Day Twenty Three - 2 Predidentials, 1 IBEW & the "Rattle Snake Grade"

Here was another day we had planned for a little shorter than usual due to hotel considerations. We were glad to be able to sleep in a bit, getting up at 6:15 AM. The hotel breakfast we good, but a bit crowded (we're used to getting there before the rush). We rolled out of the parking lot at 7:21 AM. It was 72 there, but not far after we got onto I-90 eastbound it dropped quickly down to 64 and then 61. It was bordering on us having to stop and add a layer but then it started warming up - quickly. By the time we got to our exit for WA-243 southbound, it was already 79 and climbing!

WA-243 hugged along the Columbia River again for a while. We went by yet another hydro-electric dam, and lots of farming thanks to modern irrigation, as anyplace that wasn't irrigated was dry and brown.

Day 23 Track

 Just 15 miles down 243 from I-90 we would turn east onto Hwy 24 which took us right into Mattawa.

I've Been Everywhere Man - Mattawa

From here we continue on Hwy 24 which dead east and bone straight. It is lined on both sides with miles of crops - Fruit trees, grapes, even some onions or scallions. All of it heavily irrigated as almost every single zimmatic we saw was running. I caught a couple of photos on this road.

View ahead on Hwy 24

View off to the left on Hwy 24 - a little more scenic but we are past the crops

We would spend about 30 miles on this Hwy 24 before turning southward onto some named road that then turned eastward again, but now we were having some elevation changes and the agriculture was back only now more corn and horses. After a ways on this we were thinking about a break so we got off the route and went into the town of Connell where we found a Subway. They had to make coffee for us but what was really interesting was that in the back of the subway was an arcade room and 8 bowling lanes! We chatted with the gal behind the counter for a bit then finished our coffees and were rolling again. We would continue on 260 until we got to 261 which began to have more elevation change and a few more turns to go with it. Nothing too exciting, but it wasn't boring. We did make one more stop to grab a photo of the Garfield county line for the Presidential tour.

Presidential Tour - Garfield County

From here we rode 261 all the way into Clarkston where we made a scheduled fuel stop and grabbed lunch at the same time.

After lunch we headed out of Clarkston and got on 129 southbound - and here the fun would start. As soon as we cleared the city limits the road started a steep ascent with switchbacks that would have us climb 3179 ft in just 22 miles. It didn't end there though. From there we would drop 2568 ft in just 10 miles and then climb again 3532 ft in just another 19 miles. Its hard to describe this beyond the numbers, but to make such ascents and descents the road has to wind back on itself several times over in order to keep the road from being so steep that vehicles can't climb safely. Here is what 20 miles of that looks like on the track file.

the Rattlesnake Grade - WA-129 

We stopped for a break at a place called Boggan's Oasis - right where the river crosses the track above There they had stickers for the bikes (which we bought)  saying "I Rode the Rattlesnake Grade to Boggan's Oasis". This 129 compared very well to the one more famous with us easterners - the Dragon. This was every bit as tight, but much steeper and with much less traffic.

After the break we continued our fun on 129 until we got to the Washington/Oregon border where we stopped to get another required photo for the Presidential Tour - A picture of the State sigh for Washington.

Presidential Tour - Washington State

After this we headed into a flatter but more arid area of the Wallowa National Forest. It was along here somewhere that Larry spotted a deer that I never saw. As we drew closer to our overnight destination of Enterprise, OR, we caught a nice glimpse of the Wallowa Mountaiin range.

Wallowa Mountain Range on the horizon

We arrived at the hotel at 2:37 PM - Like I said a short day, but we made the most of it with three waypoints and one thrilling road.

Today's Stats: 290.6 miles in 7:13 elapsed time, 5:24 saddle time