2K22 (EP 89) Interstate 90 in Washington: Issaquah to Ellensburg | Driving Across the Cascade Range

[@dwood78part23]

People driving eastwards in both Washington & Oregon are in for a shock when they see how quickly the scenery changes once one leaves the Cascades. One moment, there's forest & trees everywhere. The next, it's arid, almost desert like due to the rain shadow that mountain range creates. I can tell that you're winding down this season. It's been a great nearly 2 years of road videos. Can't wait to see the final videos of it.

[@InterstateKyle]

It really is quite dramatic as you said. We got 10 episodes left. Definitely getting down to the wire here. Hope to finish off by the end of next month.

[@fattone166]

Eastern Washington is beautiful and not all arid. Northeast Washington is densely forested as is the southeast corner in the Blue Mtns. In north central is the Okanogan highlands with it's more open pine forests. Don't forget the ice age floodscape scablands and coulees. The east side is the perfect contrast to the wet and green west side. We have it all here in Washington! Thanks for the ride, Kyle!

[@InterstateKyle]

Thanks for watching and I’d love to check out those areas that you mentioned some day!

[@SparklingRufus]

Thanks for taking us along with you to this wonderful road trip, beautiful sceneries along the way, awesome driving tour

[@gosnooky]

Wow, the rain shadow effect in full effect here. From lush evergreen forests to semi-arid desert within a couple dozen miles.

[@InterstateKyle]

It really is shocking how fast it changes that’s for sure.

[@davidcarmack5074]

I've made that drive many times from Seattle on my way back to Boise, Idaho.

[@GreatAussieDrives]

Definitely one of my favourite videos from you so far! The Snoqualmie Pass is always great to see and the sudden change in terrain is super fascinating to see. We have something similar in Australia where theres a sudden shift in scenery once you cross the Great Dividing Range, but not to the same extent.

[@InterstateKyle]

Thank you! And that’s going from east to west correct? Here in the US it’s the opposite as it goes from west to east.

[@GreatAussieDrives]

Yep east to west as its the Aussie east coast, the west coast is basically just one vast open expanse hahaha

[@mattwiser8406]

Good one as usual, Kyle. Interesting change of scenery, from the lush forest of the Cascades to what's almost desert. A couple of tidbits, if you don't mind: 1) That wildlife crossing at the past? A WDOT camera that monitors the crossing caught what many believe to be a Bigfoot on the snow near the crossing..... 2) The Military Area off I-82? That's the Yakima Firing Range, used by the Army and AF from Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Nothing classified or unusual there: it's used as a maneuver area, and for live-fire training. Keep it up!

[@InterstateKyle]

Thanks Matt and thank you for sharing those interesting points there. Always enjoy learning something from your comments :)

[@CrystalClearWith8BE]

The eastern edge of the three counties of Metro Seattle (Pierce, King and Snohomish Counties) end at the divide of the Puget Sound Basin and the Columbia River Basin. Even Snoqualmie Pass sits on that divide.

[@InterstateKyle]

Yes. Many counties in Colorado, Wyoming and Montana also follow the drainage. divide of the continental divide. Many counties in Oregon and California. Also follow the dividing watersheds of the cascade range and Sierra Nevada.

[@johnnyhartdawg6220]

Soap lake to dry falls. You really need to do that route

[@dustino.2297]

I had never traveled on interstate 90 but I wonder why the course of interstate 90 wasn’t built from Santa Monica California to Jacksonville Florida instead of having interstate 10 run from Santa Monica to Jacksonville? Why wasn’t interstate 90 chosen to follow a course from Santa Monica to Jacksonville ?

[@OnTheHorizonSomewhere]

Too bad the traffic on this stretch has become unbearable going the other direction on Sundays around Cle Elum. Always striking how the terrain opens up after Indian John Hill. A gorgeous stretch of interstate for sure.

[@InterstateKyle]

I can imagine. Hope WSDOT keeps widening I-90 to better help with those busy weekends or maybe add a toll lane like what Colorado did in the Rockies along I-70.

[@AMFMDX]

Kyle: Next time, take Hwy 97 north from Ellensburg to Wenatchee.

[@morganm9040]

I’ve drive that route and then took 97 to Tonasket.

[@AMFMDX]

@@morganm9040and then onto Osoyoos BC! 🙂

[@andrewdevore4799]

Have you ever done videos of the east coast?

[@InterstateKyle]

I have not.

[@RebeccaMundschenk]

You misspelled Wenatchee at 16:25

[@AMFMDX]

Ya forgot the "T"!

[@InterstateKyle]

In the words of Homer Simpson, Doh!