| Motorcycle rides and riders in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, British Columbia | |||||||
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08-12-2007, 12:25 PM
| #1 |
| Slow Eric  | WA - Hwy 20 - North Cascades Highway Hwy 20 - Marblemount to Winthrop by Eric Anderson The Road  Highway 20, the North Cascades Highway, is the most well-known great motorcycle road in the state. From cruisers to sportbikes, hundreds of motorcyclists can be found on the pass on any warm weekend. In addition to motorcyclists, RVs and cars are plentiful on weekends so leaving early is a good idea. Weekends also bring more law enforcement so if you're looking for a quick ride, weekdays or early trips are best. The North Cascades portion of highway 20 runs from Sedro-Woolley to Winthrop, with the fun stuff beginning just past Marblemount as you head East. Keep your speed in check until you get to Newhalem; speed traps are frequent and if you are caught speeding through a town you will get a ticket.  After passing through Newhalem the road tightens immediately as it turns and heads uphill. A quick set of 25 to 30 mph curves are there to greet you as the ride starts. Stay alert for the first portion of the road, both traffic and LEOs are more prevalent close to Newhalem and traffic often pulls out of viewpoints quickly without looking for fast-moving motorcycles. The road continues on with mostly tight corners as you move past Gorge Lake heading towards Diablo. Don't be distracted by the amazing views as you head downhill towards the Diablo Road turnoff, the corners at the bottom can be tricky and the bridge at the bottom is on a corner. After the bridge the road heads back uphill for some more tight twisties. Coming up your left is the Diablo Lake overlook which has great views of the mountains and the lake below.  Moving past Diablo Lake overlook the road opens up a little. Tight corners giving way to 35 to 45 mph sweepers. The next 15 or miles are fantastic, the smooth sweepers are back to back. The roads are generally clear and there are few bumps but occasionally rocks will fall from the adjacent cliffs and end up on the road so be prepare to alter your lines. Even on weekdays you will encounter slow moving traffic this far up but don't rush to make bad passes, there will be plenty of places with ample passing room. After you go by Washington Pass the sweepers become interspersed with some straighter portions but the views only get more incredible. The top of the pass here is often chilly even if it was 75 degrees back in Newhalem and in the fall months or early hours it is often foggy. As you head back downhill there is an awesome 220 degree corner, but it can be tricky with a tightening radius towards the end.  The Scenic views and fast sweepers continue and as you leave the North Cascades National Park, the temperature climbs. You begin to leave the rocky landscape behind and enter young-growth forest. You have about 10 more miles of sweepers to enjoy before reaching Mazama. Once reaching Mazama take it easy; the Methow Valley is filled with deer and you'll probably see some left over carnage from earlier accidents. Law Enforcement knows about the problem and they do what they can to keep speeds in check through the tempting wide-open straights heading into Winthrop. You're coming into the old-fashioned town on Winthrop. A perfect spot for lunch but if it's too crowded, continue on 20 to Twisp which also has some decent and less-crowded restaurants. From Winthrop you can either head back the same way (what I suggest) or do the whole Cascade Loop by heading South on 97 to meet up with highway 2. Coming back towards Seattle on highway 2 over Steven's Pass offers great views but you are likely to get the most traffic through the route. If you end up short on time, I-90 is just a little futher South and is the fastest way back to Seattle. For more on this road, including more photos, maps and downloads, please click here. Alternate Routes Hwy 20 is surrounded by decent roads. On the west end, both the S. Skagit Hwy and Rockport-Cascade Rd. run parallel to hwy 20. They are both twisty and have little traffic but are bumpy. Getting to Marblemount you have the option of either hwy 530 or 9 if you are coming from the South. Both are good alternatives to I-5 but 530 is the better road in my opinion. On the East side of hwy 20 there are several roads worth checking out. Chewuch Rd (both East and West, making a loop), Twisp-Carlton Rd, Eastside-Winthrop-Twisp Rd, Twisp River Rd and Twin Lakes Rd-Patterson Lake Rd can all be fun and are worth checking out. Distances Marblemount to Winthrop 87 Miles Seattle to Winthrop via I-5/hwy 530/hwy 20 190 Miles Bellingham to Winthrop 158 Miles More Photos   Heading West, this corner is uphill and opens up. Coming East it is downhill and tightens up at the end. Google Earth Image . Last edited by eric; 08-24-2007 at 07:36 PM.. |
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08-12-2007, 01:06 PM
| #2 |
   | Great write-up and review! I just did that road Friday (in a car), it is fantastic. Another option (instead of coming back) is to continue on from Twisp to Omak. Great road as well. |
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