2026 Washington High-Lite

Annie’s Race Report of the 2026 Washington High Lite

Triple Crown FInisher!

I just finished up the Washington High-Lite, brainchild of race route creator Troy Hopwood.  This was my third bike packing endurance race of the year.  The other two were The Cross Washington/XWA, also created by Troy Hopwood and The Gravel Circumnavigation of the Olympics Route/GCOR, created by Thomas Sumter.  By finishing all three of these in the same year I get the rare title of PNW Triple Crown Finisher, the second person to hold that title and the first woman. I have to confess that I am a little proud of this.  Especially completing all of these at the age of 67.  I’ll do a write up about my Triple Crown experience in another post.

The Washington High-Lite is the shortest of the three races, but serves up plenty of climbing and rough trail so it’s just as hard as the other two.  It is a loop that starts and ends in Cle Elum, Washington.  The stats listed on ridewithgps are 326 miles and 23,323 ft of climbing.  It works its way to Wenatchee over the Teanaway mountains, through the high desert of Douglas Canyon and the Palisades, down through Moses Lake and the sand dunes, heading south to Othello, a major hub for potato processing and frozen French fry processing ( and smells that way too!).  From Othello the route turns back west and crosses the mighty Columbia at Beverly, utilizing a newly renovated former railroad bridge, now just for pedestrians and cyclists.  You stay on the Palouse to Cascades trail all the way back to Cle Elum, often fighting major headwinds.

I did the race for the first time in 2022 with my friend Keri, but we only made it Wenatchee on day 2 where we stopped due to illness.  I raced it again in 2024 with friends Emma and Brian, completing the course in 4 days, 12 hours.  This year I bested that time and finished in  4 days, 8 hours and 53 minutes.

Because the challenge of three races in one year wasn’t enough I decided for the last race to add the challenge of not using any single use plastic food or beverage items.  I race without a stove so my food choices had to be all ready to eat things.  I could also buy cooked meals along the way.  I brought 10 homemade energy bars, 2 bags of trail mix,   6 homemade pasta-egg muffins, and 6 tortillas with peanut butter and honey.  I figured by having this much homemade food from the start I might not have to buy as much at resupply, thus avoiding things packaged in plastic.  This of course made my bag heavier.  Confession right up front, this experiment did not go so well as it is extremely hard to find any food that is not wrapped in plastic.  I gave up on the second day as I had bigger challenges and definitely needed to be able to refuel.  It has however really opened my eyes to the plastic waste problem in our world.

Enjoy the recap of my experience.

DAY 1 Friday, September 25, 2026

 Cle Elum to the high point of the race somewhere above Mission Ridge

Mileage:  56         Elevation Gain:  about 9250’

Single Use Plastic Used- 0

 We gathered at the beginning of the Coal Miner’s Trail in Cle Elum nervously talking about the weather.  Rain was forecast but it was dry at the moment and fall was in the air.  By the time our small group of 9 took off in the grand depart at 7 a.m. it was shaping up to be a sunny day.  I quickly took my position at the back of the pack where I feel more comfortable and was thankful for the several miles of relatively flat trail as a warm up before we started climbing in earnest.

I like the climb up the ridge out of Roslyn and this time was no different.  I  passed Brian F. in Roslyn taking care of something on his bike.  All the other riders ahead of me were out of sight so I enjoyed going my own pace up the climb.  I was sure that Brian would catch me any moment and kept looking over my shoulder but never saw him.  Near the top of the first climb a rider did catch up but it wasn’t Brian.  It was Dave W. and we leapfrogged a few times during the day.  At this point the sun was out and the fall colors were beautiful on  top of the ridge.  I enjoyed the single track that rambles about up there and then down off the mountain to the Teanaway Campground area.  Next up was one of the bigger climbs of the day, up towards Red Top Mountain.  I rode and walked when the grade got too steep.  In a one day ride I could manage all the climbing but I had many miles ahead of me and needed to meter out my exertions. 

It was around 11 a.m. when the rain started, and it wasn’t fooling around.  This was the type of rain where its clear that you need all your rain gear on NOW!  The rain quickly made the gravel road a mess.  The type of mud that doesn’t cling to everything but rather sucks everything in.  So going uphill or on the flats was slow going.  The downhill was even worse because the muddy roads became very slick, causing me to actually get off the bike a couple of times and gingerly walk down the road.  I crossed HWY 97 and  before I started up the next climb I stopped to have a bite to eat.  I had no idea of how far I could manage to get on the first day. The farthest I’ve ever made in the previous times on this route had been to the horse camp near Haney Meadow.  I was really hoping to make it past that point this time so I just kept chugging away, climbing up, up, up.  The rain came and went but because it was getting colder I never took off the rain gear.  The higher I climbed the more the wind picked up.  So far I was having a good time and felt like I was making good time.  It was now around 4 p.m. and I was a few miles out from Haney Meadow.  The wind was screaming through all the dead trees left standing after previous years fires.  The sound was like the wind howling across the ice in an Antarctic documentary.  I found it very unsettling.  Many thousands of trees had fallen from last year’s storms and the piles of logs on either side of the trail made it look like a lumber mill.  As I got to horse camp there were actually snow flurries.  Someone had put up a post on the Cross Washington Facebook page about snow that night on Mission Ridge but I felt like it couldn’t possibly be true in September!   How wrong I was! The sky was dark from the weather and the waning day.  It was about 5 p.m. when ducked into the vault toilet at horse camp to assess my position.  I didn’t want to stay there for the night, I really wanted to get lower down the mountain.  The only problem was that I had more up to go.  Between my fingers being damp and the phone screen being wet I couldn’t get my phone map to operate properly so I couldn’t actually tell how far it was to the Beehive Reservoir- my destination of choice.  I was estimating 4ish miles and at a much lower elevation.

I left the horse camp where it was extremely cold and windy and carried on.  Once it got dark between 6:30 and 7 I turned my headlamp on but the road was too rough for me to see all the potholes, rocks, and sticks.  I figured I’d just keep walking for a few miles and hopefully get close to the reservoir.  Even though I’ve done this route three times before my memory sucks when it comes to remembering tough parts of the trail.  So I didn’t realize just how far I had to go.  Things were still okay up to this  point.  I was eating regularly and drinking a decent amount of water considering how cold it was.  I think it was around 7:30 p.m. when I came upon another rider, James S., setting up camp along the mountains edge overlooking Wenatchee.  He too was very cold and was going to crawl into his tent and try to warm up for the night.  I mentioned wanting to make it to the reservoir and he said it was farther than I thought, over another big climb.  I decided that it was safer to camp near him, even though we were at the highest point of the mountain at about 5800’.  At this point in time the wind had quieted down.  Or maybe we were on the other side of the mountain and it was blocking the wind.  No such luck.  As I got into my tent the wind roared back into action and remained fierce all night.  It’s amazing we all didn’t blow away.  I put on all the dry clothes I had, my puffy jacket and rain pants.  I put a bag over my feet as an extra layer and tried to feel cozy. The tent flapped wildly all night and collapsed on me a couple of times.  Between the wind and barely staying warm that night I didn’t get much sleep.  

DAY 2 Saturday, September 26, 2026

Mission Ridge to Wenatchee

Mileage: 48   Elevation Gain: 4150’

Single Use Plastic used:  one plastic water bottle, take out dinner container in Wenatchee

 My tent was facing east and I could see when the very first line of orange dawn broke over the mountains beyond Wenatchee.  I was very cold just laying there and I doubted the day would really warm up much at that elevation so it was time to get moving. My gloves had ice on them- inside my tent!  My shoelaces were frozen so I had to battle them to get my shoes on.  By the time I got all my stuff loaded back onto the bike I was shivering uncontrollably and my hands were nonfunctioning blocks of ice.  James was packing up when I left and told him I’d see him down the trail.  The puddles from the day before were frozen as was the ground.  I was way too cold to ride so I  started walking.  I couldn’t eat because I was so cold I felt ill ( signs of hypothermia).  I felt desperate and scared, wanting to cry but not wanting to deal with frozen snot and tears.  I walked for 2+ hours and about 7 miles.  I missed the turnoff to the single track that brings you to the reservoir.  After going about a 1/4 mile off course, including fighting my way through a downed tree blocking the trail, I noticed the Off Course warning on my bike computer and turned myself around.  I was getting back to a comfortable temperature but the cold had definitely sapped my energy and my mojo.  I attempted riding some of the single track down to the reservoir but there was plenty of walking involved as well.  

At the reservoir I sat in a warm sun patch and tried to collect my wits after such a cold morning. I was hoping to filter water from the reservoir but there was too much algae and I didn’t trust it.  Hopefully I would find a stream a little further on.  The next sections , the Peavine Connector and Moondust Hill (Forest Road 7101) were arduous but uneventful.  I was a bit worried about having enough water to reach Wenatchee comfortably since I didn’t come across any streams.  At the top of Moondust Hill there were two men with a truck and dirt bikes.  I asked them if they had any water to spare and they kindly gave me a bottle of water.  So much for not using any single use plastic food or beverage items.  Beggars can’t be choosers and such was the beginning of the end of my plastic free challenge.

The rest of the ride into Wenatchee took awhile but was enjoyable and warm.  My plan was to get a hotel in Wenatchee since I didn’t want to face another cold night in my tent.  Temperatures in the area were forecasted to get down to 35F overnight if I continued on to the Rock Island Grade.  I very much enjoyed a warm room and hot food.

Day 3  Sunday, September 27, 2026

Wenatchee to Ephrata

Mileage: 66     Elevation Gain: 5265

Single Use Plastic used:  hotel coffee cup (paper lined with plastic) and hard-boiled eggs packaged in plastic.

After resupplying from the hotel breakfast bar I got going around 6 a.m., just before daybreak.  The weather was milder than I expected, which was great.  Twelve or so relatively fast miles down the highway to Rock Island Grade, the start of this day’s challenges.  I was surprised at how much cooler it was at the bottom of the Grade and instead of taking my jacket off I added some warmer gloves before beginning the climb. At the top of the Rock Island Grade I had great phone reception and joined the family Sunday Zoom call for a few minutes just to show off the amazing view I had.

I was really looking forward to seeing the High-Lite route through Douglas Canyon again and it did not disappoint. It is a hiking trail, and a rough one at that so it’s extra challenging with a loaded bicycle.  It is also very pretty with really cool rock formations.  I ran over the first rattlesnake of the trip early on in the canyon.  I had just been playing one of my favorite games in eastern Washington – Stick or Snake?.  The truth is if it looks like a stick it probably is because it is much harder to see the snakes, they blend in so well.  Anyways, I noticed this snake as my front wheel rolled over and I screamed out J#%F#%C%#!!!!”  (Some not nice words). I didn’t feel it under my wheels and I don’t know if I injured it, I didn’t stop to check. I saw the next snake while I was walking through a rocky patch.  Just stretched out sunning itself.  I threw a pebble at it and it slithered back into the brush. Good for all involved!

 I didn’t know how long it would take me to get through the canyon and I was hoping to make it to Moses Lake that night.  As I got to the end of the canyon I had about 30 rolling miles to get to Ephrata.  I calculated that I would get there about 7 p.m., which would put me getting into Moses Lake sometime after 9 p.m..  I would get a hotel room in either town and decided to wait until I actually reached Ephrata to make the decision. The air was a great temperature and as nighttime fell I could see a big harvest moon rising. So beautiful and exhilarating over the golden stubble of the wheat fields. I ended up getting into Ephrata around 7:30 and decided to call it a night there. I don’t see too well in the dark, even with a great headlight.  So I opted for another good night’s rest and an early start.  Burger King and Best Western did right by me.

Day 4   Monday, September 27, 2026

Ephrata to Beverly/Columbia River

Mileage:  100      Elevation: 2222

Single Use Plastic used:  coffee cup, Creamer cups,  plastic wrapped cheese sticks, 

This next section is the easiest because there is not a lot of elevation gain and there is a fair bit on pavement, so it’s faster rolling.  Got to my favorite resupply , the Love’s Truck Stop in Moses Lake where I bought a Thermos and filled it with hot coffee for the next morning.  I didn’t expect it to stay hot but it was still lukewarm when I drank it that next morning.  Rolling through the Columbia Wildlife Refuge I encountered two more rattlesnakes.  I saw them before I ran into them and they politely got out of my way.  When I rode through Othello I stopped for a quick pit stop for a treat and then began my turn back to the west, into the final stretch.  I wasn’t sure where exactly I would stop that night but I wasn’t up to trying to ride through the night to get to the finish.  That would have been a massive mileage day, over 150 miles.  I also knew I wanted to have fewer miles to go on the last day, so that I might finish before dark.  When I got onto the Palouse to Cascades Trail it was still afternoon.  The race route stays on this trail the rest of the way back to Cle Elum.  Somehow I wasn’t very good at doing math in my head that day and i kept thinking I had gone less miles than I actually had.  As darkness fell the air was still warm, the moon was big, and since I was on a relatively easy trail I pushed on into the night.  I crossed the Beverly Bridge around 7:30 and figured I would look for a camp spot before too long.  I found a great spot about 3 miles after crossing the bridge.  It was flat and clear, I could see the lights of Beverly and the Wanapum Dam and that was comforting.  It was really windy and that made setting up my tent challenging but as soon as I crawled in the wind died down for the rest of the night.  The big orange moon was my night light and I felt good.  It was only at this point that I realized I had done a one hundred mile day! 

Day 5   Tuesday, September 28, 2026

Beverly to Cle Elum

Mileage: 66     Elevation: 2500

Single Use Plastic used- bottle of Iced Tea

I woke up before dawn and packed up, drank my coffee, ate my last homemade granola bar and took off.  It was still bright from the moon so I didn’t  need my headlight.  The first order of business was the 15 mile gradual climb before the glorious descent into Kittitas.  It is such a slog because it doesn’t look like you are going uphill although you are, and the trail surface is soft. The wind wasn’t too bad at this point.  The sky was gray and foreboding though which didn’t help the mood and I felt a bit lonely.  I stopped at a trailside toilet and found a journal that people passing through this summer had been writing in.  It made me feel less lonely out on this desolate stretch.  Once I hit the downhill my mood lifted but I also was overwhelmed with emotion.  I knew the finish was going to happen and it just made me teary eyed.

I stopped in Kittitas for a quick refuel and the day was warm, with blue skies.  As I rolled through Ellensburg the wind started picking up and by the time I got to Thorp I was in a downright nasty headwind.  A quick stop at the Thorp fruit market for some liquid refreshment and caffeine and back into the wind.  I tried to not mind the wind so much.  It wasn’t directly hurting me. But it is dang hard to make friends with a headwind.  Working extra hard and going slower.  I couldn’t listen to my music through my headphones  because of the wind noise so I sang to myself.  The sky was becoming grayer and the air cooler.  I pushed as hard as my aching hands and butt would let me.  I was maybe 10 miles out from the finish and the wind let up a bit.  It was misting a bit, like champagne bubbles on my face.  Five miles from the end and the mist turned into actual rain.  I did not stop to put on rain gear because I was so close to the finish, I could change into clean, dry clothes soon!  When I turned off the trail into Cle Elum I whooped a bit and people driving in their cars must have wondered about the crazy lady riding in the rain with a grin from ear to ear.  As I pulled into the finish “line” at the Dru Bru Brewery I let out one more whoop and bounced up and down a little.  No one was there to witness it but I was DONE!  

I’m really glad I made it through the cold safely at the beginning of the ride.  I’m ecstatic that I got to finish all three of these big rides this year.  I have much gratitude for my body and mind, that they have let me accomplish this.  I also want to give thanks to my wife Erika, who is a tremendous supporter and always has a delicious and healthy meal waiting for me after my rides.  Thanks also to all my wonderful friends who ride with me, cheer me on, and provide all kinds of support.  I love you all!!!

Final Stats:

Mileage: 332.3 miles

Elevation: 25984 ft

Total Time: 4 days, 8 hours, 53 minutes