White Pass - Highway 12 (DH7) (6/21/2007)
Parts of text below from Destination Highways Washington

“Judgment comes from experience, and great judgment comes from bad experience.” So said former Senator
Bob Packwood when sexual harassment allegations forced his resignation as chairman of the pork-barrelling S
enate Finance Committee. However, his largesse lives on in a DH of unimpeachable Character that proudly
bears his name — a Twisted, charismatic ride that gropes and caresses its way through secluded forests,
mountains and valleys, often over virginal Pavement. No expense was spared on the Engineering of Hwy 12’s
best segment, almost all of which runs through the irresistibly attractive scenery of the Gifford-Pinchot
and Mt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forests. After riding this road, you’ll almost forgive Bob his indiscretions.
You might even say he belongs in the White House. After all, as Senator Dianne Feinstein said graciously of
Packwood: “Let us judge a man by his finest actions, not his latest.”

Climbing out of Packwood, there are no reported incidents of curves for the first several miles as the two
smooth lanes of blacktop bisect the blanket of mid-height firs on either side.

Despite the milquetoast beginning, it's not long before the highway's true character is revealed. First, the
road is darkened by the towering trees of the Gifford-Pinchot National forest at 3.7 mi. Then, at 4.4 mi, a
passing lane forges the DH's first curves through the developing rock cuts on the road's right-handed side.
The third lane ends at 5.7 mi, but the pavement continues to improve, passing beneath the skeleton of Backbone
Ridge, shaped against the northern sky.
At 7.0 mi flawless pavement and engineering steadily wind on an ascend through untouched forest. even the
scenery gets on board as the steep, rocky slope provides striking southwest views across the deep canyon to
the outlines of Coal Creek Mtn and Beargrass Butte.

The near-perfect TIRES combination goes on and on as you wind and wind some more. Given the ruggedness
of the terrain, the quality of the engineering is especially impressive. The steady rhythm of the curves and
sweepers don't score too badly either, though they and at 17.3 mi as the highway turns northeast away from
the canyon and levels down on the right.

Mount Rainier to the northwest from White Pass.

Although the scenery on this DH is consistently fabulous, a nomination for the DH's best section must go to
this decent from White Pass. You can almost touch the slide-striped sides of Spiral Butte as you pass by
Dog Lake, a clear, glacial water pocket walled in by cliffs on your left at 21.8 mi. Then at 22.7 mi, another
huge chasm opens up on the road's right side, revealing a zigzag of ridges -- Pinegrass, Divide and, of course,
Short and Dirty.

Video of a motorcycle ride over White Pass here.

Click here to download the Garmin Mapsource file for this ride.