 |
| The way is up up up. |
The secret seems to be out in terms of this ride being on folks' radar now. The parking lot at the Roass Lake Trailhead was beyond full, and cars were parked on the side of the road going down from the closure gate. There were many people cycling up on all manner of bikes, from fancy road bikes to commuter e-bikes and everything in between. Several factors likely contributed to the exceptional numbers: the shorter than normal clearing operation, the first sunny weekend in a cool and wet spring, and the fact that this was likely the last remaining weekend that the road would remain car free.
 |
| It's great that the word is out and so many folks are enjoying the beautiful alpine scenery by bike. |
As I crested Rainy Pass and counted down the mile markers during the brief descent to the base of Washington Pass, I figured I might as well continue all the way there. Though this was further than I had ridden over the spring, I could not pass up the opportunity to keep going. I was rewarded with a spectacular view of Liberty Bell and the WSDOT road clearing equipment.
I also got to take a picture (drive side out!) of my bike leaned up against the snowbank with the Washington Pass sign in the background. One of these days, I'll continue down the other side of the pass to Mazama and/or Winthrop in the Skagit Valley on the other side.
The descent back down to the car at the Ross Lake trailhead started out very cold, so I was glad of all the layers I had with me, even though on the way up I was too warm on the parts below the snow line. It's always important when cycling in the mountains to realize that both the speed and effort differential between the ascent and descent will result in vastly divergent experiences of the same temperature.
