I did this ride last year, and loved it. Now that spring is in the air, I wanted to enjoy a favorite route, with a few changes for the better: go earlier in the season, to see more snow on the peaks, and ride the loop counter-clockwise this time.
Tag Archives: lake wenatchee
Escape from Leavenworth!
I thought that would be a better title than … “the Leavenworth -> Cole’s Corner -> Lake Wenatchee -> Plain -> Leavenworth Loop.” 😉 Leavenworth, Washington, is a “Bavarian” tourist town on the eastern end of the Cascade Range.
This was a gorgeous 45 mile loop, with a lot of variety from a mountain/river canyon to open farmland and hot ponderosa pine forest. I got my first sunburn of the year.
(Scroll down; we’ll see Lake Wenatchee again on this adventure.) Continue reading
Beyond the Cascade Crest (Steven’s Pass to Lake Wenatchee)
On Saturday, I took my bike into the Eastern Cascades, and rode from Steven’s Pass to Lake Wenatchee … sort of. I covered the distance, and back, but the route was a little more convoluted.
Without much of a plan, I took my bike into the mountains, thinking Route 2 had been nice last weekend, and I should stick with a winner. Sure enough … it worked 🙂 Sometimes this is what happens when you don’t have a plan – things fall into place more perfectly than you could ever have hoped for.
I parked at a highway rest stop in Nason Creek, a small town between Cascade Meadows and Coles Corner. From here, I rode about 11 miles back up toward Steven’s Pass. Eventually the road divides, like a freeway, and the shoulders vanish; the speed limit is already 60 mph, and I like being alive, so I turned around here. With more “gas” in my “engine,” (that would be my legs) though, I went past the car and laid down some miles in the other direction.
Finally, I came to the “town” of Coles Corner, which, from Route 2, is more of a gas station and a diner than a proper town. The diner had a sign bragging about the best iced cream shakes in Washington; I can attest that their peanut butter flavor is very good. 😀
Another road met US 2 at this point, and I decided to see where it went. Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it delighted the bike photographer. I’ve seen photos of Lake Wenatchee before, but they didn’t prepare me for the stark beauty I stumbled into after the last turn through a forested state park road.
Lake Wenatchee, Alluring Beauty of Central Washington
On Saturday, I discovered dazzling Lake Wenatchee, quite by accident.
I’ll post a full trip report and more photos very soon. Until then, I wanted to share a picture of this stunning beauty.