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08-11-05, 02:06 PM
"Cascades Loop Tour- no need for extra fruitcake"
Loaded up 'Surly Dan' the Long Haul Trucker and headed off towards the North Cascades with a couple of maps and no destination in mind. The trip turned into a blissful five day, 430 mile loop of stunning mountain scenery, arid rangelands and lush orchards on a classic Northwest bike tour twice across the Cascade Crest.
Day one: Friday, Aug. 5 off from Seattle by nine am, late enough to let the Cascade Bicycle Club's annual Ride from Seattle to Vancouver and Party clear off the route north out of town. Packed a light but complete camping kit, brought plenty of carbs and a copy of Kerouac's "Lonesome Traveller". Rode the very nice Centennial trail from Snohomish to Arlington. Another 28 miles and I pulled into Darrington, about 75 miles out. Felt pretty good, so pressed on to the North Cascades Highway 20 and the state campground at Rockport. 93 miles.
Day two: East along the North Cascades Highway, past emerald green Diablo Lake and Ross Lake, up past Mount Terror, Hozomeen Mountain and the peaks watched over by beat writers Kerouac and Snyder. Crested over Rainy Pass 4,855 feet and down a half thousand to climb again to 5477 foot Washington Pass and views of Cutthroat Peak, Early Winters Spires and the Wine Spires. Wicked 7%grade 7 mile descent off the pass, sailing 45 M.P.H. no brakes into Lone Pine Campground, Early Winters Spires still in view growing pink in the evening alpenglow. 69 miles.
Day three: Cruising downhill fast first thing out of the campground, 25 miles just FLYING by into the western theme town of Winthrop. Apple fritter and iced coffee in the shade on a wooden sidewalk, hit the hot road another 60 miles through sagebrush country to Lake Chelan and a burger at the Lakeside Drive in. Off to the state park bv the lake. the groundskeeper said it hit 98 degrees that day. Didn’t seem like it on the road. 92 miles.
Day four: Mile and a half uphill right out of the campground on deserted route 791 for a redeemingly fast downhill on smooth pavement and no traffic to pick up the US2, toured fruit country and the very western town of Cashmere on the 51 mile stretch into Leavenworth. Had a bratwurst lunch in the shade of a beergarden, alpen music in the background. Up to Lake Wenatchee State Park to find a wildfire burning on a hillside above the lake and helicopters waterbombing it in full view of the campground. 70 miles.
Day five: picked the long cut up to Stevens Pass by way of the Nason Ridge/Smithbrook forest service roads, 13 miles of dirt roads, topping out at 4,600 feet. No need for extra fruitcake on this trip! Cruel Descent on golfball sized gravel for 1,200 feet and then uphill again to Stevens Pass proper, 4061 feet. A family gave me some huckleberries at the pass. Most excellent downhill off the pass and onto some of the Old Cascade Highway for stunningly smooth pavement and absolutely no cars for possibly the best downhill of the trip. another 40 odd miles into Monroe, a quick stop, and back to Seattle via the Duvall-Woodinville-Burke Gilman corridor. 106 miles.
Trip total- 5 days, 430 miles, great weather, one jersey. Wool.
Beck
Loaded up 'Surly Dan' the Long Haul Trucker and headed off towards the North Cascades with a couple of maps and no destination in mind. The trip turned into a blissful five day, 430 mile loop of stunning mountain scenery, arid rangelands and lush orchards on a classic Northwest bike tour twice across the Cascade Crest.
Day one: Friday, Aug. 5 off from Seattle by nine am, late enough to let the Cascade Bicycle Club's annual Ride from Seattle to Vancouver and Party clear off the route north out of town. Packed a light but complete camping kit, brought plenty of carbs and a copy of Kerouac's "Lonesome Traveller". Rode the very nice Centennial trail from Snohomish to Arlington. Another 28 miles and I pulled into Darrington, about 75 miles out. Felt pretty good, so pressed on to the North Cascades Highway 20 and the state campground at Rockport. 93 miles.
Day two: East along the North Cascades Highway, past emerald green Diablo Lake and Ross Lake, up past Mount Terror, Hozomeen Mountain and the peaks watched over by beat writers Kerouac and Snyder. Crested over Rainy Pass 4,855 feet and down a half thousand to climb again to 5477 foot Washington Pass and views of Cutthroat Peak, Early Winters Spires and the Wine Spires. Wicked 7%grade 7 mile descent off the pass, sailing 45 M.P.H. no brakes into Lone Pine Campground, Early Winters Spires still in view growing pink in the evening alpenglow. 69 miles.
Day three: Cruising downhill fast first thing out of the campground, 25 miles just FLYING by into the western theme town of Winthrop. Apple fritter and iced coffee in the shade on a wooden sidewalk, hit the hot road another 60 miles through sagebrush country to Lake Chelan and a burger at the Lakeside Drive in. Off to the state park bv the lake. the groundskeeper said it hit 98 degrees that day. Didn’t seem like it on the road. 92 miles.
Day four: Mile and a half uphill right out of the campground on deserted route 791 for a redeemingly fast downhill on smooth pavement and no traffic to pick up the US2, toured fruit country and the very western town of Cashmere on the 51 mile stretch into Leavenworth. Had a bratwurst lunch in the shade of a beergarden, alpen music in the background. Up to Lake Wenatchee State Park to find a wildfire burning on a hillside above the lake and helicopters waterbombing it in full view of the campground. 70 miles.
Day five: picked the long cut up to Stevens Pass by way of the Nason Ridge/Smithbrook forest service roads, 13 miles of dirt roads, topping out at 4,600 feet. No need for extra fruitcake on this trip! Cruel Descent on golfball sized gravel for 1,200 feet and then uphill again to Stevens Pass proper, 4061 feet. A family gave me some huckleberries at the pass. Most excellent downhill off the pass and onto some of the Old Cascade Highway for stunningly smooth pavement and absolutely no cars for possibly the best downhill of the trip. another 40 odd miles into Monroe, a quick stop, and back to Seattle via the Duvall-Woodinville-Burke Gilman corridor. 106 miles.
Trip total- 5 days, 430 miles, great weather, one jersey. Wool.
Beck