Best/easiest route from the Pacific to Michigan

[jamawani]

Oh, and about those two route options east of Yakima? Actually three.

You can look at my journal from this past summer - I took the direct route on WA 24 to Othello.
Once you cross the Vernita Bridge it gets really hairy.
It is brutal - it is very remote - it is very exposed - it has no shoulder - and it has heavy, fast traffic.
Even with all my experience, I found it nerve-wracking.

The southerly dip thru the Yakima Valley has the most services and shade.
Yes, it is longer.

Another option that would save about 10 miles is to head east on WA 24 and southeast on WA 240.
There is a cafe/bar at the junction of WA 24/WA 241 - but nothing else.
Traffic drop on WA 24 after Moxie, but is moderate to moderate+ on WA 240 - but with shoulders.

If you were to stay in Yakima either at a motel/Airbnb/ or the state park - it would be two days to Palouse Falls.
If you were to take the WA 24 / WA 240 route (which is not terribly scenic on WA 240) you might aim for Richland

If you were to do it in 2 1/2 days - with lots of time for Palouse Falls -
You could take the WA 24/WA 241  route to Horn Rapids Park at the junction of WA 240 & WA 225.
Then Pasco Kahlotus Road and down Burr Canyon Road to Winddust campground on the Snake River - little hidaway.
Then up thru the spectacular Missoula Floods era Devils Canyon to Kahlotus.
The views will erase any thought of the climb.
Kahlotus is barely holding on - but you get get the absolute essentials - food/water.
But since you have a vehicle - you can stock up in Pasco.

One thing to remember -
Many of these tiny towns are really struggling.
If they charge more - remember that there is no delivery truck - they drive to Costco to pick up their own supplies.
Dropping a few bucks in the last remaining business is a nice way to offer support.

J

[denisekessler1@gmail.com]

So Jama it looks like you think the Flesher Pass is easier/better than the adventurecycling route just south of Flesher?  If so then that is another map that I won't purchase.

I'm slow on the uptake but it looks like I can plan my entire tour on ridewithgps (?) and then I won't need to be rechecking maps.....although I may miss some of the nice details that the adventurecycling maps contain.

Also do you have any further opinion on: I am wondering what you think of following the southerly dip ridewithgps route from Yakima to Palouse Falls (151mi) or cut more directly across from Yakima to Palouse falls on rt 24 and 260 (131mi).  I don't know if there is a particular reason that ridewithgps chose the more southerly direction with 20 more miles?

Indybiz thank you.  I will check out the route you've offered in detail as well.  This is so helpful.  I am hoping to pick the most encouraging route for my son's first.......and hopefully not last........tour.

[jamawani]

Denise -

Flesher Pass is a shorter and easier route than the ACA TransAm.
The ACA route is a bit more scenic - but everything in western Montana is scenic.
Also, you would run into lots more cyclists on the ACA - which has its benefits.

If you are going to Bozeman it may be a tough slog heading east.
Yes, the L&C southern options is available - but it has a lot of I-90 & service roads.

Bear in mind that by the time you reach Montana you and your son will have your cycling legs.
Starting with easier grades is prudent, but you will be surprised how quickly both of you get in synch.

<<<>>>

I mentioned the various Yakima options above.
Hwy 24 east of Vernita Bridge sux - major time.
There hasn't been a ferry at Hanford for 80 years - would would be perfect.
So you almost have to go via Richland & Pasco.

<<<>>>

The West is more than 1/3 of the distance but less than half, usually.
That would come out to about 23 or 24 days out of 56.
Not including 2 days to start and 2 days to end for 60 total.

If Washington is 8 days - 8 x 60 mi = 480 mi -
And Idaho is an easy 3 days - the climb is gradual.
Then that gives you 12 days to do Montana Wyoming.

I love Going to the Sun Road in Glacier NP - but in mid/late June -
With all the snow we have been having, it might still be closed.

Yellowstone does have lots of visitor - a bit less in June -
But is is awesome to cycle through if you use some planning.
And heading east out of Yellowstone to Cody is one of the finest rides there is.

Just some ideas to further confuse you.

Pic - Soda Butte Creek in Yellowstone

[jamawani]

Two quick questions - -

1. How are you getting from Vermont out to the Pacific Coast?
Will you be driving all the way? Or flying and then renting a camper?
Obviously, if you drive - it will be more than 2 days getting started.

2. Are you planning to ride via the U.P and then down the L.P.?
If so then it would probably add a week to the 60 days I mentioned earlier.
There's the fast ferry from Milwaukee to Muskegon.
But the SS Badger from Manitowoc to Ludington is so much nicer.
('Cause I prefer slow to fast.)

[denisekessler1@gmail.com]

Oh no, the weekend is over and now I have more I want to research that you've sent to me.  Smile.
We are flying to Portland on June 14.  My husband will meet us 10-14 days later with a camper, so we'll be with our panniers for the first bit.
We'll need to decide what will be shortest once we near Michigan.....maybe going directly east from Sault St. Marie? Or cutting down and not going thru the UP (perhaps we could see that another year).
I'll look thru your latest notes.  Thank you again!!

[denisekessler1@gmail.com]

I see another forum post has asked you for your ideal trip across the US and I'm anxious to see your reply.  I've mapped the trip on ridewithgps.com but I don't pretend to know much of the details once on the eastern half of the trip.  I don't want to add a week to the trip if that what it takes to go thru the Upper Penninsula.

[denisekessler1@gmail.com]

Do I need to worry about snow starting June 14.  After reading another thread you have from Howard I am wondering?

[jamawani]

Denise -

I enjoy reading your posts - esp. about how short the weekend is.
I market "Day Stretchers" tm - for people with everything except enough time.
I suspect you will find the empty blocks of time and space on your trip delicious.
I don't listen to music or fixate on my gps maps or keep the gears in my head spinning.
I just pedal and look at things around me.

If you are flying into Portland without vehicle support at first - the Westport will be hard to get to.
The easiest places to reach on the coast are either Astoria or Tillamook.
How do you plan to get out to the coast - do you have a friend who might ferry you?
Otherwise there are morning & evening buses to both from downtown.
Also, I find it easier to ship my bike to a bike shop right on the coast -
Rather than schlep it through airports, trains, buses & taxis.
Sometimes it is cheaper to ship than to pay the airline bike fee, too.

Astoria would probably be the easiest to get to - plus they have a great bike shop.
Link to bus connection - http://oregon-point.com/northwest-point/
There's a scenic old shipwreck at Fort Stevens State Park.

What that means is that the initial ride will be busier and hillier than the Westport route.
Even though you may be following the Columbia River - there are high bluffs to cross.
I would suggest the first 30 miles on the Oregon side on US 30 -
Then take the Cathlamet Ferry to Wash and do 30 scenic miles on WA 4 to Longview.

There's camping in Cathlamet - plus an old historic hotel. It's a charming old river town.
Would you be camping or moteling it the first two weeks before your husband arrives?
Cathlamet would make a short 1st day with time for a slow start and not overdoing it.
2nd night could be up near Toledo and then onto US 12.

If you really want to stick with Westport as a starting point - it will take some work.

<<<>>>

Snow by mid-June in western Wash/Oregon - nope.
Although there might be some still on the ground at higher elevations.

<<<>>>

Care must be used with RidewithGPS and other Google maps.
Google is not necessarily our friend. Esp. in the West - if you pick the bicycle option -
it will send you on all kinds of dirt, private, closed, even nonexistent roads.
If there are no bike trails, sometimes it is better to use the auto option.

Have a nice week.

J

Pic - Cathlamet Waterfront (Not French like Cath-lam-MAY, but Chinook Cath-LAMM-it)

[denisekessler1@gmail.com]

So.....I am wondering what adventure cycling maps you recommend buying if any.  Thank you for the info about ridewithgps.  That could have been horrific.
If we head from Longview up to rt 12, it is not along the L & C and then thru all those mountains I have mapped from your recommendations which again are not L & C.  So do I buy any at the far west or start at Bozeman MT where it looks like we'll meet up with the trail?
I am dreaming this evening?

[jamawani]

Denise -

I'm not sure exactly what you have decided on - I've made a few recs as have others.
Most importantly - - some of my recs were based on your mentioning van support.
But then you added that your husband won't arrive for two weeks.

The meaning of "Easiest" changes in this case.
How do you place to get from Portland to your starting point? Which is??
There is one-way car rental to a number of point on the Ore/Wash coast.
A little pricey - but you can get to your starting point easily and get set up.
Public transportation is easiest to Astoria - much harder to places like Westport.

If you can answer those questions - a) starting point b) transport c) route -
Then I can answer your question more effectively.

[denisekessler1@gmail.com]

I must report that our plans have changed and we are now cycling from Anacortes across the Northern Tier.  After all of those specific directions and the Palouse Falls.  So, we will be going thru Glacier National Park.  Once we cross the Upper Penninsula of Michigan, we then will need to find the shortest route to the ocean.  With a string on a map it looks like the shortest route is near New York City (not doing that).  My son would love to end in Portland, Maine.
We are flying in to Portland Oregon on June 14 and then driving up to Anacortes (4 hours) the next day to where we will have shipped our bikes.  I'm thinking that starting out on that same day could be complicated so I'm wondering where to rent a room....or should we hit the road for 20 miles or so?  I was not intending to microplan the tour but each day or two make the plans for the next couple of nights ahead depending on how we start.  Is that okay?
We  will not have a support vehicle for the first two weeks so I am gathering tent and panniers and supplies for that time (and possibly 2 more weeks in the middle of the trip).  There will be myself, and a retiring friend, and my 14 yr old son, and then the first 2 weeks will have an additional gentlemen (all of us veterinarians....my poor son).
I would love to hear any and all suggestions.
Thank you.

[canalligators]

We almost always microplan the first and last days.  One option at the start is to ride to Bayview State Park, it's a short day from Anacortes.

The shortest way  from Michigan UP is to cross Mackinac and use North Lakes to go south around Lake Huron, across southern Ontario, then use the Northern Tier to Palmyra NY, then Erie Canal to Albany and NY Bike 9 to NYC.  The ride into metro NY is actually a decent ride, you don't enter the urban area until you cross the George Washington Bridge, then there's a bike trail down the west side of Manhattan.  Two blocks to Penn Station if you're taking Amtrak out, or consult the NYC Bike Map (online) for routing to JFK or LaGuardia.  Actually Newark is probably a better choice, though riding through Jersey City etc. will take some careful route planning.

[indyfabz]

I'm thinking that starting out on that same day could be complicated so I'm wondering where to rent a room....or should we hit the road for 20 miles or so?

Bay View State Park is about 13 easy miles from Anacortes, and you will have plenty of daylight. Sounds like a reasonable way to get you "feet wet," and means fewer miles the next day. Don't recall any grocery stores near the park. Closest was in Burlington, which is 8 miles each way. As such, you might want to carry from Anacortes. Howard Miller Steelhead County Park in Rockport has Adirondack shelters. They come in handy if it's been raining.

[denisekessler1@gmail.com]

Help.  I just received my new bike for this tour.  I need to ship it in one week.  The bike company but a chain ring of 2 and a 11 sprocket set.  In Vermont I'm having a little more trouble getting up the hills than I did on my 3 chain ring bike and I'm worried about the continental divide and 6000' in Washington as well.  Does anyone have input as to whether I should request a change to a 3 chain ring for this northern tour?  Is this all in my head or is it really not a good spread?

[Pat Lamb]

I've never understood why bike companies call something a "touring" bike with a 30-34 tooth small chainring.  Most of the climbing on WA 20 tops out around 5-6%, which you might be able to climb with a double and small ring of 30 if you're rested and lightly loaded.  Then there's Loup Loup Pass (he wrote ominously which starts with 3/4 mile of 8%.

If I were you, unless you've got a mountain double with a 26 or smaller ring, I'd take it in and tell them to put a triple on.  Mountain triple, and a 24 is better than a 26 small ring.