Cayuse Pass and Forest Road 21
May 20, 2000
Heading south from Greenwater on the
Mather Memorial Parkway
May 20th is a bit early for much high country dual sport riding in Washington State. Most of the high passes across the Cascades are just opening. That is if we haven't had record snowfalls the previous winter. Fortunately, or I suppose, unfortunately if you're a skier, we experienced fairly normal snowfall this winter so the roads are opening up 'on time' this year.
Cayuse Pass has been open for a couple of weeks and Chinook Pass opened just a few days ago. There is still lots of snow near the top as you can see from the photos. Chinook is always one of the last passes to open, primarily because of the steep switchbacks just west of Lake Tipsoe. Last year this pass didn't open until July.
Entering Mount Rainier National Park from the north
The highway from Greenwater to the entrance of Mount Rainier National Park is in very nice shape. Unfortunately it is posted ridiculously slow at 50 or 55 MPH so be careful, it is patrolled.
When you get to the park, the road deteriorates badly. They keep the trees perfect but ignore the highway. Oh well, I'm on a bike with 12" of suspension, so what do I care?
Highway 123 south toward Ohanapecosh
It was just about as nice a day as you could hope for. Just cool enough that wearing the cold weather gear was comfortable, not so warm in the sun that you were too hot. Highway 123 is in pretty good condition. On the way back, I was passed by three guys on sportbikes traveling at a 'brisk' pace. Zoom!
Looking north over the Cowlitz River valley
from the beginning of Forest Road 21
At the big Texaco station on the west end of Packwood, I filled up the KLR and bought some water and munchies to take with me. The lady behind the counter knew exactly where Forest Road 21 was and told me how to get there. They call it Walupt Lake Road in these parts. Just off the highway, FR 21 does a quick switchback up the hillside and presents you with this nice view of the valley with Mount Rainier National Park in the distance.
Forest Road 21 disappears into the woods
This road is in good shape, at least the section I rode. Just enough gravel to let me know I should have let some air out of the tires before I started up. Oh well, power slides are fun! For the next half hour I pretend I'm Alfie Cox heading toward Berkina Faso.
The end of the road for today
Fourteen miles from the highway the adventure comes to an end. I walked up around the corner to have a look and there was snow as far as I could see.
Silly GPS readings
I hadn't bothered with the GPS until now, since getting to Packwood from Seattle is not exactly tricky navigating. When I pulled it out of the tank bag and turned it on, it indicated I was still travelling at 45 MPH at an elevation of 206 feet! After 'integrating' a while, it finally decided I was stopped somewhere near the 4000 foot level. I set a waypoint.
The mountains are full of these impromptu waterfalls
I like roadside waterfalls. There are lots of them this time of year. I photographed two samples. There is a LOT of water coming down this mountainside, but there was only one little section of the road that was damaged by water, so the road crews are doing a good job.
Johnson Creek
This section of Johnson Creek may be where National Geographic photographs rocky streams. Perfect example.
The bridge at the Johnson Creek Sno-Park
There is a snowmobile recreation area near here and a big area for parking here at the bridge. After chatting with some campers, I headed back down to Packwood and a cup of coffee at my favorite Espresso place, The Ambrosia. It's on the left as you head west through town, about a half block from the highway. Look for the sign and tell the lady making coffee that Phil and Debb sent you.
Waterfall on Highway 123
Looking south from the top of Cayuse Pass
The weather changes fast up here. Back at the summit I took a quick detour to the top of Chinook Pass. It had just been opened a couple of days earlier and I wanted to see the snow at Lake Tipsoe. Lots! Next to the big snowbank is a huge river of snow melt. The snowbank acts like a sounding board and the sound of the water really roars. Its cold riding in a trench of snow. Brrrrr.
Mount Rainier hides in the clouds today
Can you have more fun on two wheels than dual sport riding? Maybe, but this is pretty nice. Since the weather forecast has been changing hourly this week, I decided to do this trip at the last moment. I made sure I took everything I might need in case of an emergency, including water and food, rain gear, a good map and of course, my GPS. I hadn't told anyone where I was going and was riding alone so I kept the speeds down on the gravel. No point laying in a ditch with broken parts any more than you need to. Next time I'll remember my first aid kit (its small and easily packed) and a flashlight. And of course, riding with a buddy is always a good choice.
Links
The Gifford Pinchot National Forest is full of dual sport riding areas, as well as quite a lot of dirtbike trails. Check out their website at:
The Recreation Report with current road and trail conditions is here. Also the phone numbers and hours of the Ranger Stations:
http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/rec_report/index.html
And here is a nicely detailed description of the off road trails with pictures: