Singletrack/MTB
Gravel/All-road
Dirt-road Touring
Fat-bike
The 2026 Cross-Washington Mountain Bike Route podium is officially set with Damian Parlee in first place, Becca Book in second with a new women’s record, and Calder Hartigan in third. Learn more about their rides and Damian’s yo-yo attempt here…
Photos by John Heaton
The Cross-Washington Mountain Bike Route (XWA) is a 690-mile, mostly off-road bikepacking route from the Pacific Ocean to the Washington/Idaho border. The route features a mixture of singletrack, dirt roads, and a bit of pavement as it crosses the Evergreen State, passing through an incredibly diverse array of landscapes and terrain. This year’s event, which took off from La Push, Washington, on Sunday, had 75 participants at the start, 14 of whom are women.
Damian Parlee from Canada took an early lead and held on to finish first with a time of 3 days, 16 hours, and 54 minutes. We reached out to ask how things went, and he said the weather was fantastic and there were many phenomenal trail angels out along the course handing out snacks. “It was really fun getting to watch Becca and Calder chasing me down, and having John, Kelly, and Brook at the finish was awesome,” he added. Troy Hopwood, the event organizer, said Damian told him he wouldn’t do the XWA again after his last go, as the rough doubletrack between Ellensburg and Wenatchee destroyed him last time. Damian apparently hasn’t had enough, though, because after he finished, he turned around and is aiming for a new yo-yo record.
Becca Book from Seattle took second place overall and set a new women’s record with a time of 3 days, 19 hours, and 13 minutes. Troy offers a one-hour bonus to anyone who takes a swim in the ocean at the start, and Becca was the first to do it in the nude, setting off a wave of skinny dippers. With the swim bonus, her finish time is effectively an hour faster.
Calder Hartigan rounded out the podium with a finish time of 4 days, 1 hour, and 53 minutes. It’s great to see riders stick around and stay up to greet other finishers. Congrats to all the finishers so far and everyone still out on route! You can follow their progress, including Damian’s yo-yo attempt, on our event page.
Further Reading
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