You Sent A Payment of A Lot Of $$$ to
Planning to put on some miles.
Planning to put on some miles.
I must be out of my mind! Or is this some kind of senior moment thing?
I paid out just short of $800.00 for a what? For a bicycle trailer?
Call me crazy, but I do have a plan. My wife and I will be visiting Europe this fall. I intend to take a few weeks during this visit to peddle my ass down to the Mediterranean from Lausanne. The route is called the ViaRhôna.
The ViaRhôna is the French portion of the EuroVelo 17 Cycle Route. A very popular track that begins in the high Alps of Switzerland. It follows the Rhône River from its beginning to end. About 1,000km according to EruoVelo, the European Cycling Network
I won’t be doing the entire mega metre, however. Something about the high Swiss Alps in October. Something about climbing those high Swiss Alps on a Brompton. Nope. I’m going to catch a train to Lausanne, on the north side of Lake Geneva. Lausanne, Home of the International Olympic Committee. We will start there and knock off about 200km and some 2000 metres in elevation change. No altitude sickness for me thanks much.
Maybe there is some sanity left.
Oh right, the payment… The trailer.
Of course, Liddy will be coming with me.
There is no way she is going to trot 800km in twelve days. She needs to ride too, so a trailer.
We have been working with a small dog trailer. It has worked ok on the Foothills Trail, but it doesn’t meet airline baggage requirements. I guess I could make it work, but that would mean another checked bag. Likely an overweight checked bag. So…
I bought a Cyclone IV Chubby by Radical Design. This is a trailer designed for the Brompton. It does double duty. It will be a suitcase for the Brompton, getting it on the airplane as regular checked baggage. On arrival, we can remove the Brompton, put the wheels back on and voila… a sag wagon for Liddy.
Because the Chubby and the Brompton become a single suitcase, they don’t need a reservation to ride on a train like a regular bike. Much easier.
Getting Ready for ViaRhôna
Liddy and I are out most every day. We head over to the South Prairie trailhead of the Foothills Trail and then peddle toward Buckley. This is the steepest part of the trail, gaining some 100 metres in less than 6km. It’s a pretty part of the trail too.
Anyway, this section of the trail gives us a great workout while Liddy and I get used to our new way of adventure.
Palouse to Cascades Trail
So the Foothills Trail is a great workout. Much nicer than going to the gym and sitting on a stationary bike for an hour. But we need to practice a few overnight trips before heading across the pond to France. I think we will try the new Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail (PTC Trail).
The PTC Trail is a project by Washington State Parks to convert the old Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul, and Pacific Railroad right-of-way into a linear park. The section from Rattlesnake Lake to Beverly, on the Columbia River, is supposed to be in good shape.
Towards the end of June, Liddy and I will be ready to ride the PTC Trail from Rattlesnake Lake to Hyak. This section is about 35km and climbs up to the Snoqualmie Pass Tunnel. An Elevation gain of over 1200 metres. It’s an old railbed. The grade can’t be too steep right?
Once through the tunnel, there are a number of places to camp along Keechelus Lake. Should be adequately exhausted by then.
Follow Along
You are invited to follow along with Liddy and me. I have created an account on Komoot, an outdoor hiking and cycling adventure app. I like its road bike tour suggestions and planning tools. Our planned and completed tours can be found through this link.
We will be reporting our adventures as we go both here on Medium, and on a YouTube channel, @Rover-Dave.
If you would like to subscribe to my page on ko-fi.com/rover_dave, simply press the Follow button, surrender your email and we will send a newsletter every few weeks. No purchase or donation is necessary.
Better, join Medium through my membership link. This will give you full access to all articles on Medium, and I will receive fifty percent of your membership fee. Anything contributed towards cameras, lenses, bicycles, trailers, and travel expenses would be greatly appreciated.
My Goals
I have three goals:
1. Improve my physical health. The Brompton provides a great cardio workout and is much more fun than staring at the gym wall for an hour.
2. Explore the Northwest, and farther afield. My knees start complaining at 4 km these days and refuse to work after 8. Wilderness hiking has been taken off of the table, but it seems cycling is still in the cards…
3. Entertain and educate my friends and followers. By recounting Liddy’s and my adventures, I hope to provide a smile and encourage you to get out and enjoy your world.
About Rover Dave
Dave Scott is a travel and nature photographer who loves to explore. Or is that an explorer who loves to do travel and nature photography?
Having squandered his youth providing for his family. He now seeks out places that inspire. The Pacific Northwest provides many opportunities close to home; sometimes he and Liddy venture farther.
The world is a beautiful place. Share the beauty. Leave only footsteps.