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Saturday, May 18, 2019
The Colville: A 'New' Country
The next morning could not have been more beautiful. After a quick fast-food breakfast, we headed north out of Ephrata to Coulee City. Had we continued that direction, we'd have soon passed through the shadow of Grand Coulee Dam. Having both gone that way before, however, we turned east this time on Highway 2, for the more upland town of Wilbur.
After gassing up there, we turned north again, and soon were pulling over for views of the Columbia River, far below. Yes, that's the same river we'd followed up the gorge from Portland, then left, then crossed, then followed again, and left! The fourth largest river in the U.S. would be a recurring theme of the trip, as it makes an enormous 'S' curve through the state of Washington, before reaching its source in Canada.
What neither of us realized was how fun the route would be that took us back to the mighty river's banks for the third time so far. Several well-paved switchbacks brought us down about 1,000 feet in elevation, in only a few miles. With Google Earth, these days a traveler can preview his entire planned route in full color from the comfort of his home. But I prefer to choose my roads with an old fashioned paper map - then be completely surprised when something like this happens!
I did know, however, that what awaited us at the bottom would not be a nice steel bridge. As my regular readers know, I have an affinity for ferry crossings. The Keller Ferry, in fact, was the reason for choosing this route in the first place.
When we arrived, there was no one else in line. I had checked the operation schedule before leaving home, but was a little concerned that the season's frequent high winds could cause a temporary shut down. Of course, at this point, the worst case scenario would be that we'd be 'forced' to go back up all those switchbacks - something we'd considered doing anyway - just for fun!
But soon, we saw the ferry approaching from slightly up-river. Guess we'd have to do that road in the other direction next time.
With a capacity of 20 cars, and only a couple that had linen up behind us, we had plenty of room to get off and stretch.
Once we got out into the middle of the current, though, the safest place to be was back on the bikes. Having your ride tip over and crash onto the deck would be very sad indeed - not to mention embarrassing!
We did get a chance to chat with that group at the railing. They were coming from one of the towns we were thinking of staying in that night, and had a hotel recommendation for us! The guy in the middle also warned us that the local law enforcement across the river were quite strict about posted speed limits - good to know.
The crossing, part of the Washington D.O.T. system, was free, so as soon as the net was taken down, we'd be on our way into what, in many ways, is a distinct nation.
Formed in 1872, the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation consists of 12 people groups, and now has a population of about 5,000. Fishing, ranching, and timber production are all a big part of life here - and tourism to the many lakes and rivers is now quite substantial as well.
Entering on its southern border, we'd head northwest in a stair-step pattern, stringing together a combination of back roads and a short stint on one state highway. With the street tires on Dan's bike, we'd try to stick to pavement, but consistent information as to the condition of the road system on the reservation had been difficult to come by. Only one way to find out!
The road climbing out of the river gorge had been in great condition. Then, with the help of Dan's GPS, we found the turn off for Manilla Creek Road. It was unstriped but paved, and had a lot of potholes, which kept us on our toes!
After following Manilla up and into the forest and back down, we found ourselves along the Columbia, yet again. Stopping for directions once, we were able to remain on track, and soon were flanking the beautiful Omak Lake, winding around the top of a cliff face, with the water's surface far below. I wanted to stop for a photo somewhere along that stretch, but by that time, the clouds had gathered, temps had dropped to the low 50's, and I just wanted to make it back into the sunshine.
The sun had still not returned when we reached the junction with state route 155, so we turned left and headed into the town of Omak, only a couple of miles away. After a quick GPS consultation, Dan took the lead again and brought us to the Breadline Cafe.
The place was packed - and not only with people! There was much to look at, while we waited for our food. Next to our table was a pile of antique radios, and across the isle was an old jukebox.
My chicken curry soup and side of homemade bread was amazing. It did a great job of warming me from the inside out. Dan had fully heated riding gear, so his salad provided all the calories he needed to get back on the road again.
After lunch, we spread the map out on the table and solidified the plan for the afternoon. We'd head basically east this time, across the northern third of the reservation, climbing over some fairly high passes, only to drop back down to 'The' river yet again. Then, we'd exit the Colville through its eastern border, on... Yep, you guessed it, another ferry!
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