Ghost Town Adventure Tour III

So I call up my friend John today and ask what his plans are: "whatever direction you are going, I'm just along for the ride" he says... poor man. "I'm going to look at some ghost towns, how much time do you have?" I reply...  John looks concerned now "I don't have my engine shield yet and my insurance agent has your picture on his wall... you add 10 points to any policy that rides with you, I get to stay on the road, ok?".  "Let's ride" I say with a grin.

So we decide to take the long way around Quincy (I have to buy asparagus to appease the agent provocateur "Mrs. RedTigre"  at the White Trail Cutoff), Ephrata and Soap Lake (yes... just taste the water) to the outskirts of Coulee City and a jaunt on Hwy 2 West to Hwy 17 North.  First stop,  Mold.

Mold General Store and Post Office a real DIY project

Mold, WA actually has (had) a post office, general store and a ZIP code (99115) although what is left of it all is little more than 2 homes and a pile of rubble of the aforementioned businesses. Another town bypassed by the railroad and left to whither, I left John on the hardpan as I went the 1.8 miles down  County Road 9 and stopped at the intersection trying to determine the town's center.  Going north about 1/10th of a mile I passed a woman and her daughter tending a little flowerbed at the entrance of the driveway chased by their 30 dogs (well, 3 really, but they had the bark of 30) when I ran of of road and hit field.  Turning around, I stopped and shut off the engine and inquired about the whereabouts of "Mold".  "You're here" she said, "Why are you looking for Mold? I figured you were lost heading into the field". "I'm doing a ghost town tour thing of Douglas County and look at the history of the area" I reply. The daughter is flicking rocks out of the dirt obviously none too happy with her task and with a strange look as to why ANYONE would want to venture looking at this stuff.  The Mold cemetery is another mile East and I'll venture there next time as I left John fending off the Semi's on 17.

These are the only buildings left in Mold, WA



I had intended to dirt road it across the prairie to St Andrews and Touhey, but that will wait for another time.  We travelled North to Hwy 172 West to Mansfield, cut around, and followed it to the town of Withrow, WA.

Withrow.. wow. Once much more than many of the ghost towns I've encountered, Withrow is still surviving there as... well, I'm not sure.  Why Mansfield made it and Withrow didn't is probably just shear luck. with what looks as 70% of the town vacant and the homes that are lived in are suspect as to their livability, Withrow exists, but just. If it wasn't for the large grain elevators that are still in use, it would not be. I wonder what one does for a living to live here.

Last stop was Farmer, WA on Hwy 2. Another grain silo base along a major state highway, Farmer still didn't survive.

The Farmer Cemetery is like many out here, kept up well and the stones so clear... one from 1898 I saw looked like it was placed there yesterday.

The rest of Farmer didn't look as kept up...

Heading back West on Hwy 2 was our 4th hour of wind... glad I had all the experience of growing up in Moses Lake on an enduro, the wind was brutal for the unrepentant. Even so, we were passed by a couple on their Beemers, a guy K1200GT and his female partner on an R1200RT... I love it.

Down Pine Canyon and into Wenatchee where I split off of John (I swear I heard a PEMCO agent sigh in relief around Horse Lake Road) and a great afternoon of adventure, thanks for suffering the wind and riding with me John!