Riding Northern Cascades

[sam.g]

Anyone care to offer advice on riding in the Northern Cascade National Park? I've signed up for Cycle America's Northern Cascades tour for this August and am interested in any experiences or advice that can be offered. I'm especially interested in learning about the main passes that may be climbed during the tour both their length and grade. Info on summer weather conditions (rain) would also be helpful, although I've heard that the eastern side of the Cascades is much drier than the pacific coastal areas.

Thanks,

Sam

[oracle]

i have ridden extensively in the north cascades. be prepared for any weather, any time of year. well, i take that back. in the winter, there will always be snow, but that is most likely of very little concern to you. on the highway (sr20) proper, the condition of the road is generally quite good, and the gradients usually not too steep. it can however, snow in july if your luck is really bad. north cascaded weather is some of the most unpredictable and variable of any region of the world with which i have any acquaintance. if you are lucky, and the weather is nice and dry, you will have stunning views of one of the most beautiful roads (if there is truly such a thing) in the world, perhaps second to the karakoram highway or the road to leh.

oracle

[dave thompson]

Sam:

Get a good map of the State of Washington. It will tell you everything you need to know about distance and elevation. Delorme makes gazetteer of Washington which should provide you with some detailed info about your route.

Basically you will be crossing two passes; eastbound will be Washington Pass (5477ft) and westbound will be Stevens Pass (4061ft). The roads will be good, the weather, generally in Western Washington will be mild with maybe a slight chance of rain, Eastern Washington will be hot (75~95) and dry.

The start of the ride, Anacortes, is at sea level so you will be climbing the first two days, and with westerly winds at your back. The third day will be downhill/flats/rolling. Day four will be your toughest, with climbing usually into a headwind for the first 40ish (out of 77) miles up to Stevens Pass, then a steep descent into Skykomish. The next two days will be gentle rolling/flats back to Anacortes.

I've ridden the Wenatchee/Skykomish stage and it was the hardest ride that I've done. I'm 62, reasonably fit, but like I said a good percentage is uphill, with a headwind (usually) and in some places I had to pedal downhill! It didn't hurt me, but I slept very well that night!

The ride you're taking will be nothing short of spectacular, forests, rugged mountains, lush greenery, high deserts; a pretty wide gamut of what Washington has to offer, but without the crowds.

If you need any additional info feel free to contact me.

[gt6267a]

Sam

while you are there to ride, you might consider doing a little hiking. i was out there 2 years ago and it was amazing.

specifically, the hike out to sahale glacier was one of my all time favorites. interesting terrain, amazing views, a glacier to play on ... a bit more on the views. the cascades offer some of the most classic scenery available including lush green fields and snow capped peaks.

i've been hiking in the rockies, smokies, glacier, half dome, the whites, the greens ... all over. the images from the cascades always get the most ohhhs and ahhhs when the pictures come out.

make sure to bring a camera. i'm sure you'll have a blast.

-k

[dave thompson]

A digital camera in your pack is an absolute must!

[Ozz]

August is your best bet for dry weather in these parts. However, you should be prepared for anything. However, the mountains make the weather very unpredictable.

I just checked out your route, and you are going to be in for some of the best scenery in the country. It looks like you will riding across highway 20 (North Cascades) and highway 2 (Stevens Pass). You will be riding Stevens Pass mid-week when the traffic should be low. It can be dangerous otherwise.

BTW - We have real mountains out West:
Stevens Pass = 4061 ft
North Cascades Highway (SR20) = 5477 ft
Sherman Pass (SR20) = 5575 ft
You will be starting from sea-level in Anacortes.

I haven't been up to the North Cascades higway in many many years, so I can't be much help there...

You can probably count on your ride between Winthrop and Wenatchee to be blazing hot. Hopefully you will have a tailwind, as it is usually pretty windy along the foothills. Get an early start, cuz the winds pick up in the afternoon.

Leavenworth is a fun town, but it doesn't sound like you will stay there - basically a Bavarian themed tourist town, but lots of good "comfort food" and micro-brew.

East bound on Stevens is not too bad, it is very long and gradual, but gets fairly steep a mile or so before the summit. You should have a fun descent, but watch the sharp turn about 2 miles below the summit. Gradual descents past this, and rolling hills on to Skykomish.

From Skykomish to Lake Stevens, it is all rolling hills and should be a pretty easy day. You're back on the west side, now, so it could be raining....but probably not.

This actually sounds like a pretty fun ride - especially since someone else is carrying your stuff!

Have fun!

[oracle]

if you have a cross bike handy, as well as the inclination for a diversion check out -

Hart's Pass- 20 miles from the Mazama Country Inn to Hart's pass. First 6 miles paved the rest is forest service road. It's in good shape. Dead Horse point is a little scary but doesn't last long and is safe. At Harts Pass vistas of the Cascades and Mt. Baker are great. This is the highest, maintained road in the State of Washington. Three more miles takes you just short of Slate Peak. A ¼ mile walk brings you to the 7,000' Slate Peak which gives you a 360 view of the Cascades and Pasayten Wilderness. The Pacific Crest Trail crosses Hart's Pass. Other trails radiate out from there also.

i rode up it once on a road bike with fat, soft tubies, but the next time switched to my cross bike, as some sections are a bit rough. absolutely worth the effort, however, and i rank it as perhaps my favorite climb in the u.s.

oracle

[sam.g]

Thanks for all the great comments, it's hard to keep from day dreaming about this tour while at work (aside from the occasional web surfing).

This be be my first exposure to this part of the country and will also be my first tour on my new Hors Catagorie which was recently acquired late last year. Having ridden the Bicycle Tour of Colorado last summer on a rental, I'm really looking forward to seeing how the Hors carves through the mountain descents.

Needless to say, my digital camera will be in the fanny pack along with the obligatory rain jacket, arm/leg warmers and warm gloves.

Thanks,

Sam

[Marron]

You're in for a treat. It's a beautiful ride with lots of elevation gain and plenty of wind that time of year. I would throw in two thoughts; heading over Washington Pass you should be prepared for that fact that there are really two passes that are seperated by a descent. It's not a big deal, but I've been in groups where the groans could be heard for miles when they realized there was more climbing to come. The second is the website for the Seattle International Randannuers, http://www.seattlerandonneur.org/index.html

I'm pretty sure that one of their brevets follows most, if not all of this route and that you'll find a couple of write-ups in back issues of their newsletter.

Aside from the spectacular alpine scenery, I think one of the things you'll enjoy is the dramatic difference between western Washington and eastern Washington. You start in Anacourtes with the water, boats and conifers and end up in Winthrop which feels like the high Sierras or Idaho.