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mbarto
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PostMon Nov 02, 2020 11:47 am 
I recently got my gf an e-bike and I have a decent old mountain bike. We've been to several locations where roads are de-commissioned due to washouts and we could save a lot of time if we rode up to the trailhead. I'm looking for more options like this. The ones I know about are: 1. Carbon River Entrance to Mount Rainier NP (gravel, but in great condition) 2. Olympic Hot Springs (paved) 3. Dosewallips (mostly gravel, rough in sections) 4. Monte Cristo (both routes are pretty rough) We did Monte Cristo and it was a bit too rough. Don't want to repeat that one. Thanks! Michael

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Owler
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PostMon Nov 02, 2020 12:01 pm 
Dutch miller (this road is pretty rough, I would at least ride with front suspension) and west side road (good road)

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awilsondc
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PostMon Nov 02, 2020 2:49 pm 
Mount Jupiter, Twin Sisters, Three Fingers lookout

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Brucester
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PostMon Nov 02, 2020 2:59 pm 
Nice quiet short forest rides in themselves?!

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flatsqwerl
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PostMon Nov 02, 2020 4:35 pm 
Westside road near Longmire MRNP. Several hikes off of this road. Hills, but pretty smooth gravel.

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thunderhead
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PostMon Nov 02, 2020 4:42 pm 
Sunrise, 410, and the NC highway are options during the portion of the season when those roads are gated, snow-free, and not actively being plowed. This can range from midwinter some years at the lowest point on 410 just inside the park near the crystal road to as late as july 1 at the much snowier sunrise. Sunrise is gated and bikeable now but this time of year its a downright arctic cruise down! These are all paved roads in great condition too.

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Joseph
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PostMon Nov 02, 2020 6:52 pm 
flatsqwerl wrote:
Westside road near Longmire MRNP. Several hikes off of this road. Hills, but pretty smooth gravel.
Agree. The west side road gives you access to Klapatche Park and Emerald Ridge (separate trips).

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flatsqwerl
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PostMon Nov 02, 2020 7:33 pm 
and access to Indian henry's Hunting Ground.

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MyFootHurts
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PostMon Nov 02, 2020 7:45 pm 
Packwood Lake has an ORV trail that parallels the hiker trail. You can take take that gated road by the upper Mcclellan Butte trailhead to get to Mount Gardner.

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Cyclopath
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PostMon Nov 02, 2020 9:21 pm 
It sounds like you want trailheads ONLY accessible by bike? Other people already mentioned all the ones I know of. I've had great fun riding gravel roads all over the Cascades, some with very little traffic and some closed to motor vehicles. I find more solitude this way than hiking, and try to pick routes with great views. If that's something you're open to I'd be happy to recommend some routes.

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uww
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PostTue Nov 03, 2020 1:21 am 
Cyclopath wrote:
routes with great views. If that's something you're open to I'd be happy to recommend some routes.
Well I am definitely interested if OP is not. I have a "gravel" bike that is setup as a "dad commuter" if that influences the recommendations. But long rides with views are what I am after, and I do have some knobby wider tires to slap on if necessary.

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treeswarper
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PostTue Nov 03, 2020 8:01 am 
Some years, the road that heads up to Windy Ridge in the St Helens monument might be washed out a little so they keep the gate closed after the snow has melted. In my pre e-bike years, I rode that for a ways. I couldn't go as far as I wanted to because I had a dog with me. There was foot traffic. A film crew was filming scenes in the blast zone for The Road. The Used Dog got to sniff Vig ??s crotch. I didn't realize who he was until afterwards. You need some local knowledge for that ride but it is a good one if the hydrology creates a bit of havoc. The White Pass Shopper is a good source for this and it is free and online.

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Slugman
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PostTue Nov 03, 2020 1:22 pm 
Middle/South fork Cascade river. North fork Skykomish.

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Cyclopath
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PostTue Nov 03, 2020 8:31 pm 
uww wrote:
Well I am definitely interested if OP is not. I have a "gravel" bike that is setup as a "dad commuter" if that influences the recommendations. But long rides with views are what I am after, and I do have some knobby wider tires to slap on if necessary.
Everything below is a loop or an out-and-back, for easy logistics. Almost all of them have a link to a navigable map, if you have a Garmin you can download it and have turn-by-turn directions while you ride. I did almost all of these on 33 mm tires on a gravel road bike, it'll say otherwise if not. Everything on this list is mostly gravel, it helps keep the car traffic down. smile.gif Some of these roads are already impassible with snow, so check conditions before you leave. Blewett Pass is a great option right now because of the larches. Park at the pass, ride up 9712/9716 as if you were going to the Tronsen Ridge trailhead. Snoqualmie Pass
  • Keechelus Lake Loop - 21 miles, 1,700 feet gain. Great scenery (peaks, big lake) on the Iron Horse section. The woods are maybe a little boring, but you probably won't see another person up there so the sense of solitude can give it a different kind of feeling. Popular XC ski loop.
  • Stampede Pass from Hyak - 22 miles, 1,800 feet gain. This is the anti loop version of the above, with a side trip to a historic pass.
  • Lost Lake Loop - 17 miles, 1,700 feet gain. Lost Lake is pretty, I enjoyed seeing more of the area. It was downright unpleasant on 28 mm tires, I'd want at least 40s.
  • Tinkham Road / Hansen Climb - 16 miles, 2,200 feet gain. Some views of the river, peek-a-boo views of peaks, lot of rainforest, and a neat trestle bridge. Lot of auto traffic in the summer. It's fun, but not the best one on the list.
  • Amabilis Mountain - 11 miles, 2,100 feet gain. Peek-a-boo views of the lake. There's a loop option from the summit. Doesn't get much summer use.
Darrington
  • Whitehorse Trail - 41 miles, 1,000 feet gain. Only MUP on this list. Construction finished this spring. Meandering river, cool bridges, views of a big glaciated mountain, the Oso memorial. Have lunch at the Burger Barn in Darrington before heading back, they have outdoor seating with a view. Watch out for pinch flats crossing the bridges.
  • North Mountain Loop - 26 miles, 2,300 feet gain including a wrong turn. This has some fantastic views of Whitehorse.
  • North Mountain Climb - 28 miles, 3,900 feet gain. Ends at a historic fire lookout. If you put in the effort to get this far, you really need to walk up the stairs and enjoy the jaw dropping 360 degree view from the tower. There will be auto traffic on the road because of the MTB trails.
  • White Chuck Loop - 46 miles, 3,200 feet gain. I haven't done this. I know somebody who has, from another forum, he used 2.3 inch (!) Rat Trap Pass tires. smile.gif
  • Mountain Loop Highway - depends. You can leave from Darrington and cover about 10 miles of pavement along the way, or park where the gravel starts. Turn around at Barlow Pass where the pavement starts again.
Methow
  • Slate Peak - depends where you start. For the full experience, start at the Mazama store. Road goes from paved to gravel in about 10 miles, so that's a good place to start too. I was short on time and started where the scenery gets really nice. This is one of the most scenic roads anywhere. Go in spring for the wildflowers (road tends to melt out around the 4th of July) and/or fall (the second weekend in October) for the larches. But definitely go. (And bring the widest tires you have clearance for!)
  • Rendezvous Loop - depends. There are several connecting dirt roads you can use to make a loop from Winthrop to Mazama. You can reserve any of the huts along the way and enjoy a multi day ride without camping. I've mostly only been here on skis so I can't say that much about what tires you'd need.
  • Chewuch / 30 Mile - 58 miles, 3,300 feet gain from Winthrop, less from the end of the pavement. Lovely river, open forest, and then an extensive burn zone with a somber memorial. Go in spring for wildflowers or autumn for the color, avoid in summer because of the heat and lack of shade.
  • Tiffany Springs or Freezeout Ridge - depends where you start. Scenery is excellent, lot of wildflowers, immense burn at the top. I've only been up here in a car to hike. Rough road.
  • Winthrop / Twisp Loop via Elbow Coulee - 27 miles, 1,900 feet. Mostly pavement. Nice, varied scenery with rivers, peaks, cliffs, rolling hills, and wildflowers in April and May.
  • Loup Loup Loop - 35 miles, 3,200 feet gain from Twisp. Go clockwise so that you climb on gravel and descend on the highway. Or turn around and go back down on the gravel too, but this section of highway is less used and the drivers are all courteous.
  • Twisp River Road - 51 miles, 4,400 feet of gain. Really cool to ride past trails you've hiked.
  • Conconully Gravel Century - This one is really just here to make the others look reasonable. smile.gif
Leavenworth
  • Icicle Road - depends where you start. Best scenery is on the paved road, nice forest and river views plus less traffic on the dirt. Western larches in late October.
  • Phelps Creek / Chiwawa River Road - approx. 44 miles, 2,700 feet gain. Less if you start at the end of the pavement. Beautiful forest and river with some peak views.
  • Ruby Creek / Camas Land - 18 miles. Haven't done this yet.
  • Ardenvoir - 50 miles, 7,000 feet gain. Ideal to meet a car at the halfway point. I haven't done this one yet, can't comment on tire needs.
  • Entiat River - 76 miles, 4,700 feet gain, much shorter if you start at the end of the pavement. Pretty, but not as spectacular as other options.
Other
  • Tieton Lasso Loop (White Pass) - 38 miles, 4,300 feet gain. There are a lot of options in here. Long drive, nice scenery.
  • Bacon Creek (Newhalem) - 12 miles, 1,800 feet gain. I haven't been up here yet, and want to change that.
  • Cascade River Road (Marblemount) - 44 miles, 4,700 feet gain from Marblemount, less from the end of the pavement ~10 miles up. River and rainforest below, dramatic peak views with hanging glaciers above. Can be very hot in summer.
  • Lake Cavanaugh Loop (Oso) - 40 miles, 1,800 feet gain. Only part gravel.
  • Baker Lake Road - I haven't done any research on this yet, heard it's great.
  • Snoqualmie / Tokul Loop - 27 miles, 1,500 feet gain. Mostly pavement with a gravel powerline trail. Fun ride, but the last one on this list I'd recommend; I'm including it because it's a short drive.
  • North Fork Teanaway River Road - 32 miles, 2,200 feet gain, but that includes a mile or two of pavement. Peak views, a pretty river, open forest, nice cascade at the end.
  • Liberty Loop - 37 miles, 3,700 feet gain. This is a mix of gravel and pavement, the lap markers show where the surface changes. Doesn't have to be done as a loop to be enjoyable. Not as scenic as others, but neat if you're interested in history.
  • Mission Peak - depends. Fantastic and varied scenery. You don't have to go anywhere near the peak to enjoy this one, I've only done the first 12 or so miles. Go in June or July for the wildflowers and/or late October for the larches. Road is hard packed dirt, but has ruts, I did it on 28 mms and was mostly comfortable with them, but had to slow down in places where the road was bad. Wider would definitely be better here.
  • Middle F**k Snoqualmie - depends where you start and turn around. I don't like this one, the road is narrow, sight lines aren't always that great, and people drive too fast. It's very pretty though.

Fedor
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MyFootHurts
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PostTue Nov 03, 2020 9:23 pm 
Check out this book. Many of the hikes are decommissioned logging roads that make great ebike rides. https://www.amazon.com/Hikes-Tillamook-Clatsop-State-Forests/dp/1932010963/ For example Hike #1 Wildcat Mountain. Would have been a tedious 10 mile round trip walk on well a maintained (but gated) logging road. Did it in an hour or two on my Rad Rover. I really wouldn't recommend it as a hike unless you live locally and have nothing better to do, but as an ebike ride I give it 4 stars out of 5. Story Burn Road is a 20 mile logging road hike in this book I have it on my short list as an ebike ride. Best thing about ebikes is doing one-way shuttles. For example, hide your ebike in the woods at the bottom of the Chukanut Ridge Trail. Drive up to Cyrus Gates then hike one-way DOWNHILL to your ebike. Bike back uphill to your car. Wanna so the Silver Peak Loop? (Snoqualmie) Stash your ebike at the bottom near Twin Lakes then drive your car up to the PCT. Do the loop counterclockwise, pick up your bike then take the FS road back to your car. You just eliminated 1200 feet of elevation and 2 miles of overgrown uphill hiking!

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