Olympic Peninsula riding

[Tri Girl]

Hey ladies,
I'm planing a two week bike tour of Western Washington next summer. I'm going to use the ACA Pacific Coast maps to get me from Seattle to Astoria, then I *plan* to ride back up the coast and around the peninsula back to Seattle. I have some questions about the riding on the Olympic Peninsula. I know the Olympic Mountains are there and it seems quite mountain-y. I can't find any information on HWY 101 on the west side of Olympic National Park. Are we talking mountain riding like in Colorado (seriously steep grades, major descents?). Since the road is fairly close to the coast, is it not so crazy up and down? I just bought a gazetteer and am waiting for it to arrive. I've located tons of maps of the area, but nothing that will tell me elevation changes in the road. My favorite map is the WSDOT state bike map, but again- no elevation changes to the road (something very important to know for loaded touring).
If you have any insight, I'd love to hear from you.
Thank you!

[Eden]

The highway skirts around the base of the mountain. While it is certainly not flat, it is not high mountains ever either. (though you could do a side trip up Hurricane Ridge - it is beautiful!)

If you want to do elevations I'd suggest www.mapmyride.com.
You won't even have to map it if you don't feel like it. Enough other people have done the mapping that you can find a route already mapped. (I did a quick search for Forks and came up with a dozen or so - checked out Forks to Quinault and it is actually pretty tame.... tops out at 700 feet with gradients of no more than about 3%). Of course the utility is pretty easy to use, so you could put in your exact route too.

[Tri Girl]

Thanks, Eden! DUH- I use map my ride all the time around here- don't know why my pea-brain didn't think to use it there. What a doofus.

I was wondering about the road, but good to know that it skirts the base of the mountains. It looks simply AMAZING from the pictures I've seen! I can't wait!!! I plan to take a rest day around there and do some hiking, too.

I've never been to the PNW before (although 20 years ago I applied and was accepted to University of Puget Sound- just couldn't afford the tuition even tho it was my first college of choice). I've always wanted to go there. I'll go out there 2 weeks before my DH and then he'll come out and we'll sight see for a week and catch a Mariners game.

Thanks again for pointing me in the right direction. I *should* have already known that.
I really appreciate it!!!!

[Tri Girl]

I just figured out that Adventure Cycling has a Washington Parks map set- the same route around the peninsula that I want to do. I may have to buy that...
Seems the route skirts the mountains with hardly any climbing at all- and that's my kind of touring!!! I'm so excited, I can't wait.

[Eden]

Your route sounds like a lot of fun. The coastline of Washington is really beautiful and mostly preserved as park. If you have the time to take the panniers off and do a day trip up Hurricane Ridge it really is spectacular.

[Tri Girl]

I did some research on Hurricane Ridge and it looks pretty cool! I'll definitely plan a day up there! Thanks again, Eden!