I got up early on Saturday and drove my bike toward Mount Rainier, parked on a forest service dirt road, and then rode my bike into the national park. My plan was to enjoy some great scenery and sunshine, and climb to Cayuse Pass. Unfortunately the weather didn't really hold up (88 F in the sun at the car, 49 F near the top - and I didn't want to climb in a jacket), but the ride was better than I could have expected or hoped for, otherwise.
Cayuse Pass opened a while ago, but Chinook is still closed, and the road is closed at the lower pass. Unfortunately the signs for both passes are buried in snow, so I didn't get pics of either. A group of people were parked at Cayuse, celebrating their ski runs and bike rides, so I hung out with them briefly, and headed further up the mountain.
I rode a little beyond Chinook Pass, by Tipsoo Lake and the Pacific Crest Trail, then turned back. On the way up, I passed a group of backcountry skiers, grinning ear-to-ear, who pointed the mountain goat out. And on the way back, the road that had been closed off with a sign and a few cones was now chained off with a sign about avalanche blasting east of the pass!
This came to 40.6 miles round trip, with 3,700 feet elevation gain. Cayuse Pass sits at 4,675 feet, and Chinook Pass is 5,430 feet.
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Originally Posted by dgasmd
at Seattle not being hilly enough...!
