Originally Posted by
mattm
then there's something like blewett pass, 20 miles at 4-5%.. not too steep but for long of a distance, it wears on you.
Blewett is really different depending on whether you're approaching from the north or from the south. From the north is much steeper and shorter. When I lived near there, I would go up from the Leavenworth/Cashmere side, crest and go back. The downhill on the north side is great. In what might not be my brightest decision ever, I passed a car going down.
There's some other nice climbs around the Puget Sound area too: Crystal Mountain Blvd, NF Road 25 south of Randle, Longmire-Paradise, Skate Creek Road. The list goes on and on.