2021-05-23 "Chinook"

 Author:  Dwaine Trummert

Posted: 23 May 2021 07:24 PM PDT

Every Spring a window opens for cyclists who take their climbing seriously. The Washington State Department of Transportation works Monday through Friday to prepare for the Spring opening of Highway 410 over Cayuse and Chinook passes. They graciously allow non motorized access for the one or two weekends after the road is cleared of snow but before the road is opened to auto traffic.

Adam and I chose this past Sunday (May 23rd) to ascend Chinook. The original plan called for me to pick him up on the way to the intersection of Highway 410 and  Crystal Mountain Blvd. Typically cyclists park just outside the closed gates of Mount Rainier National Park and enjoy the car free section of road that includes both Cayuse and Chinook passes.

On Saturday morning, I received a text asking if I was open to a slight change of plans. Adam wanted to change our start location to create a little longer ride. He suggested Orting.

We were familiar with the most excellent Foothills Trail that connects Orting to Buckley. We were familiar with the back way through Enumclaw that includes the Mud Mountain Road climb. We've ridden the section of Highway 410 that passes through Greenwater towards Mount Rainier although usually in the opposite direction. Never had we connected all these dots into a single out and back ride. We decided to give it a try.

Weather forecasts indicated we should expect a temperature range of 35 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Rain was likely. Sunshine was likely. Our clothing choices were not simple.

We were pedaling away from Orting by 7:30. There were few surprises for the first twenty miles. Highway 410 was delightfully light on vehicular traffic. We rode at a solid zone two pace. Our first photo was taken just off the highway. We stopped to alter clothing layers and dig out more pocket food. The ride was progressing swimmingly.

Adam is just hanging out in the woods.

Our pace was still solid as we rode through Greenwater.  Our plan was to refuel in Greenwater on the return leg. We took mental notes of the few options and kept on pedaling.

This elk was OK with posing for a photo. The rest of the herd, which crossed  the road just in front of us, was a bit camera shy.

After 48 miles we reached our grail. Gates at the entrance to Mount Rainier were firmly closed. Cyclists were invited to enter. Beautiful mountain views lay ahead. Challenging climbing lay ahead.  Zero traffic lay ahead.

Stop we did not. Enjoy car free roads in Mount Rainier National Park we did.

As predicted the temperature began to drop. As predicted the experience was spectacular. The road was quiet. The views of Mount Rainier, though infrequent, were breathtaking.

As we approached Cayuse pass https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cayuse_Pass the feel changed. The temperature dropped substantially and fog dominated. We had climbed into the clouds. We were now solidly into the Cascade Range. Our work against the pedals kept us warm, but we knew that would change for the descent.

The fog was solid at Cayuse Pass. This portion of the highway is also known as the Chinook Scenic Byway. Our scenery included only pavement, snow banks, and fog.

Shortly after Cayuse we met the first set of descending cyclists. All four were wearing ski parkas. This gave us pause as we contemplated the cold temperatures awaiting us. We had already discussed alpine weather patterns and the need to be cautious. We started formulating a plan to maximize our warmth.

With less than a mile of climbing to go, we watched as a bright and shiny Larue T80 snowblower  http://www.jalarue.com/en/shop/products/t80-self-propelled-snowblower revealed itself from the fog. This was our sign to execute. We stopped just long enough to kit up with all our additional layers, document a patch of yellow snow, and snap a photo. The final push to the top, wearing every layer, allowed us to bank some body heat.

WSDOT owns some mean looking machinery. This Larue T80 looked like it could shovel some serious snow.

As planned, we spent little time at the top of Chinook Pass (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinook_Pass).  Greetings were exchanged with the four other cyclists who were present. A few photos were taken. A bike was hoisted. And then we sped back into Western Washington.

Actually, we didn't speed. It was the slowest descent off Chinook every recorded by my Garmin cyclo-computer. The fog was thick. There were occasional rocks and icebergs in the road. Cyclists still ascending were tough to see until the final moment. And we were cold.

At the summit of Chinook Pass my camera caught a cyclist hoisting his bike over his head while his partner took photos.

Just below Cayuse Pass, the air warmed; and we were back out of the fog. I put some pressure into the pedals to build warmth. The end of the park came too soon.

We had 28 miles of Highway 410 to navigate. There as a slight headwind. We planned a refueling stop in Greenwater. To my surprise, well over five hours into the ride, Adam found some extra watts to burn. I gladly dropped into his slipstream, and he stayed on point the majority of the distance towards our next milestone.

The Greenwater General Store came as a welcome relief. My body was eager to stand up straight and shake out the kinks in my back and neck. A quick purchase of water and pocket food was made. Not just any pocket food. I chose a two pack of Grandma's brand chocolate chip cookies. At 170 calories each these two cookies contained the calories I needed to push the pedals for the remainder of the ride.

We found the low point of the ride between Greenwater and the turn off to Mud Mountain Dam. The rain finally caught us. Our bodies ached. The traffic was no longer light.

Putting the final 410 leg behind us became our immediate goal. I went to the front and did some work. Adam let me suffer for about five miles before he upped the pace and let me have some rest. After four miles, I came around to start my final pull. That pull also lasted four miles and ended at mile 100 where we turned onto Mud Mountain Dam road. We sat up. I contemplated our ability to still pull six hours and nearly 100 miles into our adventure. My conclusion: We are pretty fit.

The final twenty miles were on familiar roads. These miles were taken at a more social pace, and we were able to ride side by side again. As we counted down the miles till we would arrive at our pickup trucks, the numbers from this ride started to sink in. Six thousand feet of climbing. 120 miles. Seven and one half hours in the saddle. About 6 and one half hours of pedaling. 196 weighted average watts. Solid.

 

Back in Orting. A photo the the two SSMFs who tackled the Orting-Chinook-Orting route.

The Orting-Chinook-Orting route is not for everyone. Our training volume and schedule placed us in a position to take on this challenge. The WSDOT snow clearing operation made it a possibility. It was a day well spent.