sevengroove
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- Joined
- Jul 27, 2020
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- Location
- Seattle, WA
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- R1S Launch Edition
This is such a great resource, thanks for sharing! I've visited Wenatchee, Cle Elum, Leavenworth etc. through paved roads so the opportunity to get to them a different way is so appealing. Heck, I get excited when I find a street on my walk that I never use, and then discover that it leads to somewhere familiar.Highly recommend checking out the Backcountry Discovery Routes. They're a great organization and have lots of routes in WA, OR, and ID. Typically they're more ADV bike focused but it's mostly forest service roads and (barring washouts) are a good mix of passable but occasionally challenging in most full sized rigs as well - I've driven most of the WABDR in my old Jeep without issue (erm, besides the mechanical variety). I do recommend making sure you have a buddy and recovery gear just in case. Fortunately they have moderate traffic (bikes and jeeps) in the summer so odds are someone well equipped will stumble along in a couple hours if you get in trouble.
Side benefit to the BDRs is that there is truly gorgeous country and plenty of dispersed camping. Just be cautious in fire season (around here, basically late June through October...) - I've had to divert multiple times due to fires and air quality can be an issue.
If you're going from Seattle, you can pick up halfway and follow the BDR northbound from Ellensburg, up and over Table Mountain, past Wenatchee, through Winthrop and up to Hart's Pass and there are some amazing highlights every day. Then drive west over Highway 20 and enjoy some of the most scenic highway in the country.
The southern stretch is also good but a bit more technical and could be a bit of a charging desert, whereas northbound you can charge in Cle Elum, Chelan, Mazama (L2), Newhalem (L2) etc. - though the stretch from Chelan to Newhalem could be a challenge if you are in a hurry.
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