Site Logo

GETMAD replaces annual Mount Rainier cyclist ride

Published 12:30 pm Thursday, June 4, 2026

By Ray Miller-Still Editor

Contributed photo A closeup of a Ride Around Mount Rainier in One Day rider at Box Canyon during a 2023 RAMROD event.
1/2

Contributed photo A closeup of a Ride Around Mount Rainier in One Day rider at Box Canyon during a 2023 RAMROD event.

Contributed photo A closeup of a Ride Around Mount Rainier in One Day rider at Box Canyon during a 2023 RAMROD event.
Mowich Lake has been inaccessible to the public for more than a year due to the Fairfax/Carbon River bridge closure, giving cyclists a unique chance to see its beauty. Photo courtesy National Park Service

Facing a tough climb on your bike?

Then it’s time to “get mad,” as cycling commentator Paul Sherwin says, and the Redmond Cycling Club is doing just that with their new route.

After the cancelation of the annual Ride Around Mount Rainier in One Day (RAMROD) event earlier this year, and apparent cancelation of future rides on that route, the club decided pivot and created the GETMAD route to continue the tradition of putting cyclists to the test in and around Mount Rainier National Park.

The Gravel Enumclaw to Mowich in a Day ride, scheduled for July 23, takes cyclists from, well, Enumclaw to Mowich Lake, which has been widely cut off from the general public since the Fairfax/Carbon River Bridge closed permanently April 2025.

But with support from Mount Rainier National Park, private landowners, and the town of Wilkeson and Mayor Jayme Peloli, the off-road trail that remains the only access point “to one of the region’s most stunning destinations” for bikers, the cycling club said in a release.

The new route is more than 80 miles long, with a total of 6,300 feet elevation. The tricky part, of course, will be the 50 miles of off-road gravel – far different than the paved highway around Mount Rainier.

For route details, go to redmondcycling.club/news/getmad.

On paper, the route may seem less challenging than RAMROD, which was 153 miles long with an elevation gain of 10,000 feet.

But “[t]his ride is not intended for inexperienced riders. The course is demanding, and gravel riding presents its own unique challenges,” the cycling club warns. “Participants should be prepared to be as self-sufficient as possible and capable of handling any mechanical issues they may encounter during the event.”

Once you’re in the park, though, riders will get to see Mowich Lake and other areas of the park that haven’t been visited for more than a year.

Registration began on May 21, and is first come, first serve.

To register, go to redmondcycling.club/registration.

You Might Like