The Tacoma Washington Bicycle Club is presenting the first annual Ashford Bicycle Week Festival with four days of very challenging gravel and paved riding. You might also like to ride on your own in Mt. Rainier National Park for at least two days. If you ride every inch, you could see 34,000 feet of climbing and over 400 miles or 24,000 feet in four days, truly a Mt. Everest Challenge. Here are the Rides and all are listed on Ride with GPS:
- Ashford to MTTA South District Loop, 27 miles and 3,441 feet. The Petite Loop is 20 miles and 3042 feet.
- Ashford to Pack Forest, 43 miles and 3,436 feet.
- Ashford to Silver Creek Pass, 83 miles and 5,763 feet. The Petite Loop is 44 miles and 3,942 feet.
- Ashford to Packwood to Windy Ridge on Mt. Saint Helens and Mineral Lake, 143 miles and 11,257 feet. The Petite Loop to Packwood to Morton to Mineral Lake is 87 miles and 4,040 feet.
- Mt. Rainier Park is not part of our Official ride, but you might consider riding to the West Side Road, 36 miles and 3,660 feet and to Steven’s Canyon, 82 miles and 6,000 feet on your own after our Event. Steven’s Canyon will be periodically closed for construction this summer with road reconstruction.
CURRENT MEMBERS CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
CLICK HERE TO SIGN-UP IF NOT A TWBC MEMBER
Ride Headquarters will be at the Rainier Base Camp Bar and Grill in Ashford. The week will be July 07 to 11. Ashford is very busy in July with limited lodging, so it would be wise to arrange a place to stay at Lodging in the Mount Rainier Area . We will also have limited first come first served Group Camping at Sahara Creek DNR Horse Camp starting July 9. You must have a Discover Pass available online or at the gas station in Ashford. There are 7 large sites in the Group Camp and a 20×30 foot shelter. So, maybe 3 tents per site(The entry lock will be 1121). On Monday, there may be more sites available, but please try not to take any general sites and defer to the Horse Campers. There is also limited camping near Elbe at Tacoma City Light Alder Lake Campground. You may also find limited rough camping along Skate Creek about 10 to 15 miles from Ashford and the USFS Big Creek Campground. There are numerous restaurants and two stores with limited groceries.
To qualify for any days of riding, you must join TWBC online @ $25 and register for one of 100 spaces online @ $100 each. This is a charity fundraiser for two of our like minded groups in Tacoma: ForeverGreen Trails and 2nd Cycle Community Cycle Shop. All registration fees will go to ForeverGreen Trails and 2nd Cycle. You can make additional donations to them online if you like. Your Ride Passport will have at least $70 of Free Stuff incuding a free beer at Rainier Base Camp, a free coffee at CampFire Coffee in Tacoma, a free water bottle at Tacoma Bike, a free mini tuneup at 2nd Cycle and a free wine certificate at WildSide Wine Tacoma.
The rides will start each day at 9AM to 10AM at Rainier Base Camp Bar and Grill. The fastest riders should be ready to sign forms and start at 9AM in groups of 10 riders. Six minutes later, the next group of 10 riders leave. The slower riders should wait for a group that looks comfortable for yourself. The Ride Director is Bob Myrick (253) 370-3752 at BobMyrick@msn.com. Hopefully, we will have 2 SAG Cyclists equipped with First Aid kits, Bike Repair kits and communications. You should stop at stores along the way for water, snacks and restrooms. Plan to eat 200 calories every 25 miles please. We will have a four wheel drive vehicle for serious breakdowns, but don’t count on it. You must consider yourself to be a competent, independent traveller on steep gravel mountain roads. If you chose to attempt the very serious climb to Windy Ridge on day 4, you may wish to start early with a friend or two. It will be like the famous RamRod ride only you will be tired from three days of riding.
We have a preliminary Covid-19 Safety Plan for the week as follows:
- Face masks required at Event sign up table for signing Release documents. Also required when stopping on routes.
- Six foot or more distance required at start and along routes.
- Hygience will include hand sanitizers at start and Covid-19 precautions sign board.
- Sanitation will include restrooms at start and on way to Snowpark Outhouse and at stores along the way.
- Symptom monitoring will be required by Event Director and staff. You must self report.
- Incident reporting will be required by Event Director and staff.
- Location disinfection procedures. All locations will be on commercial properties.
- Covid-19 Safety Training. Director and staff have been trained as part of Mount Tahoma Trails Association Volunteer work.
- Exposure Response. Riders will be closely monitored and referred to medical personnel in case of an incident.
- Shuttle Plan. Event Director will have a four wheel drive vehicle with bike racks if riders breakdown.
If you are flying in to SeaTac Airport, we will post bus routes to get to Spanaway where you can ride to Eatonville or Ashford. We will also post a route on Ride with GPS. On Amtrak, you can ride to the start from Centralia, Olympia or Tacoma. If you come from the South, you can go to Trout Lake and ride north over 16 miles of gravel roads.
