# Hilly ride ideas in Olympia/Ranier/Ocean Shores area?



## spudbiker (Mar 25, 2006)

Hi there,
I will be in Washington 7/21-7/22 as my wife is running the Ranier to the Pacific Relay race. I am bringing my road bike out and am looking for some advice on good, tough routes. I will be in Olympia Friday, and am looking for really nasty climbs, and need to be at Ocean Shores to meet her and her team Sat. afternoon. So I have Fiday aft. and Sat. morning to ride. Ideally want long, tough climbs. Will have a car at my disposal so I can go to wherever is reasonable. Thought of Ranier area but am told roads are gravel when real climbing starts? I am training for Mount Washington (NH) race in August, so the longer and steeper the better.
I would appreciate any advice on good routes near Olympia or between Ranier and shore. Thanks! Ed


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## stamp adams (Apr 16, 2006)

Have I got the ride for you. Get out your map. Take the freeway leaving Olympia/Tumwater (west side). Go up to Port Angeles. Find the road out of Port Angeles toward Olympic National Park and Hurricane Ridge. At the entrance to the Park, park you car. Get on your bike. Ride to the top. It is only like 17 miles, I think, but trust me, it is long enough. I think the elevation gain is like 5000 feet but you will want to check this. Pluses, at the top, the views are breathtaking. Might be a tad late, but the meadows might be in full bloom of Avalanch Lillies, Indian Paint Brush, lupin. The marmotts might still be out as well. Mule deer play and occasionally you can spot Roosevelt elk and an occasional black bear on the hills deeper in the park. Looking into the Park you will see a snow covered Mount Olympus. On a clear day, you can look out across the Straits of Juan de Fuca (that's a long U hard C sound) and the Straits of Georgia and see Vancouver Island, Victoria city in Canada. Looking eastward the Straits turn south at Port Angeles and become Puget Sound. Lots of tankers and ships out on these waters. Just of to the east of Victoria, you just might be able to make out Vancouver, Canada too. As you continue turning in a clockwise motion you can see Bellingham and south to Everett. On the way down, make sure your breaks are in good condition. If you spend the night in Port Angeles, it would be a wonderful drive around the park and go down 101 to Ocean Shores. On the west side of the park, near the Hoh river, there is an entrance to the Rain Forest. It would take about 15 to 30 minutes to get a feel for it. You would just make this in the time frame you are talking about. But you would need to leave Oly pretty early on Friday. Don't try to leave Port Angeles to find a place to stay unless you are headed back to Oly. It has been a while, but I don't think you would find anything heading west out of town.


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## spudbiker (Mar 25, 2006)

Thanks Stamp,
That sounds like a sweet ride, and thanks for the tips on where (not) to try and find a room. Sounds like that is a gorgeous place. Should I assume that the road is all paved and has a decent shoulder? Sorry to sound naive and wussy, but I have been to Eatonville-Ranier area before and remember some scary roads with logging trucks flying down them.
Any other ideas out there?
Thanks again Stamp.


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## stamp adams (Apr 16, 2006)

The ride is within the park so you won't have the logging truck issue, or trucks for that matter. It is all tourist and usually a few bicyclist and on a Friday, that should be really light. The road is all paved, shuolders are thin here and there, but there are turnouts along the way. I do understand it is out-of-the-way and perhaps too much so. You've ridden a bike in the Eatonville-Ranier area and survived? I'm impressed. Something completely different would be to leave Oly, drive to Seattle and catch the ferry to Windslow (40 mnutes one way), on Bainbridge Island. I don't know if it is still an organized ride but there use to be the "Chilly Hilly" in October. It is a ride around the island and it has some good, not great hills. I think the loop is about 64 km but I could be way off on that. I really can't think of another ride that I could recommend. The ferry ride to Bainbridge and back is also a beauty and you can leave your car parked in Seattle so it would be cheaper. I am just not sure it is a big enough ride for you. Stamp.


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## spudbiker (Mar 25, 2006)

Errr.....I got out a map
Not sure I will have time to get to the north side of Olympic Nat'l Park - though that ride sounds great, for some reason thought it was on southern side, closer to Olympia.

If I can't make the time to get up there, does anyone have any other ideas?I see on the map lots of mountains on the southeast side (Mt. Washington, Mt. Jupiter, etc) - don't know if there are paved roads up or partway up to them?
The Black Hills area (route 12, Elma Oakville), while "only" 2,500 feet is perfect geographically - does anyone know anything about riding in that area?
How about Bald Mt. The Rockies area south of Eatonville?

thanks again
Ed


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## Spinnerman (Oct 21, 2004)

How far do you want to ride.

I can think of some good roads, one is up Windy Ridge. Park by the Gas Station in a town called Randle on US12. ask for directions to Windy Ridge. Windy Ridge is on the NE side of Mt. St. Helens overlooking Spirit Lake. It is on National Forest Service Roads and it is a very winding and twisty climb up. If you are not tired after that, ride or drive to Packwood (east of Randle of US 12) and ride up White Pass. Just over 12 mile to the top. When you get to the top there is a gas station with a deli on the left to refuel. Then descend and immediately turn right onto SR123. After about 6 miles, turn left into Mt. Rainier National Park. Climb Backbone Ridge from the East Side a short descent and then you can climb up to Paradise up through Stevens Canyon. You will think you are at the top when you hit reflection lakes but there is actually another two miles more to climb. Average grade about 6% but if the headwinds are blowing, this climb can be a brute. Another good climb is to go straight on SR123 (Rather than turning left into Mt. Rainier) is to climb Cayuse Pass, then turn right and continue to the top of Chinook Pass, descend back to Cayayuse, turn right onto SR410 and descend then turn left onto Sunrise road and make the climb to Sunrise. If it is clear and sunny, there are stunning views of Mt. Rainier and Mt. Adams off in the distance when you make the hairpin turn at Sunrise Vista.

Another good logging road with some very steep stuff is near Greenwater on SR410 (near the fire station). It is NF70. It is about 10 miles of paved road that deadends with some wicked 12% sections out and back. All of the above roads are paved. None are as steep as Mt. Washington, of course. My Personal opinion is that the climb from Packwood up Backbone and then up Stevens Canyon is the hardest in the afternoon when the westerly winds start to blow. Sure it is only a steady 6 percent tops, but the winds and the heat can make it brutal on the right/or should I say/wrong day. Sunrise is the most stunning for views and beauty. Windy Ridge is good for undulating terrain to the top. No water either to be found so be prepared. Plenty of water to be had around Rainier. If you have any more questions, let me know.


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## spudbiker (Mar 25, 2006)

Thanks Spinnerman
I think I will attempt some of those climbs on Friday. They sound tough!
Thanks everyone for your help.


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## Spinnerman (Oct 21, 2004)

Spudbiker,

How did the riding work out for you?


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## spudbiker (Mar 25, 2006)

Hey Spinnerman,
The bad news - by the time I got to Ranier area it was 5:00 PM Friday - so only time to do one climb safely. So I did the climb up Ranier to Paradise Lodge (I think that is what it is called - the 19 mile main road).
The good news - it was a blast! Nothing like that near me in Massachusetts, can find steep, but very short climbs. So to climb for 19 miles was a great new experience. Wish I had known it was never going to get real steep as I would have pushed a little harder, but a lot of fun nonetheless. Made it in 1:35, I'm not a great climber (yet), saw a deer on the way up. Real fun - I appreciate all your help.
Decided to take it easy on the way down - getting dark, no cell service, no one knows where I am. 
Then went on to San Fransisco for business - highly recommend riding up Mt. Tam. in Mill Valley - very steep climb - it was good also.
Thanks again for all your help.


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## Spinnerman (Oct 21, 2004)

Yes, that is a fun climb because it is so scenic and not terribly steep. I think the overall average is the in 4% range. We often use that climb for a warm-up and we don't consider the climb really starting until Longmire. A popular ride for us early in the season is to also descend the other side into Stevens Canyon and then a short climb of backbone ridge and then descend to the East Entrance and then climb from the other side. It is a much more conistant grade and about 6% the whole way. About 74 miles roundtrip so it is not an all day either. Glad you enjoyed the ride and I think you were wise to only do one climb if getting late. We 'lost' a rider one year up there. The rangers finally found him. He dropped off the back and had succombed somewhat to heat exhaustion on one of our epic rides. If you ever make it back to this area this time of year and want to do a 6 climb epic with 17k feet of climbing, let me know. I'll give you directions, including water stops and where to get food. You will need to start at Sunrise (the sun sunrise not the climb Sunrise) as well. 6 climbs and about 140 miles. Your time was very reasonable by the way. It usually takes me closer to two hours starting in Ashford when I use the climb as a warm-up staying in Zone 2 the whole way. You know you have been up there many times when you can count the number of times you have seen a bear. That really gets your heartrate up 

Okay enough rambling. Glad you enjoyed it.

I would like to try out Mt. Tam. Actually, quite a few climbs down there I would like to do.

Rich


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