# RAMROD Primer



## old'n'slow (Sep 4, 2007)

A buddy and I are planning on riding from Greenwater to Packwood and back as prep for RAMROD. Looks to be approximately 90 miles round trip with close to 7000' of climbing, according to MapMyRide. 

Does anyone have any experience riding over Cayuse Pass. Any and all information - road conditions, grade, etc - would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance!


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## MisterAngular (Feb 6, 2007)

Sounds like a fun/challenging ride! MapMyRide is notoriously inaccurate as far as elevation data and grades are concerned. Unfortunately I don't have any additional info on that particular route, but here's a ride I did last fall starting in Ashford, going Packwood, up to East entrance, to Paradise via Stevens Canyon, and back to Ashford. 

http://www.mapmyride.com/route//wa/ashford/423127724791997650

Pretty epic. Highly recommended!


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## B2 (Mar 12, 2002)

The stretch from Greenwater to the Park Entrance isn't bad, but it's not all that great either. They've got those rumble strips cut in to the fog line so if you're riding a pace line it can be a pain switching leads. 

I would park at the Crystal Mountain turn-off and ride from there. Just this past Friday I parked there with the intention of riding up to the Crystal ski area and down, then over and down the east side of Chinook Pass a ways and then maybe over the other side of Cayuse Pass a ways. Well after riding up and down Crystal and then only a mile or two into the Cayuse climb I thought, why not ride to Paradise and back. Man that was a lot longer than I thought it would be! Ended up with 96 miles and 10,500' of climbing. Total trip time was 7.5 hours (and I didn't start until noon). I wish I had brought my camera. It was a gorgeous day. Riding MRNP (off hwy) is really, really nice. Without the Crystal detour that I started the trip with would have trimmed the ride down to around 80 miles and 9,000' of climbing. That sounds like it might be more in line with what you're thinking.


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## MarvinK (Feb 12, 2002)

I was driving home from picking up my kids a week ago last Sunday and bumped into a cyclist waiting at the top of Chinook pass waiting for friends. He was waiting for some slower riders before heading back (he rode up Crystal, Sunrise, Cayuse and Chinook).. and said the only thing he regretted about that day was leaving later in the morning--he said it's NOT fun riding back down Sunday afternoon or evening with all the west-siders hustling back home from the weekend in their cars.


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