It's All About The Fish Lake Trail, WA.

This is a short video from a couple days ago, on April 25, 2014. I ride home from EWU on this wonderful trail about once a week, year round. There is hardly ever anyone else on it. Fish Lake Trail goes from Cheney, WA to downtown Spokane, WA. It's about 16 miles, slightly downhill the whole way (obviously, that makes it slightly uphill if you start at the Spokane trailhead just off Sunset Highway. A good way to do this is take the #66 STA bus from Jefferson Park and Ride (all STA busses have free bike racks w/ room for two bikes), get off at EWU, or at the big Safeway shopping complex, then ride to the downtown Cheney then ride down Cheney-Spangle Road - the intersection where The Mason Jar cafe is located ( I think I say Cheney-Spokane Highway in the video, but that's incorrect, sorry). There is a nice wide shoulder on the left hand side. The trail head is around the first big bend, on the left, across from an auto shop. Have fun. Bring a couple water bottles! (Click on images for full size pics)

Looking South to Columbia Plateau Trailhead from the Cheney-Spangle Rd underpass. (This is the Fishlake Trailhead and parking lot a quarter mile from downtown Cheney). This goes to Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge (about 3 miles from here). CPT then proceeds 130 miles to Ice Harbor Dam near Pasco,Wa and Tri-Cities. To safely (and quickly) ride the large rail ballast, you'll want extra knobby tires (preferably you would rent or borrow a "Snow Bike," and slightly deflate the tires) especially past Martin Road near Sprague.
 (See "Crazy Guy on Bike" link below for a great blog about the CPT).

Frozen springs in winter. I have ridden from Cheney many times in the winter without seeing a single person!

Fish Lake and Trail

The missing link. Here you must veer onto Cheney-Spokane Highway for a bit until you reach Scribner Trailhead turn-off. Some people ride this anyway even though it is private property. I have never done it. From what I've heard, you're gonna want a mountain bike to safely attempt it. Word has it this section may be completed in the next year or two, hopefully!

Flooding in March, 2014.

Ice on Fish Lake, early Spring 2014.

Fish Lake/ CPT Trailhead as seen approaching from downtown Cheney.

Scribner Trailhead.

Scribner Trailhead. FLT will be underconstruction here starting June 6, 2014.

Scribner Trailhead rail crossing. This is a very active train track! It is also quite uneven, so be very careful while crossing.

Fish Lake Trail Links:

traillink.com
Inland Northwest Trails
Spokane Outdoors
Proposed $45 million Spokane County Park Levy (2015) : This proposed Parks and Rec levy would  fund the completion of Fish Lake Trail/CPT "missing link."
Crazy Guy On a Bike : Venturing south on The Columbia Plateau Trail clear to Pasco and the Tri-Cities? Check out this guy's blog. As far as I'm aware he is one of the few brave souls who have actually ridden the whole 130 mile trail through the remote Central Washington scablands.

Happy la diada de sant jordi!

Much love and roses and books by shakespeare and cervantes to all!

This fascinating holiday comemorates Saint George, legendary slayer of dragons. It also honors the anniversary of the death of Shakespeare and of Cervantes, the father of the novel, as well as the famous Peruvian author "Inca" Garcilaso. It is customary to give women roses, and to give men copies of books by one of these authors.

As a side note, a dictionary supposedly belonging to and annotated by Shakespeare himself has been discovered. Check out this review of a new book about what the annotations reveal of the Bard: Shakespeare's Own Dictionary

Bullshit Mountain alert!

Did you know that Dove's so-called hypo-allergenic soap for sensitive skin can actually cause hand dermatitis, which is severely dry,itchy and/or cracking skin? I found out about this irony the hard way! Apparently the moisturizing cream contains perfumes that will dryer hands out and/or cause skin irritation. Use of word "hypoallergenic," is totally unregulated by the FDA, (similar to "natural" products) so manufactures get to use it for pretty much whatever they want. My PCP said to just use good old cheap Dove or Dial "White" bar soap. Dermatitis can also be caused by excessive handwashing which reaches that natural oils out of your skin, or by exposure to chemicals such as gasoline or anything else and an automotive shop, as well as strong dish soap, and certainly by a combination of all of these factors, as well as dry weather.