The PTC Trail section east of South Cle Elum makes for a delightful outing on foot or mountain bike. I knew it would be socked in at the pass and all the I-90 hikes are ridiculously crowded on weekend, ergo this trip. Also, I live about 5 miles from where we started.  Today we wanted to get to the tunnel about 10 miles down the canyon, so we rode bikes. I start  a few miles east of S Cle Elum. There is good parking to be found if you go straight south on the main road through SCE, make the 90 degree turn left, go up the hill and on to Lower Peoh Point Road. Continue east under the freeway until you see the large bus turnaround on the left. It is closed to parking in the morning and late afternoon as the sign says. The trail from here follows the river with lots of good riparian views and  sections alongside nice wetlands, picnic areas, a campground, etc. Soon, you pass the confluence of the Teanaway and Yakima Rivers. Gradually, the landscape changes from wooded to sagebrush and more open country. You occassiomally see/hear cars on Hwy 10 (AKA the “River Road” to locals) and trains. We took our time and got to the tunnel in a little over an hour. It is long enough to get almost totally dark in the middle. Just past the tunnel is an old broken down farm and buildings. We turned around here and started back uphill (on a bike you realize there is some slope to this trail) and upwind. The trip today was comfortable, about 75 degrees, after the heat we’ve all been hiking in most of this summer. This trail is very scenic and always offers a new perspective on areas we drive by all the time. 

Since it seems difficult to find good current info on this trail I thought I'd throw in some details from our bike ride from SCE to Thorp (almost) and back.

The trail bed is gravel and varies in width from about 8 feet to 12 feet. For the first few miles after leaving SCE the gravel is fairly loose and requires a little more attention (and work). After you cross under I-90 and reach the Yakima River the trail becomes consistently wider and harder packed, with some intermittent loose areas. The surroundings also become more interesting at this point. After a few more miles the river comes into view more, as do the basalt formations in the river valley.

The first of the two tunnels is long enough that it gets completely dark in the middle - you will need a light. Phone flashlights can do the job if you ride slowly. The second tunnel is shorter and you probably won't need a light.

After you cross the bridge over Taneum Creek the landscape opens up and you pass through farmlands on your way into Thorp. We turned around shortly after the creek crossing for a total ride of about 32 miles. With a lunch break and a few stops to view wildlife it took us about 5 hours on our hybrid bikes at a pretty leisurely pace.

There are some picnic tables along the way and a pit toilet at the campground stop around the middle of the ride.

A Discovery Pass is required at the trailhead, but it's not hard to find alternative parking right nearby if you forgot yours.

I enjoyed seeing plenty of my favorite Eastside flower, Showy Milkweed, in bloom.

It was raining in the mountains so we elected to walk the JWT in the South Cle Elum area. There is a very nice section you can access if you drive straight through SCE, follow the road around the 90 degree left turn, go up the hill and continue on to Lower Peoh Point Road. Follow the road for about 3 miles to the large obvious signed bus turnaround on the left. There is no parking allowed here on school days during the morning and afternoon school bus times. We walked east from here for 3 miles. The river is on your left the whole time and there are pleasant woods all around. Trains occasionally come by,  adding to the ambiance. The tread is perfect and there is plenty of solitude; we saw people only twice. Skunk cabbage is coming out in large areas right alongside the trail. There are nice picnic areas set up here and there. We escaped the rain for the most part and even had some sun breaks. I often use the JWT in the “shoulder seasons” due to its easy grades and travel. It also works great for mountain biking. 

Having walked/biked the Thorp portion of the John Wayne Trail many times, we decided to check out this part of it for a change. Judging by a couple of trip reports it looked very pretty. We weren't sure exactly where to join the trail, but followed the (excellent) directions from one of the reports and got into the trail toward the end of Lower Peoh Road as you head out of South Cle Elum. 

This is a bucolic and beautiful area and we enjoyed the surroundings very much, especially the Yakima River keeping us company all along. We did not enjoy having to choose between treading on the car track (too narrow) and the uneven and slushy area between the tracks. We finally put on our yak traks, but wished we had crampons as we still kept sliding. It was very tedious going and was a lot more difficult than it should have been, considering it was completely level! I'm not a cross-country skier, but this seems like a good place for that. Someone had been snow shoeing so that could work too. It was still a very peaceful walk. We only ventured a couple of miles in because we were becoming fatigued. 

Quick lunch at the Turkey Gulch picnic area, then a desperate trudge back. We were inexplicably sore all over by the time we made it back to the car.

Best to save this one for spring. We're looking forward to riding our bikes to Thorp, through the tunnels, only 13.8 miles.

Big highlight: Stopping by Basecamp Books in Roslyn for a delicious grilled cheese/avocado sandwich, cookies and cappuccino!