I come from a road background. Recently bought a gravel bike, I've had it almost a month. Currently have slick 28s on, doing most of my riding on pavement while the mountains are snowed out. I'm looking to do some dirt and gravel, and planning to approach it like a roadie. But that's when the snow melts. I did a hike yesterday in the MFK Snoqualmie, had it in mind to come back and ride there, but I remembered just how much I hate that road.

Might get started soon with one of the gran fondos: 11worth, Ephrata, Ellensburg (I've already done half), Winthrop, or maybe Goldendale. I've spent a lot of quality time in and around L'worth and Winthrop, those two appeal to me like crazy.

But what I'm really looking forward to is the chance to tackle some of the forest service roads to my favorite hiking and backpacking playgrounds. Cascade River Road, North Fork Teanaway, and Slate Peak top my list.

Road Conditions - North Cascades National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

Here's a (bad) pic of the end of Cascade River Road. There are dozens of glaciers and waterfalls visible from this spot, and in June you can see and hear avalanches coming down J'berg mountain. Gorgeous spot. I've hiked to Stehekin (3 days) from here, stayed at Sahale Glacier Camp, Pelton Basin, and done part of the Ptarmigan Traverse. The ridge at the top of the photo separates eastern from western Washington. It'll be a fantastic payout for a hard ride.



Most of the road is like this, although I remember miles of washboarding: