With all the uncertainty provided to us by 2020, my riding time was severely curtailed, mostly by choice. Being retired, I typically average around 15,000 miles per year, but I pretty much avoided riding during springtime. As things opened up, I took a few day trips here and there over the summer, but family and other activities demanded my attention. Still, I longed for at least a weeklong trip before winter set in.

I wanted to stay in Washington, close to home in case things went sideways. Since I bought my first BMW and began adventure riding seven years ago, the lure of distant landscapes captivated me. My R 1200 GS and I traveled to Vancouver Island, Oregon, Montana, North and South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Nevada and Utah, though I left large parts of my home state unexplored.

Rugged peaks parallel the Mountain Loop Highway.

After considering various ideas, I had a vague memory of something I read a while back, something about a loop of Washington, staying close to borders. That idea percolated until I settled on a six-day loop of primarily eastern Washington, an area I’ve barely explored. After spending time with my Benchmark Atlas and Butler map, a route evolved. As much as I enjoy pavement, as a GS rider I prefer gravel, so I tried to mix in a bit of it while still maintaining the theme of staying close to borders. I spent minimal time researching, because frankly I didn't think this was going to be an awe-inspiring excursion.

My brother Ken, a long-time dirt bike riding partner but a newly minted adventure rider, agreed to join me on his Africa Twin. I explained my plan to camp every night and cook my own food. We also had to leave in a couple of days, since we had a clear weather window in October, something of a rarity in the Pacific Northwest. This would be Ken's first multi-day adventure ride, so it would provide a good chance to test his gear and see if he enjoyed longer trips.

Route map.

Day 1: Enumclaw to Winthrop - a bit of a slog

Ken had an hour and a half ride to meet me, so we met at my local Starbucks mid-morning and proceeded up WA18 to Snoqualmie. We had to travel through several population centers to get to the North Cascade Highway.

As we left Snoqualmie, we followed WA202/203 through Fall City and Carnation, two towns that generate fond memories of family visits when my kids were young. I was amazed and pleased at the lack of traffic on a weekday. After Duvall, we fueled up in Monroe and followed Woods Creek Road and Menzel Lake Road past Lake Roesiger, two pleasant back roads through wooded communities, before arriving in Granite Falls.

Diablo Lake along North Cascades Highway.

Granite Falls is the gateway to the Mountain Loop National Scenic Byway, which makes a 52-mile loop through the mountains of Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest ending in the small logging town of Darrington. This is a slightly off the beaten path byway with a 13-mile section of gravel in the middle. Winding through forested valleys with jagged peaks rising on both sides, it mesmerized me as I passed peaks with names like Big Four Mountain, Vesper Peak, Mt. Pilchuck and Mt. Dickerman, some of which I had scaled in my alpine scrambling days.

From Darrington, we followed WA530 to the North Cascades Highway. Ken had never been there, so it was fun to share a new experience with him. The ride through North Cascades National Park was spectacular, with minimal traffic and moderate temperatures. Riding among snow-capped mountains a geologist once told me are similar to the Alps is a definite thrill everyone should experience.

Ken at Rainy Pass, elevation 5,476 feet.

We arrived in the western-themed town of Winthrop a bit late in the day, so we went right to our camp spot, got our tents set up and cooked dinner as the sun began to set. With no fires allowed due to the dry conditions, and it being fall with earlier sunsets, there wasn't much to do after dark, so we hit the hay.

Day 2: Winthrop to Curlew Lake State Park

We woke up to temps in the 30s, so after a light breakfast at camp we walked to a local bakery for hot drinks and scrumptious scones while we waited for the temperature to warm up a bit.

Magnificent views on NF37.

After packing up, we headed north on East Chewuch Road before turning east on Boulder Creek Road. Before long, gravel beckoned on NF37, which would take us to Conconully. As it climbed steadily towards the peak of 6,300 feet, we encountered occasional washboard conditions and rain ruts, but the road soon evolved to smooth gravel/dirt. Evidence of past fires kept the hills bare except for old snags dotting the skyline. This must have been a wonderous ride when the trees were present, but still, the views were grand!

GS heaven! We continued to climb.

After reaching Conconully, we pointed our bikes north on Sinlahekin Road toward Loomis. The road turned to gravel soon after leaving Conconully, but it was well groomed and wide. We continued north through Loomis past a couple of small lakes and onto paved Loomis/Oroville Road which skirted larger Palmer Lake. This winding, meandering stretch along the lake added to my already joyful mood. The stretch to Oroville had us riding close to the Canadian border; in fact if you fail to switch your phone to airplane mode, you receive a message welcoming you to Canada! Soon we arrived in Oroville, where we fueled up and stopped for a snack.

Northeastern Washington possesses a rugged charm.

NF37/Sinlahekin/Loomis/Oroville Roads would turn out to be the highlight of the trip. The morning provided incredible scenery and a stimulating mix of roads to energize the soul, and we still had some of the most incredible stretches of pavement anywhere coming up as we continued to Curlew Lake. I rode portions of the upcoming tracks when I attended the Washington State BMW Riders rally a few years ago, so I knew the ride would be spectacular. Chesaw is a small town just a few miles south of the Canadian border; there we made for Curlew Lake State Park. As the sun set, we watched as the stars began to reveal themselves in the clear sky. The moon was full and as it rose, it created a mystical streak of light across the campground.

Day 3: Curlew Lake to Spokane

It was 38 when we got up, foggy and damp - not what I was expecting, but I knew temperatures would become pleasant as the day progressed. I enjoy fall riding because of the aura, quiet, peaceful and colorful, yet invigorating.

The roads and landscapes around Chesaw are spectacular! This photo is from a past ride.

We had our breakfast while waiting for the rising sun to dry things out a bit before heading into Republic for fuel. Another late start, which would impact our plans later in the day. From here on out, we would be riding areas I wasn’t familiar with, so I was flush with anticipation.

After Republic, we rode north on WA21 to the turnoff east on Boulder Creek Road, a scenic section of pavement that dumped us out on US395, north of Spokane. We rode north on this remote stretch of highway through forests that came right up to the shoulder. The Butler map identified NF15 as one of their highlighted gravel tracks, so I was anticipating a cool off-road section.

Several small lakes along Toroda Creek road are wonders to behold. This is a photo from a past ride.

We soon ran into a glitch when I began to question my GPS track, since it tried to follow a long-abandoned road. When I created the tracks at home, I obviously made a mistake, but the real problem was a lack of NF road signs. My GPS map frequently includes outdated forest service road names, so I checked my map and had an idea which road we were on; it was in decent shape, and it was headed in the right direction, so we continued. We soon saw a sign indicating our road would link back up with NF15, our original goal. Long story short, we never saw a linking road, so we ended up following the road all the way out to Northport Flat Creek Road, a few miles southwest of where I thought we'd come out.

We took a snack break in Northport before taking Aladdin Road southeast to Smackout Pass Road, another enjoyable gravel track through forested hills. Once in Ione, we continued east on Sullivan Lake Road before aiming south on LeClerc Creek Road, another pleasant gravel track. The terrain changed from high desert forests with little underbrush to what resembled our western Washington forests with abundant brush and a mix of pine and fir trees. Our mud riding skills came in handy as we crossed numerous puddles and muddy spots.

Curlew Lake State Park.

By the time we got to the point where I planned to ride Flowery Trail Road west to Chewelah, it was getting late, so we decided to route directly south to our campsite near Spokane. After fueling up north of Spokane, we decided to get a hotel room instead of setting up camp in the dark. After another interesting day of riding I was ready for sleep.

Day 4: Spokane to Dayton

Ken and I both slept well, but day four began on a sour note: I discovered someone had cut off my tail bag, broken the lock and stole some crucial items from it, leaving the useless bag behind. I left the cover I would normally use on my bike at home since we planned to camp every night. After an initial wave of anger and disappointment, I was able to let it go and figured they probably needed the stuff more than I did.

Overlooking the Columbia River near Northport.

We were out the door much earlier than previous days. After the remoteness yesterday, the incongruity of riding through downtown Spokane spoke to the diversity this trip was offering up. We followed US195 south to the Palouse region. With little traffic and pleasant temps, we had a lovely trip through rolling hills of farmland. This area is the breadbasket of Washington with miles and miles of various crops as evidence of the lush soil.

We stopped at Steptoe Butte State Park, following the spiraling road to the top. A rocky knob with some of the oldest rock in the Pacific Northwest, it rises 1,000 feet above the surrounding area to reveal splendid panoramas of the expansive farmland that is the Palouse. This was a nice start to the day. We did encounter a bit of haze while in the Palouse region and I couldn't figure out if it was from fires or the extensive plowing that was going on causing great plumes of dust to linger in the air.

Smackout Pass Road.

After admiring the views, we continued south through the farming community of Colfax before turning on Hamilton Hill Road. We joined Wawawai Road, following the Snake River to Clarkston. This turned out to be another gem of a ride, no traffic with gentle winding curves through the hills.

We fueled up and snacked in Clarkston in anticipation of Peola Road, which began from Clarkston as a winding paved road across the barren hills of southeast Washington, climbing steadily until it became a one-lane paved forest service road. Soon it turned to gravel, traversing forests and farmland as we continued west to Dayton. I was glad I had GPS tracks because there were several tricky intersections. The dust was horrendous, which was not surprising since it had been very dry and there was an abundance of farming equipment occasionally plowing near the road. At one point I had to stop after a plow stirred up a massive cloud of dense dust, causing me to lose my orientation.

Steptoe Butte offers stunning vistas.

We camped near Dayton at a rustic state park, but it had a place for our tents, a picnic table and water, so all was good. The good news was we arrived with plenty of time to set up camp, eat dinner and relax before it got dark.

I had never fully experienced the Palouse, and it surpassed my expectations. Sprawling prairies, geological wonders, beautiful forests and delightful roads continually etched a smile across my face. Coming from the densely forested west side of the state, where it is frequently like riding in a tunnel, being able to see the surrounding area is a novel experience that always takes a bit of adjustment. It makes it hard to focus as the road demands attention, but the surrounding terrain begs to be noticed. This is why I love exploring by motorcycle, the "What will I experience today?" feeling I get every morning.

Yours truly along the Snake River north of Clarkston, Washington.

Day 5: Returning Home

After a restful night we both awoke ready to do some miles. Temps were warmer, so we packed up and made a beeline to Kennewick for a snack and fuel. As we sat at the local Starbucks, I could sense Ken was ready to get home, so we talked about it and made the decision to try to blast home today. I had planned to camp the last night in Gifford Pinchot National Forest, but knew that most campgrounds were closed for the winter. We could have wild camped, but at the age of 64 it's always nice to sleep in my own bed next to my lovely wife. We hatched a plan to make the call when we got to Goldendale as to whether we could make it home before dark. The sun was out, it was warm, and we had what I hoped would be some brilliant roads ahead of us.

From Kennewick we followed US395/I82 before cutting west to Sellards Road. This track reminded me of northern North Dakota, as it was a straight road through miles and miles of open fields. We hit gravel on Township Road, which led to Glade Road. Looking at the map, I could see we were not too far south from a major highway, but you’d never know it. Unlike northeastern Washington, this area seems remote, but you’re never far from civilization.

Climbing on Peola Road.

Next came Bickelton Highway, a twisty wonder with views that tempt you to look while trying to stay on the road as it swerves and snakes through the canyons. I heard about this road so I knew it would be fun, but it genuinely impressed me. At a fuel stop in Goldendale, Ken said he was game to keep going. We continued on gravel through the small hamlet of Centerville and up to the hills overlooking the Columbia River. The views were incredible as we looked down on the mighty river, while sitting among the many windmills that stood like monstrous sentinels, before pointing our bikes north toward Trout Lake.

Trees appeared on the west end of Peola Road.

One of the unexpected highlights was Schilling Road, a short, tight, twisty gravel track leading to WA142. We soon found ourselves on the Glenwood Highway before linking up with the road to Trout Lake. I became aware the pines of the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains were segueing to the firs and brush of the wetter western side of the mountains.

Once in Trout Lake, we followed NF23, a road we’ve ridden many times, through Gifford Pinchot National Forest all the way north to US12. It felt somehow comforting to be back in the familiar confines of thick forest on a road I knew well. I felt I was being welcomed back by an old friend. From Randle we split up in Morton and followed different routes home.

Relics of the past.

Epilogue

Now that it's been a while since we got back, I've had time to reflect on this journey. I would absolutely make this run again, perhaps reversing it for another perspective or tackling it earlier in the year to experience warmer temps. I might set up a base camp in the northeast or Palouse and explore the respective areas further. After riding through several states and one province in Canada, although beautiful and wonderous, I am repeatedly reminded of the diverse splendor of Washington. As I plan future trips, I owe it to myself to include my home state in my plans.

Miles and miles of farmland along Township Road.