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Tour

Tour de Blast

June 22 2024

Toutle Washington USA

Date Confirmed

Distances: 33, 54, 82 miles

Difficulty: Difficult terrain with longer, steeper hills

The Tour de Blast is a fund raising event run by an a local Rotary Club as a subset to Rotary International’s Foundation. We are strictly a charity, and our funds raised go to the eradication of polio worldwide. Rotary has pursued the eradication for 25 years and is the single largest health related undertaking on the planet.

Beginner Level 33mile, Advanced 54 mile and full 82 mile routes.

An end-of-the-ride pasta feed is from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

You decide what distance to ride!

Beginner Level: 53K (33-mile) round-trip fun ride to the Hoffstadt Bluffs Rest Area/Viewpoint. Approximately only a 900' elevation gain.

Intermediate Level: 87K (54-mile) round trip to Elk Rock.

Advanced Level: 132K (82-mile) round trip to Johnston Ridge viewpoint.

The Ride

Ride the new road into the Mount St. Helens blast zone! The Spirit Lake Memorial Highway winds its way up the Toutle Valley to the Johnston Ridge Viewpoint. This is an open highway ride. Most of the course is on new highway with wide shoulders and excellent visibility.

RIDE PROFILE:
Mile 0: 500 ft. (Toutle - Starting Line)
Mile 11: 1,000 feet (Sediment Dam)
Mile 16: 1,400 feet (Hoffstadt Bluffs - Pit Stop)
Mile 24: 3,000 feet
Mile 27: 3,800 feet (Elk Rock - Pit Stop)
Mile 34: 3,159 feet (Coldwater Ridge - Closed)
Mile 41: 4,314 feet (Johnston Ridge - Pit Stop)

Elevation gain/difficulty
The elevation gain from the start line at Toutle to Elk Rock (27 miles into the ride, elevation 3,800 feet) is approximately 3,300 feet. From there, the highway descends 1,270 feet over five miles to Coldwater Lake (elevation 2,530 feet). Then riders will begin a nine-mile climb of approximately 1,780 feet to the Johnston Ridge viewpoint and turnaround. A rider going all the way to Johnston Ridge and back to Toutle will climb a total of 6,240 vertical feet over 82 miles (132K) including the climb back up the eastern side of Elk Rock.

Below is a Garmin GPS Ride Profile for the entire round trip (Thank you Rob!):

Support & Safety
We will do our best to ensure the following happens each year for the ride: Rotarians will monitor the course and alert riders to danger. First Aid stations will be located at the starting line, and all three pit stops. The shoulders will be swept prior to the race to help eliminate any road debris that could cause possible mishaps. Local bike shops will be available to assist with tire changes, and provide you with basic supplies. Frequent pit stops are stocked with food, fruit, beverages and facilities. Hot showers are available at the end of the ride. Bring your own towels.

Helmets Required
CPSC, SNELL, ASTM or ANSI approved helmets are required. Riders will not be allowed to ride without one.

T-shirt & Ride Packet Notes
Riders who register by the pre-registration deadline will receive their t-shirts on ride day. Please note you will be asked to stick to the size requested on your registration form. There will be no t-shirts available for day of ride registration.

To keep this a quality event and eliminate mailing costs: All riders will receive a ride packet with their ride number on the day of the ride. These may be picked up at Toutle Lake High School on ride day. Day-of-ride registration is open from 7 to 9 a.m.