A forty mile section of State Route 20 in Washington is closed every year from late Fall thru mid Spring, due to avalanche danger. This part of the highway passes through the North Cascade Mountains, connecting eastern and western Washington. DOT announced the other day that it will be opening to car traffic sometime this week. So Sunday would be a great day to ride the North Cascades without any motor vehicles on the rad.
Yesterday my son and I loaded up our bikes and drove a couple of hours to where DOT has the road gated off on the west side. We rode up to the first of the two passes, and back to the car. The weather was perfect for riding in the mountains, sunny and cool(much cooler at the top).
It would be the biggest solo(not counting some tandem adventures the past)ride to date.
52 miles
Just shy of 5,000 feet of elevation gain
I am so proud of my thirteen year old boy. He is a great riding companion, and didn't miss a beat throughout the day(well, maybe around mile 45 he was showing signs of fatigue).
apologies in advance for most of the photos having my kid in them(proud pop moments).
A shout out to northbend here, as he sat in this same spot with me a few years back.
This is at Rainy Pass, looking towards the west, and getting ready for about 18 miles of downhill.
Our bikes at the Ross Lake vista point, close to where we started.
Thomas taking out some back markers...