I took advantage of Marcie to drive me to the Rattlesnake Lake beginning of the Palouse-to-Cascades (AKA: John Wayne Iron Horse) Trail. Chris joined us and the three of us biked the 20 miles up to the Snoqualmie Tunnel where I left them to start this adventure. The tunnel is cool (literally) but easily bikeable (with a good light). In fact, there were quite a few folks, some with strollers and small children, at the tunnel entrance who had come through from the Hyak side. Fun! Beyond the tunnel heading east was also a blast. Beautiful riding with good mountain views... including pine forests, meadows and marshlands. A couple of more tunnels. And finally, Lake Easton. Beyond that the trail continued a ways but, at Nelson Siding, I was "detoured" off the trail and onto I-90! Yikes. Speeding traffic was unrelenting and the shoulder, though generous, was filled with glass, tire debris, and other junk. A few miles on there was smoke showing. Traffic slowed. I was passing them on the shoulder. Indeed, there was a grass fire in the median strip. Eventually, I got through that and traffic picked up again. But I didn't see any sign directing bikes back off the freeway to something more calm and appropriate. THEN, a few miles more and there was smoke coming again. This time the fire was in the trees on the south side of the highway. That led me to believe the bicycle detour was because of fires along the bike trail too. Never found out. After clearing that hazard, I could see even larger smoke signals ahead. I exited at Roslyn-Suncadia because I knew there was an alternative smaller road that could both get me off the interstate AND (hopefully) help me to escape fire and smoke. Hitting Cle Elum, I followed Chris' earlier advice for a restaurant, the Cottage Cafe. I had the best hamburger (yes, HAMBURGER) and fries there, lots of refreshing seltzer water refills, and ice in my water bottles before heading up the highway. I took side roads out of town... Airport Rd. eventually to Ballard Hill Rd and the gravel Swauk Prairie Rd. to Hwy 97 just before the junction from Ellensburg. Then it was busy Hwy 97 (lots of big rigs) until camp at Mineral Springs. I had thought about the Sauk CG further up, but it was a little past next day's turn up to the Old Blewett Rd and I was pretty pooped and hot. I did not escape the highway noise but it was a respite from the traffic. Given what I later learned... that Sauk CG is probably quieter, it might have been nice to have continued te extra 4 miles, but I was pooped after a LONG, and eventful, day!