Phillip Cleveland, of Olympia, smiles for the camera as he prepares to cross the finish line of the Ride the Willapa event in Pe Ell. Cleveland rode for the second year on Saturday.
Riders cross the finish line of the Ride the Willapa event Saturday in Pe Ell. Organizers said most of the more than 270 people who registered for the ride were undeterred by sweltering temperatures.
Participants in the second-annual Ride the Willapa event Saturday pull in at Rainbow Falls State Park, where many riders chose to spend the night before riding back to Chehalis on Sunday.
Butch Carter set up his smoker in his wife's grandmother's driveway along the Willapa Hills Trail Saturday to cook pulled pork sandwiches for riders on the second-annual Ride the Willapa. He said Saturday afternoon he saw hundreds of riders pass by.
Riders pose for a picture to commemorate finishing the Ride the Willapa event Saturday, which began in Chehalis and finished in Pe Ell. More than 270 riders registered for the second-annual event.
Bikers of all ages took the scenic route from Chehalis to Pe Ell Saturday via more than 20 miles of the Willapa Hills Trail.
“It was neat,” said Isaac Garza, of Rochester, who participated with his family. “I enjoyed it. It could have been a little cooler.”
Despite the first outbreak of sweltering heat this summer, the weekend’s second-annual Ride the Willapa and Tour De Farms was a well-attended success, organizers said Saturday.
While many riders commented on the heat, organizers said it didn’t seriously impact the event. Volunteers patrolled the trail to keep an eye out for anyone who might be overheating, and water was provided to bikers at a number of checkpoints.
“You get going so early it doesn’t start warming up until the last 10 miles,” said Phillip Cleveland, of Olympia, who participated in the event for the second year on Saturday.
The event was a partnership between local organizations and Washington State Parks, which owns both the trail and Rainbow Falls State Park — where many bikers spent the night and had breakfast and dinner sponsored by Chehalis’ High Noon Sertoma club.
Other project partners and sponsors included Organic Valley dairy products, U.S. Cellular, Discover Lewis County, the Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce, Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital, Chehalis’ Parks and Recreation department and more. The event was funded partially using lodging tax funds from Chehalis and Lewis County.
At last year’s event, about 130 people participated. This year, more than 270 riders registered, in addition to about 50 volunteers.
“This trail, as it grows, it becomes a jewel of our state,” said Steve Ward, one of the event’s organizers.
Bonnie Montgomery, a member of the Pe Ell Town Council, volunteered at the event Saturday on her scooter.
She said the event has the potential to promote Pe Ell.
“I think it’s great,” she said. “It’s doubled since last year.”
Riders started early Saturday morning and leisurely pedaled the 20-plus miles from Chehalis to Pe Ell, pausing at farms and rest stops along the way.
The Ride the Willapa also included the Tour De Farms. Farms along the Willapa Hills Trail, including the Newaukum Valley Farm, Black Sheep Creamery, Rosecrest Farms and Wedin Farm, were open for tours.
The leisurely pace is what the Ride the Willapa is all about, organizers said.
“This is all about your family,” said organizer Harry Bhagwandin. “This is a family-friendly ride, and we want you to bring your family into the outdoors.”
Ward said many other bicycle tours in the state are focused on experienced riders competing against the clock, and take place on busy highways.
“Here it’s just the opposite,” he said. “We say, ‘Slow down.’”
