Ride Around Washington (RAW), six-day bicycle tour around Washington state, A Cascade Bicycle Club Event

ATTENTION CYCLISTS!

Online event registration opens on Thursday, Jan. 1 exclusively for Cascade Bicycle Club members. Event registration opens Sunday, Feb. 1 to the general public. [more...]

August 2 - 8, 2009

Highway 20 Revisited

1/5/09 UPDATE: RAW 2009 is sold out!

The 2009 Ride Around Washington (RAW) marks a return to the beginning of RAW: the North Cascades Highway, an exploration of Grand Coulee Dam, and the upper Columbia River. This year’s route could be renamed Ride Amazing Washington, as you will be cycling through the many different types of geology, climatic zones and vegetation our state has to offer. With this kind of pure scenic beauty, you’ll need a big memory card and extra batteries for your camera.

From the cooler, moist marine weather in historic La Conner, through the flat delta of the Skagit River, along the forested river valley floors, up over the north Cascades and down into central Washington, RAW 2009 will spin your wheels.

Day one takes us through 75 miles and 1500 feet of elevation to Newhalem. This will be a great warm-up ride for the days to come. The following days we’ll experience definite geological changes. On day 2 we start to climb into the North Cascades and the carpet-like vegetation on the forest floor and tall trees will give way to alpine meadows and highlands. As if climbing 4,855 foot Rainy Pass weren't enough, we will also climb to the high point of our ride the 5, 477-foot Washington Pass. There will be spectacular views of the valley floor and Liberty Bell Mountain. As

we drop down to Twisp you will notice the air is warmer and the vegetation drier.

With two nights in Twisp, you’ll have the opportunity for a rest day if you are so inclined. The climbing fanatics, charge to the top of Loup Loup Pass and back. For those who desire a more relaxed day, you’ll have an optional ride back towards Winthrop and up the Chewuch River valley.

Leaving Twisp on day 4 we’ll ride, downhill, along the picturesque Methow River to its confluence with the Columbia River at Pateros. As we go, you will notice the stark contrast between the irrigated orchards and near desert-like natural vegetation. The geology also makes a dramatic change from the uplifted Cascades to the layers of columnar basalt laid down as lava covered most of eastern Washington.

The end of day 4 brings us to the Columbia River crossing at Brewster and a climb over the ridge to see Grand Coulee Dam. The fantastic laser light show, displayed on the front of the dam, is just mere steps from our campsite.

The next morning we will continue to cycle eastward past acres of dry land wheat farms. At the crest of one hill, the road will “continue straight” for 12 miles to Wilbur, in the distance. At the end of Day 5, we will arrive at Fort Spokane where the Spokane River joins the Columbia.

Our final day takes us to Kettle Falls, which has been a favorite overnight venue for several past RAW rides, including the first ride in 1999.

Don't be put off by the thought of daily consecutive rides. Reasonable training and a decent level of fitness paired with awesome on-road support by our volunteer ARES team will get every cyclist safely to the next venue. Plus you have all day to get there!

Hot breakfasts, suppers and lunches will be provided, and a deluxe hot shower truck follows us to every campsite. Due to our low number of riders we never have long lines for anything during the week, and we can offer much better campsite venues than most large tours!

Each night there will be fun activities, including wine tastings and the ever-popular New Belgium happy hours... and maybe a post-ride rub-down from our fabulous traveling Washington Sports Massage team will really hit the spot!

The 2009 edition of RAW brings together a bit of history, a lot of nostalgia and new exploration. We may be camping, but we really camp in style… all your luggage and camp gear is carried by our gear trucks. Our outstanding new food menu provides riders with three nutritious meals per day. We are confident that RAW is the best supported, most economical, week-long camping-style ride in the United States. It is produced by cyclists, for cyclists. So we urge those of you who have not done RAW (or any other multi-day ride), to give Highway 20 Revisited a try!

RAW is still limited to only 215 cyclists. A non-refundable $300 deposit (which does not include any discounts you may be eligible for), will hold a spot for you. You can save additional money by paying online, in full and in advance. Registration will be open for all Cascade Bicycle Club to members only for all events on January 1, 2009. You may join the club when registering for the event or in advance by visiting the membership page.