Weekend Wheeling: Spokane

So how did a happy hammerhead from Eugene, Oregon, wind up in Spokane, Washington? I don't have any family, friends, or business ties there, and, as for riding, I could just stay home—there's no shortage of excellent roads and trails to pedal right here in Eugene.

The first time I took myself to Spokane it was to complete research for a mountain bike trail guide called Mountain Bike! Washington. Later, when an opportunity arose to update and expand another guidebook, I hesitated. What I really relished was the prospect of rediscovering the trails of the Olympics and the Cascades. East of there I wasn't so sure what I was going to find. But with the encouragement of my boss (who also happens to be my wife) and my editor, GORP Chain Gang Expert Biker Dennis Coello, I went for it.

So, I put my reporter's hat on, studied maps, and made phone calls. And I discovered plenty. For all the cycling opportunities around my hometown, the riding in Spokane—at least the mountain biking—is incredibly convenient. You can cycle right out your front door and be on some sweet single-track, thanks in part to the Centennial Trail corridor and South Hill. The more distant Bead Lake Loop, about an hour out of Spokane, became not just my favorite ride in the area, but one of my favorites in the whole state.