Rattlesnake Lake to Hyak Snoqualmie Tunnel Gravel Ride (Moderate)

Let's meet at the Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail - Cedar Falls Trailhead for a 42mi gravel ride up to Hyak and back. Be there, ready to go at the time listed above. We will start with a required safety briefing, and roll out when that's done.  All riders must attend the safety briefing to participate.

We will wind our way up the west side of the Cascades looking down on I90 vehicle traffic and up or around at beautiful scenery. During the ride we will cross several tall railroad bridges and, at Snoqualmie summit, go through the 2.25 mile Milwaukee Railroad Tunnel to Hyak. Because the trailhead is at a State Park, parking requires a State of Washington Discover Pass. However, just across the street (Cedar Falls Road) is the Rattlesnake Lake Recreation area which is owned and managed by Seattle Public Utilities; parking there is free and should be readily available on a Tuesday morning.

The ride is posted as a "Moderate" pace which means 14 - 16 mph on flat paved roads. We will be on gravel on an abandoned railroad right-of-way and the grade averages a nearly constant 2.1% the entire way up. So we should expect to average a few mph lower ascending. We will climb and descend hills at our own pace, and we will regroup occasionally. We'll also limit our speed on any multi-use paths to the legal maximum (usually 15 MPH, occasionally 10 MPH).

Restrooms are available at the start, and at Hyak. There also may be porta potties along the way. Water is not available at the start, but is available at Hyak (21mi), so please bring sufficient water for the 2hr ride up as it may also be quite warm out and the route has limited shade.

Headlights and taillights are required for this ride. The unlighted tunnel is totally black and you will need a headlight to see; it is, in fact, recommended that you bring a backup light (e.g. a good flashlight) in case your primary light fails. Fenders are also recommended; it is wet in the tunnel and there are small potholes that fill with water. You may also want to bring a jacket or light pants to pull on for the tunnel as the inside temperature is 40-50 degrees year-round; we will pause at the tunnel entrance to add layers. 

Since this ride is on gravel, bikes with narrow width road tires are not suited for this ride. Gravel tires or wider road tires (28+mm) are needed. Bring a spare tube and tools to fix a flat, just in case.

Bring a spare tube and tools to fix a flat, just in case. Other things to bring: phone; ID; cash and/or credit card; ORCA card; water and a small snack. 

Note: If weather conditions meet the weather cancellation criterion listed above or if there are unforeseen hazardous riding conditions or other unexpected events, the Ride Leader will cancel the ride and all registered riders will be sent a notification email. If the ride is cancelled at least two hours before the start, Ride Leader(s) will not be at the start location. Please check before leaving for the ride.

We hope you can join us!