Pacific Northwest - mountain passes?

Chinook Pass estimated time to re-open is tentatively May 25 for Memorial Day weekend.

This was the May 3 report online WADOT

May 3, 2012: Crews are wrapping up week three of clearing efforts. They are getting close to the restroom area at the summit. A mudslide on Friday, April 27, 12 miles east of the east closure point, halted clearing efforts for two days.

My question.... is there ever/any opportunities to ride this portion of HWY 410 & Chinook Pass before it opens to vehicles??

Good question. I don't know. Chinook Pass looks like a wonderful place to ride, though. Great scenery, hair pin turns, and it should be a great time.

Based on the title of the thread, I'm going to answer question you didn't ask. Steven's Pass is doable on a bike, but it's pretty nerve-wracking. The highway divides near the pass, and both directions split into two lanes. The speed limit is 60 mph; cars do everything from 40 mph struggling up the grade to 80 mph. The shoulders are adequate for the most part, but it's a nervous ride.

Snoqualmie Pass can be done by bike, on Forest Service Road 58, which is paved, but probably still snowed out. It goes by the Denny Creek trailhead. I was able to do 25 to 30 paved miles, round trip, over this pass.

The North Cascades Highway should be opening around now (I haven't checked yet) and is a brilliant ride.

Blewett Pass looks like a great ride, but I haven't done it yet. The road is open to bikes, has shoulder, and isn't as heavily traveled as US 2. You can do a loop over Blewett and Swauk Passes without too many miles.

I don't know about Chinook, but here the the WSDOT FAQ on North Cascades Highway:

9. Is it legal to ride a bicycle beyond the gates?

When we close the highway, we close it to licensed motor vehicles. Only the roadway is closed. The National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service lands along the highway are open to the public year-round. Bikes are legal past the closure gates.

We strongly suggest that you check with the NW Avalanche Center or one of the agencies I just mentioned before venturing into the back country. There's a reason the road is closed! Sometimes it's dangerous.

One additional note if you plan to use the highway while we are clearing snow - we work four 10-hour days, Monday through Thursday. If your trip is Friday through Sunday, then you won't conflict with any our equipment.


But in the "progress clearing the highway" summary, they add this note:

"While it’s legal for bicycles to use the highway because they’re not licensed motor vehicles – it’s getting crowded up there and it’s a big concern for our operators since bikes are hard to spot in the mirrors on a loader or a blower. The widening, ditching, guardrail and jersey barrier work is going on all day Tuesday and with avalanche blasting planned for Wednesday (along with the necessary clean up) – this is just not a good time to bicycle the North Cascades – Please wait for Thursday!"

Blewett Pass looks like a great ride, but I haven't done it yet. The road is open to bikes, has shoulder, and isn't as heavily traveled as US 2. You can do a loop over Blewett and Swauk Passes without too many miles.

IMHO, the best way to ride Blewett is to park wherever you are going to Park and then ride the shoulder of the current highway up to the old Blewett Pass highway. Turn off and ride the old highway. It's a delightful ride, and the only vehicles you are likely to encounter on the old highway are touring motorcycles, maybe the ocassional car.

While the current highway does have good shoulders, they narrow in places and the traffic is moving fast. Make sure you wear visible clothes and a very bright taillight on your bike for max safety.

What's the old highway like? Can you do it on a road bike with 23 mm tires? I'm thinking about doing a loop on Saturday over the Old Blewett Pass highway, then back over the new one.

What's the old highway like? Can you do it on a road bike with 23 mm tires? I'm thinking about doing a loop on Saturday over the Old Blewett Pass highway, then back over the new one.

I last rode it last year. Pavement was not bad. Some gravel, potholes and heaves in places. No problem on a road bike with 23mm tires.

My wife and I like to park either in Cle Elum, or if my wife is not up for the longer ride, there is a little dirt lot you can pull into at the intersection of 970/US97. Ride over the top to the Buckboard Cafe in Peshastin for lunch. It's a little greasy spoon, but the service is friendly and they are used to cyclists. Then go back the way we came for a nice day on the bike.

Personally, I would skip the new highway over the top and ride the old highway both ways. Unless you like the sound of big semis and motorhomes.

the other side of the gates till the pass is open is not allowed they are removing snow blasting snow to make it safe in the summer is a nice climb and a good downhill in the summer

What's the old highway like? Can you do it on a road bike with 23 mm tires? I'm thinking about doing a loop on Saturday over the Old Blewett Pass highway, then back over the new one.
The roadway is in pretty good shape and you shouldn't have any problems with your 23mm tires. There are a couple of locations like this:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v177/roudy/002-1.jpg
but you won't have any problems finding a path through them.
I won't ride with you 'cause I'm too slow however, if you want to meet for coffee before you start, send me a PM.

Snoqualmie Pass can be done by bike, on Forest Service Road 58, which is paved, but probably still snowed out. It goes by the Denny Creek trailhead. I was able to do 25 to 30 paved miles, round trip, over this pass.




What's this forest service road 58? :) I'm looking at a map. NF-5800? Where would one begin the ride? Exit 47 off I-90? Is there parking there? It looks like NF-5800 comes out onto SR 906 near the pass and on to Hyak. And then NF-4832 from there. Is that bike friendly?

I should post a ride report about that trip. I did it last fall.

I've only been out that way on the I-90 lately, I haven't taken the appropriate exits in a month or more. (I like hiking in the area; they're not the most spectacular trails around, but a few of them are pretty nice, and they're close.) But I don't think you can do the ride right now, the road tends to get snowed out in December, and I'm not really sure when it melts. If somebody can't add any useful info here, you should ask on the PNW hiking forum (http://www.nwhikers.net/).

Google's map says NF-5800 is the one I'm talking about. The signs on the side of the road say "Forest Service Road 58," and so do the Green Trails maps (http://www.greentrailsmaps.com/maps/search/mapid=207S).

When I did this ride, I took exit 47 (left off the exit over the freeway, left at the T) and parked at the Pratt Lake trailhead. There's enough parking there for a few dozen cars. You could take exit 42 instead for a longer ride, and then follow Tinkham Road up; I've never done it, and somebody told me it's gravel. Anybody know?

Road 58 goes up and over Snoqualmie Pass, by the Alpental resort, and turns into SR-906. It comes out at Hyak, and connects (under the freeway) to NF-4832, which goes by Gold Creek Pond. The pavement ends a mile or two after the spur to Gold Creek, but it looks like they're working on extending it.

From the Pratt Lake trailhead to the end of the pavement and back was 23 miles and 1,900 feet of elevation gain. There are three very nice hairpin turns on the way back down, and the scenery is good, but not great. If you want, I can post photos tomorrow.

Blewett is a nice ride. I haven't done the old road as I have heard it can be pretty rough in a few spots and I like my tubulars. The shoulders on Hwy 97 from Ellensburg and 970 from Cle Elum are nice, wide and smooth. Gradual grade until Swauk campground or so then it starts to head up. The last couple of miles heading east there's very little shoulder because of the dropoff and guardrail - but it is two lanes in that direction. I would avoid riding it toward Wenatchee on Friday and Saturday during the summer as there's a ton of weekend traffic from the Seattle area including a lot of motorhomes and RV trailers who use the right lane toward the summit. I did the ride from Ellensburg on a Sunday last year with no real traffic issues.

Another fun ride (if you like climbing) that most people around here won't do is I-82 from Ellensburg to Selah - three nice climbs in that 25 mile stretch or so. Not as high as the passes but still 2100 to 2400 ft at the top. Nothing real strenuous with a 5-6% grade. The first from the Ellensburg side is 5 miles long. To create a loop you ride back up (or down) State Route 821 (Canyon Rd) along the Yakima River.

On the Chinook Pass route - a friend rode from the Yakima side last weekend and got to within a mile or so of the summit. They did have to ride through some snow in a few areas.

There are a lot more than these, but Wikipedia lists 24 mountain passes in Washington state. Many of them can be hiked, but aren't accessible to bikes. Like Cascade Pass. (Side note: if you haven't been to Cascade Pass, it's a grave problem you need to fix.)


Aasgard Pass (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aasgard_Pass)
Alpowa Summit (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpowa_Summit)
Ashnola Pass (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashnola_Pass)
Barlow Pass (Washington) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barlow_Pass_%28Washington%29)
Blewett Pass (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blewett_Pass)
Cascade Pass (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cascade_Pass)
Cayuse Pass (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cayuse_Pass)
Chinook Pass (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinook_Pass)
Disautel Pass (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disautel_Pass)
Grand Pass (Washington) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Pass_%28Washington%29)
Gray Wolf Pass (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray_Wolf_Pass)
Lost Pass (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Pass)
Loup Loup Pass (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loup_Loup_Pass)
Marmot Pass (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marmot_Pass)
Naches Pass (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naches_Pass)
Satus Pass (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satus_Pass)
Sherman Pass (Washington) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherman_Pass_%28Washington%29)
Snoqualmie Pass (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snoqualmie_Pass)
Stampede Pass (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stampede_Pass)
Stevens Pass (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevens_Pass)
Washington Pass (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Pass)
Wauconda Pass (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wauconda_Pass)
White Pass (Washington) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Pass_%28Washington%29)
Windy Pass (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windy_Pass)


Little Giant Pass isn't on the list. :notamused:

The links go to Wikipedia articles.

Aha! DOT has a better different list.

http://www.wsdot.com/Traffic/images/mountainpass_map.gif



Blewett Pass - US 97 (http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/passes/blewett/default.aspx)
Cayuse Pass - SR 123 (http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/passes/PassInformation.aspx#CayusePassSR123Link)
Chinook Pass - SR 410 (http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/passes/PassInformation.aspx#ChinookPassSR410Link)
Greenwater to Crystal Mtn - SR 410 (http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/passes/PassInformation.aspx#CrystaltoGreenwaterSR410Link)
Disautel Pass - SR 155 (http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/passes/PassInformation.aspx#DisautelPassSR155Link)
Loup Loup Pass - SR 20 (http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/passes/LoupLoup/default.aspx)
Manastash Ridge - I-82 (http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/passes/manastash/default.aspx)
Mt. Baker Hwy - SR 542 (http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/passes/PassInformation.aspx#Mt.BakerHwySR542Link)
North Cascades - SR 20 (http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/passes/PassInformation.aspx#NorthCascadeHwySR20Link)
Satus Pass US 97 (http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/passes/satus/default.aspx)
Sherman Pass - SR 20 (http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/passes/sherman/default.aspx)
Snoqualmie Pass - I-90 (http://www.wsdot.com/traffic/passes/snoqualmie/default.aspx)
Stevens Pass - US 2 (http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/passes/stevens/default.aspx)
Wauconda Pass - SR 20 (http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/passes/PassInformation.aspx#WaucondaPassSR20Link)
White Pass - US 12 (http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/passes/white/default.aspx)


I didn't know there was a "Greenwater to Crystal Mtn Pass - SR 410." Anybody know anything about that? The link goes to road conditions, and says it's 2,600 feet above sea level, but not much else. Driving in toward Greenwater, the road didn't seem to go over anything I'd call a mountain pass.

This lists 15 passes, but Washington and Rainy are lumped together as "North Cascades Pass." :mad: And the Mount Baker Highway isn't a pass at all. :(

Wikipedia misses a few. WSDOT map lists routes more than specificly passes. For example Manastash Ridge I-82 is not a pass technically but when compared to Snoqualmie Pass weather and road conditions in the winter months are not much different. Rapid elevation gain and with that drastic changes in weather. Same for Crystal to Greenwood and Mt. Baker IMHO. For hikers there are lots of options for passes. For cyclists all the routes/passes listed on the WSDOT should provide a good mix of climbs and scenery.

My OCD is rearing its ugly head; somebody at work suggested that I'll have climbed every mountain pass in the state before too long, and it sounds like a good challenge. I'm thinking I'll only climb the paved ones, and do it on my road bike.

I wonder if there's a list, anywhere, that I can print out and check off? Or will I have to compile my own?

So far I've biked over:


Snoqualmie
Stevens
Swauk (aka the new Blewett)
Blewett (aka Old Blewett)
Cayuse
Chinook

The truth is I'm a lot more interested in scenery, and that's what I'm mostly going to focus on. But a secondary goal isn't a bad thing...