*Note: I used Google Maps to look over the routes on a lot of these trips. I saw Washington Bikes of which proceeds of this book go to use GMaps as well. They also use Twitter crowd sourcing to find their routes, I found out when I was following the executive director while writing this article. I highly suggest to thoroughly route out your trips beforehand and to invest in a GPS device that will show you topographic charting. You don’t have to get the most expensive one. In fact some of the more expensive ones tend to drain their batteries quicker.*

One of my favorite childhood memories is multi-day trips around Washington. Of course, that’s not what I called them then. They were called “summer vacation,” “camping,” “winter vacation,” or the most dreaded of all, “road trips.” (As a unique bonus and peek into my life, almost every weekend for most of my pre-teen/teen years we traveled all over Washington, Oregon and Idaho as a family to take part in Society for Creative Anachronism events.)

I would like to say that I am familiar with Washington state.

 Needless to say, last fall when Ellee Thalheimer announced her Kickstarter campaign for this book, I was stoked. I wasn’t deterred by the fact that when successful, delivery date wasn’t set for over four months later. Some people might not want to commit to a purchase that wouldn’t come to fruition right away. To me, that was part of the adventure. As someone that is slowly working on their own bike touring guide (that’s supposed to be a secret project. Shhh.) this really appealed to me and I wanted to get in on the advance copy deal. And I know of Ellee from the bike community. Last time I saw her, she was pretty pregnant and still hauling away on the bike. You can’t tell me that’s not commitment to her mission.

Fiiiinnnaallly the emails and announcements start coming in that the book was done. I actually heard about it through a Bike Portland book review at the beginning of April. Say What?! I hadn’t received mine yet, and they posted a review with a link on how to pre-order them. I was a little miffed, but mine finally came in the mail mid-May.

Then I tore through it like a cyclocrosser through mud.

And then I read it again more thoroughly. Then again and took some notes. Then I called my mom. (For those not in the know, I am a 3rd generation lady bike tourer. Both my mom and grandmother were known for biking up and down Western Washington’s non-existent and developing infrastructure. And it was hardcore then. Think 70s velcro and thin leather straps on tool roll kits, external frame backpacks, heavy bikes, etc.)

On the title page of the book, Ellee hand wrote an autograph stating, “You’re the best! Love, Ellee” – I hope she doesn’t regret it.

The book is broken up into nine rides. What I appreciate is her attention to detail. Each ride is ranked by varying difficulties: 3.5 to 8.2. By days: 2 to 7. By Jaw Drop Factor: 6 to 9. And then time of year. She varies the way she lists this between “late spring to fall” and then alternates consistency by actually using months (generally April to October) on others. Which, in my opinion is about the same thing. (Though if you have ever been to NW Washington “late spring” could also mean  late June  and even then it’s kind of dicey.)

What I also found out very quickly in my fervent scouring of her pages is that I can’t scour too hard. Not like a brillo or like you’re cleaning cast iron. More like a gentle loofah. Why? I ripped out a page!!! That’s when I realized that the entire 240 page book is comprised of easy tear perforated sheets. I’m concerned for the longevity of the book as I’ve had it less than a month and it’s already beginning to feather along the top and become mangled in my possession. I realize the idea is to tear out the cue sheets, etc. However, unintentional page popping isn’t ideal. Also, using my cell phone as a place marker may have contributed, but I can only imagine the other crap that would get jammed up into it if I threw it into my pannier. A page! Where’s the scotch tape!?