planning a trip up there in sept,any info on best and worst times of year to go ?planing on going up wash coast to neah bay the to hurricane ridge and on over to north cascades,
any info will be appreciated
I just made that ride... got back just a few hours ago.
Route #1 - Astoria, Or. on the 101 to Port Angeles. Weather was great, not terribly hot and no rain. On 101-N for the full stretch you can expect delays due to road construction in various places. The delays weren't bad, but it will cost you some time, something to consider if you're on a tight schedule. The best part of the ride is undeniably Cresent Lake, just outside of Port Angeles. The scenery is incredible. Stick to the speed limit though, I saw a good number of Police Officers patroling this area. There were also quite a few deer on the roadside, didn't seem to be a problem though, at least during the time period I was there.
An alternate route would be I-5 to Olympic, then west to 101 through Hoodsport. This is probably a better route from a scenic perspective, although you'll spend a fair amount of time on the I5 system getting there.
Route #2 - Port Townsend/Ferry to Keystone. Up to Deception Pass and along the coast to Anacortes, From there head over to Mt Vernon and pick-up I5 South for 20 miles or so to Hwy 2 Eastbound. This time of the year you can expect pretty hot weather all the way to Skykomish. From Goldbar on, the ride is great, and get's even better as you cross Stevens Pass and drop down into Leavenworth.
Return routes vary depending on destination, I rode up to Grand Coulee dam via Lake Chelan and Omak. New meaning to HOT. Just keep moving and you'll be fine though. Don't forget water. Back down through Coulee City and Soap Lake, pretty windy but manageable. Next over to Hwy 12 and return via Naches & White pass. This takes you right along side of Riffe Lake. Very cool!
September should be fine for the rain forest route, any later in the year and you'll likely encounter rain. Temperatures are also starting to become a little cooler east of the mountains which makes for a much nicer ride.
Let me know if you need any specific details, I'm pretty familar with this area.
