A Bridge and 2 Ferries

This is a challenging ride starting at Pt Defiance. The ride starts with an uphill climb for about 1 mile. We will head across the Narrows Bridge and into Gig Harbor making a short comfort stop at the 8-mile mark. Next the route will take us through Gig Harbor and then north along the coast. The next long climb will be up Dana Dr for just over a mile. Next stop will be at the Ollala Grocery Store at the 21-mile mark. We will continue north and pick up the Southworth Ferry (Not Free) which will give us 30 miles of riding. When we arrive on the north end of Vashon Island the route immediately goes up for .8 of a mile with 4-5% grade. We will make a stop at the Vashon Island Coffee Roasterie at the 37.9-mile mark. After the break we will head to the Tahlequah Ferry for the ride back to Pt Defiance. This last leg includes a 1.2-mile climb. This route has just over 3,000 feet of climbing and very few places along the route that are flat.

Bring plenty of water and nourishment along. Rest rooms are available at the start at the Pt Defiance boat house, along the trail at the 8-mile stop, at the Southworth Ferry dock, at the Coffee stop and at the Tahlequah Ferry dock.

Arrive 20 minutes early so you have time to ready your bike, sign the ride waiver, and listen to the Cascade SMART Safety talk. Meet in the lower parking lot between Anthony's Restaurant and the Marina. We will depart at 8AM sharp to allow us to meet the ferry schedule. Here is the fee for the ferry from Southworth to Vashon:

Adults: $5.45

Senior (age 65 & over) $2.70

Bike Surcharge $1.00

There is no fee from Tahlequah to Pt Defiance. 

If ride is cancelled due to weather it will be posted here in comments by 6:00am and ride leader will not be waiting at the start.

Come prepared to fix flats and have a plan for dealing with mechanical issues. This is a non-supported ride. Please take the time to make sure your bike is in good working order.

Cue sheet: See Route Link

Cue sheets will not be provided, please print one if desired. I would recommend you bringing a cue sheet.

Please send me an email if you have any questions or problems with pre-signing the waiver.

Please register for the ride by clicking on the Register Now button at the top of the page.  You need to be signed in to your Cascade account to do this.  If you don't want an account, come anyway and just sign the hold-harmless agreement at the start."