can't the info be kept current here on BF **************************************************?
I avoid Googl and Faceplant like the plague.

gugie 

A lot of people like to keep some of their info private. If you post here, it's not private.The PM feature isn't nearly as robust and useful as Google Groups. The Google Group @scozim set up is a private group, and works more or less as a shared distribution list. It's really just a shared, private distribution list.

Wildwood

Please post any changes to vital info here.

scozim 

No problem - I definitely will.

scozim 

Add'l info:

Sunday, we can caravan up to Plummer, ID if folks want and do a ride on the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes before folks head back.

Bring your food for lunch for Saturday and my dad will meet us about half way with the food and refills for water bottles.

Hotel info in Colfax:

Siesta Motel - 509-397-3417, this is the oldest hotel in town. Was there 40+ years ago when we moved there.
Best Western - 509-397-0397

For those that want to RV it (Mark mentioned that) I would recommend the Steptoe RV Park - 509-595-2020. Right on Hwy 195 you would hear car noise but it's convenient at $20 a night with full hook ups.

Spokane is approximately an hour north of Colfax if you're flying in.

rccardr 

Andy_K 

scozim 

Not a ton of places to eat since Colfax is so small - but the Hyde Out Bar & Grill would probably do quite well for this group.

There's also Sol Vallarta (Mexican) and Eddy's Chinese and American (probably been there 40 yrs). For breakfast on Saturday I would recommend the Top Notch Cafe.

Note: Colfax has one grocery store and 3 stop lights. It's not very big.

I'll also consult with my dad on the best ride for Sunday for folks. As mentioned the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes is always good if folks want to drive an hour or so to the start. Or we stay more local to Colfax.

ollo_ollo

I was just set to announce that Bastille Day display is off, due to a family obligation that day, so @Andy_K and @gugie are off the hook with me. Palouse ride looks to be coming together quickly. Don

scozim 

Here's a couple of older photos if the Sunday choice is to ride south to the Snake River - it's really hard to capture the dramatic nature of it when you're at the top of the canyons and looking down to the river.







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jrbz

I just returned home (1000 miles away) from the Palouse. My Mom lives just west of St. John. Rode 5 of the 7 days I was there, totally Excellent! Good roads, minimal traffic and wonderful, friendly people. Lots of good loops to ride too. Over the 35 years I've been going down there I've put in thousands of kilometers and never had a bad ride yet. Can't recommend it enough. I'll second scozim's recommendation of 28mm minimum tire width, I'm on 35's. Most of what I rode was sealcoat, some gravel, and some beautiful new pavement.

Sadly the rest of my summer is booked up so I won't be joining you, but I'm sure it will be a great event.

Cheers, J

gugie 

@Andy_K just mentioned to me yesterday that I was double booking myself!

I woulda done Bastille Day, honest!

Thanks for the info.

Reco Very

I'm still planning for this...although the hot weather we are already having is slowing the training down.

Andy_K 

That's a bummer about the Bastille Day display. On the positive side it means my schedule is open for this ride.

Falcon3

ollo_ollo

Daughter/SIL arriving from Tennessee, so not all bad. There's always next year. Don

scozim 

One other piece of info for those seeking hotels - Pullman (the home of Washington State University, Go Cougs!) is 15-20 minutes south of Colfax and has several hotel options as well.

So far, we're looking at 11 either confirmed or seriously considering with a couple other maybe's. Excellent!

Falcon3

ryansu

Great shots, I spent a lot of time as a kid on car rides from Portland to the Loomis WA to the grandparents house (Okanogan valley near the border with Canada,- go to Tonasket and hang a left) so those pictures bring back some memories of driving through Central WA

Belg-Ital Steel 

[QUOTE=scozim;20244334]I posted this thread a few years back after riding Cino Heroica and doing a training ride in the farming country I grew up in - known as the Palouse. Three years of softball coaching took my time away from riding or doing this ride again. I'm now a backup coach and am definitely going to do this ride again. I welcome anyone to join if they want.

Ride name: Tour de Palouse (haven't been able to come up with anything better). This is just an informal and fun get together.

When: Saturday, July 14, 2018, 9 am start

Ride: Rolling mixed gravel/pavement (one downhill with some washboard) including a climb to the top of Steptoe Butte - there's a couple of steep stretches but the view is fantastic

Ride stats/route: Just shy of 60 miles, 4500 ft of elevation gain See it here

Bikes: whatever you want - vintage L'Eroica style, mtbs, modern cross bikes, etc (would recommend 28mm minimum tire width), If an mtb, you probably wouldn't want anything much wider than 2.1" tires otherwise the pavement would be pretty slow. I rode it on my PX10 and the bike did great.

Starting location: Colfax, WA, Schmuck Park

Where to stay: There are a couple of hotels in Colfax. Pullman is about 20 minutes away and has hotels too. Spokane is an hour away.

Food: haven't given this much thought other than folks should bring their own and I'm sure I can arrange with my dad to meet us around the mid-way point for a lunch stop.

This would take care of Saturday. If folks wanted to ride on Sunday I would recommend doing the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes. I will more than likely need to drive back home on Sunday afternoon or early evening depending on available vacation time.



I know there were some that expressed an interest years ago including @northbend, @Drillium Dude, @Roger M, @The Thin Man. I'm sure there were a few others but I can't remember right

Belg-Ital Steel 

Interested. Plan to be RVing around Moscow/CDA area in July. If folks have an extra day in the general area? Pullman, Wa. to end of trail past Troy, Id and back is a relatively easy roughly 45 miles paved old rail bed ride with nice Palouse Country views.

scozim 

Updated info from the google group with ride terrain details:

I've gotten a couple of questions regarding the terrain and ride for Saturday. After we leave we'll go a little over a mile and have to climb out of the valley. That's not a fun one because it's close to the start but climbing is the only way to get out of Colfax unless you're headed south to Pullman.

Weather in mid-July is typically high 70's and into the 80's. There can be wind, but little to no humidity.

Here's a link to the course on Mapmyride. I'll figure out a way to have queue sheets for roads we use (i.e. where to turn) before we take off.

The terrain is pretty much rolling with the exception of Steptoe Butte. There's a short steeper section at the bottom and then the last loop at the top is probably 7-8%. The bigger issue is wind as you come around from a non-wind side and then hit it head on. But, it's only 3 miles or so to the top.

I don't expect this to be a competition - we can group together at stop signs and hilltops if needed. I love to climb and sometimes have fun with that but often wait for others at the top. I may ride ahead at times to make sure folks don't miss a turn. From what I gather most of us are in our 50's - 60's.

If all goes as planned I will be riding my PX-10 with 28mm tires.The gravel roads can have some loose gravel (smaller size) and occasional wash board (especially on the one longer downhill but not anything like Cino Heroica had). There are a couple of sections of dirt roads which should be hard packed because wheat harvest won't have started by then. Last time I did this course I was running 52-42 and 14-28. A triple or compact double will work fine.

Sunday's ride on the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes is basically flat smooth pavement. The hills at the ends of the trail are 1-2% grade. It's an old railroad bed - total length is 75 miles or so from end to end. We will start in Plummer, ID and ride east toward Kellogg. 14 miles in we'll go through Harrison where there should be an option to refill bottles, grab a snack at the marina. After that there's not much until you get to Osburn (just west of Kellogg). This is usually my turn around apot at mile 53-54. There's a Walmart right there and I typically buy a sandwich and refill the bottles with Gatorade, water, etc.

northbend 

You know Doc, if you could fly in/out of Seattle and extend your stay another day or so, I'd love to guide you thru Mt Rainier National Park on a bike. Specifically, RATROD. A ride out of Packwood, around the Tatoosh Range counterclockwise thru the Park. Amazing views, long but gentle climbs, eat lunch and play a bit in the snow up at Paradise Lodge, then ride out of the park and back to Packwood via Skate Creek road. About 60 miles.

Pictures
Stevens canyon

Stevens Canyon by NBend, on Flickr


Ty ascending Stevens Canyon Road, Mt. Rainier National Park by NBend, on Flickr

Tattoosh Range as seen near Inspiration Point

Tatoosh Range in the distance by NBend, on Flickr

gugie 

Man, those are some great pics. I rode just a tiny part of that coming down from White Pass to Randall through Packwood, and that was pretty enough.

rccardr 

Wow- those pics are amazing. Would love to do that, and appreciate the invite Matt, but have a whole bunch of travel both before and after the Palouse trip. Mrs. Doc has informed me that we are on the road literally every week/weekend in July.
So, will have to pass this time around. BUT if Cino happens this year, maybe I can loop around to Seattle before/after.