Mt. Baker and Olympic National Park

[Netnorske]

Sat/Sun Aug 14-15 were spectacular here in the NW! I took advantage by making two fabulous rides...one on Saturday up to Mt. Baker with fellow KawaNOW member Duffy, who lives in Burlington, WA and rides a 1500 Classic....and one on Sunday with my wife out to the northern Olympic Mountains up to Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park.

Both rides reach their culmination 2.5 hours from my driveway! Having been to Glacier National Park for the NW Rally....I can honestly say that GNP has absolutely nothing on the views and terrain you experience at Mt. Baker...it is just spectacular up there!

I tried to get Wandering-Nomad (Rick) to come up from where he is staying in Tri-Cities and ride with us, but he just couldn't make it. After he sees these pics....he's gonna wish he had... First....I present to you some pics from Saturdays ride up to Mt. Baker....

The road up will challenge to best of riders with tons of tight switchbacks the last 10 miles, with the best of it in the last two! It may not be the Going to the Sun Road....but it don't have the traffic and construction either... ;)!

Have a look.....





















The views.....












Duffy with Mt. Shuksan and a clear mountain lake in the background.....







That was Saturdays ride. Rickyboy has a cabin about an hour down the mountain from there where he was working on the place. We planned to surprise him and stopped by in search of a cold one and some shade, but his wife said was off to the dump and in search of more lumber, so we missed our chance to raid his beer cooler... ::) !

Okay....now for Sundays ride up to Hurricane Ridge. The Olympic Mountains are located on the Olympic Peninsula, so a ferry ride across Puget Sound is your first order of business. While waiting at the ferry dock, a '06 Nomad (Mark) and a '09 Voyager (Steve) pulled in right behind us! Out came the KawaNOW business cards and some great conversation ensued!

Once across...you take Hwy 101 to Port Angeles where you turn south and begin a really nice 17 mile ride up to the ridge. Luckily it was a no-fee weekend at all NP's...so we saved a couple bucks! Some of what you see along the way.....


Here is a shot looking back northeast over the Strait of Juan De Fuca with Mt. Baker in the background....








Shots from the road.....where if you drive off you will be a headline....but only if they find you......









A great shot with Hurricane Ridge Visitors Center on the right....







Tricia......










So there you have it. If you live in the mid-west.....okay...I'll say it...it sucks to be you...... ::) ! It may rain a bit up here, but there is absolutely nothing like summer in the NW.... !