Today we made 3 climbs: Chinook Pass, Backbone Ridge, and Paradise, and two descents. Chinook Pass climb was 2900+ feet. The descent off Chinook was exhilarating and overwhelming....great fun! Following a nice lunch and rest near 'Grove of the Patriarchs', we climbed 1000+ feet up and over Backbone Ridge, then descended into Stevens Canyon. Photo shows the last climb of 2600+ feet - view is SSE down-canyon towards the lunch stop. Kitty and I had to rest before the final push up to Paradise Lodge (another 4+ miles), so we stopped on the switchbacks labelled as 'The Bench' on the NPS map. Today's ride started at Cliffdell, which was the last overnight lodge when approaching Mount Rainier from the Yakima valley. We covered 65 miles today. The most exhausting day I have ever had on a bicycle!!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Day 4: Climb to Paradise (Mt. Rainier)
Today we made 3 climbs: Chinook Pass, Backbone Ridge, and Paradise, and two descents. Chinook Pass climb was 2900+ feet. The descent off Chinook was exhilarating and overwhelming....great fun! Following a nice lunch and rest near 'Grove of the Patriarchs', we climbed 1000+ feet up and over Backbone Ridge, then descended into Stevens Canyon. Photo shows the last climb of 2600+ feet - view is SSE down-canyon towards the lunch stop. Kitty and I had to rest before the final push up to Paradise Lodge (another 4+ miles), so we stopped on the switchbacks labelled as 'The Bench' on the NPS map. Today's ride started at Cliffdell, which was the last overnight lodge when approaching Mount Rainier from the Yakima valley. We covered 65 miles today. The most exhausting day I have ever had on a bicycle!!
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