First Annual Iron Horse Trail Red Horse to Wild Horse Biker Pentathlon

Exploring in the Wind

A ride through the past and future of Kittitas County

By beryl nitrate

Originally published in the June 2010 issue of ThunderPress Magazine. Reprinted with permisson.

Riders gathered for the pre-ride meeting

Ellensburg, WA, May 1 – The Iron Horse Trail Motorcycle Show is a young event, but that did not stop the organizers from expanding the show to a 2-day event for the second annual show. Encouraged by the success of their first show last year, Kittitas County ABATE decided to open the weekend with a run, bike games, camping, and music on Saturday. The trophy competition, dancing trophy girls, and Seattle Cossacks rounded out the event on Sunday.

The first annual Iron Horse Trail Red Horse to Wild Horse Biker Pentathlon on Saturday lived up to its name. We started from the Red Horse Diner, a former Mobil Oil gas station built in the 1930s which is located right next to the Burlington Northern Santa Fe tracks and three-quarters of a mile from the Iron Horse Trail State Park John Wayne Pioneer Trail that used to be the Old Milwaukie Railroad. Our first stop was at the Iron Horse Inn B&B that was built as the crew quarters in South Cle Elum for the Milwaukie line. We proceeded in a round-about way to the modern Wild Horse Wind and Solar Farm, and ended up back where we started at the Red Horse Diner. Each stop entailed an amusing feat of skill, with an opportunity to mingle with the other riders and the locals. We had five stops and five games, with a challenging run that took us from valley grassland dotted with ranches to the tall timbers of the Cascade Mountains and then to the sub-steppe ridges of Whiskey Dick Mountain in the Wenatchee Mountain Range.

Saturday morning broke with a light breeze and clouds coming in over the Cascade Mountains from the west and the Puget Sound region. At the gas station where we stopped to fuel up before the run, I met a bikeless rider who was discouraged by the threat of rain. "I'm not going to ride in the road spray today. It’s raining up at Elk Heights, but I'll ride in tomorrow for the show." I was not deterred by the threat of rain. The clouds were passing over Ellensburg, even if there was a light drizzle further to the west. I had faith, and I was not going to let the chance of a little shower stop me from enjoying the planned 115 mile run. With our tanks topped off, my riding partner and I headed over to the Red Horse Diner to join the ABATE crew for the pre-ride staff meeting.

Entering the Red Horse parking lot, we rode through the canopy of the former 1930s Mobil gas station, past the pumps and the gas station office to the staging area. Riders were finishing up their breakfast, getting coffee, ordering the catered lunch for stop number 3, and making last minute preparations. About 25 bikes were already waiting for the first annual Iron Horse Trail Red Horse to Wild Horse Biker Pentathlon. The run was advertised to leave at 10 sharp, but stragglers were still registering when the Road Captain called for a safety meeting to explain the route and remind us how to ride in a group. With run route maps and scorecards tucked away, we saddled up for the first leg of the run, east to upper Kittitas County.

We headed west on Thorp Highway, crisscrossing and following I-90 for about 12 miles. The county road was smoother than the freeway through this stretch, and we had no cars for miles. The road was recently voted one of the most scenic in the county, with lots of long gentle curves and flowing hills through the prairie and pine forest. For the last 17 miles, the route left the freeway and we were hidden from the view of the tourists. We arrived in the hamlet of South Cle Elum, population 520, the site of the Old Milwaukie Railroad deport electric generating station. The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad built the rail line, the South Cle Elum depot, and the crew quarters in 1909. An electric generating station was added in 1920 to power all the trains on the route. Our first stop was at the Iron Horse Inn Bed & Breakfast next to the old depot and the Iron Horse Trail State Park (part of the Rails to Trails program).

Mary and Doug Pittis were our gracious hosts for a round of horseshoes between the old railroad crew quarters and the four restored cabooses that were added to the site in the 1980s. Hot coffee, fresh cookies, and a step back in time waited inside the inn for those not discussing their dated horseshoe skills. The inn has been lovingly restored and houses hundreds of artifacts original to the railroad days. I wish that I had more time to see all of the antiques and the history of the station and the crew quarters, but we did have a schedule to keep for the run. I scored 3 leaners, and then it was time to head out to the next stop. This is definitely a spot to return to for a weekend in a caboose with a hot tub.

Horseshoes at Iron Horse inn B&B.

Photo not published with original article.

The bikes leaving Stop 1, Iron Horse Inn B&B. Photo by Mary Pittis.

From South Cle Elum, we headed north into Cle Elum and on to Roslyn, where Northern Exposure was filmed. There was no time to stop at the Roslyn Café today. As a light drizzle started, we continued on Highway 903 north, through fir trees along the Cle Elum River, for about 5 miles. This part of the county is mining country. While the Old Milwaukie Railroad ran electric trains after 1920, the mountains here provided coal for the steam trains that ran on the Northern Pacific line just a few miles south and the smaller logging lines that dotted the slopes of the Cascades and carried the giant timbers to the mills. Cle Elum, Roslyn, and Ronald were settled by miners, and the 21 square-mile Roslyn Cle Elum Coal Field produced millions of tons of coal from the 1880s until 1963.

Our second stop was the Old #3 Tavern in Ronald, a tavern with roots in the mining camps. The miners used to nail their hat to the ceiling of the Old #3 when they left town, a habit that has continued over the years even as the last of the mines closed down. The historic hat collection was lost a few years back when a fire destroyed the building, but Clay Wickstrom has rebuilt and the spirit of the miners is still present in this friendly watering hole. The hats are starting to fill in the ceiling above the bar, and I will have to find a suitable specimen to leave behind on another trip.

For today, I focused on my short round at ping pong against Brian Ingalls from Kittitas County ABATE. Each player had 2 serves, and only had to complete a volley to score a point. I scored my one point, and went back outside to enjoy the fresh mountain air while Brian played Clay for a beer. Clay is a rider, and is happy to host our run. The Old #3 has a long history as a biker-friendly stop for runs. We did not have time today to continue north on Highway 903 to Salmon La Sac and the end of the forest service road, but your trip needs to include the final 18 miles through the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie Forest.

By the time we were done with ping pong, the rain had stopped, and there were only a few drops of water on the bikes. From Old # 3, we reversed our route back to Cle Elum. We followed Highway 970 east out of town through the Swauk prairie and the Teanaway River valley for about 12 miles. The Swauk prairie ridge usually has buffalos grazing, but none were seen today.

Ping pong with Brian at Old #3.

Photo not published with original article.

The 220-foot tall turbines at Wild Horse provide green energy for the region. Photo by Debby Jackson.

The Puget Sound Energy Wild Horse Wind and Solar Farms sits on 8,600 acres of open range about 125 miles southeast of Seattle. There are 149 turbines that generate up to 273 megawatts of electricity on the ridge of Whiskey Dick Mountain. Our stop was at the 5,000 square foot visitor center, three miles up a narrow, twisting, climbing, primitive paved road. The speed limit on the road was 25 mph, and with the 30 to 40 mph sustained winds, that was even too fast for some corners. The climb up hill to 3500 feet was a struggle in the wind, but the view was worth the work out. There were clouds to the southwest, where Mt. Rainier often makes an appearance, and 220-foot tall wind turbines stood only a dozen feet from the parking lot.

As we parked our bikes and took off our helmets, another 50 mph gust of wind claimed anything that was not tied down – hats, bandanas, and gloves scooted quickly out of reach. Jack was patiently waiting for riders to try the modified helmet toss, and he had improvised on the rules. Instead of three chances to toss a helmet through a motorcycle tire, our challenge was to toss a softball-sized rock through a tire. Yes, a rock. The wind so strong that Jack had given up asking players to throw a helmet, and he had found a suitable rock and spray painted it white. Thanks, Jack, for your quick thinking and holding down the game. Road Captain scored 2 points, but I could not convince the rock to jump through the tire.

We had time to stroll through the renewable energy displays in the visitor center and talk to the curator, Adam. The Renewable Energy Center at the Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility opened in 2008, and is open seven days a week from April 1 through November. The wind and solar power generated at Wild Horse provides a small monthly rebate to local PSE customers of about $10 per month on an average electric bill. We shared the center with two other groups, and the PT Cruiser club was starting a guided tour when I arrived. Riders who had ordered it earlier in the day enjoyed a the catered sandwich lunch in the visitor center, away from the wind. I took advantage of the center to warm up before heading back down to the next stop.

The three-mile ride back down to Vantage Highway was just as windy as the ride up. This was a physically challenging leg, and I was looking forward to the stop at Curly’s II Tavern in Kittitas, less than 15 minutes away. Just a short 10 miles in the head wind before we turned south towards the potato fields where gourmet potato chips are born. The town of Kittitas began as another stop along the Old Milwaukie Railroad, and now the town hosts an annual car show in August, complete with burnouts on Main Street.

Curley’s II Tavern offers cold drinks, good food, pool, and photos of big game trophies from the locals. Peeled timber posts are adorned with brands from local ranches and visiting cowboys. Today, we played a game of 9-ball for stop 4, while a few stragglers ordered a hot chili to warm up. I scratched on my break shot, but my partner scored 3 points. We all agreed that we need to come back soon to try the Taco Thursday special.

The last leg of the run to McCabe Park was dropped, and game 5 was moved back to the final stop at Red Horse Diner. After a 10 mile haul-ass run back west to Ellensburg, we arrived in time for the tire toss and the start of the bikes games and live music.

ML3 rocked the neighborhood with their amphitheater-quality sound system at the christening of Bruce’s new stage and beer garden behind the restaurant. Just weeks before the event, Bruce poured a new concrete patio for the band stage and added electrical outlets. The expansion added covered space for bands, with a solid wall on the windward side. The sound projects well onto the grass lawn and beyond the beer garden. In fact, the Ellensburg Police Department received a noise complaint from about a mile down the road, but since ABATE had applied for a noise ordinance variation permit, the citizen phone call was handled quickly without any issues.

After another rousing score of 0 at the tire toss, it was time to relax on the grass lawn, listen to the music, and watch the slow race. A big thanks to the Lower Valley Riders from Zillah for their help with setting up and running the afternoon bike games. Apparently the long run had exhausted everyone, because riders only signed up for one game. Rich’s new weenie-bite contraption remains a virgin for another event. Congratulations to Debby Jackson for winning the slow race on her debut on the bike games circuit. Buck Kelley was the overall winner of the games on the pentathlon run.

There was a dinner break and free time after the games until the live music started up again down the road about one-quarter of a mile at Toolbox Jam. Time Warp 3 played classic rock to a room of tired, smiling bikers. It was a perfect ending to a day in the wind, and we were looking forward to continuing the fun Sunday morning with the main bike show event.

Some riders skipped the run because of the chance of rain and the predicted 30 to 40 mph sustained winds in the Kittitas Valley. We each have to decide where our personal comfort zone is and ride within our limits. Some days the wind blows, and some days you ride with it. I know that it’s not always windy in Ellensburg, and I’ll be back to try this run again.