There are many reasons to plan a ride. In this case, we had been looking at a map. We found Forest Road 6700, and it looked like it could provide an alternative to Highway 2 on the way from Stevens Pass to Leavenworth (below).

It had everything we could ask for: gravel (which means little traffic), a lot of squiggles (challenging climbs and descents), and the promise of wonderful mountain scenery. The plan was quickly put together. Ryan and I would meet at 2:30 a.m. We wanted to get an early start, so we’d reach Forest Road 6700 while the day was still young.

We headed out of town on familiar roads. By the time the sun was up, we already were far from Seattle. We climbed the Skykomish River valley on the approach to Stevens Pass.

Even though we were eager to get to the pass and explore the…