Seattle to Boulder Tour :)

[mcw15]

Hey all,
My partner and I are planning a tour from our home in Seattle to Boulder, CO. Everything in between is pretty loose right now, but hoping you all have some insights we can take into account to solidify some details.
We could leave late May, and in that case, I'd assume we'd want to head S towards SF, then E, although we'd rather stay more north, riding E from WA or OR, so we could go through the mountains. I'm just curious what is possible this time of year, as the passes will still have snow. What experiences do riders have going this time of year (Late May-Late June)? Is it possible? Routes taken? Suggestions?
We have a loose timeline. Planning on averaging 50mi/day. Would be delighted with minor detours for nice rides/mountains/views.
Appreciate any help,
MC

[hikerjer]

Totally possible, but be sure to take cold weather gear, as lingering winter weather could set in anytime and morning and evenings are sure to be chilly.  Stick to the valley floors as much as possible and you should be fine. You may run into snow at higher elevations, but nothing too serious barring a freak storm.

[mcw15]

Appreciate the tip, but you're saying good to head E from farther N? Like WA or OR? I found this map (https://cycletourist.com/Seattle_to_Boulder/), and it seems like a good path to follow til Wyoming. We want to stop in SLC before getting to CO, would you head S from Jackson? Not seeing any "bike paths" on the interactive map here...any tips/anyone done that ride?

[John Nelson]

By June, snow is not usually a problem cycling in the Colorado Rockies.

I would probably head south to Astoria, then pick up the TransAmerica Trail to Walden, Colorado. Then leave the TA and ride over Cameron Pass. Unless you want to, or need services, I wouldn't ride all the way to Fort Collins. Rather, I'd take Stove Prairie Road (relentlessly rolling) to Masonville, then follow county roads (27, 29, 23) south to Boulder.

If you'd rather ride Trail Ridge Road through Rocky Mountain National Park (definitely an epic ride), you could instead ride south from Walden to Granby. Once you get to Estes Park, ride highway 7 through Allenspark (do not ride US36 out of Estes Park). Then proceed to Boulder either through Ward (better scenery) or Lyons (fewer hills).

[Brucev]

MC the route you posted is pretty much the route I took this past summer on my trip from Seattle to Illinois. I did not cross Cameron pass from Walden, just did the TA route. As for SLC i lived in Southern Idaho for the las 26 years and i really don’t know of any bike friendly routes from the north.  One thing i would suggest in not to take highway 12 from Lewiston Idaho to Kooskia Idaho to get on the TA bike route. It is a horrible road, pretty ride up the
Clearwater river but lots of truck traffic and NO shoulder. The white line was actually painted on the gravel oolong side of the road where the road shoulder was broken away. By the time i got to Orofino i would have payed somebody to get me off that road, and i used to fish there quite a bit but on a bike it is a nightmare. I left Seattle on June 10 and had no trouble with snow on any pass I encountered.

[wildtoad]

Regarding the heading S to CA and then E scenario, keep in mind that the Sierras in CA have an immense snow pack (with more snow on the way) and its been a cold winter in California. If the cool weather continues thru March, I expect several of the good passes for riding will remain closed well into June.  Hard to say exactly, especially this early, but things are different this year than they have been in recent years w/ drought and warmer temps.

Not familiar w/ the situation further north.