Saturday, August 1, 2020

Cycling the Palouse - Fish Lake Trail

With Spokane being a rail hub and "Gateway to the West" at the height of the railroad boom in the late 19th/early 20th Centuries, the area's landscape is crisscrossed with many railroad lines.  Today, given different economies, a number of these rail lines are abandoned.  Luckily, some of these abandoned railways have been paved over and converted to trails.  Hundreds of miles of such trails await the cyclist.  One such path is the Fish Lake Trail.  
The trailhead is situated on the western end of Spokane and runs 15 miles southwest to the University town of Cheney.  Outbound, the trail is a constant and gradual incline to Cheney.  Inbound, the route is slightly downhill back to Spokane.  Downhill, that is, until I reach the Spokane trailhead.  After that, I face a grueling uphill climb home.  From my house, reaching the trailhead is seven miles.  The total mileage for this route is 44 miles.
Trail cutting through basalt
Another railroad cut through basalt
As a converted railway, the path frequently cuts through the basalt rock, common to the region.  In the heat of summer, these railroad cuts offer a bit of coolness and tranquility under the shade of the steeply banked corridor.
Wonderful shade on a hot day
Being a practical people, Fish Lake Trail passes by its namesake, Fish Lake.  Are there fish in the lake?  I don't know!
Fish Lake
As for cycling in general and metrics in particular, July witnessed a jump in miles put into the legs.  We say that summer doesn't begin until July 4 and 2020 was no different.  With temperatures heating up, the mileage climbed as well.  When the weather is good, cycling switches over from the indoor trainer to the Great Outdoors.  Indoor cycling simply cannot compete with the motivation of cycling outdoors.  Besides, when I am 20 miles from the house, I simply cannot climb off the bike and call it a day like I can after 20 miles on the trainer.

Now to the metrics.  I logged 834 miles in July.  June saw 552 miles logged but about half of those June days were spent on the trainer, indoors avoiding the rain.  Notice, also, that there was no day off in July for me!  My leg, broken in January (January sure seems like an eon ago, doesn't it?), works as expected although some stiffness, swelling, and soreness remain.  Fifty-two hours in the saddle?  That is a shocking statistic.    

Can I repeat this level of mileage in August?  Well, with no travel plans on the horizon and time on my hands, don't rule it out. 

Next time, I plan to put the finishing touches on another project.

28 comments:

  1. That’s good going Jon! Especially given your leg break early this year. I finally got around to getting a replacement tube but how long it’ll be before I put any air in it is anyone’s guess.

    That lake looks inviting!

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    1. Thank you, Sir! Fix your tube and get out and make sure everything works properly after the long lockdown.

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  2. Be it cycling or wargaming you don't do anything by halves Jonathan! The views look lovely.

    Christopher

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    1. This is good cycling country to me, anyway. Perhaps I am a bit OCD???

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  3. Great to have so many options in terms of cycling where you live. I think 20 miles would be my limit at my age, but won't find out until lockdown is eased!

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    1. Steve, it is a pleasure to have so many choices and variety of terrain. The scenery is pleasing too! As for age, at 61, I am still going strong. Besides, cycling is easier on the body than some exercise/sport.

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    2. Respect for doing this at 61! No excuses for me now as I get close to 57;)

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  4. Lovely rising country but I know your outdoor season can be limited by weather. A good mileage, work, garden construction and niggly injuries keep me at my 100 or so target, aiming for 5000 for the year and making reasonable progress with august and September yet 👍

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    1. Cycling outdoors can be limited by weather. After the seasonal rain ends in June, it is usually smooth riding until it gets too cold in November.

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  5. Great effort Jonathan. I remember January and how I was thinking that the reports coming out of China were starting to sound worrying, but that hopefully the virus would be like SARS and become but a passing event albeit with slightly worse health and consequent economic damage. January certainly seems a long time ago now, and serves as a reminder why I stay away from the futures market.

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    1. Much appreciated, Lawrence! 2020 has been a year for the record books, for sure.

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  6. I must salute your commitment to physical exercise Jonathon - well done! I haven't had a bike for at least 25 years.....

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    1. I appreciate your support, Keith! I don't recall a time when I DIDN'T have a bike!

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  7. Highly impressive mileage! The most I ever managed, pre-child, was almost 2000 miles for the year. Lots of wonderful riding in the the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area back then.

    Best Regards,

    Stokes

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    1. Thank you, Stokes! Tallying 2,000 miles is a good accomplishment! My wife grew up in Minneapolis and when she moved out west, the sight of mountains everywhere was astonishing.

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  8. 44 miles is pretty hardcore, Jonathan! Like you, I have other hobbies (with a much lower barrier to entry than wargaming) such as backpacking and running. Sadly, no epic backpacking trips as of yet on the horizon, however working from home has allowed me to run everyday.

    Your mileage is inspiring!

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    1. Hi Steve. It is good to have diversity in hobbies. All of our planned trips were cancelled this spring and summer. Hopefully, one day, we can travel again.

      If you ever get an urge to hike the Inca Trail, give me a call!

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  9. Very pretty! I think that paving over an abandoned track to make a bike trail is a great idea. I’m glad you are enjoying your biking. 😀

    I’ll give you my metrics; I walked from my house to my car and from the car to the house twice a day. Most days....😀

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  10. Looks like a lovely ride! I wish we had such trails around here - alas, all I have is endless gravel...

    I have to admit, after a strong April and May, I kind of slacked off a bit in June and even more so in July - just over 23 hours in July - though 9.5 of that was in the last week, so I guess things are picking up!

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    1. Tim, the area offers a lot for the cyclist. A week with 9-1/2 hours in the saddle is quite lot. Good job!

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  11. Impressive stats and lovely scenery, Jon!

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    1. Glad you can appreciate the effort put into making the totals, Peter!

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  12. Very nice landscape. Great photos.

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    1. Andre’, this is a tranquil route with a beautiful lake and towering basalt corridor

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