Day 9 – Randle to Northwoods – Safe Return Doubtful

Tuesday July 28, 2015, 49 miles (79 km) – Total so far: 592 miles (952 km)

Distance 49 miles (79 km) Time riding 5 hrs 9 mins Max speed 33.5 mph Average speed 9.5 mph Altitude 350 meters asl Left at 7:50 am Arrived 3:00 pm

Tall Timber bar and cafe was fine last night and also for a breakfast omelette this morning. It doesn’t open until 8 am which is a bit strange over here, and delayed me a bit. The garage just before it opens at 3:30 am, also quite strange, but a lot of trucks pass.

Today is the start of another heatwave over here. It was all over the news last night. Temperatures this afternoon up to early thirties, and later this week to late thirties. Best to ride early, as overnight it will go to about 15C.

For the last few days I have circumnavigated Mount Rainier and now am sandwiched between Rainier and amount St Helens (famous for its eruption in 1980). Route 25 winds its way south from Randle and at a couple of points gets great views of St Helens. I post no photos of Rainier as I didn’t see it. Too cloudy. I can’t therefore even be sure it’s there. This is the quieter side of St Helens. The west side is flooded with tourists and trekkers, but this road is incredibly quiet. About one car passed every 7-8 minutes. It goes over the Elk Pass, which for some reason is unmarked. It’s almost exactly 1000 meters above Randle, but there is more climbing involved than that. Just to get you warmed up, there’s a 150 meter hill just out of town, then back down again.

That old adage – it’s like most hills I know, it goes up until it gets to the top, and then it slopes away rather – is not quite true here therefore. Also beware, it drops to 900 metres then climbs (slowly) to 1050 again. So in all, it’s about 1300 meters of climbing.

Also, compared to any of the passes i did on the Divide route last year, it is steep in places. Most memorable the last 4 miles before the top, where it’s 8-12%.

Future riders beware also the downhill. The road is in a tired state, probably after a few cold winters. There are plenty of cracks and potholes, and on a bright day like today, with shadows of trees, hard to see. I saw a motorcyclist hit one as I was on the way up and he all but came off.

All in all, the lack of traffic, the scenery and the challenge, this is an exceptional ride, and one that I will remember for a long time. It’s made even better by Emily’s store at Northwoods. If it wasn’t for that there would be nothing for a long stretch, two long days of riding. As it is she has shaded camping, some food, cold beers and even a shower. Cyclists get free showers, but it’s $16 for the site.

I’ve seen one other Sierra Cascades rider only so far, the other day near Ellensburg. he was riding from San Diego up to the Canadian border on the Cascades route, then back on the Pacific Coast route. There’s another rider filling his water up here. He has been on the road for two months in BC and Washington and is shortly to finish in Portland. Route 25 winds its way south of Randle.