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Friday, July 17, 2020

Cycling the Palouse - Centennial Trail

Weather on the Palouse is warming and my mileage is increasing.  The last two days out on the bike have witnessed a change in my normal cycling routine.  Rather than heading out to the south and onto the Palouse, I ventured north in a 36 mile loop primarily following the Centennial Trail along the Spokane River.
Trail follows Spokane River
One highlight of this route is that once I drop down off the South Hill, the next 24 miles is along a protected, cycling/pedestrian paved trail.  Ah, the tranquility of no vehicle traffic once I reach the urban trailhead.  Sometimes, though, reaching this tranquil path is a complicated affair.  

Another highlight of this route includes a near aerial view of the Bowl and Pitcher rock formations jutting out from the riverbed in Riverside State Park.  Beautiful scenery among the bluffs, rock outcroppings, and big skies.
Bowl and Pitcher in the distance
Birdseye view of the park and river
Basalt outcroppings with river below
While this section of the trail is open for many of the miles crossed, the trail is protected by towering basalt rimrock.  With little traffic and nary a cloud, this is a serene place.
Trail and river recede into the distance
Basalt bluffs above the trail
After completing the 21 mile section along the river, it is back into the city as I wind my way through the downtown park.  With construction underway in both the park and one of the downtown bridges, a few detours must be negotiated before popping back out east of the downtown corridor to begin the six mile climb back home.
Lower Spokane Falls
Riverfront Park
One very welcome addition to the downtown skyline is the completion of a suspension bridge that crosses over the many railroad tracks that cut through the city center.  With the completion of this structure, one big complication for navigating from downtown to the South Hill has been eliminated.  Hooray!
Pedestrian/bicycle suspension bridge
Distance Traveled: 36.47 miles.
Elevation Gain: 2,101 feet.

To add a splash of summer color, the lilies are in bloom in the garden.

38 comments:

  1. 24 miles traffic free cycling! Wonderful. Great pics of beautiful scenery Jonathan.

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    1. We are endowed with hundreds of miles of paved vehicle-free trails in this area. glad you enjoyed the photos!

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  2. That's a nice little circuit you have there. I haven't cycled for many years but I always found it good for clearing the head. Cheers Greg

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    1. Cycling as a means for clearing the head is spot on, Greg! With one to three hours out on the bike, there is plenty of time to consider many topics. Answers to life/work questions often originate on the bike.

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  3. Nice road riding circuit Jonathan, prefer mtb myself - no cars!

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    1. Nice circuit, for sure! I, myself, have never tried mountain biking but ought to give it a try.

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  4. I'm not jealous, no I'm really not! What a fabulous bike ride with great scenery. We have an old railway line here that links Bath & Bristol for cyclists, but it gets rather busy, so not as serene as your route, but still at least it's traffic free.

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    1. Steve, there is a remedy (well, not given the present world situation) for your envy. Come for a visit!

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  5. Ahhhhh! I can practically feel the fresh air. Lilies look great. Who’s got ‘green fingers’?

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    1. Indeed! Fresh air and solitude. While I planted and weed the lilies, they practically fend for themselves.

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  6. Looks like an excellent route - well done sir.
    I know you have said that the Palouse is reasonably flat before, but 2,000+ ft of climbing is not to be sniffed at!

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    1. Hi Darren. Glad you enjoyed the tour of the a piece of the centennial Trail. The Palouse is known for rolling hills and outside of the valley, Spokane is not so flat since it is situated at the base of the Selkirk Mountains.

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  7. Great looking ride and nice bit of civil engineering!
    Best Iain

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  8. Lovely looking scenery once again Jonathon...you obviously live in a beautiful part of the country. I guess mid July is just about mid summer in your part of the world?

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    1. Hi Keith! Yes, I think this is a beautiful area. Mid July is the middle of summer here. Temperatures are touching 90F this week.

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  9. A 36-mile loop? Looks like the leg has well and truly healed then Jonathan! Lovely photos by the way.

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    1. Lawrence, the leg and foot are feeling good. Fitness has returned but my weight is still higher than I prefer. Many more miles for me before I am satisfied. Glad you enjoyed the photos from my part of the world.

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  10. Looks like your leg has solidly knitted itself back together. Splendid rides and pics. My pale white vampire skin gets hot just by looking at them. 😀

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    1. Yep. Leg seems almost back to normal. Sounds like you ought to get out in the sun occasionally, Stew!

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  11. Looking very nice Jonathan....and the weather 👍😛

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    1. Weather has been great, Matt, and is expected to continue so. It is going to be hot, though with temps reaching into the 90s F.

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  12. Very beautiful countryside Jonathan...

    All the best. Aly

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    1. This is a pleasant place for cycling, Aly, with a lot of varied terrain.

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  13. Great photos of sone beautiful countryside Jonathan. Looking at the clear blue skies I feel a little jealous as I look at the our rather sad winter garden.

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    1. Glad you enjoyed the photos, Mark! Mid-summer here is mid-winter for you although your winters are easier to tolerate than ours, I think.

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  14. Very nice but I am exhausted thinking about it.

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  15. Beautiful scenery, and a long stretch of car free riding must be heavenly!

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    1. I think so, Peter. Being on a car-free trail is much less stressful than out on the open road. The seven mile ride through traffic to get to the trailhead can be complicated but not too dangerous. I am enjoying this northward route and the 36 mile loop is becoming a default.

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  16. Very nice river. Great photos again.

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  17. Good to see the leg is better and you're getting out for rides! Looks like a lovely route and so much on a paved multi-use trail! Is it an old rail bed that's been paved?

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    1. Yes, leg is good. July should see a respectable number of miles in the legs on the bike. I could hit 700 miles for the month, I think. The trail is very wide and undulating so my guess is that it was purpose built and not simply over paving an abandoned rail line. I could be wrong, though...

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