Kay, so I'm from Portland. I was coming up to Bellingham last weekend for the wife's HS reunion (Sehome).

Anyway, I figured that since I was by myself (wife had come up earlier) that I would try the Chuckanut run. I'd read about the Bham crowd making a run on it, so I figured I'd give it a try.

Maybe it was cause I was really tired and/or cause it was late at night, but that road scared the dookey out of me in a coupla places. It's like these 90 turns really sneak up on ya. Seems like as soon as I would start to pick up the pace again, the road would scare me again.

Now dont get me wrong... I love the twisties, and I do it around Portland a fair amount (e.g. Skyline)... But I'm not gonna be doing Chuckanut again for a while.

Am I totally off here? Comments from the Bham crowd?

I've run it probably 50+ times while I was in college in B'ham...once you get to know the route well, none of it really sneaks up on you.

IMO, it's not that amazing of a drive...certainly doesn't meet all the hype.
Too many blind corners (especially the few which get gravel/rock spillover too) and too great of a chance to be stuck behind RVs or bellingstoners.

Its dangerous to walk on :)

Skyline was fun. I ran from cops my first time on that road They had a speed gun and I passed them doing twice the limit and i said "%^& it" and booked, germantown is nice too.

its not that dangerous. i go on there quite often and drive it a few times when im there. there are some tight corners but i wouldnt push my car THAT hard on public roads anyway.

2 of my good friends have rolled/totalled their cars on Chuck, I refuse to drive it.

Skyline was fun. I ran from cops my first time on that road They had a speed gun and I passed them doing twice the limit and i said "%^& it" and booked, germantown is nice too.
Actually Germantown was the one i was thinking of. Skyline is a hoot, but too short and usually too much traffic. Great for the nice uphill sweepers though...

I've only been stuck in slow moving traffic when i've been up there. Was a waste of time driving all the way up there when i could of done that on i5 here in seattle. :dunno

whats the closest twisty to bellevue?

Damn if chuck is too tough for you stay off north cascade highway!

Long time lurker, first time poster. Born and raised in Bellingham, now paying the bills in Portland.

Chuckanut is like any other curvy road in the NW. It'll scare the heck out of you until you are familiar with it, then you'll really enjoy it.

I've made the PDX - B'ham run countless times and I-5 is boring has hell and mind numbing. I think you would have enjoyed it more if you'd left B'ham via Chuckanut coming back to Portland. It's a good road to run in daylight a couple of times since it sounds like you were at the end of the day.

Don't let your first impression spoil an enjoyable road. Give it another chance and I think you'll like it.

The thing I hated most about Chuckanut is we'd be on our way south and come across a rock slide that closed the road so we'd turn around and head back to B'ham and catch I-5. Quite a detour.

New to BMW's and in fact still looking for the right one to buy.

Michael.

North Cascade highway isn't bad. But it's fun!

I hit chuckanut once a month at least................. on a bike. you just have to know the road.

Working in Bellingham for the next few months. It is a fine drive but keep in mind that people bicycle on it.

Jim

I was on it yesterday....

Its dangerous if you dont know it and drive in a stupid manor...

But most of the time you cant go fast anyways cause of either traffic or peds....

nice road though...

Best time to drive Cnut is in the early am. If you drive on it anytime after 10am and it's a sunny day, it's jam pack with motorcycles, and tourists. It's a bit nerve racking if you're never drive the route before but it's becomes a challenge and fun when you learned the route. Sort of similar to learning a new track.

I driven it many times in the past..fun route to test new suspension upgrade..in certain spot you can get up to triple digit speed...just need to watch out for planes above. There's a good spot at the end of the route that you can test out your top speed governor..may be a buck 50...:D

the road up to mt rainier is pretty badass, I recommend going early morning though, so there's no cars, and obviously in the summer, and in oregon, the road to tillamook from portland(6?), and 26 to cannon beach are pretty twisty, I was in a camry, so not much fun...

Best time to drive Cnut is in the early am. If you drive on it anytime after 10am and it's a sunny day, it's jam pack with motorcycles, and tourists. It's a bit nerve racking if you're never drive the route before but it's becomes a challenge and fun when you learned the route. Sort of similar to learning a new track.

I driven it many times in the past..fun route to test new suspension upgrade..in certain spot you can get up to triple digit speed...just need to watch out for planes above. There's a good spot at the end of the route that you can test out your top speed governor..may be a buck 50...:D
freakin ditto. exactly what i was gonna say. i love that road. but it's only fun if you know it and if you go when there's not many people on it