Day 43, August 23...Ellensburgh, WA to Kelso, WA

I left Ellensburgh this morning headed south on I-82 toward Yakima, where I picked up US 12 and took the scenic route west.  Temperatures today were really nice, in the mid-80's, and man, am I glad to be able to sweat a little.  US 12 winds its way through the mountains and over White Pass (4,500 feet).  Once I got into the mountains the landscape got greener, there were trees, and some pretty views.

Here are a couple pics of Ellensburgh from I-82 just out of town:

I think they are serious about this one:

I picked up US 12 in Yakima (seems like a nice, small city) and headed west.  The scenery got better the further I went, and except for a lot of road construction, the trip was uneventful.  Here are some shots I took along the way:

Further down the road, I came upon a gorgeous view of Mt. Rainier about 50 miles in the distance:

I followed US 12 to the town of Mary's Corner, where I picked uo I-5 and headed south to Kelso for the night.  I'll be backtracking a few miles back up I-5 to Mt. St. Helen tomorrow, and then through Portland and south to Bend, Oregon for the night.

Miles today:  248
To Date: 10,487