To Moscow ID

June 21, 2023

Bagged another trail

The Siesta Motel delivered an excellent sleep, capped off by a soak in the big bathtub this morning. We definitely got our money’s worth here and have regained our will to pedal.

That’s good, because the ride today starts with a stiff two and a half mile climb out of Colfax on WA272, the Scenic Byway to Palouse. Even with the hard start, my legs feel pretty good. And how are Barry’s legs after recovery day you might ask? “Fine, same as always,” says the cycling machine.

The scene is even more beautiful this morning than our first two days in the Palouse, at least partly due to sunnier skies and cottony clouds, and partly because the bigger hills give us better vantage points. And possibly this is a particularly pretty area based on what we’ve seen so far.

Passing by one farm we draw the interest of a big loud black Lab who gallops out after us with a lusty bark. When I give him a blast on my trusty whistle he shuts up, turns around and retreats. First time on this trip that I’ve had the magic whistle hanging around my neck when I needed it.

It’s difficult to capture the expansive views here with a phone so I crab-walk up a steep embankment for a better look. Barry captured the moment, sharpshooter that he is.

This farm has a cool collection of antique equipment. I get the feeling it could be original to the property.

We get to the cute little town of Palouse at lunchtime and settle in at the Palouse Caboose Bar & Grill. The caboose is front is set up for kiddos to climb around. We share a table outside with Glenn, Judy, Ruth and Jim, all retired farmers from nearby. Jim tells us that most of the farms around here are still run by families, not conglomerates, preserving the character of the area.

I really wanted to stay in Palouse at the Riverside Retreat, the only lodging I could find in town but it was booked solid. Maybe another time.

The next 15 miles to Pullman on WA27 go by quickly. It’s cloudier so just one picture from this leg.

All the clouds and trees seem to be pointing at each other

In downtown Pullman we make a quick stop at B&L Bicycles to replace Barry’s water bottle that went missing a couple days ago. The working theory is that it fell off the bike when he went over a bump as he was flying down from Steptoe Butte. We have 3 liter Camelbacks attached to the bikes but it’s good to have at least one bottle too.

We’ll probably be back here tomorrow. Barry’s tire is looking tired.

We’ll take a closer look at the Washington State University campus tomorrow when there’s more time.

While studying a map of Idaho bike trails a couple months ago I spotted the Bill Chipman Palouse Trail that runs from Pullman to Moscow, and then saw that there is a WarmShowers host in Moscow. We are trying to ride as many trails as practical on our general route, and can’t pass this one up. It’s a lovely ride with lots of other cyclists and runners on this sunny afternoon.

This is our third time crossing into Idaho but the first time we’ve seen a welcome sign, just because it’s by WA 270 that runs parallel to the trail to Moscow.

Apparently I am misinformed about the origin of the name “The Palouse.” A sign along the trail explains that contrary to the common belief that it comes from pelouse, the French term for a grassy expanse, the origin of the name is Palus - the major village of the Palouse Indians at the confluence of the Snake and Palouse rivers. We also learn here that the windblown silt called loess that formed the rolling hills of the Palouse is as much as 100 feet deep in places, and among the country’s most fertile soils.

The Bill Chipman Trail connects us to the Paradise Creek path in Moscow and we make our way downtown to pick up a bottle of wine for dinner. Then we ride on to meet Jim Prall - “Prall” to his friends, our WarmShowers host for tonight.

Prall’s wife Caroline Berman, “Dotsy” to her friends, is off on a cycling tour in New York and has left him many instructions for dinner. Two other visitors are here for the night - John from Salt Lake City who is riding to Seattle, and Melia, an old friend.

We have a grand time over Prall’s homemade spinach-and-elk lasagne and a big salad, capped off with the Tillamook chocolate ice cream that Dotsy said must be on hand. She’s an excellent remote host, and also the person who told us about the ancient Ross Creek Cedars that we rode up to in Montana, a beautiful little detour.

Prall in front of the lower level apartment at his home, our deluxe accommodation for the night.

Me with Barry, Prall, Melia and John with the million dollar smile

So our Z-shaped ride today was not the most direct route but it was thoroughly enjoyable the whole way, with a fabulous finish.

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Today's ride: 44 miles (71 km)
Total: 807 miles (1,299 km)

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