GRaSp ’23

THE VIBE

The GRiT Ride ’22 brought gravel to an entirely new place – adventure gravel. GRiT delivered tough climbs, gnarly downhills, and amazing views in the special place that is the Teanaway.

GRaSP (Gravel Ride at Snoqualmie Pass) captures the spirit of GRiT and brings it to a new awesome zone. While most gravel riders have ridden close to this zone, few have done these loops. Fewer still have done all of these loops in one go.

For ’23 we are doing an unsanctioned, self-supported, “fun” ride that is open to everyone. In the coming years, we will deliver a full event with all the fun things that Off Camber Productions brings to Weds Night Worlds and MFG Cyclocross. Consider this a beta…

RSVP for GRaSP here

THE DETAILS

GRaSP Beta 1.0 will leave from Laconia Market at 9am on Saturday, July 29. You should bring everything you need for the day as there are no aid stations and no support–this is a totally self-supported ride. Download the course of your choice to your GPS device as there will be no course markings either.

Do / Don’t

  • DO: Arrive early (8:15) and have an amazing breakfast/coffee/snack at Laconia. Laconia is locally owned and operated by Snoqualmie Pass residents. Their food is top notch!
  • DON’T park for the day in their lot.
  • DO park in one of the many lots or on the highway. Be smart, respectful and nice!
  • DO plan on bringing a fair amount of water and some filtration if you want to travel light
  • DO have some post-ride beverages and food at Dru Bru, Laconia, Commonwealth cafe, or Summit West.
  • DO check out the new Evo store at the Firehouse
RSVP for GRaSP here

THE COURSES

We are beta-testing 5 different options

GRaSP XS: That little thing? How hard could it be? With 23 miles and 1800 feet of climbing, XS is a nice way to get a taste for Sno Pass gravel. You will head toward Stampede Pass on the Palouse to Cascades Trail (P2C), do the challenging Meadow Creek Loop (MCL), and then head home on the P2C. Might take 2-3 hours…

GRaSP S: With 36 miles and 3,500 feet of climbing, the S course will bring you up the “low” road towards Stampede Pass, from here you will do the Lost Lake Loop before heading back to the pass on the P2C.

GRaSP M: With 44 miles and 5,400 feet of climbing, the M course is very similar to S, but brings you back via FR 4934 on the north side of I-90.

GRaSP L: Now we are talking. Oh boy… 55 miles and 7,000 feet of climbing. The L course uses both the Lost Lake Loop (LLL) and the Meadow Creek Loop (MCL), then take you back via FR4934. This will be a big day.

GRaSP XL: The queen course. A whopping 76 miles and 9,400 feet of climbing, the XL covers all the loops/passes West of Stampede Pass. After doing LLL and MCL, you will head back across I-90 to tackle the brutal HF4948. Sadly, you don’t get to go all the way down. Rather you take the low road again and finish on FR4934. This gives you two difficult 2k climbs back to back. Enjoy!

Course notes:

  • Motor vehicles.
    • Expect to see them on the 4934 climb especially. Please stay on the right side of the road to avoid incidents.
    • The downhill sections of 4934 and 4948 will also have vehicles, be careful here, don’t cheat over.
    • Kachess Lake Rd. If you are merging/crossing this (S/M/L/XL) you will need to be careful as well
  • Downhills: These aren’t the smoothest gravel descents you have ever been on – not the place for all gas, no brakes…
    • The descent of 4948/4934 is known for washboard, potholes, and some loose gravel.
    • For the Meadow Creek Loop and Lost Lake Loop both descent 5483. This also has loose gravel and some ruts. That said, there isn’t that much traffic, but there will be some
RSVP for GRaSP here