With the Tour de France winding down, it’s time for RAMROD (Ride Around Mount Rainier in One Day) to fire up. Cyclists from across the country and the world will take to Plateau roads Thursday.

RAMROD is the Pacific Northwest’s premiere one-day, ultra-marathon cycling event. It combines the scenery of Mount Rainier National Park with a challenging course featuring 10,000 feet of climbing over 154 miles. The course starts in Enumclaw, elevation 720 feet, with a gradual downhill to its lowest elevation, 300 feet, near Orting. This is followed by 40 miles of rolling hills through the towns of Eatonville, Elbe and Ashford, with a gradual climb to the Nisqually entrance of Mount Rainier National Park.

The climb stiffens at Longmire where riders begin the 12-mile ascent to Paradise, elevation 5,420 feet. A 12-mile descent through Stevens Canyon follows and then a quick 3-mile climb to Backbone Ridge. This leads to a swooping 5-mile run to the Grove of the Patriarchs.

What follows is generally considered the most difficult section of the course: the 9-mile climb up Cayuse Pass, elevation 4,694, which starts at 100 miles into the ride and leads to the intersection with state Route 410. The rapid descent from the pass ends with about 30 miles to go. These last miles are gradually descending or rolling except for one final, fast descent down Mud Mountain Dam Road just 5 miles from the finish in Enumclaw.

RAMROD, now in its 26th year, fills rapidly each year and has a waiting list. The event is hosted by the Redmond Cycling Club.