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Posts Tagged ‘best scenic routes’

Skagit and Whatcom counties border Canada to the north, North Cascade Mountains to the east, and Puget Sound with the San Juan Islands— viewable from coastal roads — to the west. This makes the area particularly scenic.

The corners are inviting on Mosquito Lake Road. This corner had a sharp decreasing radius with and "S" hidden behind the trees.

There are several roads that every motorcyclist and sports car driver know about in the region. Some of the roads are nationally renowned. The North Cascades Highway crosses the “American Alps” with fantastic views of peaks and glacial-fed lakes (some natural others created by dams). Chuckanut Drive (State Route 11) connects Skagit and Whatcom counties along a very scenic coastal drive that further established the city of Bellingham as a supply point for Canada’s Fraser River Valley. State Highway 9 also passes through both counties and is well known to area motorcycle and car enthusiasts.  Highway 9 is great for those seeking an escape along the rural beauty of the area with curves that reach into your soul like a good blues guitar, evoking exhilaration when well-executed and disappointment when perfection is not attained.

There are many other fantastic routes in the Northern Puget Sound region. To find them, you need to talk with locals. As a local, I’ll share one of the many hidden gems.

A simple corner on Mosquito Lake Road

Mosquito Lake Road is a short off-shoot of Washington State Highway 9. Mosquito Lake Road is on the north side of the town of Acme. It connects with Highway 9 on the north side of the bridge that crosses the South Fork of the Nooksack River. This is a popular swimming and fishing area. The crisp water slices a shallow swath making it a refreshing place to take a dip on hot summer days.

Mosquito Lake  Road is 15 miles of bliss along the middle fork of the Nooksack River from Acme to Welcome. The Road has numerous technical corners that will send you wide if you’re not careful. It is the technical nature and dips in the pavement along some of these corners that makes the route so enjoyable. At least for motorcyclists who seek opportunities to test their cornering finesse. After caressing the shores of Josephine Lake and Mosquito Lake the road crosses the middle fork of the Nooksack River.

The recently refurbished Nooksack River bridge.

The recently rehabilitated bridge is listed on the National Register of Historical Places as the longest pin-connected highway bridge in the state (according to Jared Paben in the Bellingham Herald’s April 20, 2011 article “Whatcom County receives national award for Mosquito Lake Road bridge project). The bridge was built in 1915 and in 1951 it was disassembled and moved 30 miles to its current location. It is a beautiful bridge expanse that will evoke your inner photographer. A river access point under the bridge provides a good viewing point away from traffic.

Beyond the bridge the corners widen as they meander through the mountain valley. The bucolic views of mountains and small pastures continue six miles until Mosquito Lake Road terminates at the Mt Baker Highway (State Highway 542) at the foot of Sumas Mountain. The road makes a rather abrupt turn as it approaches the railroad tracks near Hwy 542. Don’t let the views pull your attention from the road in this area.

Mosquito Lake Road is a particularly exhilarating stretch a pavement that avoids one of the boring straight stretches of State Highway 9. It is a good alternative to the larger road with less traffic. Since Mosquito Lake Road connects Highway 9 with The Mt Baker Highway (State Highway 542) it is also a fantastic route to such places as Artist Point to enjoy the incredible scenery of Mt Baker and the North Cascades Mountain Range.

Trees line FS38 creating a tunnel. One of the changing environments on the road that causes one to slow down to enjoy the sights.

If you are particularly adventurous, a jaunt down Forest Service Road (FR) 38 will satiate the dirt explorer in you. The forest service road is not marked particularly well from Mosquito Lake Road. It is the road that juts out sharply from the the main road near the gravel pit. FS38 quickly passes the rather unseemly gravel pit and rises up the canyon above the middle fork of the Nooksack River. The road travels approximately 10 miles into the Mt Baker Wilderness.

Trees line the road and sometimes even cover it as if creating a tunnel through the forest. The tall trees don’t allow much plant growth on the forest floor. This provides a fairly deep view into the surrounding woods from the road as you ride. Slowing down may allow you the opportunity to catch a glimpse of wildlife. Slowing will also allow you to catch the wheels devouring pot holes that are found throughout the length of the road. After the tunnel of trees, the road comes to a “Y” intersection. Take the high road to remain on FS38.

At times the road meets with the steep drop offs and the trees fade away to allow decent views of the river valley. To the southwest both the North Twin and South Twin of Sisters Mountain can be seen.

There are many camping spots to be found along FS38. Many are single spots that require a tight turn around down a trail if they’re already occupied. This is a good location for motorcycle camping. Fishing in the numerous creeks and Nooksack River could even provide the evenings meal.

A logging road trail for the FS38 side route. This trail connects with FS38 near the Ridley Creek trailhead. High clearance needed.

The road passes a few trickling falls. Wallace Creek provides a particularly pretty falls under a bridge. There is a good spot to pull over past the bridge. The bridge is on a “S” section of the road. Be ready for 4×4 traffic to buzz by. It is a fairly remote area, but moderately popular with outdoor enthusiasts.

The road comes to a dead end at the Ridley Creek trailhead. For riders on dual sport motorcycles, there is a trail near the deadend that shoots up the hill. The trail winds its way near Marmot Ridge. This trail is plenty wide for small 4×4 with short wheelbases and is perfect for dual sport motorcycles. My V-Strom handles the moderate “whoops” with ease. The heavy bike was a bit of a pig to turn around when I came to a couple camping on a corner of the trail figuring no one else would be able to make it up to this point. The ability of single-track vehicles can sometimes astound Jeepers.

At the bottom of each whoop is evidence of water flow. Be aware that in the spring and early summer there is likely a good amount of mud from the snow melt.

Click this map to get full route details. This is a rough guide to the route. Please use a legitimate map to reduce your own personal risk.

Riding is a creative outlet for me. It takes creativity to come up with new places to explore. Sometimes it takes a bit of planning to get the wheels turning, but then something unravels the best laid plan and real adventure begins. Other times riding without a plan is the ticket to new discoveries. I often open topographical and road maps for inspiration. The roads that I enjoy discovering are ever changing. Some forest service roads change so quickly that even a two-year old map is now out of date. New gates aren’t always present on old maps. That is why, even well thought out rides can become sans plan.

Inspiration for motorcycle rides can come from seemingly odd places. Recently, I have found inspiration for motorcycle rides while flying. The flights out of Seattle’s SeaTac airport typically fly past Mount Rainier and over the Cascade Mountains. Upon take off, I scan the ground below for possible roads and trails. This allows a very broad picture of the road characteristics below. The amount of corners, elevation changes and even possible water crossings can be seen from the window seat of a jet liner.

A work trip had me in Las Vegas recently. The morning flight with a window seat had my eyes tracing possible paths out of Sin City and quickly onto lustful mountain roads that may even lead to snow-capped mountain peaks just a short distance from the strip. Perhaps a winter motorcycle trip through the Nevada and Utah deserts is next year’s cure to the socked-in Pacific Northwest winter. Yes, we can ride year round, but a sunny ride through the mountains with temperatures in the 60′s and 70′s sounds perfect to me. A work trip suddenly inspired me to daydream about possible rides through the Sierras, Reno and on to Las Vegas.

As my flight out of Vegas climbed high into the sky it revealed the vast beauty of mountains meeting flat desert valleys over and over again. The mundane sections of this region would heighten the pleasure of each mountain crossed. Excitement built up inside me as the possibilities presented themselves from 5,000, 10,000 and 30,000 feet. My nose was pinned to the plane’s window as the strip faded from sight and a more rural, enjoyable playground presented itself. Oh yes, a winter ride through the desert might be just the ticket next year.

Shoot, I hope this inspiration doesn’t lead to too much planning. I do believe there are ample discoveries to be had, if I can resist studying too many maps in the next several months. In fact, work may have me in Vegas again next winter. A ride to and from may just be in order. You never know from where inspiration for the next great ride will come. The trick is to open the mind and let the daydreaming begin.

Where do you find ride inspiration? Can you resist the urge to plan the “perfect” ride in order to actually find adventure and new discoveries?

Pick a direction and let’s ride.