# Windy Ridge, 26 road, 25 road, and 99 road report



## SwiftSolo (Jun 7, 2008)

We did the windy ridge loop today and it was an adventure. We went up the 26 road and other than one washout, and a lot of debris after the washout, the 26 was uneventful. The road is closed to cars beyond Ryan Lake so you will have the best climb in the state to yourself

The 99 is closed to vehicles and still pretty snowed in. It has a lot of debris and trees on it but you can ride around most of it. The snow is another matter. As you get within 2 miles of bear meadows (coming from the intersection with the 26 at Meta Lake) you start to get into avalanche debris and snow drifts. From the summit you will continue to encounter snow drifts down to the 3700 foot level. It is still worth doing in spite of the hike-a-bike sections. The 25 road is clear from the intersection with the 99 on down (it is closed off at the intersection so there is little traffic to speak of. 

This entire route should be better by next weekend but do remember that there is no water available on the ridge and you'll likely want to omit the ride out the observation point and back unless you can carry 3 water bottles. Riding this entire route and encountering only 3 autos in 25 miles is a great experience.

Incidentally, the wild flowers are spectacular along the entire climb.


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## MisterAngular (Feb 6, 2007)

What, no pictures? :wink5:

Great ride. Did it last fall. But I think I'll wait until later in the year when there is less snow & other hazards before I do it again.


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## SwiftSolo (Jun 7, 2008)

MisterAngular said:


> What, no pictures? :wink5:
> 
> Great ride. Did it last fall. But I think I'll wait until later in the year when there is less snow & other hazards before I do it again.


I was really kicking myself for forgetting the camera. The beauty of this ride over the next 3 weeks will be no traffic on the 99, no traffic on the 26 above Ryan Lake, and little traffic on the 25 because it is gated at the intersection with the 99.

I would agree that there is little traffic anyway but it is like a scene from the end of the world in the blast zone with no signs of living civilization.


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## SwiftSolo (Jun 7, 2008)

We did the windy ridge ride again yesterday and on the way out the 99 road met the snowplows. The road will be clear by now. There is still a washout on the 26 road a couple of miles past Ryan lake but it is easy to walk your bike around. It stops all traffic (not that there ever is much).

I don't know when they'll open the store on the ridge so you'll still have to take 3 water bottles to do the loop and the tail out to the observation point (you could portage water up there in a car and stash it since you can now drive up). The 25 road is still closed at the junction with the 99 road so you can't drive over into the Lewis river basin yet.




SwiftSolo said:


> We did the windy ridge loop today and it was an adventure. We went up the 26 road and other than one washout, and a lot of debris after the washout, the 26 was uneventful. The road is closed to cars beyond Ryan Lake so you will have the best climb in the state to yourself
> 
> The 99 is closed to vehicles and still pretty snowed in. It has a lot of debris and trees on it but you can ride around most of it. The snow is another matter. As you get within 2 miles of bear meadows (coming from the intersection with the 26 at Meta Lake) you start to get into avalanche debris and snow drifts. From the summit you will continue to encounter snow drifts down to the 3700 foot level. It is still worth doing in spite of the hike-a-bike sections. The 25 road is clear from the intersection with the 99 on down (it is closed off at the intersection so there is little traffic to speak of.
> 
> ...


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