2024 Grand Coulee Dam Loop

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  • Leader: Doris Maron (marondm68@gmail.com)
  • Leader Phone: 250-763-2025
  • Trip Dates: Mon, 10 Jun 2024 -- Sat, 22 Jun 2024
  • Trip Classification: Intermediate+
  • Trip Fee: $1280 USD  Note that the fee for this trip is NOT in Canadian Dollars.
  • Trip Numbers: minimum 12 , maximum 16
  • Trip Registration Opens: Mon, 12 Feb 2024 5:00 PM (pacific time)
  • Registration Lottery Ends: Sat, 17 Feb 2024 5:00 PM (pacific time)
  • Trip Registration Closes: Tue, 30 Apr 2024 5:00 PM (pacific time)
Ride Description:

This ride will begin at Grand Coulee Dam. We will head south winding through the hills and valleys, passing by beautiful lakes and rivers. We will spend one night at Soap Lake Resort where you can soak in the healing waters of Soap Lake, book a mud bath, relax in the outdoor hot tub, or play one of the many games available on site. The next night will be at Moses Lake, the largest natural body of fresh water in Grant County. Interesting things to see and do here are the Japanese Gardens, LDS Temple, walking & cycling trails. If you’re a fisherman, you could catch our dinner and cook it on the barby. lol

We make our way east and north through rock and farmland overnighting in small unique towns before crossing the border into Harrison, ID where we will have a day off before riding part of the Coeur d’Alene trail.

 

From Coeur d’Alene we will ride the Centennial Trail to Spokane. The last 2 days we will make our way back to the Columbia River Inn at Grand Coulee to collect our cars and head home. Some of you may choose to continue touring.


 

Accommodation Reservations:

Accommodations will mostly be in 3 – 4 star hotels/motels.


 

Riding Conditions:

Most of the ride will be on paved roads with a shoulder or quieter roads with little traffic. We may experience a few short stretches of dirt road.
Distances range from 45 – 113.5 kilometres per day with average to easy elevation gain. There will be one day with more than average elevation gain, but it is a shorter day of approximately 63 kilometres. There will be one day off after five days of riding.

The long day is due to lack of hotels/motels in remote area but has lower than average elevation so won’t be that difficult. Bonus; this makes the last day very short.

Rides will not have a leader/sweep. A rider generally finds his/her group with the same pace that he/she likes to ride. I strongly advise riders not to ride alone but also understand that some people prefer that. Everyone will be accounted for by the driver(s) throughout the day and at the end of the day.


 

Fee Includes:
  • Lodging for 11 nights based on 2 persons sharing. There is no single supplement due to the limited accommodation available in some places.
  • Maps and GPS routes
  • Continental or hot breakfast at most hotels
  • One group meal and/or group happy hour
  • One pizza night
  • One Tour leader fee
  • Stripe payment fee of 3%, for money paid through our CCCTS website
  • Support vehicle – A larger SUV will transport bags only and carry a couple of tire pumps. We will carry a small cooler for water along the routes. Every rider will take a turn at driving and must have a class 5 license (minimum). It will not be used to transport tired riders but will be there for emergency use.

Fee Does Not Include:
  • Transportation to and from starting/ending point.
  • Meals other than those noted above.
  • Bike rentals.

Itinerary:

 

Directions to Grand Coulee Dam: From Hwy 3 at Midway, BC, south across the border on Hwy 20 – 153 kms. From Osoyoos, BC, south on Hwy 97 to Omak, S/E on Hwy 155 -162 kms.

10-Jun Day 1: Arrive in Grand Coulee Dam at the Columbia River Inn
Date km Elev. m miles Elev. Ft
10-Jun Day 1: Grand Coulee Dam Meet group at Columbia River Inn
11-Jun Day 2: Soap Lake, WA 88.2 548 54.8 1798
12-Jun Day 3: Moses Lake, WA 51.1 179 31.8 587
13-Jun Day 4: Ritzville, WA 89.1 882 55.4 2893
14-Jun Day 5: Cheney, WA 85.7 417 53.3 1369
15-Jun Day 6: Harrison, ID 92.9 708 57.7 2324
16-Jun Day 7: Harrison, ID DAY OFF
17-Jun Day 8A: Harrison-Cataldo Rtn 86 160 53.4 524
OR Day 8B: Harrison-Kingston Rtn 102.3 232 63.6 762
18-Jun Day 9: Coeur d’Alene, ID 63.3 943 39.4 3092
19-Jun Day 10: Spokane, WA 64.9 246 40.3 807
20-Jun Day 11: Wilbur, WA 113.5 720 70.6 2362
21-Jun Day 12: Grand Coulee Dam 44.7 360 27.8 1182
Home or tour the Dam
Total Distance with Day 8A: 779.4 5163 484.5 16938
Total Distance with Day 8B: 795.7 5235 494.7 17176

 

Registration and Participant Selection:

Registration will be on the CCCTS website on the date shown. A computerized lottery system and waitlist will be utilized in the event that the ride is over subscribed.

A $100US payment is required at time of registration. The lottery signup will run for 5 days, after which the Ride Leader will review the results.

The selection process will consider the following criteria in evaluating candidates:

  • fitness and riding ability and experience required for the tour,
  • a history of demonstrating safe riding practices,
  • acceptable social behavior.

The leader may interview riders or others who know them to verify their suitability for the tour.

  • The leader will notify registrants of their selection status. If the ride is not filled, registration will continue until the closing dates shown.
  • Tour member selection is done primarily by lottery results, but the leader will have the final decision on who is accepted or not for the tour. Leader has the option to prioritize up to 30% of the tour members.
  • After you have been notified you are selected for the tour, the tour fee of
  • $600US is due on March 1, 2024.
  • Second Payment of $580US is due on April 1, 2024
  • In the event of cancellation – If a replacement can’t be found, we will refund any fees for costs that could be avoided. However, if there are costs that cannot be avoided, these will not be refunded.
  • The CCCTS Communicable Illness Policytakes into consideration regulations and recommendations from Public Health Authority of Canada, BC Centre of Disease Control, and Public Health Ontario. In the case of illness while on tour, it is expected that all participants will follow the procedures outlined in this policy. Please refer to https://cccts.org/club-document/staying-safe-guidelines-2022-oct-15th-2022-update/ for details on the club’s Communicable Illness Policy.
  • CCCTS strongly encourages all participants to be up to date ontheir vaccinations for COVID and all other communicable diseases.  
  • Everyone should bring 3 COVID test kits with them on the tour and take responsibility for self-testing if they feel ill.

 

Participants:

Sonya Bardati, Sue Bunten, Terry Chalmers, Deborah Chamitoff, Carol Evans, Glen Evans, Denise Howes, Doris Maron, Eric O'Higgins, Nancy OHiggins, Ken Reid, Lani Schultz, Deanna Simmons, Colleen Vanderheide, Jacob Vanderheide, Ronald Youngash