rail trails across USA

[Art Deco]

I'm starting a new thread on camping with ebikes before this thread goes / offtopic /. But touring with bikes rather than touring on bikes probably means carrying your bikes on a rack or trailier. Unless you have something like this rig with a "Garage" Edit I can't link to the time, starts 13 min 41 sec with garage. Whole vido is an long wasted hour unless you are in the market.

New Winnebago EKKO Review - With UPDATES and MEASUREMENTS!

The EKKO development continues, and we've got the latest changes and updates in this VERY COMPLETE review!

www.thefitrv.com

 

[Art Deco]

Way before eBikes, like 5 years ago. That said I love the Southwest. If you have spent little or no time in that region give yourself time to adjust to what looks like a pretty bland landscape. The Desert is for many an acquired taste. But I have to tell you, once onboard, amazing beauty and solace. My favorite areas,.Az...Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Flagstaff, Sedona. NM regions. Taos, Durango, Mesa Verde/ Cortez region. Also worth seeing Grand Junction area, Co and Moab area , UT. The eBikes will so come in handy just for exploring and "boone-docking" for a night or two to see the unobstructed night sky is something you will never forget. We are heading out to Badlands/Black Hills in June then South and Westerly with no specific destination.

See you at the Grand Canyon, maybe ?

 

[Cowlitz]

I'm thinking the Palouse to Cascades trail goes through the outskirts of Lind. Lind has a grocery and it is such a small town they'd probably steer you to a grassy spot to camp, 'specially if you gave the town some business. It does have a café or two, I think. I've filled up with gas there while driving through a few times. It's your basic tiny farm town with the basics. I don't know if there is a motel? I think I will look it up. Stay tuned.

 

[Cowlitz]

Nope, no lodging found in Lind. They do have some city parks and it looks like a swimming pool. I am thinking this is the place where they have the combine demolition derby. The rail trail is just to the south of the real railroad tracks.

Lind

I also think, and I'll check, that the trail goes through Warden which is in the same boat as Lind--no lodging. In fact, it is in a bit worse shape because the potato plant burned up last week. The whole town was evacuated at that time. Ya know, these little towns might be able to bring in some $$ from cycle tourists if they made a bit of an effort.

Here is the report of the trail in Warden. Note that trail info is often still labeled The John Wayne Pioneer Trail instead of the new Palouse to Cascades name.

Warden, WA

Warden would have the basic basics also. I've read a trail report and it mentioned a friendly town and an unfriendly town but I can't remember which was which, or if they detoured and ended up in Othello?

Some reading about it.
Various Readings

 

[Dallant]

I’m thinking it wouldn’t be that hard. I can get 70-80 miles in eco mode, and I bet I could do pretty good using a higher mode to go uphill, shut it off going down...If I carry the charger on the bike and stop somewhere for lunch that has an outlet extending the range by 20-30 miles should be doable...might be hard to find on some stops but shouldn’t be impossible. Shouldn’t be that hard to find an outlet in an overnight stop either.

I’m hoping two batteries would prevent daytime charging. Night charging will be required but finding a place to do that with thousands of other bikers around might be tough to do.

 

[iabob]

70 miles in eco is way more than I could ever need assuming shorepower is available overnight. And what's your guess at milage in turbo?

I haven’t run it dry yet but 20-30 miles depending on hills. I usually ride in Tour, bump it up to sport or turbo for a hill and do about 30-40 miles with 10-20 miles of range showing left on the display when I do that. Im usually in the high teens for speed.

 

[Art Deco]

Thanks. That's a lot of high draw riding. What do you @iabob ride ?

 

[iabob]

Thanks. That's a lot of high draw riding. What do you @iabob ride ?

Haibike Trekking 9.0. Most of my riding is done on trails in central IA.

 

[GypsyTreker]

See you at the Grand Canyon, maybe ?

By all means we can.stay posted on where-abouts. Grand Canyon is amazing, especially the first time you see it. Much of our itinerary is based on crowds. I'd rather go to a less occupied area. If we can secure campsites at RMNP and Tetons, we will go there after SD. This is all predicated on my wife being vaccinated. She is in her 50's and currently that group is back of the pack.

 

[Art Deco]

By all means we can.stay posted on where-abouts. Grand Canyon is amazing, especially the first time you see it. Much of our itinerary is based on crowds. I'd rather go to a less occupied area. If we can secure campsites at RMNP and Tetons, we will go there after SD. This is all predicated on my wife being vaccinated. She is in her 50's and currently that group is back of the pack.

Only half joking about the canyon. Although we saw it once, it was through a very hard rain, on a side trip to a fly in, rent a car, fly back out type of trip. If we get within 500 miles of it we will go there again with some time set set aside to explore there when it's neither raining or full of other tourists. Considering taking old rt 66 across to Memphis on the return. Lots of things depend on Covid, of course. No point in going somewhere that is shutdown.

 

[Cowlitz]

Was looking at maps last night and thinking about a loop using the Ferry County Rail Trail, where possible here in Warshington, crossing the border at Danville, WA riding roads to Grand Forks, hopping onto the Kettle Valley Rail Trail and heading west on it to Midway BC then south to another border crossing then south to Republic, WA where the start was and truck would be. I think a spare battery would be needed. I also have my doubts if the border will open up this year. The KVR trail is part of the Trans Canada Trail.

I've ridden about half of the Ferry County Trail. It needed work but since then, it sounds like it got worked on. It starts at Republic, WA which is a small town with a brewery.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

Was looking at maps last night and thinking about a loop using the Ferry County Rail Trail, where possible here in Warshington, crossing the border at Danville, WA riding roads to Grand Forks, hopping onto the Kettle Valley Rail Trail and heading west on it to Midway BC then south to another border crossing then south to Republic, WA where the start was and truck would be. I think a spare battery would be needed. I also have my doubts if the border will open up this year. The KVR trail is part of the Trans Canada Trail.

I've ridden about half of the Ferry County Trail. It needed work but since then, it sounds like it got worked on. It starts at Republic, WA which is a small town with a brewery.

There is superb cycling in that area. Not just on the rail trails but the roads are all very lightly traveled with little traffic and generally very good sight lines.

 

[Cowlitz]

There is superb cycling in that area. Not just on the rail trails but the roads are all very lightly traveled with little traffic and generally very good sight lines.

View attachment 78099

The debate in my brain is, purchase another battery? I think that would be sufficient for Grand Forks to Greenwood (I think that's the name). That would be the long stretch with no services. Tweak my acoustic MTB? Buy an acoustical bike with good low gearing? Hmmmmm.

 

[Cowlitz]

Here is a list of services available on the Palouse to Cascades trail for east of the Columbia. Vantage, which is on the western edge of the river is also on the list.

https://palousetocascadestrail.org/services---eastern-ptct.html

 

[Art Deco]

Has anyone ridden any sections of the Katy Trail ?
I'm looking for several long stops along Missouri Oklahoma Kanas etc on a bucket list trip fom Pennsylvania west, maybe as far as Arizona and New Mexico ... which is way more driving then I can take at once, so I need to explore with bikes for a day or three as a break.

 

[GypsyTreker]

Has anyone ridden any sections of the Katy Trail ?
I'm looking for several long stops along Missouri Oklahoma Kanas etc on a bucket list trip fom Pennsylvania west, maybe as far as Arizona and New Mexico ... which is way more driving then I can take at once, so I need to explore with bikes for a day or three as a break.

I'd try some section rides on the Katy. You would get some great stretches I would think. I often use YouTube to preview rail trails. Seems like people love to video their rides. Keep an eye on temps after labor day if heading west. Our experience in late June in Taos area, was crazy wind. A local told us we were lucky it wasn't May, lol. Moab region was like very hot but totally doable but probably not on bicycles unless you were into extreme MTB and in late June the bike shops appreciate the tshirt sales. We did not have our eBikes then and if we had I am sure we would have found use for them, especially in the evenings. Our plans keep vacillating. At present it looks like a Badlands/Black Hills Mickelson trail then some Ohio R2T rides.

 

[6zfshdb]

I recommend eastern sections of the Katy that closely follow the Missouri River under the bluffs. The most scenic are the 26 mile stretch between the Weldon Springs and Black Walnut trailheads, the 15 mile stretch between the Bernheimer and McKittrick trailheads and the 6 mile section between the Augusta and Matson trailheads.

If you're interested, I created a GPS file of the entire Katy Trail that can be viewed with any mapping program that will read .gpx or .csv files:

Bike Trails MO. The Katy (MKT) Trail | POI Factory

www.poi-factory.com

I recommend Garmin's Basecamp program available free here for PC or Mac:

Download BaseCamp | Garmin

Download BaseCamp™ software to plan your outdoor activities, organize your data and share your adventurers with others.

www.garmin.com

Once booted in Basecamp, the file can be viewed and downloaded into any GPS (automotive or handheld) that will read .gpx or .csv files.

 

[Art Deco]

I recommend eastern sections of the Katy that closely follow the Missouri River under the bluffs. The most scenic are the 26 mile stretch between the Weldon Springs and Black Walnut trailheads, the 15 mile stretch between the Bernheimer and McKittrick trailheads and the 6 mile section between the Augusta and Matson trailheads.

If you're interested, I created a GPS file of the entire Katy Trail that can be viewed with any mapping program that will read .gpx or .csv files:

Bike Trails MO. The Katy (MKT) Trail | POI Factory

www.poi-factory.com

I recommend Garmin's Basecamp program available free here for PC or Mac:

Download BaseCamp | Garmin

Download BaseCamp™ software to plan your outdoor activities, organize your data and share your adventurers with others.

www.garmin.com

Once booted in Basecamp, the file can be viewed and downloaded into any GPS (automotive or handheld) that will read .gpx or .csv files.

Wow. Thanks @6zfshdb . I haven't actually used a map program except google maps, so it's time to learn one. I know the old csv format, but not gpx . But I never owned a Garmin, either. I was hoping for something along the Missouri river, and it sounds like you hit it on the head.

 

[Art Deco]

I'd try some section rides on the Katy. You would get some great stretches I would think. I often use YouTube to preview rail trails. Seems like people love to video their rides. Keep an eye on temps after labor day if heading west. Our experience in late June in Taos area, was crazy wind. A local told us we were lucky it wasn't May, lol. Moab region was like very hot but totally doable but probably not on bicycles unless you were into extreme MTB and in late June the bike shops appreciate the tshirt sales. We did not have our eBikes then and if we had I am sure we would have found use for them, especially in the evenings. Our plans keep vacillating. At present it looks like a Badlands/Black Hills Mickelson trail then some Ohio R2T rides.

As far as plans vacillating, yeah, there's a lot of that going on the last year or so. No idea why. Grin. But if the past weather is anything to go by, it'll be early spring or fall, NOT summer or winter.
And my Ohio relatives warned me that all ebikes are illegal on all public lands or roads there, and can be confiscated. IDK if that's true, but I'm not likely to find out. I lived there long ago, but rarely return. Seriously bad weather and worse cops .

 

[6zfshdb]

my Ohio relatives warned me that all ebikes are illegal on all public lands or roads there, and can be confiscated. IDK if that's true, but I'm not likely to find out. I lived there long ago, but rarely return. Seriously bad weather and worse cops .

Ohio recently adopted the 3 class system and has softened it's rather harsh stand on e-bikes to some degree.

https://wsd-pfb-sparkinfluence.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2020/05/E-Bike-Law-Handouts_OH_2020-2.pdf

Still, it pays to check before planning a ride.