It is difficult to rate this trail. I rode the trail from Seattle to Idaho during June of 2024 and experienced extreme highs and extreme lows. The ride from Fall City to Snoqualmie Pass was AMAZING - most beautiful ride I've every done. Most of the posted reviews are from riders that have only done this section. As you do a steady uphill climb your will pass rock climbers, amazing bridges, and a beautiful thick forest. Be prepared with headlights and a rain jacket as you go through the 2 + mile tunnel at Snoqualmie Pass. Once you exit the tunnel the landscape will start to change. You will still be in a forest, but it feels like a different type of forest. As you head east, the trees will slowly start to disappear as you will start to feel like your in the wild west - still beautiful but a different kind of beauty. When you reach Ellensburg, you better load up with water and food because things are about to get very tough. The ride from Ellensburg to Beverly is very remote - you will be way off the grid in the wild west (no trees) I recommend that you have some type of tracking device because you are about to enter an area where there is no water / food / people / nothing for about 40 miles. About 10-15 miles is deep sand that is very challenging to ride. I rode with 700 X 50 tires - I would recommend tires at least this wide or wider. If your riding tires any thinner it will be very challenging. Later you will ride on very rocky roads that were created for horses - not bikes. There is a fun downhill section through cliffs. MTB skills would be a plus here because there are sandy sections that suddenly appear and large rocks the size of footballs. This section is fun, but be prepared. There was a water pump that is used for horses that was located about a mile off the trail - my friend did some research and found the water pump. Make sure you carry lots of water you will be averaging about half the speed that you normally ride at. I'm sure the sand and rocky sections vary throughout the year, but it was tough when we did the ride. I'm sure most people don't know about the water pump - so do some research. You will get excited when you see the bridge at Beverly - nice place to take pictures. I recommend after crossing the bridge to ride the extra 2-3 miles to get food and water at the gas station that is east of the bridge - there will be no water or food from here to Othello. The road from Beverly to Othello was very sandy and rocky. There were rocky sections that are unrideable even for expert MTB riders. One this day it was very hot, and my friends and I struggled to make it to Othello as we rode from Ellensburg to Othello in one day. From Othello to Idaho you will continue to ride on very, very, very, very rocky roads. You will wish you had a MTB or fatbike. There are some very beautiful sections where I felt like I was in a scene from "Dances with Wolves". But you will still be very off the road and will feel like you are a early pioneer traveling across the country by horse and wagon. This ride is not for everyone. Some people will love it, some people will hate it. I have to admit that I was cussing at the rocky roads. This ride will be like no ride you have ever done before. Be prepared if your going to ride the full trail. A little information - the group I was riding with was riding across the country from Seattle to Washington DC on bikes that where fully loaded with heavy gear.
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