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Posts Tagged ‘Skagit’

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.

The Pacific Northwest holds a true abundance of scenic routes. There’s a lot to see in this part of the world. One of the most diverse ecosystems in the world can be found in the northern reaches of Washington State. The North Cascade National Park straddles the glaciated peaks between the lush lowland Skagit River Valley to rugged glaciated peaks to deserts in the eastern rain shadows.

The North Cascades Highway is one of the best scenic routes to view this incredibly diverse and scenic landscape. That’s why the North Cascades Highway is among the most popular motorcycle routes in the state.

People travel from around the world to experience the North Cascade Mountains and surrounding area by motorcycle. These travellers from afar leave quite happy with the ride while missing out on some for the best parts. State Route 20 is a busy route that required a lot of real estate to build. It is the quickest way over the mountain to the other side. Take it, if just getting over the mountain is your goal.

Aerial image of Skagit Highway and Skagit River

If your goal is to take in the true magnificence of the North Cascades region then continue reading. The arterial roads that wind to and from SR 20 offer some incredible riding and little traffic. There are many of these roads that can be spliced together to truly enjoy the most scenic route through the North Cascade Mountains.

Many of the roads are worthy even as individual destination highways. Some are named highways, while others require a good map or GPS to easily navigate.

I set out a couple weeks ago on a drippy morning from the town of Mount Vernon to ride such a destination highway. The goal of the day was to skirt the North Cascades Highway by way of the Skagit Highway (follow link for map). The western terminus of the Skagit Highway can be accessed by heading south on State Route 9 from the North Cascades Highway in the town of Sedro Woolley. After leaving town, you’ll cross over the Skagit River and make a right hand turn onto the Skagit Highway.

The excitement of the ride got me to goose it around the initial corners of the road. Take my advice and find a cleaner cornering line by just taking it easy. Hugging the centerline deep into a right-hand corner served as an early reminder that I wasn’t out to race today. This was a ride to just enjoy the scenery and take in the grandeur of the region.

The Skagit Highway links up with the Concrete-Sauk River Road for a leisurely trip just under 50 miles. For most of the ride, the road hugs the Skagit River. This is the lifeblood of this region. Glaciers high up on the mountains provide year round ice melt that feeds the Skagit River and the nearly two million acres of land that adjoins it along its 150 mile route to the Puget Sound.

Trees covered in moss line the Skagit Highway

Foothills rise quickly from the south and west sides of the road while the river and vast views of the North Cascades spread wide to the north and east. The rugged terrain gives way from time to time providing views of the snow-capped peaks in the distance. The temperate maritime climate provides near constant dampness in this area, despite relatively few inches of actual rain per year. Moss clings loosely to the trees lining the road. At times it creates an eerie backdrop that would be perfectly at home in the opening scenes of a horror movie.

The soft rushing of water over rocks encourages me to stop. The growl in my tummy needs to be fed and a smoothed river rock provides the perfect place to eat my ham sandwich. Of course I found a nice muddy road that led right up to the river. Very enjoyable spot for escaping the everyday business of life.

Up on a ridge for a better view. On a clear day the snow capped Cascades would be in the background.

About 25 miles into the ride and the Skagit Highway runs into Concrete-Sauk Valley Road. This road will continue another 16 miles south before connecting with State Route 530. This entire route is just over 40 miles of soft curves with slight elevation gains and losses. The tree-lined roads give way to open fields and wide views of the North Cascade Mountains. All the while, you’re actually able to experience the flora and fauna of this diverse ecosystem because you found the road that only the locals know. Well, the locals and now everyone reading this article. Get out there and enjoy it because you won’t have much traffic to contend with on this road.

This is just one of the arterial routes that I’ll be writing about along the North Cascades Highway in 2010. By year’s end, I hope to patch together a full listing that will help motorcyclists find a truly unique riding experience in this truly unique area.