OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK — It doesn’t take four wheels and an internal combustion engine to reach the top of Hurricane Ridge Road.
Hundreds will make the arduous trek the old-fashioned way in three weeks using only human power and two wheels.
The second annual Ride The Hurricane bike tour of Hurricane Ridge Road returns to the North Olympic Peninsula on Sunday, Aug. 7.
Cyclists can now register for the ride, with approximately 350 slots still available.
“I have room for 500 riders and we have roughly 150 [registered] right now, so we have plenty of space,” said Russ Veenema, event organizer and executive director of the Port Angeles Regional Chamber of Commerce.
“I’ll take people right up until the day of as long as we have space.”
Olympic National Park capped registration at 200 riders for last summer’s inaugural event.
After receiving a lot of positive feedback, Veenema said, the park decided to more than double that number this year.
The unusual event allows cyclists to have Hurricane Ridge Road all to themselves from 7 a.m. to noon. (The road is closed to all other traffic during that time.)
It is not a race, but a recreational ride that gives participants the choice of two routes.
The first and more challenging ride is a 36-mile round trip with roughly 4,300-foot of elevation gain that begins at Olympic National Park Visitor Center, 3002 Mount Angeles Road, in Port Angeles.
The second ride is a 24-mile round trip and 3,400-foot elevation change starting at Heart O’ the Hills Campground.
All riders must be off the road by noon.
Registration is $35 and includes a photo from Hurricane Ridge, a custom event T-shirt and refreshments at the summit house.
There will also be several aide stations along the route with water and rest rooms.
Two dollars from every registration will be donated to the Olympic National Park Fund to help keep Hurricane Ridge open during the winter months.
Registration and waiver forms can be found at the chamber website at http://tinyurl.com/6y7prta.
Payment can be sent to the chamber via mail, by phone (360-452-2363) or online.
For more information, contact Veenema at russ@portangeles.org.