Autumn in Yakima Canyon

[Bill_Anderson]

Photographically speaking, last week's PNWRR Autumn Colors Ride to Colville was a bust for me for several reasons: the autumn colors had not peaked, I took the wrong lens for my SLR to get good panoramic shots, and due to problems with my computer I cannot download the photos I did take. On the way home Tuesday I did notice that the colors along what I call the upper Yakima Canyon between CLe Elum and Ellensburg were beautiful.

The forecast for Saturday (10/11) called for sunshine, so Randy the X Man, my son Daren, and I made a day ride over Snoqualmie Pass to the dry side of the state in the hopes of getting some good autumn photos. We exited I-90 at the eastern Cle Elum exit and rode east on Hwy. 970 to Hwy. 10, then east on Hwy. 10 to Ellensburg, stoppping along the way to take photos.

Hwy. 10 runs along the north bank of the Yakima River, which made photography a little difficult as we were facing south directly into a low lying autumn sun. After reacing Ellensburg, we ate lunch at the Red Horse Drive-In, an old service station which has been restored to a 1950's type drive in. After lunch we headed north on Hwy. 97 towards Bluett Pass, then turned back west to Cle Elum and I-90 on Hwy. 970. It is an area I have "ridden through" rather than "ridden" and I hope to return at a later date to ride some of the side roads I saw.

I hope you enjoy the photos. Pardon the @#*#$ power lines in photo #5.

[Bill_Anderson]

As we ride east.

[Bill_Anderson]

The railroad line in the background in the overlook shots is the old Northern Pacific mainline over Stampede Pass. It was restored to active service by the Burlington Northern and is now used by the Burlington Northern-Santa Fe. On the opposite bank of the Yakima River is old right of way of the abandoned Milwaukee Road mainline over Snoqualmie Pass.

There is a saying among railfans to the effect that there is never a train when you can see it clearly. This held true today as an eastbound unit train of empty grain cars passed through this scene shortly after we left. We later caught the train as it entered Ellensburg and I paced the lead engine for a short distance.

What looks like a bank of clay in photos #4 & 5 is actually ash from the eruptions of the Cascade Range volcanos which created the Columbia Plateau.

[John]

Nice shots Bill. Fall has come to the PNW. Great time of the year.

[ducatimike]

Nice shots Bill. I enjoy the colors this time of year.

Mike
www.emsduc.com

[Bill_Anderson]

Randy made a rather good video of the canyon. Daren and I make a cameo appearance ahead of Randy at the beginning of the video.
http://www.nwbikers.com/VID_Hwy10AutumnLeaves.html

[Bill_Anderson]

A member of a Yahoo railfan group that I co-own is an engineer for the Burlington Northern-Santa Fe Railroad. He posted photos that he took Sunday from the cab of a locomotive as the train was passing through what I call the lower Yakima Canyon between Ellensburg and Selah, outside of Yakima.

The colors in the lower canyon are beautiful as well. He got photos of a herd of desert bighorn sheep which ran in front of the train. He said the locomotive almost hit some of them. I guess they are no smarter than their antlered cousins which constantly run in front of our motorcycles.

[flyhack72]

While in undergrad at CWU, I used to travel down to Yakima quite a bit and would take the canyon road when I had the time. Right about now is the perfect time to do so. I was just talking with my folks about how nice the views would be right about now.

FYI, if you ever make it down to Yakima again, stop off at Miner's for a Miner Burger and fries. They are awesome--perfect after some canyon riding!!!

Thanks for the pix!
JS

[stimacsays]

Thanks Bill. I am happy for you to get out so much.
I will get cot up on all the tales this weekend. I have been gone a for a time, so when I read about every ones summer, I will post up mine.

[DesmoBob]

Beautiful colors, we don't get stuff like that down here. That white volcanic ash deposit is pretty amazing.