Bikepack - Palouse to Cascades Trail

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NOTE THAT THE DATE MIGHT SHIFT ONE DAY EARLIER OR LATER IF THE WEATHER FORECAST FOR SATURDAY NIGHT IS TOO IFFY. The main idea is to ride under the full moon, a cloudy sky would take away a lot of the fun. 

Trail chat at 12:45, feet on the pedals at 1PM. Make sure to schedule enough time to pack and load your bike.

CHANGE OF PLAN RE PARKING -- turns out we can park overnight in the trailhead parking lot. Please refer to emails for more details.

Cars can't stay overnight in the Rattlesnake lake parking lot, so the meeting point is a few hundred yards _before_ the entrance to the park, on the left side of the road, on a wide gravel area with plenty space for cars, and direct access to the Snoqualmie Valley Trail to get to the trailhead in 5 mn.

< https://maps.app.goo.gl/MFgYmNpnuN9VrVom9 >

Mellow ride on the very approachable Palouse to Cascades trail (the trail formerly-known as Iron Horse trail.) We'll be riding on a wide gravel road the whole trip, with pretty forgiving surface, and an easy average grade of 2 to 3%. Three cheers for rail-to-trail conversions!

(Here's the ride report from the inaugural ride!)

This month's ride will be coordinated with the Swift Industry Campout. 

The plan is to head for the Carter creek campground, set up camp, chillax, have dinner, then go for a postprandial digestive ride at sunset to enjoy a night ride under (I hope) the full moon.

If you haven't ridden much at night, and even more so, at night in the woods, it opens up a wonderfully different world: sounds are different, smells are different, shadows come alive -- a thrilling or meditative journey to experience. A full moon adds a fun facet to the trip: eery extended views are revealed, it's easier to pick out obstacles and find our way, and with a bit of luck, werewolves and witches might come ride along with us.

Just like the terrain, routing is not exactly very challenging: follow the road, turn around, follow the road back. Done.

To Carter creek campground:
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44406332, about 13 miles one way, ~1000 ft elevation gain
Carter creek to Hyak:
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44406358, about 8 miles one way, ~600 ft elevation gain

(The RideWithGPS stats for the routes above are quite a bit off. I computed elevation gains from the actual contour map. My actual track reported 1200 ft elevation gain to Carter creek when I scouted the campground, and ~1600 all total from Rattlesnake lake to Hyak, so it's roughly correct. At any rate -- NOT a hyper-strenuous outing.)

Taking into account the distance for the full round trip if you go to Hyak, and the night riding which can be new to some, the trip is rated Medium-Rare (AKA Bikepacking Gravel II per The Mountaineers Clubwide Activity Standards for Bikepacking.) The trip is open to all bikepacking badge holders: recently-minted or former course graduates, the start will feel very familiar.

Make sure to check the Required Equipment tab below for a list of the gear needed -- a bit different for a night ride.

Weather forecast for Hyak

Moon schedule at Snoqualmie pass