Hurricane Ridge
 

Hi all, going home (well, original home) and want to cross out Hurricane Ridge from my bike bucket list. Will be done in July and hoping one of you locals can point out any on-going events or group rides scheduled in early part of July. Maybe someone local would like to guide me up? I am slow (clydesdale) but will finish anything when my mind is set. Oh, and I promise to bring the Sun up with me. :)
In 2011, while on vacation I noticed an event going on around July or August.

I am not aware of any cycling events that include riding up to hurricane ridge but it can certainly be done solo. I rode it last September - it is a steady 6 to 7 percent grade where you can get into a nice groove. There are no shoulders on the road and there are two short tunnels. I rode up during the middle of the week after school was back in session so there were very few cars and RVs. The cars I did encounter were all very considerate. Bring a jacket or wind shell for the downhill ride.

John

Thanks John, middle of week sounds like a plan, jacket as well. My son will volunteer to be support vehicle if I end up going solo.

Definitely go midweek to avoid the crowds. Don't count on sun in July, the gods of the northwest invented July to show people who don't drink what a hangover feels like. Summer beings August 10th and ends August 27th, outside of that range you're likely to see lots of gray cloud cover.

I haven't done this ride yet, but I've been wanting to. It's a lot of elevation, but not terribly steep, and on similar rides the secret has been to pace myself, eat right, get a good night's sleep, etc.

There's a NPS visitor center at the top, with some junk food and water. But there won't be anywhere to resupply on the way up. It's been a few years since I went out that way (I'm more of a Cascades kind of guy) so take this with a grain of salt, but I'd expect there to be creeks running by the road, and I would bring a UV water purifier. If you hit the weather lottery and get sun, it'll be hot.

You should consider a few scenic rides in the Cascade Range while you're here.

There is a ride around the first week of august called ride the hurricane, they close off the road to cars and only allow bikes until about noon.

http://business.portangeles.org/even...hurricane-2773

If you can't make it to the top, just turn around and head back down.

I did the Ride The Hurricane last year. I loved that ride so much I will be making the 2+ hour drive to do it again this year.

That is probably what that ride was, seems to be around that time when I went up two summers ago but then again I drove up it.

Well, it is definately a go on my end, top or nothing. It compares to a couple climbs I have done down here but much hotter, what I am worried about is the humidity. I will be up 2 weeks so any day the weather is halfway decent I am heading to Port Angeles. No matter what I will have a support vehicle, so water and food will not have to be carried on me.
Mapping it out seems to show average 6 % grade, that should be ok with me. The most I have climbed in one day is 5600 ft but that was last summer. Begin my climbing routine last week to get ready for it.

Thanks for the ideas so far, really good ones I forgot about dealing with Washington weather.

The kind of humidity we get here is the stuff that falls out of the sky:) It never gets muggy like it does in the southern states where I grew up.

My GF and I did the Ride the Hurricane 2 years ago and had a great time. Price is very reasonable and they had one support stop along the ride and plenty of food at the top. Being able to ride without car traffic was great. We had fantastic weather, it was cool in the morning with cloud cover but we broke through the clouds a couple of thousand feet up and had spectacular views of the Olympics.

Climb is as mentioned above a steady grind, the toughest section was right as you enter the park. It's a little steeper and the road is a little rougher. Some folks started at sea level to get the extra climbing in.

We drove over the day before and made a weekend of it in Port Angeles. Plenty to do out there but the drive is a bit of a pain for a day trip.

i researched doing the ride up to hurricane ridge nearly a decade ago and i thought i came across some nps mandate that cyclists must have a functioning tailight
to safely negotiate the tunnels along the way. is this (still) true or did i have one too many adult bevvies??

Thanks for the link to the ride in August - I just signed up. I live just 5 miles south of the Hood Canal bridge so it is an easy drive to Port Angeles.

A tail light is always a good idea but the tunnels are very short.

I don't know if that's true or not, and I'm not really sure how NPS would enforce it (they don't see your taillight as you pay to get in) but it's a really, really good idea. You should have lights on through tunnels, for sure.

Thanks again, I have not lived up there since 87 but go home a lot to see the parents. Grew up in Allyn and Bremerton and hope to move back in 5 years when I retire. Well, at least 6 months out of the year because of weather. I will be using a rear light, thanks for heads up.

I rode up Hurricane Ridge on the fixed gear at the end of July, 2010. Here's a photo at the top.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-W...ngeles+030.jpg

It wasn't difficult on the fixie, so you'll have no problem with a geared bike. I do recall that I had to stop at the park entrance and pay $5 to get in, same as the cars. This was on a weekend, but traffic was not heavy. I forget how long it took to get up. I flipped the wheel around to the freewheel side for the ride down, but it was hardly necessary; it's just not that steep!

Luis

My facebook photo is backdrop of Hurricane Ridge, took it when I was up 2 years ago and has been the backdrop since. Could try single-speed I guess, long if it is 34/32. :)

It is a very good idea to use headlights and tail lights, many times the RVs will drive down the center of the tunnels ( they are not very wide ) and it will be quit a thrill if they are unable to see you.

I'm a local. Busygizmo is right, the first 4 or five miles is the hardest, after that, the climb is more gradual. I'm thinking of doing the Ride the Hurricane as a tweed ride this year, if I can get my old-timey rando bike back together by then. Anybody else game for that?

If you do the supported ride in the first week of Aug, don't sweat the lights, unless you're worried about tire-damaging debris in the dark, but if you're a Clyde, you probably run some pretty stout tires anyway. The tunnels aren't long and cars aren't allowed on the road the morning of the climb. The entry fee covers your cost of entering the park as well.

If you go on any other day, I'd take lights just to be safer, with traffic coming up behind at any time.

Anybody looking for a nice cheap hotel to stay in while Riding the Hurricane (or any other ride in Port Angeles) might want to check out my place, and also we are doing a casual (unsupported, no fee) group metric century ride on May 4. Follow the link for for the info if you are interested, I blogged it all out in great detail :)

Lascaux, I might just hit you up for a room, driving from Silverdale so still up in air if that would be needed.

Silverdale's maybe an hour and half away, it's not too big of a deal. PM me when you set a date, maybe I can ride up that day, too. If you decide to book a room, do it as early as you can; summer's really busy here, and we're a tiny little hotel.

That time is approaching, will be up first two weeks of July. Not near enough climbing last month, still doing this climb but at a really, really leisure pace.

Can you park in visitor's area and ride up or is there a time frame? Is it better to park somewhere in town?

The parking at the visitors center is very limited, so if you can not park there you might try the peninsula college parking lot which is about 1/2 mile from the visitors center.
Remember to bring lights if you don't think you will make it back down before the road reopens to auto traffic.
Have a great ride.

Thanks v.t., I will have front and rear lights, my son is going to follow me up but just in case would like to know where parking is available at your post helped. Will go on best clear day while up there, most likely a weekday, well hopefully.

I'd like to talk Nuovo Sport with you, just recovered via craigslist my original 1985 Nuovo Sport, refurbishing and renovating it as we speak. Also a local from Hoquiam.

Locals who respect the Ridge
 

Well, we are "locals" who live in Hoquiam, about a 2 hour drive from Port Angeles, in Grays Harbor. We camped at Elwha River RV Park last late winter/early spring and went snow shoeing up on the Ridge. The cool thing about Hurricane Ridge is you can just about see down to the Straits from up there. Within a few minutes you can be up on the ridge, then down on the beach. Now, we both have a history with cycling, but we are well into middle age and would find the climb to be...well... Lascauxcaveman, what exactly do you mean by a tweed ride? And for those who plan on climbing it for fun and recreation, power on dude!

Don't worry about humidity, it is a non factor in Washington, if it is humid it is also cool. Speaking as a person who grew up in Florida. Humidity in Washington is not a problem. Dress in layers that wick moisture. A short sleeved wicking shirt, under a long sleeved wicking shirt, under a good wind breaker that breathes. A light wool sweater and a dry pair of socks for the bottom of the hill.

Yea, thanks for the pointers, going up will be fine with my body heat, going down will be cold. Will bring a windbreaker for descent, right now am planning on adding some water bottles just in case my kids flake on me. So far I am bringing front and rear lights, helmet,road id, jacket, cash, and possibly a seatpost rack to carry all the essentials of extra food (gels) and water. I see a nice day for Tuesday and Wednesday weather wise in Port Angeles, 75 and clear, don't know how cold it will be at 5000 ft though. Goal is to take off by 10-11 am considering late days up there now, should make it warmer.
Climbing wise down here has been very little, doing a lot of short 9-14 percent grades to strengthen legs. Guessing 3-4 hours for climb with stops, either from visitor center or from town.

What will help is someone can point me to a good local bike shop in Port Angeles, just in case. I know of the one in Silverdale, where I will be departing from.

Will be in my favorite Air Force jersey and riding a Seven Cycles bike, say hi if you see me.

Forrest Service contacted me back via email, very helpful, 15 bucks for autos and 5 for bicycles. Stated it can be windy, hopefully it is in my back going up, maybe someone can let me know on that.

Windy, gusts up the side of the mountain. There is a good lodge at the top, don't know what seasons it is open, for winter sports it is full service. Had a rack of nicely on sale outdoor clothes there. Downhill is going to be cold even on what we consider a "warm" day, the lightweight wool sweater might be good under the windbreaker, maybe even a light helmet liner. Gravel and grit on the turns. A few really narrow places. Lots of turnouts for viewing, you won't have time for that, but traffic congregates. There will definitely be gradients of temperature, depending on cloud cover, you can spend a good time in a cloud only to burst through to bluebird at the top. Completely unpredictable. Send us a trip report after!

On a tweed ride, you wear your wool knickers, a vest and a narrow tie, perhaps a jaunty cap, something that looks 1920 or so. For a nice picnic at the top, stow some cucumber sandwiches and split of champagne in your saddle bag on your vintage randonneuse and watch the roadies gawk at you as they pass you on the way up. (Or even better, as you pass them :) )

But seriously, on the clothing issue, I don't think anyone should worry too much about being cold on the way down. Sure it's fast (I passed a Camry on the way down last time, #$%*& tourists) but unless its raining or there's a heavy fog, you don't need to dress up at all for it. In the summer you need to think more about getting a bad sunburn than getting cold.

The one particular caution that came to mind on my way down last time is the curtain drain grates as you go through the tunnels: the slots are wide and long enough to give you pinch flat or even break your wheel if you hit them just right at high speed. It didn't happen to me, but I could see how it might have if I was riding my bike with the hard and skinny 23c tires.