Mt Constitution (Orcas Island)

I started this ride at the ferry landing, and took the Orca Road up north. Then I turned right on to Main Street to Eastsound. The road up to this point is mostly rolling hills with a few short climbs. Per my GPS, the cumulative climb till here was approximately 1000 ft.

From the town, I continued east on Crescent Beach Dr, and then took a right at the Olga Road. From here till the Cascade Lake, the road climbs by approximately 400 ft. The lake is scenic, and is a great photo op.

The fun starts as you enter the Moran State Park. From here, for the next 4 miles, the climb averages 12-13% and it does not let up. It was time to shift to the granny gear. It felt a bit easier once the switchbacks get sharper at mile 16.

At about mile 19 (near the lake on the right in the map), the climb eases off finally. From here till the summit, for about 1.8 miles, the climb is gentle. This section of the road was a bit muddy with all the snow melting on the sides. The path to the observation deck was wet and snow-covered, but the views from the deck were panoramic.

The descent was quick. I ended my ride at the lake and jumped into the car as I was getting hungry.

Overall, it was great ride. I got my first respectable climb for 2009.

Supplies/Restrooms: The best place for supplies and rest rooms is the North Beach Road, off Main Street. There is also a bike shop on this road. The next place for rest rooms is the parking lot at the Cascade Lake. But these are currently “closed for winter”. Even the water fountain there is closed! At the summit there are rest rooms and a vending machine to buy colored chemical water and good old H2O.