Cycle Rides Around Enumclaw--Chinook Pass

(Here is a video of our ride down from Chinook Pass.)

Chinook Pass is just up the road, but it is a destination people from the rest of the country dream about.  Fall is the best time to cycle this high speed descent that thrills both the visual and kinesthetic senses.  Traffic is minimal and skies are often crystal clear (check weather and forest fires first.) The drop from Chinook Pass, at 5430 feet is about 650 feet in four miles to Cayuse Pass, so the climb back up is not that difficult. Views of Mt Rainier and the Cascades are jaw-dropping, appearing much closer than the wide angle of the videocam shows. You have cliffs rising up on one side of you and down on the other, with several turnouts the most scenic spots. Tipsoo, a picturesque lake, sits right on top of the pass, and that's where we began our ride. Since it takes no effort to descend and you still have all your energy for the climb, there is no advantage to parking at the highway intersection at the bottom (Cayuse Pass). At Tipsoo Lake, you have restrooms, water, and several parking lots.

A friend came over from Montana to get a break from the forest fire smoke, but we still found some up in our mountains, although it did clear up for much of our ride. We had no trouble maintaining the 35 mph speed limit when necessary, but it was a little fast to enjoy the views. Returning to the top allowed for more of that. If you want a longer ride than our eight mile round trip, you could then go down the other side ten or twenty miles into eastern Washington.

Roger is on his Baron Lowracer and I am on my Catrike Speed.