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Windy Ridge: DH#2

5K views 29 replies 16 participants last post by  stonecold 
#1 · (Edited)
I'm planning a three day ride with a few Birdies and Windy Ridge is one of our desinations. Has anyone ridden there? Destination Highways map is our source. FYI, it's the E side of Spirit Lake from Mnt St Helens. There are a few other good rides on the way. I'm wondering if any member has ridden down to and including Windy Ridge. Highway 25 then turn West on 99. It's an out and back road. Thanks Sorry I'm not tech enough to do a google map route:-(
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOHJ4XVHU8I
 
#2 ·
I rode those last year. The road going south from Randle to Cougar is great for twisties but there are some wicked bumps in places (often in corners) which can launch you if you take a wrong line. The Windy Ridge road is Nirvana with its tight twisties and spectacular views of Mt. St. Helens. IMHO, these are some of the best roads for twisties in the PNW. The roads near Mt. Rainier are also nice.
 
#3 ·
I've done it a couple times on bikes and in cars. Great ride, road can be a little rough in spots though, well worth it, don't hesitate to go.
 
#5 ·
No, I don't think it's open yet. We'll go either in July or August. My riding friend has a son in school so he'll wait till he's out and he'll go to family ranch in Merit. I think Sept is the best month but I'm taking my wife to California then so most likely it's summer. There are some twisty roads prior to Windy Ridge that we want to ride also. Highway #123 over Chinook Pass and Cayuse Pass, #706 through Paradise DH9 TE 8 through to Longmire then connect via #52(DH9 TE-A to Parkwood. then down to Randle. In truth one needs a DH Map to see the routes and designations. That's the plan. It appears as a jet down I5, 405 then make our way down 169 to Enemclaw. Then 410 till it meets 123 DH9.
 
#6 ·
I tried to go there memorial day (end of last year) and windy ridge / and the connector south of the turn-off was still closed due to snow. You'll probably need early june for a clear ride. The road coming from the north can have frost heaves big enough to toss you out of your seat. I think my bike bottomed out on one dip with me standing on my pegs. The approach from the south was smooth but there's a huge elevation change.

The trip from the north is interesting. The land transitions from a fairly warm flat lifeless plain. You take a hill that goes forever as you twist and turn along a narrow road with thickening plant growth. The plantation will be become thick overhead as you head towards windy ridge. As you get closer to helens the land will transition from lush old-growth to rigid decimation. You are soon above the valley can see forever in all directions and it's all natural.

 
#7 ·
Thanks. I'm interested in the route you took from Van. How long did it take you to get there and did you go down #9 from Sumas and make your way from Sedro Wooley? Did you ride S and around to Castlerock and ride to Mnt St Helens? As I wrote, probly not very successfully b/c of lack of a map, there are some twisty roads on the way to Windy Ridge we'd like to ride.
 
#9 ·
Get ur map out...

Get anyway you want to Enumclaw, then go...

South to Buckley, South Prarrie, Electon on 162,
Then over to 161 and continue south via Eatonville, LA Grande and Elbe to Mortin via 7.
Then east on 12 to Randle, then south 131/NF25 to NF99, then west to Windy Ridge.
Return on 99 to 25 and continue south to NF90, where you can decide to go west to I5 or south to Carson...

I'd go south to Carson and like KawiPG overnight at Cascade Locks or where ever your heart desires... a great day for sure.
 
#11 ·
Excellent map, and you rode the roads I'm thinking of. I like the satalite images! Thank you very much.
 
#10 ·
Gentlemen, thanks very much. I've traced it all on the DH map and it all looks good. The decision is to follow that suggestion or take 410 SE and ride DH9(check your map:)) and ride through Packwood to Randle then S on 25. It's all good. Thanks again. It reads like a great ride. Cheers .As I've done many times, I highly recommend Destination Highway maps and if you want, the book.
 
#13 ·
Thanks, schmii, excellent report. Hope my Penske and Racetec is up for the bumps. As well as my 67 year old bod. I appreciate all the help.
 
#14 ·
hey C-bird, been to Mt SAt Helen's area many times in the last 20 years.up untill about 6-8 yeras ago the road from Randle to Cougar and thru to Woodland was race track smooth and twisty top to bottom, since then they've had some heavy frost winters and landslides that have not been kind to the road, and the repairs have been more patches than outright re-dos.It's still agreat ride just not 'the' destination it used to be. There's no good way to get to Enumclaw but from there, Silver D's route sounds good. The 410 around Mt Rainier is senic but road condition is pretty rough in itself AND watch for the Rangers in their green jeeps, they have no sense of humour.Windy Ridge itself is one of the highlight roads.The bottom half is great , in the trees and good pavement, then you pop out into the blast area and you'd think you were on the moon.It has grown back gradually but 20 yeras ago it was amazing. make sure you take some time at the top and listen to the Rangers talk about the blast, hard to believe. Have a good ride just be aware of the frost heaves, some 6" deep and 6' across.
 
#17 · (Edited)
There's no good way to get to Enumclaw
gotta disagree. you can ride Hwy 9 and nearby sideroads to Arlington, then great backroads to Granite Falls, Duvall, etc south to Buckley - nice little town, OK for overnite . Firehouse Pub in downtown is a great place to eat, drink, and chat with locals. Econo Lodge at south end of town is OK to stay, and reasonably priced. Wallys Drive In at north end is a hoot, outa some previous decade... or maybe you can get further on the first day... south of there, ride thru Kapowsin and Eatonville, etc...

http://maps.google.ca/maps/ms?msid=214451076633767132258.0004bc962e2a33c6bd165&msa=0


you don't have ANY idea at all that metropolitan Seattle-Everett exists, just over the hills to the west. wonderful...


addendum: old guy's got it right that the road south from Randle is pretty rough (not to mention 'green' here and there), but that doesn't have to be a negative. I actually really LIKE 'rough stuff' - I enjoy the bike getting pitched and tossed around - keeps you active and on the pegs and reading the road ahead - not just some perfect, easy, smooth, predictable (boring) highway... know what I mean?
 
#18 ·
gotta disagree. you can ride Hwy 9 and nearby sideroads to Arlington, then great backroads to Granite Falls, Duvall, etc south to Buckley - nice little town, OK for overnite . Firehouse Pub in downtown is a great place to eat, drink, and chat with locals. Econo Lodge at south end of town is OK to stay, and reasonably priced. Wallys Drive In at north end is a hoot, outa some previous decade... or maybe you can get further on the first day... south of there, ride thru Kapowsin and Eatonville, etc...

http://maps.google.ca/maps/ms?msid=214451076633767132258.0004bc962e2a33c6bd165&msa=0
Of course, the other route/option is to pop down Hwy 1/101 (the coast) to like San Diego, and then hit ALL the Destination Highways marked out in the Calfornia book on the way back up through Cali, plus all the really great roads in Oregon ... until eventually you get back into Warshington ...
 
#15 ·
Schmii's got it right.

It may be fixed by now but there have been some VERY rough sections going in if you take the route from the north. The kind where your ballsack gets pounded irrevocably into the tank and it could happen more than a few times. Route from the south that SilverD has mentioned is way more theatrical in the way you are revealed to the shock and awe that you experience as you enter the Windy Ridge area. Mount Saint Helens is a special place and you want to do it right.

If you search the archives here back quite a ways, you will find a good number of threads on this trip.
 
#16 ·
Great ride, my wife and I normally do it every August Long weekend. We usually go down and come up from the south, do Windy Ridge, agree that the north road out is veeerry bumpy. But great roads all around there. As August long weekend is a Monday and a work day in the US, we like to do Rainer on the Monday coming back, less traffic.

And August it should always be open, earlier in the season is hit and miss, sometimes snow keeps the road closed late into the season.
 
#22 ·
Be careful, really careful, of your speed anywhere near Randall. There are lots of revenue collectors out looking for bikes.

Windy Ridge is one of my faves in WA state, you'll enjoy it immensely.
 
#23 ·
A Washington local just told me the Windy Ridge ride has been shortened due to slides.
 
#24 ·
That road often has slides and closures. I think they also had a big one 3 years ago (may have been 4 now, time flies).

It's a great road but it does get very busy. And bikes run off the edge fairly frequently (judging by the skidmarks I've seen over the years). Still, an excellent ride. I love the stretch down to Carson as well, some extremely good corners.

The bumps last year between Randle and the Windy ridge turnoff were pretty severe, I actually ended up nose-wheeling the KLR off one of the hard dips, which is pretty damn hard to do. Tons of fun on a long travel bike, not so much for my buddy on a 954 ;)
 
#25 ·
Doser, you're right, hwy 9 to Arlington is good, and suggested route to munroe is pretty good too,Munroe south is scenic but not so twisty,(except for a short section on #7 just north of Morton) only thing is that way may be an overnighter to M.S.H. any time we've done it on a 3 day long wknd we wanted to do windy ridge on the way and end up in Woodland for the evening the 1st day, 2nd day tear around the area, then home the 3rd day. big fun.
 
#26 ·
It's been a while since I have done it but a fantastic ride. I fell in love with MSH and Gifford National Rec area when I first rode in over 10 years ago. Last time I tried to do Windy Ridge the roads were out and the US national budget didn't have enuff money to clear the slides. The roads on the East side between Randall and the Columbia gorge were pretty heaved in some corners too. Check road conditions, sometimes MSH doesn't open till July due to snow. And of course be very careful of wild life and Park Rangers... they can issue tickets too ad like to set up speed traps on long weekends.

Have a safe ride!
 
#27 ·
I've ridden the ridge about 30 times in the past 20 years. I've never seen any LEO's, and have seen little in the way of traffic. It's a great ride, just make sure you can see around the corners, as mentioned above, it is prone to small rock spills over the road.
 
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