I happened to be down south running errands today, so I decided - what the heck, hit Mount Rainier. I went at it from the Enumclaw side. Traffic was surprisingly light; I would have been disappointed but not surprised to find convoys of RVs and SUVs crawling along in long, unpassable trains. But I was inexplicably lucky; I was able to go as fast as I wanted for long stretches before hitting any other vehicles, and they were scattered and easily passed. I wasn't ripping along, though; it was a beautiful day, and I was just reveling in the sights and the smells. Oh, the smells! Earth and pine and wood and all good living things.
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The tank bag was marvelous. I was also testing out the Cortech Sport saddlebags I picked up, and I barely noticed there were there all day, which is good. They hold a decent amount - not as much as my BMW panniers expanded, but they'll get the groceries home.
As I climbed higher, the road got rougher, and some snow appeared. But it remained lovely, and the mountain just takes my breath away every time I see it. I still wasn't sharing the road with all that many vehicles, although I had to take it easy in the turns - you get pretty big potholes in the middle of 'em.
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I had to stop by Tipsoo Lake. It is one of the loveliest views of Rainier there is. It's a short hike to the best viewing area, and normally it's a swamp; but the snow hadn't melted yet, and it was just a walk through the pack.
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The payoff:
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Never trust anyone else to take a pic of you - they always come out blurry. :p
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I turned and headed back down. I saw so many bikers today! And about 2 of them were wearing any gear at all beyond a helmet.
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Doubling back around...
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I continued on towards Paradise. Not quite fair that the road to hell is paved with good intentions, while the road to Paradise is paved with rocks and gravel.
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I went right past Paradise - tourist hell! But just after Paradise, I found heaven - the roads were almost completely empty. I had more fun than anyone has a right to on such short-term planning. The only bad part was the roads at the end of the park, past Longmire - they are perfect, perfect roads, well-paved, nothing to worry about on the sides, and just the delightful quick left-right-left-right corkscrews that are my very favorite type of twisties. And there was the dreaded unpassable line of van-sedan-sedan-SUV. But all in all, I can't complain. I filled back up after about 230 miles, with an average of 64mpg. No, I can't complain at all. :)
Man, that sight is awesome. It must be a very cool place. You probably had an exciting day out there. :thumb:
Killer pics!!
Yay, another GS rider in Washington!!
ok thats it lets roadtrip up there ;)
:cheers:
breath taking pics.. damn those are gorgeous..
i cant imagine touring on a bike that's absolutely brand f%$king new.. but your cool for doing that.. woot!
thanks for the pics.. now i want to go senery shopping.
Go to Glacier NP. Or Canada north of Glacier, to the Banff, Jasper areas. THERE is some marvelous scenery. We're heading there this summer.
But remember to look at the road occasionally too...
Roadster... Not to take away from your post. Yes, Ranier IS a beautiful area and you take a fine picture.
what's that ugly yellow thing blocking the beautiful scenery?? :mrgreen:
pictures looks awesome!
So lucky to live in such a beatiful part of the world. :)
To stray a bit from the topic at hand - can you imagine some light (read: weekend, solo, camping) touring with a tank bag, the cortech sport bags, and the tail bag?
I have some really small backpacking gear that I might attempt to throw on my bike, but I'm debating luggage options. Seriously considering a givi topcase or the ventura rack/pack system, but bags would be a cheaper and less complex option.
Thoughts?
QuoteGo to Glacier NP. Or Canada north of Glacier, to the Banff, Jasper areas. THERE is some marvelous scenery. We're heading there this summer.
True. But it's cold.
Quote from: Ry_GuyQuoteGo to Glacier NP. Or Canada north of Glacier, to the Banff, Jasper areas. THERE is some marvelous scenery. We're heading there this summer.
True. But it's cold.
Try britain, thats cold, what i see in them there pics is peace and tranquility, SNOW----WHAT SNOW?
Banff = not that cold. I used to live out there and the weather gets quite toasty in the summer. Have a nice ride, wish I could go too! :D
Looks cold not my style, but nice pics :thumb:
Beautiful. I rode out to Mt Baker a couple days ago when it was downright hot (high 80sF). That Rainier ride is next on my list. Looks spectacular.
Nice bike, too :thumb:
What kind of clothing are you wearing? Looks good. Comfortable?
Hey, what better way to break in a brand f*ing new bike? :)
I think that with the Sport tailbag, you could do light touring no problem. You'd want to shower and change when you got back, of course!
Despite the snow, it was very, very warm. Hence the gear I was wearing - Firstgear mesh sport pants, Joe Rocket Phoenix jacket and Phoenix gloves. The Shoei RF-1000 and the Alpinestars Roam boots are usual gear...
My only complaint about the sport pants is that the waist is too wide. Everything else fits like a glove, so it's odd that that's off. But it's easily fixed with a needle and thread, when I have a moment.
Quote from: JetSwingwhat's that ugly yellow thing blocking the beautiful scenery?? :mrgreen:
I get that from my wife, too. "It's to give you a sense of scale," I say.
"OK, but why not take each picture twice - once with the bike and once without?"
"Uhhhh.... :dunno: "
Great pics,
Roadstergal! I was surprised by the thickness of the snowpack on Rainier, until I did some research and learned that the summit is nearly
3,000 feet higher than my local Mt. Timpanogos!
i like how the snow capped mountain looks like a volcano in a few of those pictures. Thank you for sharing. :)
Quote from: That guyi like how the snow capped mountain looks like a volcano in a few of those pictures.
Hmmm. That may be because "Mount Rainier is the highest and third most voluminous volcano of the Cascade Range." ;)
Not only that, but "Mount Rainier is potentially the most dangerous volcano in the Cascades because it is very steep, covered in large amounts of ice and snow, and near a large population that lives in lowland drainages." :o
(My source was
this page from
Volcano World. Cool pictures and brief info.)
They're not predicting it to blow any time soon, but we've been surprised by volcanos before... :o
People die every year attempting to climb Rainier. It's beautiful, but it's serious business to scale it.
the nearest i get to a volcano is fart eruption in the bath, safe but smelly :)
I'm going to be hiking part of the wonderland trail (around the base of Mt. Rainier) later this summer. This will be my first time in the northwest, and I'm looking forward to it.
Slightly off topic, I realize. The pictures look nice, though.
Those are great pics... I should take a pic or two of my rides...
and this is the only stop light between my house and the freeway
and this is the Alaskan Way Viaduct
And this is where I park at work
:lol: :nana: :lol:
:lol: Hey, there's one stoplight between my apartment and the freeway. 405N->520W and 520E->405S is the only fun I see, most days...
Quote from: RVertigoThose are great pics... I should take a pic or two of my rides...
and this is the only stop light between my house and the freeway
and this is the Alaskan Way Viaduct
And this is where I park at work
:lol: :nana: :lol:
ha-ha i know where your gs is :P
Quote from: JetSwingha-ha i know where your gs is :P
We have two here... That'll narrow down the search for ya' :nana:
But, if it comes up missing... :guns:
Quote from: RVertigoQuote from: JetSwingha-ha i know where your gs is :P
We have two here... That'll narrow down the search for ya' :nana:
But, if it comes up missing... :guns:
2001 dark blue gs parting out! :lol: :lol:
hmm...we have a same bike :mrgreen:
Quote from: Roadstergal:lol: Hey, there's one stoplight between my apartment and the freeway. 405N->520W and 520E->405S is the only fun I see, most days...
520? No carpool over the bridge!?!?! The 90 carpool is worth going a little out of your way... If you ask me. Even if you have to go 405S to get to 90... I mean... There's only about 2.5 miles between 90 and 520 on 405. TOTALLY worth it.
Well... I guess making out to the U would suck from 90...
So NM. :P
Quote from: JetSwing2001 dark blue gs parting out! :lol: :lol:
hmm...we have a same bike :mrgreen:
No need to repaint... Your blood will wash right off :guns: :guns:
:lol:
Quote from: RVertigo520? No carpool over the bridge!?!?!
No, but there's carpool up
to the bridge - and once you're on the bridge, the traffic moves pretty well. It's about a 10-15minute commute, door-to-door. :thumb:
Quote from: Roadstergal10-15minute commute
Mine is about 25 with minimal traffic...
Surface roads to 90 (4-10 min), 90 to the very end of the carpool lane
(WEE HOO! -> Insert Luke quote about running the canyons)(13-20 min depending on my speed), down to 99 (4-20 min... Depending on trains) 99 to work (4 min flat).
I used to take 90 -> 5, get off on Mercer, and loop back by the Seattle Center... Don't know what the hell I was thinking :dunno:
I pretty much landed the ideal setup completely by accident... live in Bellevue (insurance is $200 less than in Shoreline), walking distance to grocery and electronics stores; work at the UW, so I have the less sucky of the two bridge commutes (sun at my back both ways, Microsofties going the other way - you should see 520E in the morning!), and 520 spits me right out at Health Sciences, where I work. :cheers:
I've seen every day freeway in the Seattle area in morning rush-hour and evening rush-hour :x :x
I used to live on 108th and Main... I LOOOOOOOOOOVED it. 5 seconds from 405, 30 seconds from 90, and 45 seconds from 520... And a 5 minute walk from a bus that took me damn close to work.
I could walk everywhere I needed to go except for a good grocery store... That ghetto-ass safeway across from Bell Square just didn't cut it.
Roadstergal:
Excellent pictures...
Thank you