A scenic bikepacking route, but with some rough riding surfaces.
Tips:
* Gorge wind is serious. Make sure it's at your back (from the West) as you leave Lyle & head up Dalles Mtn Rd.
* The first few miles of Klickitat River Trail (KRT) before Swale Canyon is a barely-there trail through tall grass.
* Swale Canyon closes each year due to fire risk from mid-June to October, which limits when this route can be completed.
* Most of the KRT surface is very coarse gravel, essentially the old railroad bed. Skinny tires would not do well.
* I read warnings about Goathead thorns, but did not have any problems. Tubeless is a good idea.
* Much of the Wahkiacus Hts forest is under the control of a logging company, so there are roads not on the map and other map roads no longer exist and there can be closures based on where there is logging. But there is quite a network of roads, so you can figure something out.
* The water in Mill Pond & Outlet Creek was very dark brown. A local told me it was agriculture runoff. I skipped filtering it & bought water in Glenwood.
* I DO NOT recommend riding down Old Appleton Grade rd. It was very rough, steep, scary & with two locked gates at the bottom to maneuver. Better to descend Klickitat Appleton Rd.