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• Yakima Region Tour

  • Start
    16 May 2025
  •  
    10:00 AM
  • End
    19 May 2025
  •  
    4:00 PM
  • Location
    Yakima Washington Area
  • Spaces left
    0

  Yakima Region Hub and Spoke Tour

  January 2, 2025 Update

  The Canyon Ride Date is Official

  Be sure to register for the individual rides!

  Several of you have ridden the Yakima Canyon between Ellensburg and Selah during the "Your Canyon For A Day" event where they close the road to most cars during the middle of the day. For those of you that have not ridden the canyon, you're missing out. It's beautiful - at least in my Central Washington loving opinion. The plan is for a four ride, steady pace hub and spoke tour centered in Yakima that includes the canyon ride, a ride to Zillah for tacos with a winery stop on the way back, a loop through Tieton and Naches returning along the greenway, and on the way home, a loop through the eastern portion of the Kittitas Valley from Rotary Park in Ellensburg.

  Now that we have an official date for the Canyon ride, we can put the rest of the details in place for the tour. Fortunately, the tentative date stuck so there are no changes to the overall tour dates. 

  I am listing each ride separately.  That means you need to register for each of the rides you want to do.  I know it's a pain, and I wish I could just transfer registrations in the background, but I can't.  There's are several reasons for doing it this way.  The biggest one is that not everyone wants to do all four of the rides, and this allows people to register for what they want to ride.

  Please read the descriptions for the individual rides and register for the rides you want to do!

  
  

  ---------- Original Posting  ----------

  Several of you have ridden the Yakima Canyon between Ellensburg and Selah during the "Your Canyon For A Day" event where they close the road to cars for most of the day. For those of you that have not ridden the canyon, you're missing out. It's beautiful. The plan would be for a four ride, steady pace hub and spoke tour centered in Yakima that includes the canyon ride, a ride to Zillah for tacos with a winery stop on the way back, a loop through Tieton and Naches returning along the greenway, and on the way home, a loop through the eastern portion of the Kittitas Valley from Rotary Park in Ellensburg.

  The rides would be about like this: Yakima Area Routes

  
  

  Important Note About Dates:

  There has been enough interest to put this on the calendar as a place holder, partly to help me manage my own calendar.  I called and checked on the "Your Canyon For a Day" ride in 2025.  They have a tentative date, but no final agreement yet.  Since the tour is scheduled around the canyon ride, don't be surprised if the dates move by a few days should they canyon ride date change.  We should have final dates well in advance. 

  
  

  Other Notes About the Canyon Ride:

  I show a longer ride with a loop through Ellensburg.  There is also a shorter option that turns around at Thrall road at the north end of the canyon.  Since this an organized event, people can choose how far they want to ride.  It's not necessary for everyone who signs up to ride the same route.

  The canyon ride is a paid event.  It was $65 last year and included a t-shirt.

  Show details
• Yakima Tour Day 1 - Zillah for Tacos and Wine

  • When
    16 May 2025
  •  
    10:30 AM - 4:00 PM
  • Location
    Moxee City Park, South Rivard Road, Moxee, WA
  • Spaces left
    1

  Register

  Yakima Region Tour - Day 1

  Moxee to Zillah for Tacos and Wine

  
  

  The Essentials

  Where: Moxee City Park on South Rivard Road in Moxee, WA

  When: Friday, May 16th, 2025 @ 10:15AM for a 10:30AM rollout

  Pace: Steady (12 - 14 mph)

  Route: Mmmm, Tacos!, 35.4 miles, 1564' of elevation gain

  Ride Leader: Paul Heydron, + 1 425 344 1543, paulh.wa@comcast.net

  If you are already registered for the Yakima Region tour and want to do this ride, please resister for this also!

  
  

  The Description

  The plan is for a steady pace ride from the hop capital of the world, beautiful (being kind here) Moxee, WA over the hill to Zillah wine country and back.  Along the way we'll stop at Stewart Park in Zillah to see the Teapot Dome Service Station then head over to Taqueria La Plazita to pick up some lunch.  The plan is to pack the lunch and head back toward Moxee with a stop at Two Mountain Winery for lunch and a perhaps a bit of wine tasting.  After that we'll head back over the hill to Moxee and wrap up the ride for the day.

  
  

  Nuts and Bolts

  HAVE A FLASHING TAIL LIGHT!  A headlight is good too.

  Last time I was there, there was a public restroom at the park in Moxee.  It's been a while though so no promises.

  You don't have to have tacos.  Feel free to bring a lunch or there are fast food choices a few blocks from Stewart park.

  We'll likely take a gravel road part of the way back - see the RWGPS route.  This road isn't always open.  If it's not there is an easy detour on paved roads.

  See the Two Mountain Winery website (linked above) for tasting information.  Remember that riding under the influence is (a) not legal, (b) not safe, (c) really not a good idea in general, and (d) your responsibility, no one else's.

  Remember to bring the usual stuff - snacks, a lunch if you want to pack it, essential bike tools - especially flat repair equipment, sunscreen, and plenty to drink.

  The mean daily high temperature is around 75F in mid-May.  It can be substantially hotter or colder though.  May is usually pretty dry, but not completely.  Plan accordingly.

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• Yakima Tour Day 2 - Tieton and The Yakima Greenway

  • When
    17 May 2025
  •  
    10:45 AM - 3:00 PM
  • Location
    Gilbert Park, Lincoln Avenue, Yakima WA
  • Spaces left
    0

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  Yakima Region Tour - Day 1

  Tieton and the Yakima Greenway

  The Essentials

  Where: Gilbert Park off of Lincoln Avenue, Yakima, WA

  When: Saturday, May 17th, 2025 @ 10:30AM for a 10:45AM rollout

  Pace: Steady (12 - 14 mph)

  Route: Not Much in Tieton, 35.8 miles, 1,582' of elevation gain

  Ride Leader: Paul Heydron, + 1 425 344 1543, paulh.wa@comcast.net

  If you are already registered for the Yakima Region tour and want to do this ride, please resister for this also!

  
  

  The Description

  The plan is for a steady pace ride from the west side of Yakima out through Cowiche to Tieton and then returning along the Naches River via the Yakima Greenway Trail.  We'll stop in Tieton for lunch, thus the later start.  There's not a lot in Tieton, but the Nomad Kitchen, Santos Bakery, and Don Mateo have good reputations.  Of course you can bring your own lunch and there is also a convenience store.  Lunch may be in Tieton City Park. The ride out along Summitview Road isn't the most peaceful.  It's a busy road but has a wide shoulder.  The route may be altered to take a few of the back roads, but expect a similar distance and elevation gain.

  
  

  The ride along the Yakima Greenway is just the opposite, it's a well developed, peaceful, paved, urban trail along the Naches river.  There are parks, restrooms, and other amenities, but that also means traffic near the main trailheads.  We'll return to the start through Yakima.

  
  

  Nuts and Bolts

  HAVE A FLASHING TAIL LIGHT!  A headlight is good too.

  No restroom at the start.

  Remember to bring the usual stuff - snacks, a lunch if you want to pack it, essential bike tools - especially flat repair equipment, sunscreen, and plenty to drink.

  The mean daily high temperature is around 75F in mid-May.  It can be substantially hotter or colder though.  May is usually pretty dry, but not completely.  Plan accordingly.

  Show details
• Yakima Tour Day 3 - The Canyon

  • When
    18 May 2025
  •  
    10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
  • Location
    S Canyon Road at the Roza Recreational Area
  • Spaces left
    4

  Register

  Yakima Region Tour - Day 3

  The Yakima Canyon

  
  

  The Essentials

  Where: S Canyon Road at the Roza Recreational Area

  When: Sunday, May 18th, 2025 @ 9:45AM for a 10:00AM rollout

  Pace: Steady (12 - 14 mph)

  Route 1: The Official Route, 35.1 miles, 1,364' of elevation gain

  Route 2: A Little More, 53 miles, 1,497' of elevation gain

  Ride Leader: Paul Heydron, + 1 425 344 1543, paulh.wa@comcast.net

  If you are already registered for the Yakima Region tour and want to do this ride, please resister for this also!  You also need to register for the event!

  
  

  The Description

  This ride is an annual event that benefits Crime Stoppers of Yakima County.  You need to do two things.  First, register for the this ride here, with BIKES Club.  Second, you need to register and pay for the ride here.  Registration is not yet open.  Check the linked site to see when it is.

  Now, about the ride ...

  The ride starts at the south end at the Roza Recreation area and heads to the north end of the canyon at the Yakima Canyon Interpretive Center near Thrall Road.  It's a pleasant 17.5 miles out, slightly up hill and usually against the wind, which of course makes the way back slightly downhill and usually with the wind.

  For those that want a little more, I've included a second option that leaves the official route and takes a loop through Ellensburg.  The route shown goes past Super 1 foods and other places to pick up lunch then shows a stop at Rotary Park for a place to enjoy it.

  Before the ride, please let me know which route you plan to take.  We will make sure there is a ride leader for each route.

  Please read the description on the registration we site.  They state there will be "light snacks and water along the route", but there's not a lot in the canyon, so plan to bring enough to eat and drink and consider the light snacks and water as bonus.

  Nuts and Bolts

  HAVE A FLASHING TAIL LIGHT!  A headlight is good too.

  The last time I was at Roza it was a pit toilet.  I can't imagine it being closed when the hold the ride, but I can imagine it being pretty ... adventurous.  Plan accordingly.

  Remember to bring essential bike tools - especially flat repair equipment, sunscreen, and plenty to drink.

  The mean daily high temperature is around 75F in mid-May.  It can be substantially hotter or colder though.  May is usually pretty dry, but not completely.  Plan accordingly.  The canyon can have it's own weather.

  Show details
• Yakima Tour Day 4 - Ellensburg Parke Creek Loop

  • When
    19 May 2025
  •  
    10:30 AM - 4:00 PM
  • Location
    Rotary Park, West 5th Ave, Ellensburg, WA
  • Spaces left
    4

  Register

  Yakima Region Tour - Day 4

  Ellensburg Parke Creek Loop

  
  

  The Essentials

  Where: Rotary Park off of West 5th Ave, Ellensburg, WA

  When: Monday, May 19th, 2025 @ 10:15AM for a 10:30AM rollout

  Pace: Steady (12 - 14 mph)

  Route: Farms, canals, and rocks, 37.2 miles, 1,045' of elevation gain

  Ride Leader: Paul Heydron, + 1 425 344 1543, paulh.wa@comcast.net

  If you are already registered for the Yakima Region tour and want to do this ride, please resister for this also!

  
  

  The Description

  Time to head home, but one last ride on the way.  We'll start at Rotary Park in Ellensburg and loop east through the Kittitas Valley along rural farm roads, head north across I-90 and then along Parke Creek for a bit before turning west and heading back to Ellensburg.  After that I'm going to go to The Tav and have a Hawaiian Fowl Mother on the back patio before driving home.

  
  

  If you haven't seen the Ellensburg wind gauge, the local paper has a picture here.  Yeah, it's a joke ... but kind of not.  We'll ride out, which is uphill, with the prevailing wind and back, which is downhill, into the prevailing wind.  Unless it's an epically windy day.  Then I'm just going to head to the TAV before going home.  May is usually pretty good ... don't let the headline in the news article scare you off.

  
  

  Once leaving Ellensburg there's not much in the way of amenities.  Hit the bathroom at the park before leaving town and bring enough snacks and water.

  
  

  Nuts and Bolts

  HAVE A FLASHING TAIL LIGHT!  A headlight is good too.

  Remember to bring the usual stuff - snacks, a lunch if you want to pack it, essential bike tools - especially flat repair equipment, sunscreen, and plenty to drink.

  The mean daily high temperature is around 75F in mid-May.  It can be substantially hotter or colder though.  May is usually pretty dry, but not completely.  Plan accordingly.

  Show details
• Mid-Oregon Multi-Mode Tour 2025

  • Start
    16 Jun 2025
  •  
    9:00 AM
  • End
    20 Jun 2025
  •  
    7:00 PM
  • Location
    Salem & McMinnville, OR
  • Spaces left
    4

  Register

  Mid-Oregon Multi-Mode Tour 2025

  This tour is an opportunity for adventure travel from Snohomish County by bike, train, and even a ferry to visit the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon.

  Ride Leaders:   

  Rick Proctor, BikeHound@comcast.net, 425-293-3153

  Cindy Proctor, proctorcj28@comcast.net, 425-293-3152

  The Plan:

  Day 1 Monday June 16^th:

  • Get yourself, your bike, and your stuff to the Amtrak station where you will board the train.  Everett and Edmonds are the only stations in Snohomish County that will support Trainside Checked Bicycle Service.  Amtrak has rules for travelling with bikes.  Reservations for you and your bike are strongly recommended.
  • You, your bike, and your stuff will need to change trains in Seattle, then continue to Salem, OR.
  • In Salem, ride your bike 1.4 mile with all your stuff to a 3-star hotel near the Willamette River. 

  Day 2 Tuesday June 17^th:

  • Ride your bike with all your stuff to a 3-star hotel (2 nights) in McMinnville.
  • Choose between 2 scenic routes:
  • • Short BIKES Club route of 30 miles with 840 ft of gain (steady effort).
    • Longer BIKES Club route of 35 miles with 1,626 ft of gain (moderate effort).

  Day 3 Wednesday June 18^th:

  • Visit the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum.  This is where the “Spruce Goose” is located among many more aircraft, spacecraft, and related stuff.
  • 3.4 bike miles each way between hotel and museum.
  • Optional: ride your bike on a local scenic RWGPS route of 31 miles and 355 ft of gain.

  Day 4 Thursday June 19^th:

  • Ride your bike & stuff via a different route to the same 3-star hotel in Salem as the first night.
  • Choose between 2 routes with the Wheatland Ferry across the Willamette River:
  • • Short BIKES Club route of 32 miles with 500 ft of gain (steady effort).
    • Longer BIKES Club route of 34 miles with 600 ft of gain (moderate effort).

  Day 5 Friday June 20^th:

  • Reverse of day 1 to get home.
  • Different 1 mile bike route from hotel to Salem train station.

  Note: Steady and moderate efforts are normal steady and moderate road paces slowed down by a touring load of gear, uphills, headwinds, etc.  Frequent regroups.

  Your Responsibilities:

  • Make your own Amtrak reservations for you and your bike.
  • Make your own lodging reservations.
  • Acquire your food in commercial food joints.  Our chosen hotels provide breakfast.
  • Carry picnic lunches for days 2 & 4.
  • Group size limited to the available bike spaces on the train (10 max).
  • If this sounds like your idea of fun and you want to go, please Register for this event as soon as possible.  Details for each day will be provided if there is sufficient interest. 

  
  

  
  

  Show details