animonger

Here is a link of the google map with the cycling directions: (https://tinyurl.com/cny8v6m)

If it isn't apparent my goal is to ride from Portland to SeaTac, meet some friends outside the airport and ride with them to the Gorge Amphitheatre in May for Sasquatch Music Festival (https://www.sasquatchfestival.com/). While doing some cursory research I've come across many stories about the ride being very difficult because of road restrictions. Any ideas or input on this ride would be helpful, I'm not from the area. Thanks!

Mostly I'm wondering if the ride is possible and if so, what are the areas I will need to avoid.

Bekologist

If I were riding to the George from Seattle, and had time, i would so route over Stevens Pass and down thru Wenatchee.

the ride is a day longer, but man what a difference in scenery, amenities, and general ride quality. Highway 2 to the east side is where it's at. Ride to nearly monroe on bike trails, Bigfoot Espresso from Harry and the Hendersons, then along highway 2 to the old road up to the pass behind deception falls good camping day 1. Day 2 over the pass, lunch in leavenworth alpine village, (so cute!) snack in cashmere camp in wenatchee for day two, then day 3 to the george.

tourists not accustomed to mountain touring or wanting to take it easy could stretch it into a four or five day trip. stopping in Monroe, Leavenworth, Wenatchee, and the George. it depends on how much your group can ride in a day comfortably.

I-90's not bad, but tedious. Actually, it's a boring interstate highway, with unrelenting noise and traffic. Crossing the Columbia is a bit sketch.

If you ride the iron horse trail adjacent to I-90 you can avoid most of the highway nearly to Ellensburg en route to the george, but have to snake back to the main road to avoid some loose sandy sections really unrideable on most bicycles. check on the tunnels being open or closed on the trail, there were some closures.

May is early for the mountains, though, and often finds the higher elevations with a lot of snow, I'd usually be able to ski till june in and around around Snoqualmie Pass where that video still was taken, in may there's often still snow on the ground at the pass level.

animonger

Couldn't have asked for a better post, thanks a bunch!

Bekologist

If you could get yourselves to Leavenworth or at least Lake Wenatchee and ride from there, i think it'd be a pretty good trip even in May.

Leavenworth, Cashmere, Wenatchee, Gorge, and return

if you're worried about snow and if you choose to ride over the crest of the cascades that early, (check the WA state DOT pass cams) snoqualmie pass is quite low, but holds snow into may. main road would be fine, tunnel route likely not.


stevens pass a thousand feet higher at 4,000 feet. low, but holds a lot of snow. the road itself would be fine, the back road to the pass probably still snowed in, and if you were stuck high in the mountains to camp you'd likely be sleeping on snow at snoq/stevens passes in may.

hotel at snoqualmie pass, not a hotel on stevens pass route at stevens pass proper, but in gold bar westside/ leavenworth east side.

PDX Reborn

STP, in reverse?
I'd like to see the locals(PDX)sanction a race, from PDX to Seattle. New route?

Bekologist

I missed the part about riding up from Portland.

30, longview,
westside highway, N military highway, thru Napavine, 603 to centralia, capitol state forest, up the 101 west side of the sound, and over on the vashon to west seattle ferry, is best route.

I cannot reiterate this enough - ride to the Southworth/Vashon/West Seattle ferry if you're riding up from Portland to SeaTac airport.

Olympia/101 to the Southworth/Vashon/West SEattle ferry terminal on the west side is the only sane way to approach the airport from the south. This route lets a rider approach the airport from the West Seattle ferry terminal to Burien and SEaTac airport on mostly low traffic and pretty, neighborhood roads with views of the sound and olympic mountains.

West Seattle via the Vashon ferry is best way for riding to SeaTac Airport from points south of Olympia IMO, it avoids the entire traffic and industrial clusterfuzzle between olympia and tacoma and sea tac.