300 km Pre-Ride Notes
Robin and Amy pre-rode the course on Sunday. Overview: 305 kilometers, 9000 feet of climbing consisting of 3 big climbs and lots of rollers. Not one single traffic light and only 4 or 5 stop signs. We saw several small and a couple of large herds of elk along Highway 12 and even some in Packwood making more elk sightings than vehicle sightings for the day.
Notes on Packwood: Dinner options in Packwood are limited. Cruiser's has pizza and a few other items but Peter's Inn is disappointing as far as good pre-ride food. For Saturday there is nothing serving before 6am so you will be limited to the 24-hour gas station mini-mart. Please park on the street on the west side of the hotel. The room for the finish is in the "annex" across the street (south) of the main hotel. It has 2 beds, a hide-a-bed, and a roll-away. After those are full it'll be floor space so bring a pad and/or sleeping bag and earplugs - we'll all be in the same large room for eating, post-ride chatting, and sleeping. Bring a towel and shower items.
Ride notes: starting in Packwood (elevation about 1000 feet) after checking out the sunrise on Mt. Rainier we headed west on 12 where there were lots of large herds of elk roaming the fields on both sides of the road. Although the forecast was for a VERY HOT day the morning required arm and knee warmers. Wide shoulders and very light traffic.
From Randle left into the smaller roads of the Gifford Pinchot Forest. The first control at Iron Creek then leads to even smaller roads along the pretty Cispus River. Look for Tower Rock on your right and swooping barn swallows over the road. Once on FR 23 be sure to fill up on water at the Blue Lake Creek campground on the left. Water pump is just inside the entrance to your right. This is the last water til Trout Lake with a big, potentially hot climb in between. At about mile 50 the pavement ends and the road gets steeper. Mt. Adams comes into view and the road is in good shape. Summit at Baby Shoe Pass (sign with actual baby shoe on the left) about 7 miles later at 4350 feet then strap everything down tightly and get ready for a rough, washboard, gravel downhill. Use extreme caution! At about mile 61 you will be back to pavement, and very nice smooth pavement at that.
A bit more gradual climbing and then a long descent to Trout Lake. More great Mt. Adams views and a road as smooth as a baby's butt. At Trout Lake the recommendation is a stop for lunch at KJ's cafe, nice picnic tables in the shade, clean bathrooms around back, young and friendly staff making your sandwich or hamburger to order, plus huckleberry milkshakes. Also an uninvestigated grocery store just a jump further down the road along the route. Last services for 34 miles with lots of hot climbing (2000 feet or so). Up hill now to Big Tire Junction - you'll know it when you see it, there is, yes, a big tire. Just past here the climbing levels off. There is first a partial washout and then a couple of gravel patches. Use caution, some of them have loose and deep gravel and you are entering from a downhill so don't go into them too fast.
Pretty much a downhill road to Lower Falls Recreation Area on your left at about 114 miles. Don't miss this opportunity for a restroom and water. A sign on your right after you enter shows a map of the area and where water and restroom are located. About 500-600 feet of climbing along some rollers and a couple of gravel patches will bring you into Northwoods to the control at the Eagle Cliff Store and the Burger Buggy. Fuel up, last services before the final big climb (3000+ feet). Beautiful Mt. St. Helen's views on your left as you climb. Elk Summit is at about 150 miles. We hit the summit just at dark. The descent in the dark is a bit tricky as there are some cracks, bumps and holes in the road. Stay towards the center of the road and use caution. Everything at Randle closes at 9pm or before so if you need a restroom or water be sure to stop at the Iron Creek Campground on your right at about mile 163. The stars on this moonless night were abundant and absolutely brilliant! Back through Randle and then another 16 miles along Highway 12 to Packwood and Bob's your uncle. A service station along Highway 12 was still open late on Sunday night so chances are they will be on Saturday as well. If on this section after dark, watch out for those same elk from this morning crossing in front of you!
Equipment used: Amy went through 3 - 100oz camelbaks, Robin used 3 large water bottles and refilled at every opportunity. Arm and knee warmers were needed in the morning and after dark. It was cool and foggy in the morning but very sunny and burning hot at Trout Lake. Quite chilly at Elk Summit but it did warm up as we descended. We both used 700x28 tires. We carried lots of food and consumed most of it.
Final comments/recommendations: Other than what we've listed on the route sheet there really are no other services. Don't count on any cell phone coverage anywhere along the route but you might get lucky. There are payphones at Randle and at Trout Lake but no phone service at Northwoods. Our cell phone number and the number for the Hotel Packwood will be on the updated route sheet. Be prepared for some long hard climbs but beautiful views of mountains, shady forests, and sparkling rivers. Our total ride time was 18:15 with time on the bike of 15 hours. This is not an easy 300k but we think the payoffs are worth the price.
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