Green Hornet Randoing

PENDING - LK FOREST PARK-INDEX

2011-02-08T14:18:00.000-08:00

Route was suggested by Carol Nussbaum

Route sheet is here

Route map and TCX file is here

Route has been submitted to RUSA for approval and is not ready to ride.

DISTANCE: 204K
MAX ELEVATION: 850 feet
CUM ELEVATION: 4,500 feet

Eastern Washington Loop 400K Pre-ride

2010-10-14T19:37:00.000-07:00

Most people would think that starting a ride at 11:30 PM and riding through the night when the temperatures are going to dip close to freezing is simply nuts. They are probably right. But I did it a couple of days ago and would jump at the chance to do it again.

Riding through the night, under clear skies with the stars glowing, is an exhilarating experience. You can't see much but you can see so much. The stars are crisp. The wisps of fog rolling off the wetlands. The dawn beginning to break. Still, it can be a challenge to stay awake. The cold helps.

Lyn Gill and I left East Wenatchee at 11:30 PM. We left town on Rock Island Road. It is the way most of the Seattle Randonneur (SIR) rides leave & enter town, primarily to get off of WA-28 since that tends to be fairly busy. It wasn't at midnight. There was construction on WA-28, so we weaved in and out of the construction barrels a bit, but mostly enjoyed the smooth new pavement. While the ride was going to be relatively flat per Bike Route Toaster ( ~ 6,000 feet of elevation gain over 400K / 250 miles) a noticeable part (we noticed!) of that climbing was in the first 30 miles as we climb up to Quincy. But we were fresh and it was good to get out of the way, right?

By 2:30 AM we were at George, where the first control was. This 24 hour gas station convenience store was going to be a nice place to warm up and stock up for the next 70 mile stretch to the next opportunity for services - not much between George and Lind, especially in the middle of the night. But wait, it isn't open 24 hours. It closed at 10. Oops. Fortunately we really didn't need much. There was a Porta-Potty at the side. So I popped a caffeine pill instead of a Mountain Dew. I lent Lyn my arm warmers - I had planned on putting them on later if I got cold, but Lyn was cold now. Lyn had hoped there would be a fireplace to warm up by ... I gave her a pair of toe warmers as the next best thing. And then we were off.

Over the next couple of hours we saw two cars.

We woke up lots of dogs ... probably a few of their humans too ... at farm houses as we rode along. Fortunately they were either locked up or too tired to come out and chase us. They simply barked at us, either to tell us they were jealous of our freedom or to tell us we were nuts. I only had to yell back at a couple of dogs the whole ride.

One of the busiest stretches of road on the ride was along WA-172 into Warden at about 5:45 AM. Warden isn't a big place. Population is about 2500. While they weren't all up when we rode through there sure were lots of 'em out on the road. Maybe because of the smell - a mixture of rotting onions, potatoes, and manure. No need for smelling salts! I was glad to get past that little stretch.

On to the Lind-Warden Road. Miles of nothing. Gentle rolling hills. Not yet the Palouse. Very pleasant riding as we raced to meet the rising sun in the east. Dawn breaks. While it didn't "warm up" yet, at least it wasn't quite as cold. But Lyn runs out of gas about seven miles out of town. It was a long stretch between George and Lind (~ 70 miles) - so I gave her an Ensure Plus (350 calories) to help get her to Lind. There she could eat her sandwich and maybe get something else.

We arrived at Lind ... not quite half-way (180K of the 400K), but a major milestone and, significantly, the first chance to resupply. It was now 7:45 AM and it was good to get off the bike for a few minutes. Pickings were slim at Jim's Market - the only game in town - but they had Mountain Dew, so I was happy. We chatted with the guy there ... Jim? - he shook his head when we explained what we were doing. He also asked if we were carrying any weapons, which I thought was a bit odd. But I didn't want to know why he asked that, so we headed out.

I had taken off my warm, full-fingered gloves. I knew it would be warming up soon and wanted to be able to access my snacks - beef jerky and rice cakes - which I couldn't do with my big gloves on. It was a problem at first as I lost sensation in my fingers - making it difficult to know if I was grasping any of the finger food, but fortunately it soon warmed up and I was happily stuffing my face.

The stretch from just past Lind to where we turned north on WA-261 was one of my favorites ... I don't think we saw a single car until almost the end of the stretch ... and it was very pretty in a desolate kind of way. And we hit the half-way mark!

At Ritzville we stopped at a Starbucks - caffeine refill! - for some food, drink, and the opportunity to shed a layer. It was almost 11 AM and it was turning into a very nice day. Highs were going to be around 70, so while it was still cool, it wasn't going to be so for long. Better yet, there was actually a little bit of a tailwind for our long ride west.

We headed out, but by the time we got to the other side of town (and Ritzville is not a big place), we decided we were overdressed. It was getting nicer quickly! A quick stop remedied that, and we headed west on what is basically a 40 mile straight stretch of road. Straight if you don't consider all the ups and downs, that is. No really big hills, but lots and lots of gentle rolling ones. It turns out Bike Route Toaster ( a web route mapping site) didn't do a very good job of estimating the climbing ... my Garmin recorded 9,000 feet of climbing - 50 % more than the BRT estimate.

It was harvest time for potatoes. We saw trucks taking loads in from the fields ... and stray potatoes on the side of the road. With the wide open spaces and low traffic, the truck drivers gave us plenty of room. I did get the finger from one SUV driver as we approached Moses Lake ... apparently bent out of shape that he had to move a bit to the left to pass us, even though he didn't have to slow down or wait in any way. Oh well. I waved.

By 3:30 PM we made it to Ephrata ... the last stop before the end. I for one was pooped and glad to sit down for a few minutes. It only takes a few to rejuvenate. Some food ... another Ensure Plus and a Pizza Pocket. I'm sure the Mountain Dew helped too. Refilled the water bottles, while I wasn't on empty, Lyn had run out (Ritzville was a long ways back), and it was now in the upper 60's.

Less than 50 miles to go! And it is a net downhill from here.

Sunset was 6:15 PM. Could we make it past the construction on WA-28 before it got dark by perhaps 7 PM? I hoped so. There were a couple of places around Rock Island that were signed "Shoulder Closed" and that had construction barrels that forced you onto the main part of the road. Fortunately we arrived there while it was still light enough to see that we could safely go through the barrels and ride on the shoulder - preferable to being in the lane of traffic at this time of day. WA-28 was much busier at this time of day. Go figure!

We made it back to the hotel before 7:30 PM ... finishing in 19 hours and 54 minutes. This was Lyn's 2nd 400K ... and she beat her previous 400K time by over 3 hours! Olive Garden was across the street from the hotel ... it was one of the reasons we wanted to get back at a decent hour, as it closed at 10 PM. After showering and changing, dinner sure hit the spot!

Seattle to Crater Lake 100K Pre*2 Ride`

2010-07-21T16:52:00.000-07:00

This is an awesome ride. Not an epic bust your gut to get it done ride, but a visual stunner, with lots of pleasant roads and simply fantastic scenery. Don't get me wrong, no 1,000 K ride is easy, especially not with 30,000 feet of climbing, but it isn't a killer. Of course any ride can be with the wrong weather, but we had almost perfect weather.

Vincent & I rode this as a preliminary pre-ride for SIR's fall 1,000K at the end of September. We'll pre-ride it again the week before to identify any last minute road issues and to test out the route changes we're going to make ... not a lot, but there were a few.

The top three things that I'd be sure and do again on the ride were:

1. Start as early as possible each day (we started at 10 PM, 3 AM, & 3 AM). We ended each day in daylight, felt rested, and were in the right places during daylight hours. We also had about 3 hours per day more daylight than there will be during the brevet.
2. Have breakfast in Depoe Bay at Joyce's Sunrise Cafe. It was nice to have a solid breakfast ... and with some 60K out of the way already. They open at 5 AM.
3. Take time for pictures. There are so many wonderful sights on this ride ... and as it is not a killer ride, there is enough time to stop occasionally and snap a picture or two - within reason of course.

The top three things I'd do differently:

1. Avoid US-97 into Klamath Falls (boring, busy, & construction issues) ... we're rerouting to go on the west side of the lake instead.
2. Cut out the last two US-101 by-passes at the south end of Lincoln City ... too confusing (I got off course twice), too many turns, too many steep hills, and too slow. Since we'll be riding through here in the early morning, traffic on US-101 isn't an issue, so we're going to reroute back onto US-101 here.
3. Skip the Crater Lake Rim Village Cafe - take the extra time to eat at the Crater Lake Lodge. There was a 30 minute wait, so we skipped the Lodge and went to the Rim Village Cafe instead. As time really wasn't an issue, this was a mistake. How often do you get here? Enjoy it!
4, Okay, so I can't count ... but I'd carry more water leaving Reedsport on day 2 and Dry Creek on day 3. I had two large water bottles.

So how did the ride go?

DAY 1 - BREMERTON to PACIFIC CITY

Start time: 10:10 PM on Thursday, July 15th
End time: 5:10 PM on Friday, July 16th
Elapsed Time: 19:00
Distance: 401K
Climbing: 9,500 feet

The ride from Bremerton was uneventful ... roads were pretty quiet. Fortunately we didn't have that much of a problem staying awake during the first part. There wasn't anyplace open to stop along the way until the Chevron station in Montesano, but we kept going anyway. Our first stop was Raymond. Unfortunately only the gas stations were open we arrived shortly after 5 AM. The McDonalds didn't open until 6 AM. We were a bit tired, so it was tempting to stick around, but RFM (Relentless Forward Momentum) was the plan.

We found a Cafe open in Nasalle, some 70K later, and stopped for breakfast. It was a needed stop - and yet it was the first opportunity we had ... nothing else was along the way. Not even closed options. From here we made it to the Columbia River and the bridge at Astoria. It wasn't as bad as I had feared ... there was a whole 2 feet worth of shoulder! Still, it was worth making sure the tires were in good shape before starting across - it is a long bridge and I wouldn't want to get a flat on it.

In Astoria we took Business 101 from a big traffic circle in order to connect to a nice back route to Seaside. We stopped in Seaside, as it was a control (changing that, as it isn't really needed), and had some soup. Then off on US-101 again to Cannon Beach. Lots of tourists in Cannon Beach on a sunny July Friday ... who would of guessed that? After a stretch on 101 with some climbing and then wonderful views from Oswald Park down to the South, we went inland for another 101 by-pass - this time on Miami-Foley Road - but first with a stop for ice cream and fluids at the Mohler store.

North of Tillamook we got back on US-101, then stopped at Safeway in Tillamook. Got a 6 pack of Ensure Plus so stopping tomorrow isn't as pressing. We arrived in Pacific City early enough that there were several dinner choices - we ate at Fat Freddy's - nothing to write home about, but it was fine. Shake was good. The Shell station/convenience store closes at 10 PM - besides the Pub right next to it (which was packed) everything else is likely closed by then.

DAY 2 - PACIFIC CITY to ROSEBURG

Start time: 3:00 AM on Saturday, July 17th
End time: 8:20 PM on Saturday, July 17th
Elapsed Time: 18:20
Distance: 330K
Climbing: ~10,000 feet

We rolled out of Pacific City right about 3 AM and headed south on 101. Very peaceful at that time of the morning. We found the turn off to Slab Creek, our next 101 by-pass, and started the slow, gentle climb up the quiet road. We actually found a spot with a street light for an information control - since most riders will be going through here in the dark, that will make it easier to both find and then record the answer. After hitting the summit at around 700 feet, we head back down to rejoin 101 briefly before another by-pass around US-101, this time missing the bulk of Lincoln City by going along the east side of Devils Lake. The end of this bypass is the start of another one, this time along the west side of 101 through a residential area - it was very hilly, with lots of turns and climbs. Picturesque enough - in a different way, but I was anxious to make progress, so we're going to cut out this by-pass.

We made it to Depoe Bay shortly after 6 AM and had a nice breakfast at Joyce's Sunset Cafe (right 1/2 block at the traffic light). It hit the spot. The next 140K to Reedsport were a nice blend of quiet by-passes, gorgeous ocean views, lakes, rivers, and Oregon forests. And a few rollers along the way ... and then a few more. Not a lot of places for food & water, but enough as long as you plan ahead. We got separated in this stretch - Vincent stopped & waited for me at the Florence Safeway, but I had kept on going. Fortunately with the aid of technology - cell phones - we reconnected at Reedsport. While we topped off with water here, two bottles wasn't enough for me on the next stretch. Although it was only in the mid-60's in Reedsport, it was in the low 80's inland. Not unbearably hot by any means, but hot enough to drive up my water consumption.

The stretch between Reedsport and Roseburg was fantastic, especially Camp Creek and Tyee Access Roads. This is 30 miles in the back woods, though the mountains, on a quiet, narrow road. Absolutely no services along the way. We saw only 3-4 cars along the way. It was wonderful. A good place to "buddy up", as you are definitely on your own in this stretch. This also includes the steepest stretch on the whole ride - a 10-12 % climb up to about 2,100 feet. The decent, at the start of Tyee Access Road, is on a rough section of road, so you definitely want to do this during daylight if at all possible ... and watch your speed.

Out of water, I found a water pump at a roadside county park along the Tyee Road (now noted on the route sheet).

We made it to Roseburg a bit after 8 PM. Dinner was at Denny's - unfortunately they don't serve beer.

DAY 3 - ROSEBURG to KLAMATH FALLS

Start time: 3:05 AM on Sunday, July 18th
End time: 6:45 PM on Sunday, July 18th
Distance: 270K
Climbing: 9,500 feet

The first stretch out of Roseburg was slow, averaging maybe 15-16K. Not due to road conditions - road was fine. No traffic, wide shoulders, relatively flat. Just hard to get started. Advil hadn't kicked in I guess. After 30-45 minutes we got into gear and picked up the pace a bit, perhaps 20-22K. We arrived at Dry Creek - some 75K later, about 7:10 AM. There hadn't been much climbing yet ... we'd gone from about 500 to 1,500 feet. Another 6,100 feet to the top!

From Dry Creek the grade increased ... although not dramatically. While it had taken close to 80K to climb 1,000 feet, the next 1,000 feet took only about 20K ... and then the next 1,000 feet less than half of that distance. The river and forest views were a nice distraction from the climbing ... although I did obsess on what the upcoming grades might be like. They weren't too bad though. It did get warm before Diamond Lake, and running out of water became a concern. There was water at Diamond Lake Resort - about 1/2 mile off the route to the right, but I didn't want any bonus miles and was hoping there would be some along the way (there wasn't). I did make the water last long enough, but having some more would have been nice.

We turned off of OR-138 to head up into the Park. There was a line of cars. Thinking there might have been an accident, I rode off to the side, passing the cars & motorcycles. I then realized this was just the line to get into the park - it costs $5 - and we were cutting the line. Oops. Well, at least we'd made it to 6,000 feet - only another 1,600 to go. The road through the park, while in good condition, did not have shoulders, so required a bit more attention to traffic.

The climb from here was more intense ... but probably because I knew we were nearing the top and I was anxious to get there. The views along the way were worth the periodic stops - I'm sure I was stopping for the view, not to rest :). The only disappointment at the top - the lake was fantastic - was that it wasn't the top ... there was more climbing to go around the lake to get to Crater Lake Lodge. Granted it wasn't a whole lot, but I had been hoping ...

Rim Village and the Lodge area were packed with people. I had wanted to eat at the Lodge, but with a 30 minute wait, we decided to go back to the Rim Village Cafe. In retrospect that was a mistake. For us daylight wasn't an issue and we had lots of time, so a relaxed lunch and more time soaking up the views would have been the better move.

While arriving at Crater Lake felt sort of like "we'd made it" - we still had over 100K to go! Granted there was a lot of downhill, but ... Anyway, the descent from the rim wasn't particularly fast - the roads were fine, but except for a bit at the top, it felt like we could go faster. And the descent was too short ... while we had climbed up over 7,000 feet (500 to 7,600), we only descended 3,600 feet (7,600 to 4,000). The stretch to Fort Klamath was nice - both the descent and then the high plains portion. From here to the end I could have done without - the expansion bumps on the road were annoying and then US-97 was busy and undergoing construction - so a questionable shoulder. We're going to reroute around the other side of the lake instead - a bit longer, but at least it will add a 1,000 feet of climbing! :)

We finished the ride in 68 hours and change - Vincent was 25 minutes ahead of me - I was in no hurry to get done and was enjoying the ride.

POST RIDE - THE TRAIN !

We rode the train back to Seattle (Vincent got off in Tacoma). All in all it was a restful experience - I hadn't done it before and would definitely do it again. There is one train a day from Klamath Falls to Seattle - it left at 8:25 AM and arrived in Seattle at 8:45 PM ... a little over 12 hours. The station opens at 7:30 AM - you need to get there early in order to get a bike box, partially disassemble it (remove pedals, turn handlebars), put your bike in the box, label it, and then turn it in (cost $15 for the box + $5 shipping). They keep about 15 boxes on hand - we'll give them a count when registration closes 2 weeks prior to the ride so they can have a few more boxes if need be. The ticket to Seattle cost just under $80.

Seats are roomy & comfortable. There is food on the train - a snack bar (the basics ... including beer) and then a dining car (I didn't try that out). It is worth bringing some of your own snacks & beverages if you have the time and arm space to do so.

The seats are assigned by a conductor outside the train cars - so if you want a window seat, ask for it. I lucked out and got a window seat - but there is an observation car that you can go to if you didn't get a window and want to stare out.

Most of the cars have electric outlets if you want to charge your phone or mp3 player - if you brought it and a cord that is.

All in all a wonderful ride ... both to and from Klamath Falls!

Here's the link to the complete set of pictures ...

Seattle to Crater Lake

SIR Spring 600K - 4 Mountain Passes

2010-06-06T21:17:00.000-07:00

3:40 AM. even before the alarms go off, I'm up and dressed, ready to go. It's a short drive to Issaquah and the 5:00 AM start of the 600K. I'm there in plenty of time, which is great, as it gives me lots of time to chat. People are surprised I'm riding ... didn't you do the pre-ride is a question I got several times. Vincent & I plan to ride together, which is nice as we haven't done that much recently. He says he'll be my shadow ... which presumably means he won't race off into the sunset (at least too often).

Then it's time - we're off. The first 30 miles .. out to Monroe ... go quickly as I'm riding in a group of a dozen or so riders and we socialize along the quiet roads. I chat with Mark Roehrig about the Cascade 1200 route - it is looking like we'll be using the 2008 route, as there is too much snow on the Carson route. It is nice to hear that Joe Platzner will join us on some of the mid-week rides this summer and that he's thinking about the September Crater Lake 1000K, which should be a great ride.

Vincent & I drop back as the rest take off on Ben Howard Road. We tend to start a bit slower, then build our pace. By Skykomish - mile 65 - the first control, we've caught back up and even passed many of them. We zip in and out of the control and we're soon gaining elevation ... we turn onto the Old Cascade Highway for the first secret control of the day ... Bob Brudvick and Mark Thomas are there telling jokes and signing cards. Vincent tells Bob & Mark he's planning on convincing me to ride through the night - what? I ignore it. Anyway, we're off.

All too soon the real climbing starts... it is a slow but steady grind up to the top of Stevens Pass at 4,000 feet. We catch up with Joe Llona on the way up - chat for a bit about the Spring 400K that he hosted while we climb, then go on by. My shadow soon disappears up and over the crest ... not to be seen again until several miles on the other side when he stops to take a phone call ... he's on call this weekend.

The weather is great .... sunny and warm as we pull into Leavenworth. Vincent is distracted by an almost topless woman in a big SUV at a stop sign - hits a pothole hard, but fortunately no damage done. We pull into the control ...the Subway ...and Charlie White, Mark Roehrig, and a couple of others are there slathering on the sunscreen. First time this year I've needed to do that! They soon head out, while we restock and take a few minutes to eat a snack.

On to climb # 2 ... Blewitt pass. It starts out very gradual and doesn't actually ever get all that steep .. but just keeps climbing. Twenty one miles from the turn at 1,100 feet to the summit at 4,100 feet. Amy Pieper is riding her bike down, turns and, rides a ways up with us - she and Robin are running the control at the summit. She is planning on riding over Old Blewitt. She says good-bye as she stops to fill up her water bottle, but a few minutes later zips past us. Vincent can't let that happen, so he picks up the pace - we catch up and ride with her. Fortunately for me she turns off to go up Old Blewitt in a mile or two - although she turns onto King - maybe it connects to Old Blewitt somewhere? We press on. I manage to keep Vincent in sight the whole way up ... he's only a couple hundred yards ahead of me. We make it to the top, where Robin is signing cards and dispensing goodies. A cold coke hits the spot.

We don't stay long ... leave before some of the riders who were there when we arrived. It is a nice descent for the next 14 miles, then 500 feet of climbing as we head up a ridge towards Ellensburg. Dinner! We stop for some real food ... or at least quasi real food. We stop in KFC for Chicken, mashed potatoes, baked beans, and a biscuit. A nice refresh. I take a couple of legs and biscuits to eat on the road. Something to augment the Ensure Plus I have every 50K. It is almost 6:00 PM now. With luck we'll make it to the "secret" control at US-12 before dark and to the overnight by midnight.

I start thinking about riding through the night. While today's weather has been great - sunny & mild - not too hot, the forecast is for that to change during the night ... rain starting. Riding through if it is still nice might let us get some of the climbing/descents out of the way before the rain hits. But sleep would be nice too! And 5-6 hours worth - wow that would be cool.

Yakima River Canyon is very pleasant - and a practically flat alternative to the climbs that I-84 takes between Ellensberg & Naches. Only 1,200 feet of climbing compared to 2,400 feet. Not much traffic - we enjoy the quiet as the shadows lengthen. Two years ago, riding this stretch with Dave Harper we had to put on our night gear at the end of the canyon ... I figure I'm an hour or so ahead of that pace. I'm grateful for that as we ride along US-12 between Selah and Naches. This stretch is almost criminal. Foot long rumble strips right smack in the middle of a shoulder that usually ranges between 18 inches and 3-4 feet. It does not meet DOT standards! I hug the left few inches of the shoulder and am grateful it is still daylight so I can see any road debris in advance. Fortunately it is a relatively short stretch - about five miles.

The skies are still clear overhead, but looking ahead towards the mountains clouds are creeping in to the picture. We should make it to the overnight without much impact ... but the forecast for rain tonight seems probable.

Brad Tilden & crew are at the secret control at US-12 & WA-410 ... with chairs, sandwiches, & cokes. They've got quite the setup - generator, lights, stove. We sit & eat for a few minutes - recharge the legs - then rig for night riding and hit the road. Only 1,600 feet of climbing till the overnight, saving the last 1,500 feet to the summit for when we restart. It is a very gradual climb - painless if we hadn't already ridden 270 miles !

As we near Rimrock Lake, my light startles a big deer at the side of the road ... it dashes away - and I get a rush of adrenaline ... it had startled me too! That speeds me up and we soon arrive at the overnight - about 11:30 PM.

Jeff Tilden and Peg Winczewski welcome us - feed us bowls of hot chicken & rice soup. Yumm! We decide we'll stay an hour or so - eat, clean up (get rid of the salt crusted on my face), change, reload the bikes - and then head off. Fully expecting rain, I put on rain pants & winter riding gloves - I don't like being cold & wet! Two years ago the White Pass descent was frigid - sometimes I learn from my mistakes :) Kole, who had arrived at 10:00 PM gets up to join us. Before we leave Charlie White arrives ... looking very glad to be here. All too soon it is time to depart.

I have to remind myself - why am I riding on? Oh yes, Vincent is on call and needs to get to Enumclaw so he's within cell range in case he's called. But now that Kole is going to ride perhaps I can sleep? No, I put the thought out of my mind and start the climb. And it turns into a real climb now. Not super steep by any means, but while the 1600 feet of climbing from the base to the overnight had been over 25 miles, the remaining 1500 feet were done in only 8 miles. Three times steeper! Kole & Vincent being much faster & stronger riders, they soon are way ahead of me - with only their flashing red lights proof to me that they are still there. Kole eventually takes pity on me and waits for me to climb the last bit to the top. A few raindrops hit. A hint of things to come ... but they don't last.

We quickly descend to the next control at US-12 & WA-410. Ian & Corey are asleep in the van ... we wake them up to sign our cards. I suppose we could have just answered the info control question instead - but we thought they were just in the van staying warm. Oh well.

Three mountain passes down ... Cayuse Pass, the last one, and the highest at 4,675 feet, is left. It is a slow sixteen miles to the top. With maybe five miles to go I have to stop and rest ... even just a few seconds of not cranking away feels so good. It is getting colder now ... old snow at the side of the road...and the occasional raindrop is making an appearance. As tired as I am, I am still enjoying the sights & sounds as it begins to get light - the birds waking up and the many different sounds of water making its way down through the woods & off the rocks at the side of the road. In places it is so loud I'm fearful as I go past.

But I finally make it to the top ... Kole and Vincent are waiting for me ... Vincent taking a ditch nap in the road as it starts to rain. We get bundled up for the ride down. The road is wet now, and with the solid rain it is getting wetter. As it is not yet daylight - perhaps pre-dawn light - I ride down at a "cautious fast" rate, slower than Kole & Vincent. I catch up to them at the turn to Crystal Mountain. They've stopped to put on more rain gear - I put on my rain shell.

Food is on our mind as we ride down towards the control at Greenwater. We suspect we'll be there before anything opens though. Still, we can hope. We work on a backup plan - there is a cafe at the turn off WA-410 in Enumclaw. Maybe that will be open. If not, there is a Safeway in Enumclaw that we could go to ... just a few extra miles.

Greenwater ... just a handful of houses, a general store, a tavern, and a couple of shops ... is all closed as we go through at 6:15 AM. Enumclaw here we come! Only 17 more miles till food. The last couple of miles are especially painful ... the water running down my face is full of salt, which gets in one of my eyes and burns. I ride with one eye shut for part of the last stretch. But hurrah! The Cafe is open as we arrive at about 7:15 AM.

We turn the waiting area into a laundry room, with wet coats, hats, & gloves draped over chairs. We order hot drinks - Hot chocolate, tea, coffee. Warmth! Then order real food. It tastes great. And it is nice to sit ... not on the bike.

As we leave at about 8:00 AM, I tell Kole & Vincent to go ahead and not wait for me on the home stretch ... I'll try and stick with them for a while, but there is nothing left in these legs but pain. While I enjoy riding with them, they tend to ride faster than my normal pace. It definitely wears me down.

Three hundred twenty five miles down, only fifty miles to go. No major climbs to deal with ... just some rollers and then the "victory lap". With 20 miles to go, we pass within two short miles of the end ... but have to ride the twenty miles around Lake Sammamish. It is cruel. I half expect someone to be there taunting us as we go by.

Kole and Vincent have gone ahead now ... they are planning on eating some ice cream at the last control. In a few miles I get a flat. And I can't find the cause. As I go to pump up the replacement tube - the pump fails. Oh no. I'm not going to DNF this close to the end am I? I work with the pump and it is full of water. Fortunately I manage to clear it out and get it working again. But since I couldn't find the cause, am I going to get another flat right away? Fortunately not. Perhaps it is the time off the bike, but I feel refreshed and make good time the rest of the way.

At 12:35 PM I arrive at the end. Vincent & Kole are there ... they've been there for about half an hour. It is darn nice to be done! Brad's wife (sorry, my brain is mush) is serving up pasta, but my focus is on getting home and going to bed. Before I leave, Don Smith arrives with a report that it was raining at the overnight as the riders left in the early morning hours - they had cold & wet climbs & descents. Looks like we made the right decision to ride through the night!

Road Trip: Baker Lake 400K - The right Rx

2010-04-01T12:05:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we get in a rut. After close to 30 rides this year - 100's, 200's, and even a couple of 300's, they were beginning to be a bit repetitive. Enjoyable, yet predictable. It was time to shake it up a bit. On Sunday, as we were riding near Granite Falls, the topic of what to ride on Wednesday came up. I suggested a couple of the 200K Permanents that were nearby, and then ... how about a 400K ... The Baker Lake 400? Vinnie lit up. Kole was in. It was a go! Midnight Tuesday evening/ Wednesday morning was set as our start.

A check of the weather forecast - showers and chilly, but not downright cold and rainy - was confirmation that we were on. Moved the start time to 2:00 AM though - that way we'd get to Marblemount late enough that it would be above freezing (a forecast low of 31, but high close to 50).

A posting to the SIR list brought Dan Jensen into our cast of characters.

Starting time was soon upon us and we met at the Redmond QFC shortly before 2 AM. Scattered high clouds and an almost full moon ... looking good! Vinney is psyched - laughing before we even start riding. We head out and oops ... within a few miles, Kole gets a flat. He claims he never gets a flat, but that's two on the last two rides ...

The ride from Redmond to Arlington goes by quickly and, until we get near Arlington, is dry. Unfortunately the Arlington Haggen is no longer open 24 hours, so shortly after 5 AM we pull into the McDonalds/Chevron. The clerk claims to be "living the dream" when I ask how he's doing ... afraid of the answer I don't ask for clarification. The dude that was hanging out with him beating drumsticks on an eraser is enthralled with our bikes and barrages us with questions/commentary. Somehow the stop seems a bit long !

Darrington is not a scheduled stop, but we stop anyway. I think Kole impressed the locals, eating an ice cream bar in front of the store ... it is just above freezing at 7:30 AM. A young guy is hanging out at the tables inside the store. He asks where we are going ... I tell him Baker Lake. He has his mountain bike out front and wants to know - can he join us? What am I going to say? Sure. He offers me a beer from his 18-pack. When I decline, he decides against joining us. Oh darn!

We are soon on our way, enjoying the brisk morning. Fresh snow on the hillsides, perhaps a 1,000 feet or so above us, is gorgeous. Occasional low clouds, almost fog like, gives some stretches a misty feel along the Skagit.

We had planned to have a sit-down breakfast at Clark's Cabins (the control) outside Marblemount, but it turns out they are closed on Tuesday's and Wednesdays. Oops. Not wanting the 5 bonus miles that would result from going all the way into Marblemount, we opt for the info control backup and decide to stop at the Rockport Country Store to see if there are any options - with snacky stuff as a backup.

The clerk and a customer gives us some options in Concrete, where we are turning to head up to Baker Lake. We know about the choices a couple miles past the turn, but since we want to avoid bonus miles we are glad to hear there are some options ahead of us ... only 8 miles away! Eating a full meal and then heading up Burbee Hill (a mile plus of 10-15 % grade) isn't ideal, but we are hungry.

The State Park at Rockport has a sign .. closed Wednesday and Thursday. We aren't going to stop there, but is there a pattern forming?

When we get to Concrete, we ride through the main part of town - off the main highway - and find the restaurant. It is dark ... the open sign in the window is off. Dang it. We ride on, but before leaving town Vincent asks some folks at the side of the road. They say, no, no the restaurant is open. We go back and, sure enough, the front door is open and we go in. It is dark and quiet, and before we can sit down, a man comes out and says they're closed today. Oh well, at least we won't be climbing on a full stomach !

We start climbing and Kole/Vincent soon disappear around the bend. It is a slow grind, but Dan and I eventually make it to the top of the steep part. It is as steep as I remember, with grades of 10-15 %, but fortunately the chip seal is not as bumpy as it was before. And no loose gravel like in 2008.

It is a long stretch of quiet riding up to Baker Lake and the Baker Lake Resort. Dan and I arrive at the turn into the resort at noon - the fenced gate is shut & locked, with a violators will be towed sign ... and no Kole/Vincent. I look for tracks to see if perhaps they went in anyway, but with the gravel and vegetation, I couldn't see any. As Kole hadn't been there before ... and there being no sign announcing that this is were Baker Lake Resort was ... and Vincent not being known for catching all the route turns the first time, it appears likely that they simply missed the turn - which was not at all obvious - and kept going. We decide to go a little further to see if there was any sign of them, but quickly come to a "Pavement Ends" sign. Since there was no other way out, we figure we'll sit and wait back at the turn. They have to show up eventually, right? After 15-20 minutes we give up, work our way through the fence, and start in ... and of course Kole/Vincent then show up - they had gone in and had been waiting for us inside. Oh well.

We make it to Sedro Wooley about 3:00 PM ... and have some real food at the Subway. It is good. By about 3:30 we hit the road. Dan has a flat tire that delays us a bit. Granite Falls is the next control, which we reach about 6:45. Not quite as low a convenience store food, we stop at McDonalds for some more "real food" (term used loosely). A customer, seeing us in our bike clothes, asks if we "Motocross". When I say I don't he mumbles something about us not knowing what real biking was. Sensing that conversation isn't going to go anywhere worthwhile, we part.

Only 40 miles to go! And the weather is still holding. But as it will soon be dark and cooling down ... and there is a menacing cloud in the direction we are heading, I put my raincoat and reflective sash on, and turn the taillights on. As it is still warm enough, I pass on the balaclava and heavy gloves - opting to keep my fingerless ones on instead. I am soon to regret those choices.

As we head south from Granite Falls, dusk begins to settle in, but it is still quite pleasant ... other than the question of why are we riding towards that big dark cloud that is clearly going to mean rain? The setting sun and cloud reflections give the mountain off to the east a pretty orange glow ... and the clouds ahead of us have an odd orange blush to them. The sky above ... and to the southwest of us ... is clear. Would we be able to skirt the rain that is almost certainly ahead of us? Perhaps a re-route to avoid a thunderstorm is in order ... would that fly from a RUSA rules perspective? Safety and all that? Aah ... we'll be fine.

Turning onto Lk Roessinger Rd we start to get the occasional raindrop ... but we are heading a little east now, so maybe we'll be far enough east to miss the full rainstorm. Nope. As we near the south end of the Lake it starts pouring ... then buckets of wet snow ... think vanilla slurpee ... and within 100 yards the road is covered with almost an inch of slush. Where is the road anyway? My glasses fog up and with ice water running into my eyes I can barely see. My eyes are stinging, my hands and head are freezing. Do I stop to put my gloves and hat on? Is there shelter somewhere to wait this out? Is it safe enough to go on? We're on a bit of a hill, headed downhill, turning onto Woods Creek Rd. Forward. We know this is an isolated cloud ... we'll get past it. Somehow. Vincent is ahead of me, Dan and Kole behind me ... at least to start with. I'm trying to go slow enough to not slip, fast enough to get out of this quickly, while barely seeing ... and freezing. After a mile or two we are through ... dry pavement and practically clear skies again. Wow!

I catch up with Vincent ... no sign of Dan and Kole, but we figure we'll get to the control and wait for them in the warmth. It is a great ride - fast and downhill towards Monroe. Before we get there though, it starts to hail, then pour. Being closer to town now, there is oncoming traffic. With the water in my eyes and on my glasses, I have a hard time seeing anything due to the glare from the headlights. I can usually see Vincent's flashing taillight, so I aim for that and hope for the best. A few minutes later, shortly before 9:00 PM, we pull into the Monroe 7-11. I quickly dry off my face, glasses, and warm up. I also get out my warm gloves & hat for the remaining 20 miles! Kole & Vincent soon make it in ... and then the rain stops again.

Mostly clear skies and only a few raindrops the rest of the way. Kole and Vincent make a dash to the end, arriving at 10:30, while Dan and I slog it out, grinding slowly up Woodinville-Duvall Rd and finishing about 10:45. We celebrate a great ride with a round at the Irish Pub ... Thanks Vincent!

A bit of rando adventure - the right Rx to bring out the smiles! But Vincent's now talking of a 400K per month?

It always rains in Seattle

2010-02-20T19:56:00.000-08:00

so I must be somewhere else. That's Mt. Baker of in the distance over the Puget Sound ..taken from Fort Flagler on Marrowstone Island.

It is the 20th of February ... normally a grey, rainy, chilly time of year in Seattle. But it was sunny, warm (mid-50's), and absolutely gorgeous. Granted we were out riding one of the most picturesque permanents - #342 Bainbridge - Port Townsend - Bainbridge, but OMG. We could not have asked for or imagined a day as nice in February ... there were guys walking down the street in Port Townsend with their shirts off! Well, I guess we could have asked for the gals to be walking down the street with their shirts off! :)

We had lunch in Port Townsend at the Lighthouse Cafe ... well it was breakfast at lunchtime. An Italian Scramble hit the spot. The view was great.

Mark, Bob, Bill, & I made it back in time to catch the 5:30 ferry - Vincent & Kole presumably made the ferry before us (Vincent was "taking it easy today"?). Hopefully everyone else (Peter M, Mike R, Joe L, Art L, Lyn G. & Tom B.) made the next one.

Lyn had a couple flats in the early stages of the ride and was helped out by Tom Brett. When we ran into them on Marrowstone Island (they were headed to the control, we were coming from the control), it was pretty humorous to watch all the guys go to the aid of the "damsel in distress" (Lyn had no spare tubes by this point).

When is 251 < 206 ?

2009-11-01T20:19:00.000-08:00

Most mathematicians will tell you that 251 is MORE than 206. Normally they are correct. This weekend they would have been wrong.

Sunday's 251K Permanent (#188 Whidbey Mambo) took LESS time than Saturday's 206K Permanent (#52 Redmond-Carbon Glacier). 11 hours 14 minutes vs. 11 hours 40 minutes. It took less time to go an extra 45K.

A bit odd I guess, but not really when you look at why. No flats today ... I had two flats yesterday. We struggled with a headwind yesterday ... we enjoyed a tailwind today. We had a sit down meal yesterday ...we missed out on one today because we were too darn fast ... arrived at the Mambo Italiano Cafe in Bellingham 45 minutes BEFORE it opened ... so we decided to bag it and had a convenience store "snack meal". Vincent's light malfunctioned today so we pressed it to get back before it got dark ... riding the last hilly 25 miles at around 17 mph. A wet, rainy day yesterday ... a gorgeous, sunny day today.

Two very different rides ... but both very enjoyable!

Road Closed Ahead ... They don't mean us - do they?

2009-10-25T10:01:00.001-07:00

Vincent Muoneke, Kole Kantner, Steve Davis, & I rode the inaugural (as a Permanent) ride of the Olympia - Vader - Olympia Permanent (#545). I had hoped we'd get some of the Olympia area randos to join us, but the late notice and distance (a 300K) kept that from happening. It was a ride of surprises ... pleasant and otherwise.

The first surprise was that the weatherman was right ... it was a pretty nice day. No rain and there were even stretches of blue sky and sun. It was chilly at the start ... it got down to 37 and at the end, but Kole and Steve weren't too cold in their shorts the rest of the time.

No surprise was the gorgeous ride through the Capital Forest on D-Line road. A relatively short albeit somewhat painful climb up to 900 feet, then a long gentle descent along a picturesque creek. This is one of my favorite sections in the state. Today did not disappoint!

A brief ... well, not so brief ... stop at Porter Creek, and then hours of meanderings through the backwoods of southwestern Washington. Relatively flat, with periodic hills thrown in to keep us honest. An unscheduled stop in Adna to refuel, then a long stop in Vader for real food.

Vincent had two breakfasts; the rest of us had Mountain Mash .... it was real good, but then we were real hungry and almost anything would have tasted good.

On leaving we noticed my rear tire was low ... I decided to just pump it up and see if it would hold (I'd topped it off the night before) ...to my surprise it held just fine the rest of the way (I need to change it today ... it's almost flat now). We pumped it up just past a "Road Closed Ahead" sign. We had detoured around this closure (without seeing it) last month on our ride up to Johnston Ridge, but I knew that it had been passable, as James Gutholm had gone through it a few days later. So we figured we'd be able to work our way through.

Wrong. At least not easily. However, rather than a 6-7 mile detour, we passed our bikes from one ledge to another (top part of picture ar right) to get them down into the gap, then carried our bikes up the ladder on the other side (bottom part of picture at right). As soon as we were done, the ladder was pulled ... if we had been five minutes later there would not have been a way to get through here.

There was so much mud/sand/grit in our cleats and on the bikes that the clips were useless. Fortunately there was a hose at Winlock where we washed off. I don't think we saved any time compared to the detour.

It was just getting dark as we arrived in Chehalis for the last real control (two more info controls), so we finished prepping for night riding. Then set out again.

We had to adjust the information control question at the next stop ... couldn't find a sign for the gun club in the dark ... and then another road closure sign. Three miles ahed the road was closed. Was a bridge out ... a slide take away the road? No clue, but we went for it anyway. It would mean a 15 mile detour instead of a twelve mile detour if we couldn't get through, but why not? We were able to get through ... it was just a repaving project ... but they had sealed off the ends pretty well. We managed to find our way through / around the barricades and were off and running again.

At Bucoda we had a pleasant surprise as we ran into Ian Shopland. He had been biking back roads with John Pearch. We rode with him a little ways, then parted as our route back was much less direct than his.

The last major stretch of the ride was on the Chehalis - Western Trail. Normally a nice ride, I have no plans to ride it again this time of year. In many places it was covered in several inches of big leaves ... unsettling to ride through, especially in the dark. Where is the trail anyway? And is that a log under those leaves?

We finally made it back at 11:02 - just over 16 hours ... With almost three hours off the bike, it wasn't our most efficient ride :) 8,100 feet of climbing (per Training Center; 8,377 feet per Garmin Connect.

TOUGHEST WASHINGTON STATE CLIMBS

2009-10-12T11:50:00.000-07:00

Okay, just one man's view here, and I recognize that I haven't ridden all the possible climbs in the state - particularly those in northeastern Washington ... and nothing off-road, but anyway here's a quick look at a bunch of the major paved road climbs in the state. This is a simple view ... ranks the climbs based on their elevation gain and on the average grade of the climb - a 50-50 weighting.

So the toughest five climbs ... without taking weather into account or the maximum grade or whatever ... are:

1. Hurricane Ridge 5,200 feet / 5.3 % grade
2. Washington Pass from Newhalem 6,500 feet / 3.9 % grade
3. Johnston Ridge Observatory from Toutle 5,600 feet / 3.4 % grade
4. Mt Baker from Glacier 4,500 feet / 3.6 % grade
5. Loup Loup Pass from Malott 3,400 feet / 3.8 % grade

Here's the link to the spreadsheet with the data.

There is measurement system error in this - I used Bike Route Toaster for the elevation info and I adjusted the grade calculation for a couple of the rides that had significant descents embedded in the climb to reflect the climbing over an estimate of the distance net of the distance spent descending.

HURRICANE RIDGE

2009-10-12T08:02:00.000-07:00

Vincent and Charlie catch a breather in Port Gamble on the way back from Hurricane Ridge.

Lynn Gill, Kole Kantner, Charlie White, Vincent Muoneke, and I set out on the 6:10 AM ferry from Seattle to Bainbridge to climb up to Hurricane Ridge (5,200 feet) ... and return 286K / 170 miles. It was cold ... just above freezing when we set out and when we got to Hurricane Ridge. It was a nice day anyway ... and we were only a little concerned about the possibility of running into ice (we didn't).

We said hi to Dan Jensen at the ferry dock before we left ... he and Alan Bell were riding the Hood Canal Loop 2.0 from Bremerton. They beat us to Bainbridge at the end ... the ferry worker had heard we were coming from Dan/Alan.

As we were about to get off the ferry at Bainbidge, a bakery truck driver gave us a loaf of fresh bread for our ride. A nice treat that we enjoyed at several stops along the way.

With almost 13,000 feet of climbing, this was a tiring ride. The 5,000 feet from Port Angeles to Hurricane Ridge is a long, grueling climb ... but fortunately very manageable. Basically a consistent 5-8 %, with nothing over 10%. The rollers on WA-104 and US-101 added another 8,000 feet.

After a brief rest at the visitor center, we bundled up for the ride down.

Lynn struggled with her lights, but managed to make it without running into anything too big.

The biggest challenge we had was Vincent broke a spoke with about 17 miles to go ... huddled at the side of WA-104 in the cold and dark on the narrow shoulder, mostly staying out of the ditch and blackberries, Kole and Charlie performed surgery, removing Vince's rear brake so he could pedal. A couple of miles down the road, at the Port Gamble Road turn there was room to spread out a bit ... and a street light. We tried putting on a fiber spoke replacement, but couldn't remove the broken spoke ... a non-standard set-up. So the decision was made to ride gingerly the rest of the way, crossing our fingers that it would hold. It did!

We had time before the 10:30 ferry, so we stopped at a convenience store and Vince & I each bought a can of Fosters for the ferry ride back. Sort of becoming a tradition, as we've done that several times now. Very refreshing!

Mt St Helens Permanent - It was a blast !

2009-09-24T10:15:00.000-07:00

Seven of us (Left to right - Steve Davis, Vincent Muoneke, Jeff Loomis, Lynn Gil, Mark Thomas, and Dan Jensen) headed out for a ride on the first full day of fall. The forecast was for a great day and we weren't disappointed. The ride started in Winlock, so even though we left home early, we didn't start riding until 8:00AM. It was cold to start ... frostbite anyone? I'm glad we didn't start riding earlier. But it soon warmed up.

I'm not going to name names, but someone got lost before we left Winlock ... we hadn't gone even a quarter of a mile and we had all left together! Granted he was following the route sheet and the Garmin course, but Vincent somehow missed the e-mail describing the detour and then must have been looking down when we turned. Fortunately we backtracked & found him before many bonus miles were generated.

Mark had discovered before the ride that the Winlock-Vader Road was closed. Not only did this mean we were able to come up with a detour up front, it meant we got to skip a potential coffee stop in Vader. We made up for it by catching the Castle Rock Bakery for coffee & pastries. Bucking the trend, I went for the soup option.

On our way up, we were crossing a bridge when we noticed a backpack and rope on the side of the road. Curious, we stopped and peered over the edge. It was a loong way down, but the strange part was there were two guys climbing up! And we thought we were odd! Hopefully noone tossed their stuff in their car and drove off with it.

Not for me thank you!

We made it to the top around 3:00 PM ... and were tired & hungry.

But the view was worth it!
We eventually recovered enough to get back on our bikes for a great descent back ... interrupted by a 1,300 foot climb up from Coldwater Lake. We made it back shortly before 8:00 PM. There had been 9,000 feet of climbing ... more than I had expected.

2009 Cascade 1200

2009-09-04T19:12:00.001-07:00

We just finished the Cascade 1200. Sort of. The regular Cascade 1200 Brevet wasn't offered in 2009, but the 2005 Cascade 1200 course is available as a Permanent, so Vincent Muoneke, Kole Kantner, Ralph Nussbaum, and myself decided we'd give it a go. The regular Cascade 1200 Brevet run by the Seattle International Randonneurs (SIR) is known for its support and the potential for extreme heat in eastern Washington makes an unsupported ride - unwise to say the least. We were fortunate enough to arrange for support from two of the "significant others" - Carol Nussbaum and Trudy Frantz. I can't imagine finishing the ride without their support.

Day 1

The first day was going to be a long one, so we decided to head out at 5:00 AM, same as the regular C1200, and so stayed overnight in Monroe to get as much sleep beforehand as possible. It was a good decision.

The first stretch, from Monroe to Issaquah, passed quickly. Then a turn for the worse. Rain. We hadn't expected that. The forecast had been pretty good, although chance of showers had creeped in. These weren't showers. We had pretty solid rain for the next three hours. At least we had rain gear and it wasn't cold, so we did okay. It was nice when it lifted and we were able to dry out. We had lunch at the Eatonville Subway. From there we rode to Morton, then Randle before starting one of my favorite parts of the ride, down between Mt Adams and Mt St Helens. A bit of climbing, then dinner at a secret control at Iron Creek Campground. Then our first major climbs ... up and over Elk Pass to Northwood. We set a pattern here that we would repeat over many of the climbs ... Ralph was the last one up, but the first one down. A Kamikazi on the way down! We had some great views of Mt St Helens as the sun was setting. It was dark by the time we reached the Northwoods control and the store was closed, but Carol was there so we were able to get supplies from her. Then the last climb of the day over Old Man Pass. We arrived at the Carson Hot Springs Inn about 12:40 AM ... Carol had hot soup for us, which hit the spot. It had been a long day, with over 12,000 feet of climbing and 224 miles of distance.

Day 2

A few hours of sleep and we were up at 4:30, hitting the road at 5:30. It was a compromise start ... some of us wanted to start earlier, getting more of the ride done while it was cool, while others treasured sleep more. Today was another long day, although a little less distance and climbing - 10,000 feet and 212 miles. However, now that we were in eastern Washington heat would be a factor. We were fortunate that it would only get to the low 90's, but that was hot enough. It slowed us down ... at least Vincent & I. Ralph claimed the heat didn't bother him and Kole, well he's simply amazing ... makes everything look easy. Kole hit 700,000 feet of climbing for the year, well on his way towards a goal of 1,000,000 feet.

This was a painfully slow day. It took us almost six and a half hours to go from Carson to Goldendale, only 62 miles. We stopped for breakfast, stopped for the bathroom, and just rode relatively slowly. Sometimes it is like that. At least it was a pretty section, first along the Columbia River and then mostly up the Klickitat River valley. Ralph had said he wanted to stop at Klickitat, so when we got there Vincent & I stopped and went into the store ... but Ralph and Kole zipped on by. Oh well, we figured we'd catch them on the climb out of the valley that was a few miles ahead ... and we did. Unfortunately Vincent left his wallet in the park by the store ... or at least that is what we guessed happened later on.

When we arrived at Goldendale (a control), we met Carol for lunch and to stock up on water for the long barren stretch to Sunnyside ... 71 miles with heat and more climbing. Vincent and I also took the opportunity to charge our Garmins. From Goldendale we gradually gain 600 feet, then rapidly lose 1,000 before a painful climb of 600, then back to a gradual climb up to 3,200 feet (another 1,600 feet or so) near Bickleton. Having cleared the concept with Edward Robinson at RUSA prior to the ride, we had a couple of water/ice stops on the way to Bickleton ... which was a very good thing as I was running out of water.

We made it to Sunnyside about 7:30 and ate at a Subway. Only 85 miles to go! We rigged for night riding and headed out and up ... a 1,000 foot gentle climb. We eventually make it up and over, then on the way to Mattawa we turn left in front of the Hanford gate. Vincent misses the turn and heads for the security gate. With visions of flashing sirens, warning shots, and overzealous security guards we yell at him to turn ... fortunately he realizes his error and turns. Without any id (due to losing his wallet), it could have been a difficult discussion.

We arrive at Mattawa, having made plans for nice cool ice cream sandwiches ... but the 24 hour Shell Station is no longer 24 hour ... everything in town is closed as it is now after midnight. Kole finds an outside faucet and he & Vincent refill their water bottles. No sense dilly-dallying, we've still got forty miles to go!

As we ride along the Columbia, I look back and across the river. It is a clear sky, with an almost full moon, with a clear reflection shimmering on the river. Gorgeous.
Then our last climb of the day up Beverly Burke Road. At the top Vincent & I wait ... Vinent sees a red light high in the sky, moving erratically. I tell him he's nuts, then see it myself. Don't know what it could have been. We finally make it in to Quincy around 4:40 ... 23 hours after we started. Ouch.

Day 3

We had originally planned to leave Quincy at 7:00 AM and had been having discussions that it would be good to leave earlier ... but that was before we arrived at 4:40 AM. So we got our hour of sleep and left at 7:00 as originally planned. Didn't have much of a breakfast in Quincy, as we planned on a full breakfast in Ephrata. We stuffed ourselves there ... I had a "Cowpoke" at the same Cafe we'd eaten at after the spring 400K pre-ride. It was good except for the climb up out of town. The Spring 400K ride through Moses Coulee (but not the pre-ride) had been marred by a 4 mile stretch of torn up road. That was back in April or May and shouldn't be an issue now, Sep 1st right? Wrong. As we start on the now gravel section we pull up to the flagger and his stop sign. Ralph comments on the need for sunscreen ... the flagger says something to the effect that there's no need for sunscreen, he's a smoker, so that'll kill him first...I guess that's one way to look at it. Fortunately only half of the section is still unpaved and we are soon at Farmer, another secret control, for lunch.

Our pace picks up as we make our way to McNeil Pass and then zip down McNeil Canyon Road. It is a wonderful descent, dropping 2,400 feet in about six miles on a nice road (redone last year). A nice view of Lake Chelan across the river thrown in. As we get towards the bottom it is like walking into a blast furnace, with waves of very hot air. The next stretch along the Columbia River on US-97 is very hot. Fortunately the control at Pateros is at a store/restaurant that is air conditioned. That isn't good enough for Vincent, who walks into the river to cool off. After we cool down, fuel up, and stock up on water, we head towards Loup Loup Pass along old-97. Here we run into the worst road conditions of the trip ... the road is torn up for 5-6 K. Ralph & Kole's headsets come loose from all the vibrations.

A brief stop at Malott to restock on water and we start the grind up. The good news is we've been slow enough during the day that it is no longer unbearably hot. I make it up and start down the other side. The ride down was wonderful. The moon was out, almost full, and the skies were almost totally clear. The moonlight reflecting off the small clouds, the stars, and the mountain tops were stunning. It was one of those stretches that we ride for, where the challenges of the day fade away and it is all worthwhile. The one catch is I had been having occasional mild chest pains. In the middle of the mountains, in the middle of the night, what is one to do? I figure it isn't that significant and, even if it was, there wasn't anything I could do about it. So I continue on.

All too quickly I'm at the bottom, where Trudy is waiting for us with water; the others arrive an hour later, at about 11:15, shortly after Trudy went to look for them. I caught myself snoring while waiting, so I must have gotten a brief cat nap in. We're almost there. We continue on and arrive at the overnight at the Mazama Country Inn at about 1:15 AM. Pasta and other goodies hit the spot.

Day 4

We leave at 6:00 AM ... with about 15 minutes in the bank. Three hours of sleep felt wonderful. The legs were sore to start the day, but not nearly as sore as my bottom. Fortunately the Ibuprofen soon kicked in. Near the top is fresh chip seal ... lovely. Fortunately it only lasts for a kilometer or so. We make it to the top of Washington Pass and then Rainy Pass a bit after 9:00 AM. There is a work crew with four truck loads of gravel about to lay down chip seal ... I'm glad we made it here before they started laying that down! While it isn't all downhill from here, it feels like we've got the ride in the bag. We're a bit ahead of ourselves here, as we've got about 130 miles to go.

The views along the way and at the top are well worth the climb.

The next forty miles are mostly downhill, so we make pretty good time to the Diablo Overlook and then Marblemount, where we have lunch at Clark's Cabins. We form a pace line (which I dislike) for the stretch into Marblemount, as there is a bit of a headwind, and then continue it for much of the rest of the ride. Ralph has a flat after Darrington ... which Kole quickly changes. We're soon at Arlington, then we pick up speed by Granite Falls. By this point I'm falling off the back, so when we stop at the gas station on SR-92, I tell the others I'm going to leave first, as they'll soon catch up. Less than 20 miles to go!

They catch up to me about six miles later and I'm quickly at the back of the pack again. We start the last significant climbing (a 400 foot climb) and there is talk of slowing the pace so I can keep up. So I attack! The Ensure I had at the gas station must have kicked in. I pass them all and soon no longer can see them. I make it to the final turn off Chain Lake Road and wait for them ....we all ride in together, completing the ride in 87 hours and 20 minutes.

Postscript

After changing we head off to dinner at a nearby restaurant for a celebratory steak, beer, and to complete the paperwork. It hit the spot.

Elevation Gain Recap (per Garmin 705 & Training Center)

Day 1 12,670
Day 2 10,405
Day 3 9,201
Day 4 7,440
Total 39,716

Ralph & Kole had similar measurements.

Wednesday and Thursday I was very sore ... going up and down stairs was especially painful. By end of day Thursday the soreness was less of a factor, so the chest pain issue came back to mind and I had it checked it out - my EKG was abnormal ! I guess I'll be following up on that.

GRANITE ANVIL 1200K

2009-08-22T21:35:00.000-07:00

Last fall I saw that the Granite Anvil 1200, a ride in Ontario, Canada, was going to be run this August. As this is in Dave Thompson's neck of the woods, I pointed it out to him to see if he'd be interested. We rode across the country together in 2007, then around Lake Superior in 2008, so it was natural that we'd find a ride together for 2009. While I had been randonneuring for a couple of years, it was a pretty new experience for Dave. He was up for it, so we signed up.

I flew in on Tuesday evening, Dave picked me up, and we headed out to Durham College in Oshawa (outside Toronto), which was where the ride start & finish were going to be. On Wednesday, I reassembled my bike and we went for a short ride, making sure everything was functional. Somehow I had managed to put it together correctly and it worked fine. We did get caught in a local shower and returned with everything soaking wet ... including the shoes. Hopefully they would dry out before the morning start. We had a quick lunch at Subway, then checked in for the bike ride ... everything was on track. The weather continued to be quite promising ... low 80's and no rain expected.

Day 1

The ride actually started Thursday morning at 5:00 AM. I went down to breakfast about 4:15 ... and was delighted to see Vincent. Vincent had arrived from Seattle Wednesday evening ... after a canceled flight and various trials & tribulations ... and had only been able to get about an hour's sleep. I was feeling pretty good with my 7 hours of sleep.

Thursday's ride was about 365K - from Oshawa to Victoria Harbor. It was a quite pleasant ride, with just under 8,000 feet of climbing for the day - no major climbs, just lots of ups & downs. The roads were generally nice with relatively little traffic. A few dirt stretches, but nothing too painful. I especially enjoyed the stretch by Lake Huron near the end of the day.

We arrived at Victoria Harbor about 10:15 PM or so. The accommodations were at a Community Center. The volunteers & Food were great. Sleeping arrangements not so much. Pads on the floor with blankets ... and they were out of pads. After dinner and a shower (with no hot water!), I arranged 4 chairs (padded) in a row along the wall as a bed and tried to sleep. No real luck there, and a fire alarm soon went off. It kept going for quite a while, but eventually was shut off. Apparently making toast in the oven wasn't very successful. I don't know if I slept at all, but at least I rested. I was up well before the 3:00 AM wake up.

Day 2

We left Victoria Harbor about 3:40 AM. The day was "only" 305K, so we (Dave, Vincent, & I) expected to have a fairly short day. The morning riding was quite enjoyable ... on quiet roads. We rode a bit with Carol Bell, seen above with a cute foal that was enjoying the morning. By the late afternoon the lack of sleep and relatively high temperatures caught up with Vincent ... he had a major bonk with perhaps 60K to go - and he was out of water. We found a shady grass knoll to rest on, then I filled his water bottle up at a nearby house. Vincent doused himself with water from a house to cool down ... and after a few minutes we were on our way again. We made it to the overnight shortly after 7:00 PM.

As the night's accommodations were at another community center, we opted to rent a motel room at the nearby Best Western. It was the right decision. Vincent crashed immediately; Dave & I weren't too far behind ... although we had dinner first. We slept well - much better than had we tried to sleep on the floor of the community center.

Day 3

I think we got up around 1:30 and hit the road shortly after 2:30 AM. It was going to be another long day - 330K or so. Today's ride was marred by three stretches of bad roads ... the first two were a total of close to 15K of dirt/gravel construction that was bone jarring, dusty, and quite unpleasant. There was one stretch with pilot cars ... which of course didn't wait for the bikes. When the cars started coming the other way ... they didn't yield and forced us off the slightly packed portion into the unpacked portion. A nearby construction worker said she'd throw a rock at 'em. I just yelled at the driver - who was chatting on his phone.

Dave & I reached the next to last control for the day (95K to go) a few minutes before Vincent & the two other riders we'd been riding with ... and they rode by, not seeing the signs. Fortunately a volunteer got in their car and tracked them down. At the pace we had been going so far during the day, we wouldn't finish until 1 - 2 AM. After a nice rest, a decent meal, and having recharged both ourselves & our Garmins', we headed off. We picked up the pace considerably. Having our Garmins paid off again. There were issues with the route sheet ... we came upon a group of five riders standing around at an intersection trying to decide if this was the turn or not. According to our Garmins it was, so we continued on. We made it to the overnight before midnight. Another great meal and we were in "bed" (pads on the floor & blankets) a bit before 1:00 am.

Day 4

We had decided to make it a short night to maximize our riding while it was cool ... and because we (or at least I) didn't expect to actually sleep. Truth be told, I slept like a log. We were awakened at 2:00 AM ... at least Vincent & I were ... I asked them a few minutes later if they had woken Dave up and they hadn't ... so Dave got an extra 15-20 minutes of sleep. We left at 3:00 AM, hoping for a short day ... only 197K to go!

While it wasn't foggy when we left, within a few kilometers it was thick as pea soup ... thicker. Once again I was very glad to have my Garmin. I followed the road by sticking close to the yellow dividing line and was able to tell we were at the turn Gomorrah Road because the yellow line stopped and the garmin said we were at the turn. We went to the side of the road to look for the turn ... but couldn't see it. After peering for a while into the soup, we saw the outline of a stop sign ... and so ventured forth. There was a road there ... a dirt road... but it was the right one. How others without a Garmin found it, I'll never know. The fog lifted around daylight.

We had lunch at Rice Like ... it was at an air conditioned bar. It was pretty hot out now, so it was nice to cool off and start the "home stretch" refreshed. While the first part of the day had been relatively flat, the last little bit and most of the rest of the way were quite hilly & definitely hot. I had been drinking my water fairly well, but I worked on stretching my water supply now and didn't drink as much as I should have ... even though I had three bottles for the last 35 miles or so. Vincent ran out of water, but stopped at a house and got a refill. Vincent & Dave zipped off with perhaps ten miles to go. I was hot and didn't want the pick up the pace, so we didn't finish together. But we finished shortly after 3:00 PM.

Postscript

There was a celebratory BBQ at 6:00 PM, with beer, burgers, & hot dogs. A little after 7:00 PM, they had some awards ... distributed the Can-Am medals (completing a US & a Canadian 1200K in the same year). In the middle of the awards, my gut started hurting, so I headed for our room (& the bathroom). I thought I was going to explode. For the next six hours I rotated between the bathroom, a hot shower, and my bed ...a little after 1:00 AM I bit the bullet and woke up Dave, asking him to take me to the hospital. The diagnosis - dehydration. Two liters of IV fluid, a laxative, an enema, a catnap on the ER toilet, and three and a half hours later we were on our way back to Durham College.

I was up by 9:00 AM and felt pretty good. It took me a couple of hours to disassemble & pack my bike, but was done with plenty of time before the van came to take me to the airport. My flight back from Toronto, via Atlanta, was uneventful other than by baggage getting lost. Fortunately it was delivered to me the next day.

Baker Lake 400K Pre-Ride- It's Still There!

2009-08-08T08:14:00.000-07:00

Vincent & I pre-rode the Baker Lake 400K yesterday, starting at midnight. Why midnight? Well, that way I could get a good night's sleep before hading out to the 300K later today (fortunately not to ride).

Having ridden the Baker Lake 400 last year I knew what to expect .. and wasn't disappointed.

The green colors of Baker Lake were still there, as was the lush foilage along the route. The eagles along the Skagit were still there. Clark's Cabin restaurant at Marblemount was still there ... we had a nice breakfast there. While we didn't see any bear this year, they are still there too.

Burbee Hill Road up from Concrete is still there. The first mile, with its 9 - 17 % grade, will still have you swearing at Mark. The second mile, with its 5 - 9 % grade will still have you muttering with only occasional outbursts as the grade briefly jumps into the mid teens. At least the loose gravel is gone, settled into mild chip seal.

Mt. Baker was still there ... although we had lots of cloud cover so we didn't actually see it ... this picture is from last year :)

The temporary bridge on the road to Baker Lake is still there ... as is the gap in the middle that, speaking from first hand experience, can grab your wheel and send you flying.

The Baker Lake "Resort" store is still there, with its picnic table ready for you to have a nice lunch at.

New this year ... at least for us ... was strong headwinds along SR-20 to Sedro Wooley and the north part of SR-9. That was pretty brutal. We needed to take some extra time to recover from that! Hopefully you'll have sunny skies and a nice tailwind instead.

Also still there was the climb up Woodinville -Duvall Road, with its narrow shoulders. What was new ... or perhaps I just forgot ... was the high grass (and occasional blackberry bush) bending over the shoulder, making it even narrower. Having a helmet flashing taillight was a big help here to make sure traffic can see you, especially in those portions that curve to the right.

Perhaps my favorite part that was still there is that final brutal climb up to Mark's house at the end ... somehow it didn't seem as bad this year :)

Bainbridge - Sequim - Bainbridge

2009-07-29T22:01:00.000-07:00

The hottest day in Seattle history! Not a good day for a ride? Well, perhaps not ideal, but if I'm going to be able to ride in the heat I need practice ... and what better day than a day like this. Not being totally foolish, a ride west towards the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the water is a much better choice than the ride we had originally planned, u Mt St Helens.

We took the first ferry in order to start as early as possible...6:05 am. The ride to the Hood Canal Bridge and Quilcene was pleasant, but nothing unusual. At Quilcene we turned west instead of our usual south run down 101. And then a turn off 101 up to Bon Jon Pass. While not a high pass at 3,000 feet, the climb is tiring, on dirt roads and usually at a 6-7 % grade. Fortunately it was still in the morning and only warm ... not unbearrably hot yet. As tiring as the climb was, it was more enjoyable than the descent ... I don't particularly like descending on dirt roads. Between the potholes and the gravel, it doesn't feel safe to go very fast and is disappointing to not zip down the hill. At least it was cooler and still faster than the climb.

We made it to Sequim and then rode along the waterfront ... it was a pleasant temperature. Back to Sequim and a late lunch at Arby's. Time to stock up with ice & water and head back. It was not going to be easy. With all the rollers there was more climbing than our ride up Mt St Helens a couple of weeks earlier ... and it was hot. Vincent recorded 109 degrees on the way back. We stopped a couple of times to fill up with ice & water ... made it bearable, but barely. Taking Electrolytes at regular intervals was critical to making it through the day.

We made it, and in pretty good condition. The beer on the ferry sure hit the spot!

TOUR DE WHIDBEY - BENDING STEEL

2009-07-26T09:15:00.000-07:00

I was pleased when my daughter Tanya said she wanted to ride the 200K brevet I was going to do in a couple of weeks. Surprised, but pleased. We had ridden the Oregon coast a few years earlier and while it had been a positive experience, there had been no further interest in riding. True, she had been riding her bike out to UW periodically, but that is a far cry from a 125 mile ride. Last week we rode a 100K Permanent as a warm-up ... and she did great on that. But this was twice the distance and much hillier.

I suspect one of the bigger hurdles was the idea of leaving the house before 5:30 AM ... Tanya is not a morning person. But we hit the road about 5:20, driving to the Mukilteo ferry. We caught the 6:30 ferry and made it to the start point for the 7:00 AM start.

Now I don't think of myself as a talkative person, but I was pretty amazed at all the advice I had dispensed over the previous week about seat position, eating, hydration, elctrolytes, chamois butter, and so forth. Hopefully it wasn't too much.

Being properly prepared is pretty important on randoneuring rides. After all, it is unsupported ln distance riding. I should have paid more attention to my own advice. Since we were riding together on the tandem, that meant I wasn't riding my regular setup ... and I didn't have my regular tools & spares. I had put in the basic tools and spare tubes ... and the thought of some of the other spares/tools had crossed my mind. I was going to get to those later, and later never came. Oops.

So we were some 30 miles into the ride, heading up a good sized hill, when SNAP! We came to an abrupt stop as the chain broke. We had bent, and broken, the steel as we tried to power up the hill in the wrong gear. Now I normally carry a chain tool and a spare master link to reconnect a broken chain ... but those were items that I had thought about and then forgotten. Since we were miles from anywhere, my heart sank. I imagined DNFing ... and on Tanya's first brevet. What a bummer!

But no. SIR randos to the rescue. We were riding with Dave Harper, Eric Vigoren, Jason Duhl, and Chuck. Out came the necessary tools and even a master link. Thank you, thank you, thank you. A few minutes and some greasy hands later, we were back on our way. In Coupeville, some ten miles later, I was able to get most (well some) of the grease off.

Riding on the Tandem together worked pretty well ... at least from my perspective (mechanical issues aside). The logistics worked very smoothly. Tanya was able to pull out the control card & read the information control questions ... and then write the answers ... while we were riding. It was nice to have an extra set of hands to take pictures, open breakfast bar wrappers & Ensure bottle, etc. I suppose I had a slightly better view ...

But if we do another ride on the Tandem I'll have to get the bike regeared ... the front shifter didn't work well ... there is too large a range between the small and large front chain ring. The derailleur has to be adjusted just right ... and my mechanical abilities aren't good enough. So we only used the small ring once or twice ... but could have used it many more times.

This was a hilly ride. Advertised at a "mere 6,200 feet", my Garmin ended up with about 8,500 feet of climbing. An average 200K may have 4-5,000 feet of climbing ... so this was a challenging ride from that perspective.

I tend to be in & out at controls, spending as little time as possible there. Before the control at Deception Pass I had run through what needed to be done at the control - get the brevet card signed, go to the bathroom, apply chamois butter if needed, refill water bottles, eat, and then rest as needed. It seemed to go pretty well ... and I don't think I was too pushy ... and we were out in about 20 minutes.

My approach seems to have rubbed off. At the last regular control, as I was reaching for my umpteenth handful of chips, Tanya said ... we should get going!

Tanya did say that the seat was rubbing her the wrong way ...

It was supposed to be a hot day ... hitting close to 80 on the island ... but I only felt "hot" a couple of times ... and even briefly (very briefly) felt chilled and thought about putting a jacket on during the afternoon. In other words the weather was pretty much ideal.

We ended the ride with a bang. Really. After reaching the final control at Clinton, we rode down to the ferry dock. As we stopped to get off the bike ... BANG ! The front tire blew out. Now a blowout is never good, but if you are going to have one, what better time than the end of the ride ? Certainly a much better time than when you're goin 35 mph down a hill. I guess I should have paid more attention to that little thump, thump, thump with each turn of the wheel.

We averaged 13 mph while on the bike and burned 8500 calories (or thereabouts).

Elbe - Bear Meadows - Elbe

2009-07-15T21:45:00.000-07:00

Vincent & I rode the inaugural ride of the Elbe – Bear Meadows – Elbe permanent on Wednesday, July 15th . It was going to be a hot day … perhaps the low 90’s, so we decided to ride it counterclockwise, getting the big climb up Mt.St. Helens done in the morning before it got too hot. It was a good choice.

We started in Elbe at 7:30 and quickly made it to Morton with the little climb up 7 as a good warm-up for what was ahead. A short stop at Randle to get a receipt, a snack, and top off with water. There were no sure water stops until we got back down.

The climb up NF-26 is one of my favorite climbs. We only saw one car and one pair of motorcycles on the way up. Much of the ride on 26 is on a narrow, basically one lane road, with plenty of shade …. at least in the morning. Towards the top, in the blast zone, it is much different. No shade. I’m always amazed by the desolation & destruction still evident. The road up was open to cars this year, the washout repaired and “tank traps” (to keep motorcycles out) removed. It was awfully hot as we neared the top …climbing it a few hours later would have been painful.

What took almost three hours to climb was over less than an hour as we descended back to Randle and then up to Packwood before the last climb up. We took our time in Packwood. A good lunch at the Sub shop at the Shell station, rehydrated, and loaded up the water bottles with ice & water. Then up Skate Creek. A pleasant climb, virtually all in the shade from Packwood at about 1,000 feet to the crest at 2,500 feet.

We finished about 6:10, after 8,300 feet of climbing

Three Highest Passes of the Cascades

2009-07-13T07:21:00.000-07:00

Not quite sure how the Permanent got this name, since Washington Pass at 5,477 feet is higher than the three passes on this ride - Chinook (5,430), White (4,500), and Cayuse (4,675). So, for truth in advertising purposes, consider this a notice that it is really "Three High Passes of the Cascades". Okay. Now the record is clear.

I've wanted to do this Permanent for quite a while. So when the weekend opened up and the weather looked good, choosing this was a no brainer. Then the weather started turning too nice ... as in too hot. A forecast of mid 80's on the west side and mid 90's on the east side had me waffling. Bunnyhawk suggested riding on Sunday instead ... a much cooler forecast. Tempting. Very tempting. But no. I don't do well in the heat and the only way I'm going to get over that is to do some riding in it.

So I do what I can to prepare for the heat. Make sure I will have enough water ... three bottles should do it .. with some Ensure as backup. Enough food to eat along the way. Light color clothes to reflect rather than absorb heat. Remove fenders and backup light since it isn't going to rain and I shouldn't be riding in the dark. Take the counter-clockwise approach to the route - we should get two of the three climbs out of the way before noon - while it is cooler. Start the ride as early in the day as possible.

Since the ride starts at Greenwater and the only service open at that time is Buzzy's Cafe ... which opens at 6:00 AM ... we will start at 6:30. There are eleven riders - Erik Anderson, Bill Gobie, Dave Harper, Josh Morse, Vincent Muoneke, Eamon Stanley, Ken Ward, Charlie White, Michael Wolfe, and myself. Most of us get there a bit before six. I'm fiddling with my bike on the deck when Buzzy opens the door and gruffly says "They can't leave their cars here all day." While folks move their cars I go in and ask to order ... it is only Buzzy and I can tell service is going to be slow. Fortunately I should be able to get my bacon, eggs, & hash browns in time to eat and leave by 6:30. The others drift in and order. At 6:20 or so I go up to the cash register and ask to pay ... a couple of others, who had just had coffee, join me. Buzzy appears overwhelmed. When I pull out my Visa, he swears. Cash register breaks down. It is apparent that asking for a receipt is not going to be practical. Buzzy realizes that something is burning in the kitchen and leaves. I sign the VISA receipt and head out. It is now about 6:30, so those of us who are ready take off.

Michael Wolfe zooms off, with Vincent following closely. Erik Anderson, Charlie White, Ken Ward, Dave Harper, and I ride together for a while, then Erik & Charlie move out ahead as the grade increases. Ken, Dave & I mostly rode together until shortly after the turn back onto 410. The ride down from Cayuse Pass on SR-123 was fantastic ... the rode was redone last year and we had 5 or 6 miles of an effortless 35 mph descent. That was fun. I was glad to have my jacket and leg warmers on though. At the turn onto SR-12 I take them off ... no need for them on the climb up and the next descent won't be that chilly.

We make it to the top of White Pass and then stop for a sandwich at Silver Beach resort ... site of the overnight on last year's spring 600K. Since it is now warm and it is about 50 miles to the next certain water stop at Clifdell, we load up on water & ice. There is a bit of a head wind as we continue down 12 towards Naches, so it seems to take forever to make it to the 410/12 intersection. I've gone through one of my bottles. I have two insulated bottles and one regular water bottle. The water in the remaining insulated bottle is cold ... the non-insulated water is warm ...the insulation does make a noticeable difference.

I get into a good rhythm and begin to move out ahead of Ken & Dave. About ten miles up from the turn there is a store on the left that is open. I go in and restock with water & ice. Thinking Ken & Dave must have passed by while I was inside, I go on, hoping to catch them at Clifdell. They aren't there of course ... apparently still behind me. Not knowing how far back they are, I press on. I love the climb up Chinook. This road is fairly quiet, in pretty good shape, and is so scenic. While hot, it has been manageable ... plenty of water and an Endurolyte every half hour seems to be keeping me in decent shape. Still, the last five miles are pretty brutal ... the grade is "only" 5-6 %, but in the heat and after 125 miles and some 9,000 feet of climbing so far every 0.1 mile just ticks by ever so slowly. I have to stop every 1 - 1.4 miles to catch my breath for a minute and drink. Fortunately there is a bit of cloud cover now so it isn't as hot as it could be. But I finally make it to the top. Even though there are 27 miles to go, I feel as though the ride is complete. The rest of the ride is almost all downhill ... I can practically coast in.

I make it in at 6:45 ... 12 hours and 15 minutes. Maybe I'm getting so where I can ride in the heat! One thing I learned about riding in the heat ... don't take yogurt covered cranberries. The yogurt melts and makes quite a mess.

Why do I do this?

2009-07-07T17:45:00.000-07:00

Somewhere on the Olympic Peninsula, after several hundred K of riding on our latest multi-day, multi-metric bike ride, Mark Thomas turned to me and asked ... "Why are we doing this?" I don't remember if this was before or after his bout of dry heaves that day, but there was certainly an element of "Are we nuts?" in the question. Of course, the answer is we are.

Putting that reality aside, as well as my daughter Jessica's oh so accurate observation that "but they're miserable dad!" after helping out on last falls' mountain 600K ride, I have come up with 10 reasons why I go on these long rides. These aren't prioritized in any way.

1. Adventure

Taking off with a couple of friends to ride my bike from Portland to Glacier, 1,000K, without any support or riding on my own through the mountains overnight on a 600K are adventures. Adventures are cool. How often do we get the chance to do something like that? And, just as important, how often do we grab that chance and run with it? (Note to wife ... I know, too often)

2. Camaraderie

Randos are a special breed ... each eccentric in their own way. Yet they are very similar and I enjoy being with them (Birds of a feather flock together?). This is true of the Northwest Randos (both SIR and OR) in general, but also of Mark Thomas and Vincent Muoneke in particular, with whom I've ridden at least a dozen multi-metric rides this year alone.

3. Scenery

Living in the beautiful Northwest, we have access to a wide variety of stunning countryside ... the Palouse, the North Cascades, the Olympic Rain forests, the Columbia Basin Desert, the Pacific Ocean, Lake Coeur d'Alene, and so much more. Riding my bike has given me the opportunity to enjoy those sights up close.

4. Reality

As in escape from ...

5. Sounds & Smells

Now there are some smells that I don't particularly relish ... not so fresh road kill and some farm smells come to mind, but the opportunity to fully experience the sense of smell is a definite plus. One example is the processing of onions in Paterson along the Columbia River ... it almost brought tears to my eyes!

It may be a bit silly, but some of the things I remember most from my rides are sounds:

- the variety of sounds that water can make from snow-melt going over the
North Cascades ... from a drip, drip, drip to a gurgle to a rushing torrent,
- the squealing of a baby elk as it tries to run to its mother,
- the scraping of a deer's hoof on a tree stump.

These are sounds you'd never hear driving by in a car. Grinding one's way up a mountain pass provides lots of opportunity to look & listen.

6. Wildlife

Over the past year I've seen fox, deer, bear, elk, moose, snakes, mice, turtles, salamanders, naked pedestrians, skunk, ferret, beaver, seals, heron, eagles, and probably a few other that don't come to mind at the moment. Sure beats the mall ...

7. Eccentric

Sure what we do is a bit weird and not for everyone. But it is nice to be different.

8. Accomplishment

Completing a long brevet gives one a sense of accomplishment ... having overcome real physical and mental challenges...something that not everyone can do. This is true for all of the long brevets, but especially the very long ones. There were probably only 150 riders who rode a 1,000K or longer ride last year ... and a small subset of that (a dozen?) who would have done two or more in a year.

9. Healthy activity

Fundamentally biking is a healthy activity. Okay, I'm ignoring the three or four 911 calls on our rides last year - several broken shoulders, dehydration, and such, but you can trip and break your neck going down the stairs at home.

10. Self-destructive behavior

As a Myers-Briggs INTJ Type, my personality type tends to overdo gratification of the senses ... binge and overindulge compulsively. No point in biking a little; it has to be a lot. Two 1,000K and two 600K rides in six weeks probably qualifies as excessive and overindulgent.

I'm sure I could come up with some more reasons ... like since I just burned 36,000 calories on the ride this weekend I'm not going to worry about having an extra slice or two of pizza ... and, hey, it is just plain fun (most of the time anyway).

SIR 1,000K Washington Coast Pre-ride

2009-07-06T07:04:00.000-07:00

Am I more tired now than after the Portland - Glacier 1,000K two weeks ago? Geez, I don't know. I'm tired, no doubt about it. If I look at the pictures of the three of us - Mark Thomas, Vincent Muoneke, and myself at the end of each ride, I'd say we're more tired now than at the end of that ride. At least we look more zombie like. A midnight start, a 440K day one, and then it being the 2nd 1,000K in two weeks (on top of 2 600K's shortly before that) probably give the nod to this ride.

So where did we go? We started out at the Bainbridge ferry terminal at about 11:30 PM on Thursday and headed west to Port Townsend, and then around the Olympic Peninsula, ending day one a bit before 11 PM in Aberdeen. We had a nice breakfast in Sequim and enjoyed the great views of Lake Crescent (left) from the very narrow, curvy shoulders of US-101. A not so pleasant climb up from the Lake in the heat and searing sun ... probably only mid 80's, but we're used to the cool, cloudy, rainy NW ... before a late lunch in Forks. The heat was especially hard on Mark ... he almost lost what little of the lunch that he did eat.

From there it was down the west side of the Peninsula ... we made it to Kalaloch ...and I nearly froze. It was cloudy and cool ... the ocean was probably there somewhere, we did hear it...and eventually saw a little of it. It was a long stretch from there to the day's end in Aberdeen ... with one more stop at Amanda Park near Lake Quinalt where it was hot again ... 85 or so. One of the high points of the day was a surprise when we got to the motel ... Trudy had left us some cold bears and Arby's sandwiches when she left the drop bags ... they hit the spot! After 440K and 23 hours of riding, we were wiped.

Day two was trouble ... a cumulative lack of sleep (3:45 AM wake-up) and horrible coffee at Denny's almost put Mark over the edge. Starting the day with almost losing your breakfast is not a good way to start. Fortunately Mark's stomach eventually settled down and we were able to pick up the pace shortly after Westport. However, that was when Vincent's bike started making more noise. It came and went, our diagnosis was a possible bottom bracket problem. Vincent was not a happy camper, as he had just taken the bike in to have that very issue looked at. When we reached Raymond, Vincent called his son to have him bring a replacement bike to the next control. of course this was the farthest distance from Seattle at Ocean Park on the Long Beach peninsula. But it all worked out ... the bike held out till then, his son made it there with the replacement bike, we had a much needed lunch, and we were back on the road. If our pace on the 2nd half of the day was similar to the first half, we wouldn't finish until 1:30 AM. Ugh.

We did pick up the pace though. The rollers that were so tough when we rode south were not so bad going north ... don't know why. We rolled into Aberdeen around 11. while Lacrosse had thrown us a parade two weeks earlier, Aberdeen welcomed us with fireworks ... it was distracting to say the least ... but spectacular and memorable. No Arby's for dinner tonight though. we had stopped and eaten in Raymond, 25 miles earlier, so we weren't famished. I did have an Ensure and a beer before bed. 770K of 1,015 K done. Great progress.

Day three was by far the shortest day, with "only" 245K to go. And we got to sleep in ... til 5:20 anyway. Don Jameson, the ride organizer had driven down to pcik up the drop bags, so we were able to take care of that detail before we left ... thanks Don!

Aside from starting on empty, the day would be relatively easy. It didn't feel that way though. Lots of rolling hills and that nasty, nasty chip seal took its toll. Here are Mark and Vincent at the top of Walker Pass (right).

We were back on familiar roads ... the ride from Aberdeen to McLeary was much of what we had ridden on the Fleche back in April and then the ride north from Shelton on US-101 to Quilcene along the Hood Canal was one we've ridden on permanents several times this year alone. From Quilcene to Port Hadlock on Center Road ... with chip seal, sun, and hills was one we were glad to get behind us... now only 37 miles to go! The ride across the Hood canal bridge was much more pleasant ... and safer, now that the east half of the bridge has been replaced ... but it is still a stressful experience. On the way to Poulsbo, up an 18 % grade my Garmin insults me by "auto-pausing" as I climb ... apparently so slowly (3.5 mph at one point) that it thought I was stopped and it should stop recording.

We make it to the end with time enough before the next ferry to stop at a convenience store for a beer and chips for the ride back to Seattle ... what a nice way to end.

1,000K Portland to Glacier Pre-ride - No Shoulder to Lean On

2009-06-23T08:40:00.000-07:00

An unsupported 1,000 K ride. What an awesome experience. A beautiful ride. Fantastic riding partners! Mark Thomas, Vincent Muoneke, and I pre-rode the Portland to Glacier 1,000K this past weekend. It was great.

The idea of an unsupported 1,000K on unfamiliar roads was intimidating. Yet it is the essence of Randonneuring - according to RUSA ..."Randonneuring is long-distance unsupported endurance cycling." While I love the great support we get at many of the NW Brevets, going back to basics sounded like a great challenge. And it was!

Mechanically we were fortunate ... nothing major along the way. I had a stubborn double flat just outside Stevenson on the morning of the first day ... and we had only gone a few hundred feet leaving the hotel when Mark had a minor issue, so I was a bit concerned with the pattern we were setting. But it turned out fine.

The first day started out a bit drizzly and cool, but soon cleared up and turned warm (80+). There is one stretch where we ride on I-84 ... and due to construction there is one portion that has no shoulder ... we had to ride in the travel lane. That was most unpleasant, but did increase our pace! The other stressful portion that morning was crossing the Bridge of the Gods ... a wet metal grate surface. We almost walked across, but once we had started it was too unsettling to stop.

After a nice breakfast in Lyle (albeit a bit slow ... ), a tail wind kicked in and we more than made up the time we lost due to my flats. We saw a couple of fully loaded bikers headed west ... they were definitely not enjoying the wind the way we were. We caught up with a couple from California on a tandem ... not quite sure how that happened since they were going 30+ much of the time we were with them ... and had a nice stop at Roosevelt. We stocked up on water before we left ... not many sources of that (or anything else) along the route.

At Plymouth, several hours later, we found water (& ice) at the RV park just after turning off SR-14 at the base of the day's one climb. While the climb wasn't particularly difficult, it was lengthy ... but made for a great descent down the other side into Kennewick. Dinner at Subway and stocking up on water again, as no services until the stop for the night in Connell ... 45 miles or so.

The last part of the day was slow ... a gradual climb, a bit of a head wind at times, and we were tired by now. At about mile 212, Mark sinks in to a freshly graded dirt/gravel shoulder ... same shade of dust as the road ... and grinds to a halt. I follow behind, turn a bit to avoid him, and keel over as I can't unclip fast enough. The only damage was to the nerves of the lady driving past us ... she pulls over to make sure we are okay. We are, so everyone continues on. At Connell there are no open restaurants when we arrive ... I finish off the rest of my Subway sandwich and Mark/Vincent polish off some Cups of Soup.

Breakfast was a Ensure, a Lunchable, a V-8, and a Mountain Dew. Not quite a hearty breakfast, but it was okay. Mark and Vincent didn't have much as their stomachs were unsettled, but by the time we got to Washtucna they were ready to eat. There wasn't much to choose from at the little store/cafe, but Mark was able to get his coffee ... that was a big plus.

At Lacrosse folks lined the street to see us go by ... well, that is what it felt like. We were there shortly before a parade was going to go down the main street. We waved. I love this part of the state. From here to the Idaho border is the Paluose. The rolling hills are gorgeous ... especially when they are green and we are going between them, not up them. There was a wonderful valley we rode through shortly before Colfax, where we had lunch at Arbys. We agreed that the roast beef sandwiches were great, but that the curly fries were not.

Tekoe was having a Classic Car show, so we walked our bikes through main street. The street was covered with broken eggs ... residue from the egg toss they had had a little while earlier.

A few miles outside town, right before US-95 in Idaho, was the steepest climb of the day ... fortunately not all that long, with the steep portion probably less than a mile. Maybe half way up we were attacked by three dogs. Being last in line I was closest to them and as they approached I was concerned ... it was a steep grade and I was not getting anywhere fast. I was NOT going to be able to outrun them. My next option, getting in front of Mark so they'd go for him instead didn't seem likely either, as he had a good lead on me (Vincent was practically out of sight). My concern soon dissipated, as the ferocious mutts were tiny little things. While they ran circles around me, they'd jump up and only get a few inches off the ground. It was soon all I could do to stay upright, as I was laughing so hard. I tried to sic them on Mark, but to no avail.

Once we reached US-95 it was mostly downhill to Plummer, the start of the Couer D'Alene bike trail. We ate at the grocery on the left, which had a deli section with some decent choices ... and stocked up on water again.

The trail was wonderful ... several miles of gradual downhill, then flat for miles and miles along the lake and a river valley. Once again we made up time. Eventually it joins up with I-90 and runs through a few small towns that may have had something open, but we smelled the barn and were focused on getting done with the day, so didn't stop. We reached Wallace, our overnight, about 10:30 and stopped at a gas station at the edge of town, scrounging some "food" ... I think I had orange juice, chips, and a lunchable.

Our mistake was not getting something for the morning, as there was nothing in town available when we left at 5:00 AM. So it was an Ensure and a few chips for breakfast. Two mountain passes between us and real food. I have another Ensure after the first pass. We are famished when we finally get to Thompson Falls ... and have a great breakfast at Minnie's Montana Cafe.

The next 75 miles or so (on 200 and 28) are not especially pleasant riding. While the scenery is wonderful, the riding is a bit unnerving at times. There is generally no shoulder. On 200, when there is a shoulder they have put a wide rumble strip in the middle of the shoulder! There is barely enough room to ride on the remaining portion of the shoulder ... and not enough room if there is any debris there. The drivers often do not slow down to pass, but simply (fortunately) move over a bit into the oncoming lane ... with no regard for any oncoming traffic. There were a few times where oncoming traffic was forced partly off the road! You definitely do NOT want to ride this portion at night.

We aimed to stop at Lone Pine Store for dinner & water (50 miles from breakfast), but it was "temporarily closed" when we got there ... and it was going to be another 40 miles before our next chance. bummer! We finally made it to Flathead Lake after a long false flat at the end of 28 ... maybe 600 feet of a gradual climb over 8-10 miles. Disheartening as you think you should be making more progress than you are. Probably partly the lack of food.

Flathead Lake is a mixed blessing. While there is now a nice shoulder, there is nothing flat about the riding ...lots of ups and downs. We finally make it to Lakeside shortly after 9:00 PM and are wiped. Dairy Queen revitalizes us though. We agree we are going to be going slowly from here ... only about 30 miles to go!

About 30 minutes from the end it starts raining hard ... and continues the rest of the way and through till morning. Not a problem though ... we are going to make it, so the rain actually feels good (well, sort of). It was a bit cool .. and actually snowed on the nearby peaks.

We made it!

The next morning we gingerly rode our bikes to the bike store ... they will ship them home. Then off to breakfast at the Buffalo Cafe (highly recommended), then coffee & a snack, then lunch, to the bookstore, and back to coffee & another snack. Food was high on our list! We had chosen to fly home, so it was soon time to head for the airport and the end of our adventure. Time to start planning our next one!

SIR 600K Preride - Or how I never met a Contol I didn't like

2009-06-08T16:32:00.000-07:00

Time management is usually an important element in managing one's ride. Not so on this ride. A relatively flat ride ... especially the first day (6,200 feet of climbing over 255 miles) allows one the opportunity to put a lot of time in the bank ... or not, if they choose to spend the time along the way. On this weekend's pre-ride, we were not miserly with our time. In a spree that would do my wife proud, we spent our time like Congress doles out stimulus money ...

My first clue that we would not be setting any personal bests for the course was when we made an unscheduled stop for coffee in Port Orchard. It wasn't just that we were stopping, but that the barista (and I use the term loosely) wrote down each order on a post-it note. Now that was actually a good thing, as when Mark went back up to her several minutes later, after everyone else had received their order and it was apparent that no more Americanos were forthcoming, there was actually some documentation that something was missing.

One of the other hallmarks of the ride was that the original course and the route we took did not always coincide. That is one of the aspects of a pre-ride that I like. If it isn't working, we work out a better plan. My Garmin doesn't like it and gets confused ... beeping madly that I am off-course when in fact I am on course and it is simply living in the past. As some 10,000 runners and their people are descending on parts of Tacoma next weekend - and planning on running where we were going to be biking - a change was in order ...hopefully avoiding the worst of the chaos. Get back to me on that.

Where we didn't alter our route ... but will for the real deal ... was in Gorst where SR-16 merges with SR-3. Crossing three lanes of 60 mph freeway was more excitement than we needed. More than one pair of shorts likely needed to be changed after that experience.

If you have ever ridden past the Union Country Store in Union without stopping, you've made a big mistake. I have made that mistake many times in the past, although the fact that it had always been closed is probably a valid mitigating factor. Since it was a long ways till our next control in Cosmopolis, it was lunchtime, and we had time to spend, we stopped.

Noel, Mark, and I rolled up a few minutes after everyone else - Noel had had a flat tire - Peter was lounging in a chair with one of his many cokes. We went inside and after a few minutes of indecision we began to narrow in on our choices. The clerk then announced that she was going to have some pre-made sandwiches ready in a few minutes. That sounded better than what we had come up with, so we custom ordered a few pre-made sandwiches. Very good. I saved part of mine for a later stop. Having not eaten enough on last week's Oregon 600 XTR, I was now working on the other extreme.
It was a relaxing stop, but at some point, we reluctantly decided to move on.

We left Union, then left the Hood Canal with a climb up towards Shelton. After 16 miles of pretty darn flat (if you don't count all the chip seal up and downs), a bit of a climb was a nice change of pace. Had I mentioned there was some climbing before the control at Waterman Point? No mountain passes or anything like that. I'm sure my Garmin was still confused from the earlier rerouting when it hit a 30 degree grade a couple of times on Orchard. But I digress.

It must be time for a stop. At Matlock we pulled in just as a few raindrops began to fall. Nothing major, but may as well go in and set a spell. Coke time for Peter. I finished off my sandwich. When we finally get back on the road and head for Brady, I come to the conclusion that it is much faster going Matlock to Brady than Brady to Matlock. A gentle downhill and perhaps a slight tailwind do make a difference. We managed to pass stores in Brady and Montesano without stopping.

At Cosmopolis Albert has a nice stop set up for us at the Chevron. He had us go into the store to sign our cards - to give them the practice. We sat for a few minutes - I ate a Lunchable, which I prefer to the greasy burritos, fried chicken, and similar choices at many of these types of mini marts. We worked out a reroute for Westport, cutting out a couple of miles that weren't needed and taking advantage of the Shell/Subway right on SR-105.

At Westport, Albert was there with his van and chairs all ready for us. Once again we ate, drank, and rested ... before we prepared for riding at night and headed out along another very flat stretch. From Brady to the overnight control ... about 200K, there is only a little over 2000 feet of climbing. It gets dark before we get to Raymond and Vincent discovers that his light isn't working - somehow it got water inside. Bummer. Fortunately we come up with a backup and he's able to continue ... after another unscheduled stop at the Raymond 24 hour Chevron. It is a blessing that there are no tables & chairs there, so we don't stay all that long. As the local high school graduated their seniors that day and the beer sales had been heavy, we were glad to get out of Dodge.

I hadn't ridden the Raymond to Centralia stretch before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I still haven't seen it, since it was pretty dark, but it was decent riding - generally good shoulders and only one big hill a bit before Pe Ell. Shortly after that it was our last control before the overnight. Albert had set up a stop in a wide spot along the road. Hot cup of noodles hit the spot. Along with some Doritos it recharged us for the last stretch of the night.

We made it to the overnight about 2:15. It would not have been hard to make it before midnight if we hadn't stopped so many times and for so long ... but then the ride isn't about getting there quickly or getting a good night's sleep.

Getting a good night's sleep was certainly not what I ended up with ... the folks in the room next door complained about us making some noise as we arrived. Yes, these were the ones with the TV going loudly all night long. Recommendation: bring ear plugs. I did get to sleep, but woke up at 4:15, then 5:30, and finally got up for good at 5:50. I did feel rested ... especially by comparison to last week's 600K with no sleep (an hour of rest). We hit the road at about 6:30.

Mark had called ahead to a local cafe ... they're open for breakfast, right? Yes, we are was the answer. It is so easy to miscommunicate. They open for breakfast at 8:00 AM. Well, McMinnimans is a few blocks away, we'll go there. A block from there ... Peter is actually on the doorstep of McMinnimans, when we pass a tavern that is open, with people standing outside. Vincent asks them about breakfast. They're serving! We go in to the back, by the pool table. As we pull some tables together, the bartender tells us they're a tavern ... and a grill, it may take a while. We were warned. Some warnings should be ignored. this one shouldn't have been.

She took our orders and eventually my meal came. I ate and paid for it before the others got theirs. There was one cook, one grill, and a one order at a time process. We didn't get out of there until almost 8:15. It was an experience. Drinking beer at that time of day ... well, I guess we all make our choices. While I was waiting I went out to fuss with my bike ... and was told it was a good thing it was early in the month. Apparently that meant the welfare checks had just arrived and so it was less likely that our bikes would disappear. I stayed out and watched them the rest of the time anyway.
Noel was the last of the riders to get their meal (Alberts was last, but time was not quite as pressing for him). I'm not sure if he felt any pressure from the eight other riders who were itching to go, but he wolfed down part of his meal, packed up the rest, and we finally hit the road.

This ride doesn't have all that much climbing, but the biggest portion of the climbing is in the 100K after Centralia. It doesn't start out gently, and on a full stomach ... well, a few riders didn't loose their breakfast, but did get to enjoy parts of it a second time. I was grateful that I had been served first and had the opportunity to digest it.

While on the first day we rode pretty much together all the way, with the steeper hills we spread apart pretty quickly. I caught up with Peter, Vincent, and Charlie in Morton and we went to the Thriftway ... they had a deli and we cleaned out their lasagna. While we had had a big breakfast, that was long gone. They found some additional chairs so we could sit down while we ate ... then it was time to hit the road.

Peter, Vincent, and Peter climbed faster than I did, so they were sitting in Elbe eating fries and drinking a coke. They were going to wait and regroup with the rest of the group. I was feeling tired and wanted to get the rollers out of the way, so headed off. I kept going all the way to the next control in Enumclaw. I figured that way I could get a nicer rest.

Albert was at the stop with his van and chairs ... I was glad to see him and plopped into a chair. I was ready to rest. After some water, Doritos, and Coke, I began to get coherent again. Albert was on his laptop, fussing with the course on MS Streets & Trips ... we managed to work out a reroute for the rest of the ride ... so we didn't have to go to Black Diamond and climb out of the Green River Gorge.

We made it to the end at 6:23 PM ... 36 hours and 23 minutes. Albert was there for us at the end, as he had been all throughout the ride. He had pizza and beer for us. Thank you Albert. My Garmin had gone nuts with the last reroute and failed to properly record the ride, so I don't know how much of that was riding time ... but there was at least nine hours off the bike.

Oregon 600K XTR - An Extra Special Ride

2009-06-01T11:15:00.000-07:00

Now that was a ride!

The Oregon XTR was everything it was promised to be and more. Stunning scenery, grueling climbs, debilitating heat, fantastic support, and great riding companions. Who could ask for anything more?

More heat would definitely not be on anyone's request list. Certainly not mine. I am not a strong rider in the heat, and my lack of experience in the heat cost me. I took too many Endurolytes in the beginning, then too few. The too many caused stomach problems, which threw off my eating, the too few caused cramping. But I get ahead of myself.

The ride started at 4:30 AM. It was pleasant ... 60 or so. No need for arm/leg warmers or a jacket. The first 23 miles were essentially flat going along the Columbia river before beginning a long, gradual climb up Scott Canyon Road from Rufus. Wheat and wind farms greet us. Snakes are testament to the need for vigilance on the road ... and off. I pass over a small snake, perhaps a rattler, as it slithers towards the side.

By the time we reached Condon at mile 74 it was hot. We had enjoyed a brief secret control with Eric Ahlvin on the way... a cold V-8 hit the spot. Condon was not a destination spot ... we stopped at a run-down gas station with a small convenience section. Broken pop machine dispensed no ice or cold water for us. We made do with the meager selection and filled up our water bottles before heading to our next control at Spray ... fifty miles away with no services in between.

The ride to Spray was a lot of up and down - sustained climbing with nice descents, ending with a pleasant ride along a river valley. We reached Spray a bit after two. Vincent had a burger ... I didn't really have anything much to eat - some potato chips. Not a smart move, but my stomach was bothering me and I didn't want to risk losing it all. While the next section of the ride was a gradual uphill from here, it went downhill rapidly for me.

The 23 mile climb up to Keyes Creek Summit (4,369 feet) nearly did me in. The heat, the climb, the cramping, and lack of food led to major bonking ... I could go only a few miles at a time before I had to stop and recover. Finally, after laying down on the dirt and rocks on the side of the road, I forced down an Ensure. That turned the tide ... the temperature cooled down as the sun began to set, the grade lessened, and I felt better. Strong even.

My riding partner, Vincent, was a godsend. He patiently encouraged me to rest, to take my Endurolytes, and then, once I was recovering, to not overdo it. That was a challenge, as the sun was setting ... I wanted to get to the crest by sundown so we would have the twilight for the descent into Mitchell. We had been warned about deer crossing the road, so having some twilight was essential if we were going to descend with speed. We made it ... and it was gorgeous. The descent was a blast ... an effortless 30-35 mph that made one almost ... almost forget the pain of the climbing up.

David Rowe was manning the control at Mitchell ... and had food and drink that topped off my recovery. I was back. It was very pleasant sitting with my fellow randos in the park, talking of rides - past, present, and future. Ian Shopland, Rick Blacker, Erik Anderson, Mike Johnson, and Alex Kohan were among those there.

But the end was not getting any closer as we sat, so with three hours in the bank, we rigged for night riding and hit the road in what was now darkness. One more climb up to Ochoco Pass (4,731 feet), and then a long descent before we reached the overnight control at Prineville. David Rowe and Eric Ahlvin had put on wool and windbreakers for a cold descent a week earlier. That was overkill now. While I put on my sleeveless shell and a hat, I was comfortable without anything on my legs or arms. Maybe a bit cool, but that felt oh so nice after the heat of the day.

John Kramer and David Read were at the overnight control, serving up great pasta, garlic bread, beverages, and cheer. They got set us up in a room, offering a wake-up service! Wanting to take advantage of the coolness of the night, we stayed only a couple of hours - ate, showered, changed, and laid down for 45 minutes or so. No sleep, but definitely refreshed. We left at about 3:15 AM. 233 miles down, 143 miles to go!

A short overnight stop was definitely the right choice ... if anything we should have cut it shorter. Although Vincent was having stomach issues, we made good time from Prineville to Warm Springs. It being mostly downhill probably helped, but we felt good about our progress anyway.

We made it to Warm Springs while it was still cool, missed out on the ice though, but finished the long, slow climb before it turned hot. While we ate and rested at the Three Warriors Market, Peter Beeson, Bob Brudvik, Ole Mikkelsen, and Greg Courtney joined us. While we left before they did, they soon caught up and passed us. We rejoined them briefly in Maupin for drinks and ice cream at Graves Market.

It was now heating up and the last climb of the ride was ahead of us. A pleasant ride down the Deschutes River valley, with river rafters and steelhead fishermen along the way came first, then a brief (several miles) brutal climb up a baking, shadeless canyon.

No, that was not the end of the climb. Just an interlude through the Tygh valley. Still unbearably hot, so I knock on a farmhouse door to get permission to sit on the grass under a large tree. A short stop, but helpful. I would have asked for water as well, but the resident didn't seem receptive. So we stopped a few miles down the road ... no answer at the door there, but a sprinkler was going - standing in it felt great. Vincent filled up a water bottle to douse himself with later. It would soon come in handy!

A mile or so later the last climb really started - from my Garmin profile screen I could tell we had 6 or 7 miles of solid climbing ahead of us ... and Vincent's temperature gauge read 104. Besides being unbearably hot, I now had a nose bleed. I made it a couple of miles before I had to stop ... there were occasional trees off the side of the road ... with a little shade available before the sharp drop off the side. After climbing over the guardrail and checking for snakes, I sat down for a minute or two. Not a huge rest, but enough to let me catch my breath and calm down a bit. I repeated this a few times, with the distance between stops getting shorter and shorter. I could still see Vincent off in the distance ... now I couldn't handle riding as I was feeling a bit unsteady. So I decided I'd just walk the rest of the way up the hill - only two, three miles tops. It would be progress. After a mile or so, Scott Peterson drove up and stopped ... gave me a refreshing drink of ice cold water and filled up my water bottle with the cold water. That rejuvenated me enough that I was able to ride and walk the rest of the way to the top.

At the summit were a bunch of gallon jugs of water ... hot water, but water nonetheless. I refilled my containers and set off. Only 28 miles to go ... almost all downhill. No services along the way ... one small town with limited services a mile or so off course, but I did not want any extra miles at this point. Having ridden up the last stretch a couple of years ago on my first 1000K ride, I knew that it was a pleasant downhill, with shady spots and a stream. I had visions of cooling off my water bottle in the stream to chill the water for a cool drink. It didn't work, but the idea pulled me towards the end.

At five minutes to five, after 36 hours and 25 minutes, I reached the end. Over 20,00 feet of climbing and 23,000 calories burned. I was wiped. I briefly recovered in John's room - a beer and a slice of pizza, washed the blood, sweat, and grime off my face, and listened to the post ride chat for a bit. Then it was off to our room for a shower and sleep. I slept for about three hours before Vincent woke me for the four hour drive back home. Vincent filled me in on the ride results - 25 of the 27 riders finished.

What a great time!

The XTR was a special ride. The icing on the cake was the little things that John had done - a cut-down cardboard route sheet, double sided, color, and with various icons - a nifty brevet card that included a google map route overview and elevation profile - a personalized biker statuette - and a ride business card, complete with elevation profile. John and team - thanks for a great ride and a great memory!

Spring 2009 400K Pre-ride Report

2009-05-10T18:17:00.000-07:00

Nine of us headed out of Ephrata yesterday morning on the 400K pre-ride. Seven of us finished within time, one DNF, and one finished outside of the time limit. It is a great course, with some wonderful new roads. First some lessons learned and then some ride highlights.

LESSONS LEARNED:

1. Even if the forecast is for nice weather, it still gets darn cold on the first descents and then late at night. The forecast was for a high of 71 ... and it probably hit it, but I darn near froze my fingers, toes, and ears off on the descent into Moses Coulee after the climb out of Ephrata to get started. Then it cooled off rapidly after dark.

2. If you abandon the ride or are going to be way outside the control times, call Mike or Shane - phone #'s are on the route sheet. Not calling means (1) volunteers wasting time waiting for you at controls, (2) folks worrying and possibly looking for you on the course while you may be snug in a motel bed.

3. While there is plenty of climbing - slightly over 12,000 feet of climbing - there are only two nasty climbs that are likely tough for tandems (i.e. 10+% grades). At the end of the Columbia River Road into Nespelum and leaving Coulee Dam. Maybe half-way down the Loup Loup descent there is a noticeable climb. If you build up some extra speed you can make it up a bit more of the climb - certainly not all of it - but it will make it a tad easier.

4. Food choices along the route are pretty slim - aside from normal convenience store fare. There is a restaurant in Pateros at the Chevron (along with normal convenience store stuff) that we had a decent sit down breakfast at. There was a cafe (Tims) advertising breakfast served all day in Carlton (shortly before the turn up to Loop Loop). The 24 hr Conoco in Omak choices were pretty limited and unappealing to me (burritos, corn dogs, & similar greasy fare) - other than the pre-made (maybe this month sometime) sandwiches. There was a Mexican restaurant along the way before that, but other choices would be off-route (north of town a ways). After Omak your choices (outside SIR controls) will be limited unless you a fairly fast (Nespelum had a grocery store that closes at 8:00 PM) and Coulee Dam had a Safeway that closes at 10.

5. It is possible to call home from the top of Loup Loup pass and wave to them via the DOT web cam.

6. For most riders (aside from the really fast/slow), there will most likely not be anything open in Ephrata to get food after the ride, so plan ahead. Wanda's Country Kitchen is a great place for breakfast in Ephrata after the ride. They open at 6:00 AM. It is a block and a half north from the start on the main drag.

7. Read the route sheet and look at the course on the map beforehand so you have a concept of where you are going. There aren't many turns of the route, but if you miss one, it can be many miles before you hit the next town/intersection and you could end up with a lot of bonus miles. It seems obvious, but remember to look at the route sheet on the course and if you have a GPS, remember to turn it on.

8. Moses Coulee is not Moses Lake. While there are lots of stores in Moses Lake, there are none in Moses Coulee. Do not plan on getting supplies in Moses Coulee.

RIDE HIGHLIGHTS:

We started right at 5:00 AM and were joking about how hard it would be to mess up the turns on the course since there were so few (ten in that version). Of course we then promptly messed up on the first turn, turning one block too soon since the route sheet said immediately turn instead of at 2nd light. Oops.

It seemed relatively warm when we started and we certainly warmed up quickly climbing out of Ephrata. We soon split into our riding pattern - Tom Martin out front, Bob, Mark, Tom Brett, Matt D, Mike, and myself, and then Narayan and Duane riding in the back. At the end of the climb, we descended into Moses Coulee, which was much, much colder. Relying on the forecast of a nice day and the presumption that we'd be warm from the starting climb, I hadn't put on a hat nor full-fingered gloves. Big mistake. I was very uncomfortable - fingers in the armpit has limited effectiveness.

Moses Coulee was great riding, practically no cars, and had great views ... a far cry from all the greenery in Western Washington rides. We saw a Coyote ... and it raced off when it saw Bob's Red Booties.

From Moses Coulee we climbed up to Farmer, then turned north for 14 miles of gentle climbing ... and field and fields. One can see for miles and miles and it is almost all the same. Only a few cars.

We made it to the top of McNeil Pass. Now for the descent! It was a great descent ... smooth road surface, no sharp turns. It was a blast. There was a dog then came out and challenged us ... it wasn't an issue for the first ones down ... be fast or be slow! At the bottom was our first opportunity for water - Beebe St Park. From there we road along the Columbia on 97 to Pateros - a lot of traffic, but great shoulders and no meaningful climbs. At Pateros we sat down for a meal ... this was going to be one of the few opportunities and after 75 miles we were ready. Shane and Chantel, who were providing ride support, showed up while we were eating and gave us an update.

Then it was time to start up the Methow Valley. There were two groups of dark clouds where we were headed - definitely raining. Would we be riding into it? Looked that way, but we managed to ride between the showers - only got a few drops and only a short stretch of wet pavement. We made it to Carlton - shortly before the turn up to Loop Loop. The store seemed reasonably well stocked and even had a few deli sandwiches. We regrouped there. They had a few bikes hanging around ... this one had a motor assist that might come in handy going up Loup Loup (is that legal?). It took 1 hr 10 min to 1 hr 25 min to climb up Loop Loop from the turn onto 20 to the top for those in our group - Matt dropped back and started riding separately at this point... then another fun descent. We couldn't open it up as much on this descent as the McNeils Canyon descent, but it was fun just the same. When we finally made it to Okanagan, it seemed to take forever to get to the control in Omak ...and it was not a high quality stop. Covered the basics - but not much more. Dark clouds were approaching as we left ...they were headed our direction ... would we outrun them?

We had 41 miles of riding before our next turn ... not only were we riding into some blue sky, but some gorgeous scenery and wonderful roads ... very little traffic. A couple of climbs, but well worth it. Mike and Shane have found a real gem.

Bob started a stampede ... those red booties. He made up for it shortly thereafter. We made it to Nespelum a few minutes after the store closed, but he sweet talked the clerk to let us in as she unlocked the door to let out a customer. I'm sure it was the red booties that were the clincher. It was getting dark as we left the store, so we prepped for night riding ... jackets & hats on.

Before long we were in Coulee Dam ... and a particularly
nasty climb out of town past the dam. But it was well worth it. At the edge of town Shane and Chantel had set up a control that was fantastic. Sandwiches, soup, beverages, & chairs. We stayed longer than we should have, but left feeling quite refreshed. Thank you Shane & Chantel !

One more stop ... at the Dry Falls Visitor Center ... to stock up on water and take advantage of heated bathrooms (open 24 hrs). Then only 24 miles to go ... we finished at 2:34 AM.

Tom Martin finished about 5 AM ... a wrong turn (GPS turned off) and something like 50 bonus miles meant he finished after us. Matt Dalton finished about 5:15 AM. Narayan DNF'd, running out of food at the end of the Columbia River Road. Duane finished at 9:30 AM, outside the 8:00 AM limit.

We have a winner! Big Arlington Mambo

2009-05-03T21:20:00.000-07:00

Vincent, Ward, & I rode the Big Arlington Mambo yesterday. The forecast was for showers, with rain at times, but we went for it anyway. And we lucked out. Not only weather wise, but the ride itself. We had a few light sprinkles around lunchtime ... the rain started as I loaded my bike onto the car at the end of the ride ... and then it poured ! Timed it just right.

This is going to be one of my favorite rides. It generally follows the best part of the Three Rivers Cruise permanent ... up to Darrington and then along the North Cascades Highway towards Sedro Wooley ... with the Bellingham - La Conner stretch of several other rides ... with wonderful Sound views along Chuckanut Drive and the flat farmlands of the Skagit valley. With lunch at the Mambo Italiano Cafe in Bellingham of course. It was a gorgeoous ride ... very enjoyable.

266K - 166 milss ,,, thus the "Big" ... but only 3,400 feet of climbing. Yet there are plenty of mountains nearby along the ride. Lots of water too, with the Stillaguamish, Squak, and Skagit Rivers (the "Three Rivers"), Lake Samish, and of course Puget Sound.

We rode relatively quickly ... we hit the 200K mark at 8:40 ... and that was with an hour lunch at the Mambo. We finished just after 6 PM ... at 11:34, having started at 6:30 AM. I had planned on testing my new light set-up ... but no chance for that.

NW Crank: Spring is here!

2009-05-03T16:40:00.000-07:00

Last week was NW Crank. Being a relative newbie rando ... this is year three of my randoing ...I had not participated in NW Crank before. But since I had the time available (i.e. unemployed) and wanting to get as much riding in as possible before I started working again (I was rehired at Bank of America effective April 28), this was my chance.

NW Crank is five days of riding in eastern Washington around Wenatchee each spring. Being in eastern Washington, the weather tends to be warmer & dryer than western Washington (aka the dark side). So the springtime riding is usually pretty nice. Granted we tend to be easy to please, but low 60's and partly sunny is a pleasant change from 40's, rain, and grey.

Rides are quite civilized ... most days starting at 9:00 AM. So on Thursday (day 1), I got up early and drove over, arriving shortly after 8:00 AM. It was snowing at Snoqualmie pass (3,100 feet). The day's rides were out towards Ephrata ... I joined the ride headed out 28 towards Quincy and then Palisades Road ... it was a very pleasant, flat ride. At about the 30 mile point Jon Muellner had set up a support stop, so we stopped and had a nice snack. From there the ride continued on dirt for several miles. As I almost lost control in some soft dirt, I decided to head back. While it made for a relatively short day, it was quite pleasant.

Friday's ride was on the Wenatchee side of the river, south on the Malaga Highway, with several climbs. Here is John Kramer on the top of the first climb, a little ways above the support stop manned by Ralph & Carol. The second climb headed up towards Mission Ridge ... but not quite. That was the third & final climb of the day. I passed on that one ... another 60 mile day was fine by me.

Saturday's riding was up towards Badger Mountain ... there were varying routes up there. The most adventuresome was up the Rock Island Grade ... 10-12 % on a dirt road. The last 2-3 miles on any of the routes was on dirt, so I decided to pass on the Rock Island Grade. I thought another 60 mile ride with mostly paved roads sounded better. Jeff Loomis, Kristi, Mitchel, and I headed upriver and took Browns Canyon Road up towards Waterville. It wasn't till we got there that we realized that it too was 10-12 % on dirt. Oops. Should have read the route sheet more closely. Oh well. It was a nice day and it was a nice climb. Once we eventually made it to the top of Badger Mountain we rested at the support stop, then had a great descent down to town ... I hit 50 mph! Almost worth a climb back up :)

Sunday's riding was up towards Chelan. As I didn't think my butt would sit for two days of 200K, I decided to take a rest day. Wow! Is that a nice change of pace. Sleep late. Watch a movie. Take an afternoon nap. Could be habit forming.

Monday Mark Thomas, Mike Norman, and I rode the Dry Falls Ramble, a 200K Permanent that goes up the Orondo Grade on US-2 to Waterville (a 2,000 foot climb at a nice 6-7 % grade), across to Dry Falls, then south to Soap Lake, Ephrata, Quincy, and back to East Wenatchee. With the headwinds going up the Columbia and then the climb up the Orondo Grade, we almost missed the first control. But not quite. We did have a great stop at the Coyote Pass Cafe. Highly recommended. We picked up the pace after that. Lots of wide open spaces to see. Very different scenery from western Washington. A nice ride to finish with.

Thanks to Michael Hale and all lthe folks who helped out!

Amy et Ami: Food, Friends, Fun, and Biking Too!

2009-04-19T14:20:00.000-07:00

This weekend was the SIR Fleche.

Fleche: A 24 hour team bike ride of at least 360K (223 miles) with no stops of more than 2 hours and where at least 25 K is ridden in the last 2 hours. It is held annually on or about Easter weekend.

That sounds interesting. I think I'd like to do that.

A few months ago Ward Beebe, Vincent Muoneke, and I were on a bike ride and Ward mentioned he'd like to do the Fleche this year. Vincent, who never passes up the chance to ride, jumped at the opening ..."Let's do it!" I chimed in ..."Count me in!" On a ferry ride to or from another Permanent, Mark Thomas mentions he's interested in doing the Fleche ...now we are at four riders ... and Mark says he knows a fifth ... and soon Amy Pieper is on the team.
Now where to go? We know we're going to end up at the Red Lion in Olympia, but where to start and go through? How far to go ... 360K is the minimum, we could go further. No, we'll go the minimum. Even if you ride further, you only get "credit" for going 360K. Still, 360K is a long ways to go. Ward wants to have dinner on the coast, I want to ride through the Capital Forest along D-line, site of last spring's 300K Brevet, and then Vincent has offered his cabin near Shelton as a stop. We soon have a start time and route mapped out and, after some tweaking to pass Ralph & Carol's review - we're set.

Or so I thought. Part of the route ... from around Elma to near Montesano went along the south bank of the Chehalis river. On the way to the Oregon 300K brevet last week (an awesome ride!), I decided to drive a section of the ride, as I hadn't ridden it before and one of the map sites showed it not going through. Darn good thing I checked. After three or four miles of gravel, the road heads away from the river and is closed off by a gate. At least we discovered it before the ride, not on the ride. Some more adjusting and we really do have a final ride.

No we don't says Mark. We use a short section of US-101 twice in the same direction. This is a "no-no" according to Mark. Mark finds a bike path that we can take through Cosmopolis instead, so now we are really, really set - promise! Here's the route:

Apparently we also need a team name. I polled the team for suggestions, then we voted. I'm not saying how anyone voted ... it was a secret ballot ... but it was unanimous for "Amy et Amis" ... okay, one vote was thrown out (Amy's) for hanging chad. Amy claims the vote was corrupt since no one admitted voting.

Our start was 3:00 PM on Friday from the Tumwater Chevron on Trosper Rd. This is about 4 miles from the finish, so we parked at the end and rode our bikes to the start ... a few bonus miles. Here Vincent, Mark, and Amy are getting ready. Ward was stuck in traffic and made it to the Chevron at about 3:15.

Here Mark, Ward, and Amy head up Bordeaux Road on our way into Capital Forest. Despite a bit of rain in the morning, the day was turning out pretty nice.

The toughest climb of the ride was up D-Line Road in the Capital Forest. Not a killer by any means, but noticeable. It starts around 250 feet and goes to about 825 feet with grades of up to 14%. Here Ward, Amy, Mark, and Vincent pose for a picture and catch their breath. It was nice to get the tough part out of the way early. Now for the downhill!

The downhill stretch is beautiful and goes for miles. They go by quickly.

Soon we are on US-12 on our way to Elma, then we endure a bunch of chip seal on the Monte-Elma Road. At mile 44 we are ready for a break and pull into the Montesano grocery store. Not a planned stop, but we're doing fine time-wise ... only a few minutes behind the rough timeline I had laid out. We're soon on our way again and make it through Cosmopolis. It is about to get dark, so we rig for night riding and then head for Westport.

Dinner time. The Half Moon Bay Cafe in Westport was our dinner stop. A far cry from normal rando meals at mini marts and other convenience type stores. No microwaved burritos here. Linen napkins and candles on the tables. Would they let us in? Not a problem. A real menu and good food! We have a great dinner ... lots of good food. I have prawn fettuccine and a bowl of chowder. Yum! Vincent asks our waitress, Lolly, to take our picture. So here we have Vincent, Ward, Mark, Lolly (back row), Geoff, and Amy.

The night is forecast to get cold ... mid 30's, so we put on more clothes and bundle up before we head out. As we get on our bikes and start out, Lolly runs out ... someone (Vincent) had left their brevet card inside. Oops! Thanks Lolly. It had been a great stop. We arrived a bit before I expected, but then we took longer ... about an hour and a half.

Fortunately the route out of Westport is flat (think pancake), so we start out very slow as we work on digesting dinner. Eventually we get back to a reasonable pace, but are able to enjoy a quiet ride (aside from the roar of the ocean) under the stars. Hardly any traffic ... it was great. Six or seven miles from Raymond we rode into pea soup ... it was foggy! Apparently we were still visible to the few cars on the road, as a policeman stopped by while we were stopped on the side of the road to tell us to be sure to not ride in the middle of the road as even though we could be seen, there wasn't much advance warning because of the fog.

We rolled into Raymond Chevron at about 1:30 AM ... still pretty much on our timeline. Since we were still pretty full ... well, at least not famished yet, we kept it a short stop. A bit of caffeine, signatures on the cards, and we hit the road.

The road from Raymond to Aberdeen may have been the toughest part of the ride. Hilly, foggy, and sleepy. It's hard to ride fast up the hills ... so we didn't. It's hard to ride fast down the hills when it is dark and foggy ... so we didn't. But we did make it to the Aberdeen Dennys a bit before 4:00 AM. It wasn't quite up to the standard that dinner set, but it was a pretty good breakfast. Then there was a little time to rest the eyes before we hit the road around 5:00 AM.

From there we headed to Montesano and then back on the Monte-Elma Road and that wonderful chip seal. A quick pit stop at the Brady Store and then we turned north to Matlock. Even though it was now daylight, it was the coldest part of the ride, as the fog was back. We warmed up at the Matlock store.

On our way from Matlock towards Shelton we ran into the Painted Fleche team ... stopped and compared notes. I went to take a picture and ended up with a bit of video ...

Then a great rest stop at Vincent's cabin on Lake Limerick. Vincent had all sorts of stuff to munch on and drink ... and we took the opportunity to rest for an hour. Shortly after 11:00 AM it was back to the bikes.

We didn't have far to go, maybe seven miles, to our next control ... the Shelton Denny's. It was a bust. We weren't really hungry and each ordered a little something, but didn't really like it or finish it. I had nachos, Vincent had apple pie a la mode, and Mark had a horrible concotion ... something like hush puppies ... pancake batter balls deep fried and then rolled in cinnamon sugar, with syrup, and wrapped in bacon. Never again!

Six miles to the twenty-two hour control. We make it there shortly before 1:00 PM. Ralph and Carol are there with goodies in their van (not that we needed anything to eat!). They signed our cards, took pictures, and then sent us off at 1:00 PM for the last 15 miles.

At 2:25 we pulled into the Red Lion. We made it! We had our cards signed, then had a drink in the bar. It was good to sit ... on something other than a bike seat. Vincent invited the Charly Miller Fleche team over to the cabin for a BBQ, so we headed back to the cabin to get ready. I had a new appreciation for rumble strips as I drove back ... it was only about a 25 minute drive, but after the first stretch I had a hard time staying awake and kept veering into the strips. When we got to the cabin, I showered and went to sleep for half an hour or so. I woke up as folks arrived. It was a grand time ... good food and lots of rando stories.

In the morning it was time for the banquet ... each team tells about their ride. Ralph and Carol had posted maps of each team's rides (there were ten teams) with details about each one. Ours was the shortest ride - there were several that were close - the longest was 507 K. Wow!

Fleche: A good time!

Honest, the crow took my card !

2009-03-15T16:57:00.000-07:00

Having pre-ridden the Populaire a couple of weeks ago ... in fairly nice weather if I recall correctly (at least relatively), I helped out at the Populaire today. I also got in a bit of entertainment as I watched some of the riders slog their way up 90th in the snow ...

Go Andy go!

Are we having fun yet?

Oh My God ... there's more?

"You'd better not take that picture !"

Kole and Ryan get their cards signed by Robin at Lincoln Park.

Vincent pulls into Lincoln Park.

Peter and Wayne at Lincoln Park.

A few minutes earlier it was hailing ... now a bit of sun as several riders pull into the Seward Park control.

More riders at Seward Park ... wait, what does RUSA say about drafting baby carriages?

The wildlife at Seward Park was very interested in the goodies we had at the control. Besidea a host of squirrels, this crow reached into Chris Heg's bag and ran off with a plastic bag that had the route sheet and, yes, his Brevet Card. We chased him down and, after posing for the picture, the crow dropped the bag and Chris was able to finish the ride with his card!

Now That's Stupid !

2009-03-14T18:18:00.000-07:00

Nine of us rode the 10th Annual Chili Feed 200K yesterday. It was cold and wet as we started. Not snowing where we were at the start, but it was where we were headed - at Greenwater along 410 on the way up to Mt.Rainier. The forecast was for improving conditions right? Wrong.

Within the first mile we passed a group of walkers in the rain ... they had no hats on, no umbrellas ... and they called us stupid as we rode by ! Well, we might be planning on riding our bikes all day in the cold and rain, but at least we dressed for it! Well, some of us did. Not naming names here though. I did notice that Bob Brudvic and Mark Thomas were dressed much more warmly today as they helped out on the Populaire.

"This is the stupidest thing I've done in a long time." "How stupid is this?" and statements to that effect were heard at the Black Diamond Bakery as the cold and wet riders slowly brought feeling back to their extremities.

A muffin or turnover, a jolt of caffeine, a bit of warmth and we're almost as good as new. Since we started a quart low, we didn't know any better and were soon back on the road. It actually stopped raining for a bit and what's that? A spot of dry pavement! If you're going to have a flat on a cold & rainy day, wait for the dry stretch. So that's what I did. First flat in a long time, so can't complain at all. Since my regular Rando bike is still in the shop, I was riding a bike with narrower tires ... higher pressure tires (100 psi)... vs the wide ones on the Green Hornet (75 psi). But my pump is a mountain bike pump not designed for that. Stupid! I get it to about 70 psi and am struggling to get more in. Fortunately Bob comes to my rescue with some CO2. I'm back in business and we hit the road again ... and make the turn on 410 up to Greenwater.

We got lucky on our way up to Greenwater ... no rain and, better yet, no snow. It was cold though, but not frozen cold ... there was slush, not snow/ice on the sides of the road for the last few miles into Greenwater. We went inside and refueled.

Proving that we were not at the very end of the stupidity bell curve (just very close to it), we had just missed someone who left the store a few minutes earlier. This person was walking to Yakima over a closed mountain pass ... probably over 10 feet of snow ... in tennis shoes. Now that's stupid !

We were in the home stretch now ... a quick stop in Enumclaw and then the last twenty miles back to Greg's house. Of course it was rainy most of the way. When we arrived, Mary had a great welcome for us with hot soup and pizza. Thank you Mary!

But it's sooo cozy!

2009-03-11T18:51:00.000-07:00

Ralph, Mark, Steve, Vincent, and I rode the Hood Canal South Permanent on Wednesday. It was coold. It was below freezing at the start. Fortunately there was little ice on the roads. Unfortunately our fingers turned to ice ... or at least that's how they felt. Well before the first control we made an unscheduled stop at Alderbrook. Hot coffee, warm bathrooms (indoor no less!), and a toasty fireplace. Heaven sent. All good things must come to an end though. (Why?) We pulled it together and headed out ... reluctantly.

The sun was out ... and so was the wind. We had a strong headwind as we headed up the canal. After we got to Brinnon (the turnaround point), we looked at the flagpole and wouldn't you know it, the wind changed ... it now was coming from the south ... would we have a headwind both ways? How does it do that? Fortunately it was just messing with our minds and shifted back.

We had a nice stop in Hoodsport at the coffee shop ... both times.

We planned to just miss the 5:30 ferry on the way back ... that way we could have Sausage & beer at Fritz's. The plan worked well ... we made it to the ferry terminal at 5:39. Catch was that the ferry was late! Oh well. Ralph took the ferry, but the rest of us went to Fritz' anyway. It was pretty good.

The bluest skies you've ever seen are in Seattle

2009-03-06T20:15:00.000-08:00

Okay, we weren't in Seattle, but riding north of there on Permanent 357 Camano Island - Bellingham - Camano Island. It was a gorgeous day. A bit brisk ... starting out below freezing ... but a fantastic day for riding. Mark Thomas, Joe Platzner, Vincent Muoneke, and I thoroughly enjoyed a great day out on the bike in the SUN!

Wanting to ensure we didn't get too much sun, we had to periodically stop and go inside ... the bakery in Edison was a great place for a break. Lemon Bars were nummy!
And of course no ride to Bellingham would be complete without a meal at the Mambo Cafe! A special treat was that Dan Turner joined us. The Lasagna was perfect ... kept me going almost all the way back.
With views like this it was hard to keep our eyes on the road!

We ended with a stop at DQ ... there's nothing like a Cherry Blizzard to top off a perfect day.

Where's the bottom?

2009-03-04T21:46:00.000-08:00

Mark Thomas, Ralph Nussbaum, and I rode the Redmond - Carbon River Permanent today. Partly sunny was the forecast and that's what we got ... part sun, part clouds, part rain, part hail. All in all though, I'd say the weather was pretty decent for this time of year.

The ride heads up the Carbon River at the base of Mt. Rainier. When the sun is out, you get a great view of Mt.Rainier. We used our imagination to see it, as the sun was nowhere to be seen when Mt.Rainier could have been. While looking up wasn't very productive, down was a different story. It was quite a ways down to the bottom and the Carbon River as we crossed this one lane bridge ... described as rickity by the barista in Buckley.

We saw several Elk on the way up to the Ranger Station ...here's a view of the bottom of one. Not a great shot, but they wouldn't pose for me.

It was an enjoyable ride ... except for the last twelve miles or so. My bottom bracket started disintagrating. It sounded like an ice machine crushing ice and began wobbling more than the Hubble telescope. Ralph & Mark were patient with me as I nursed it in. Conveniently the ride ended right by Sammamish Valley Cycle, so it is now being resurrected.

RUNNING ON EMPTY

2009-02-28T19:57:00.000-08:00

There are times when everything falls into place, and times where they don't. Today's ride was one where they didn't.

Vincent & I had planned on riding the Deming-Marblemount ride, but given the amount of snow they had had on Thursday, I decided we'd be better off in something a bit further south. A couple of riders had signed up to do the Hood Canal South ride, so I thought we'd suprise them and ride with them. However, they didn't show. I had e-mails from them when I got back saying they had decided not to ride.

Having been laid off work earlier in the week, I was probably not in the best of moods and Vincent was having stomach issues.

On the way back, near Brinnon, we were forced off the road by a big RV as it slowed right next to us to turn left, swinging right as it did. This is where there is only a one foot wide shoulder. Fortunately he was going slow as were we. I thought about going after him to chew him out, but decided that would probably be counterproductive.

Given how the day went, of course we just missed the ferry back to Seattle ...

Still, it was nice to be out on the bike.

A Most Excellent Ride

2009-02-14T20:15:00.000-08:00

Peter McKay, Vincent Muoneke, Mike Richeson, Rick Blacker, Ward Beebe, Charlie White, and I rode #342 Bainbridge - Port Townsend - Bainbridge. It was a most excellent ride.

The weather was pretty good - there was blue sky and some sun most of the day ... given this is the Seattle area in February that is pretty darn good.

The scenery and roads were outstanding. Sure, we crossed the Hood Canal bridge, twice ... which is a pain in the best of times. Today was no esxception ... broken glass on the narrow (2-3 foot) strip that bikes need to ride on at the grated section it a bit entertaining ... and then a driver blared on his horn for half a mile or so as he approached us when we were coming up to the bulge and the section where bikes need to swing out to cut across the seam without getting the tires eaten by the bridge. Other than that this ride was a real pleasure.

We pretty much all rode together the first half of the ride ... albeit with some gaps at times. While it was a bit chilly there was no ice, and with all the hills we weren't cold. Marrowstone Island on the way to/from Fort Flagler was particularly scenic, with little car traffic. We heard and saw a couple of eagles at Fort Flagler. Mike had a flat as we left the first control, but with a little help we were back riding in a flash.

At Port Townsend we broke up ... Charlie, Vincent, Ward, and I ate at the Courtyard Cafe; Peter went to Subway, and Rick/Mike went to Safeway. We tried enlisting a new recruit ... he was enthralled with the route sheet, but wasn't quite ready to ride ... maybe in a few years :) Those wide tires would have come in handy last week though!

We caught up with Rick & Mike at the next control - Fort Worden - but Peter was way out in front. The stretch after Port Townsend has lots of information controls, which on our full stomachs was a good thing. Climbing too, but a couple of great descents ... I hit 42 mph on one of them.

We saw a flash of Peter as we struggled up the 18% grade to Lake Gibbs ... he yelled "enjoy!" as he zipped down the other way. Soon it was our turn to do the same, as we passed Mike/Rick on our way out of this little out & back.

At this point we were almost in the home stretch ... certainly the toughest parts were behind us. After a brief respite at the Marina Mart in Poulsbo - a somewhat eclectic 7-11 type store with a scandinavian flair ... pickled herring anyone? After a potty break at the park on the way out of town we headed off to the ferry. about 11 miles to go. The next ferry leaves in forty-two minutes ... the next one is an hour after that. Yes, we've already ridden 120 miles with 7,000 feet of climbing. Can we make it? We push it, averaging almost 18 mph in spite of another 700 feet of climbing and a few red lights. We didn't load at the front of the boat, but we made it!

What a great way to finish the ride. A well deserved cold one on the ferry topped it off. Peter was also on the ferry, having arrived about 20 minutes before we did.

Pavement Ends ... Road Disappears

2009-02-08T09:39:00.000-08:00

There was a great turnout for the inaugural ride of a new South Sound Permanent yesterday ... 556 Lacey - Raymond - Lacey. Josh Morse ... the route creator, Dr. C -Paul Johnson, and Brian List headed off at 6:30 Am. Mark Thomas, Peter McKay, Bob Brudvik, Ian Shopland, Vincent Muoneke, and myself - joined by David Rowe & John Kramer from way south (Lake Oswegeo, Oregon & White Salmon, WA) headed out at 8:00 AM. Eamon Stanley started out a bit later, then Rick Blacker hit the road at 10:00. It was a cold start ... 27 F shortly before the start was noted ... but thankfully no ice was noted until a few chunks late in the morning ... when it was sunny & in the low 40's.

This route is basically a clockwise loop through southcentralwestern Washington - from Lacey to Raymond, then back. We never get quite to the coast, but are practically there. It is definitely through the back woods and back roads. Early in the route, outside Oaksville on the Chehalis Indian Reservation, we had the opportunity to observe a poultry sale ... quite a crowd on hand for that, but not having room in our bags for live chickens, we continued on without stopping. We'll have to plan ahead for next time.

We knew that there were a couple of stretches of "unpaved roads" ... the route sheet notes that "Pavement end" and "Pavement starts". And we knew that there were a couple of slides on the road due to the recent heavy rains/floods ... but that the roads were passable. We weren't quite prepared for what was in store for us though.

I for one was more unprepared than usual. I normally carry a pack under my bike seat with a few tools, three spare tubes, patches, and an extra tire. Several miles into the ride ... too many to go back ... I realized that I hadn't put it back on the bike after picking it up from the shop a couple of days earlier. Darn (or words to that general effect). Fortunately, with a group of eight randos, I'd be covered ... but darn. We ended up with three flats - Mark, Vincent, and Bob ... but I dodged that bullet.

We made it to the start of the unpaved section ... and the fun began. While the route sheet tells you it is an unpaved section, it doesn't tell you that it is also the climbing section (and then descending section). And of course while the weather today was nice and dry, that doesn't mean that the road would be ... and it wasn't. Our bikes were soon coated with the stuff. It made traction a challenge ... and when you weren't slipping in the mud, you were unsuccessfully trying to avoid the gravel chunks. There were gravel sections that made riding on rumble strips seem like a joy.

And then the slides ... The first slide was a section of perhaps 150 feet where the entire road was gone to a depth of 25-40 feet. On the left was the valley a hundred feet or more below ... not an option. On the right was a steep hillside, again not an option other than the few feet of what had been the road drainage ditch. It looked stable enough. So we climbed up to the drainage ditch, carrying our bikes, and made it to the other side of the gap. The bulldozer operator made a comment "Morons" as we passed - not sure who or what he was referencing. Before we started off, we had to scrape the mud off, as the tires wouldn't roll with all the mud under the fenders.

The second slide wasn't so bad ... a few daredevils actually rode around it. I walked my bike around the gaping hole ... it went all the way across the road and then down rapidly into the valley below.

At Brooklyn Eamon caught up with us, then rode with us till Raymond. We were disappointed in Brooklyn, as the original tavern was no longer there. We had been told at the Littlerock about the original tavern that had a urinal all around the inside of the tavern ... that must have been a place for serious drinking!

We recouped in Raymond ... food at Subway ... and then we hosed our bikes down at the Chevron station. That made our bikes much lighter ... and my cleats now worked again! However, we had just over half an hour in the bank at this point ... the unpaved sections had really slowed us down. From here on though, it was paved roads ... no major climbs .. so we made pretty good time.

On our way into Montesano, a car cut across just in front the group to get onto the freeway on-ramp. In one for the good guys, a Grays Harbor County Sheriff, who had just passed us, turned around and went after him. We all waved in support!

Aside from the last flat of the day (Bob's), the rest of the ride was pretty uneventful. The last few hours were in the dark and, in part, along a busy stretch of SR-8 ... basically shoulder riding on a divided highway. One section was under construction and we had to merge into the one open lane, with concrete road dividers on either side ... that was not particularly fun. I was grateful we were all riding together at this point ... safety in numbers!

Quite a ride.

Procrastinator's Delight

2009-02-01T13:08:00.000-08:00

The Mountain came out!

The 31st ... last chance for a January R-12. Eight riders headed off into the mist yesterday to enjoy Permanent 186 - Snoqualmie Valley & Falls. Narayan Krishnamoorthy & Albert Meerscheidt headed off at 7:00. Vincent Muoneke, Robin Pieper, Charlie White, John Pearch, Ian Shopland, and I followed at 8:00.

While it may have been the last chance for a January R-12 for some, it was Vincent's 7th for the month. Wow! No procrastinating there!

While it was chilly to start, it soon turned into a gorgeous day. Sure, there was fog in the Snoqualmie Valley on our way north ... on the other side of the valley ... and a few sprinkles in Lake Stevens, but there was lots of blue sky to be seen.

We caught up with Narayan and Albert at Lake Stevens ... Narayan's chain had broken and Albert, in true Rando form, had come to his rescue and fixed his chain. Way to go Albert !

There was no procrastinating on the ride ... Ian & Robin in particular pulled us to Sultan in the blink of an eye ... or at least in time for a leisurely lunch. Our stop at the Sultan Bakery turned out to be longer than intended ... we should have taken a clue from the help wanted sign in the window. Food was good, but took a long time coming. Charlie & Robin read the situation well and headed off before the food came. Ian polished off the biggest sandwich I've ever seen while I took care of a heapin load of spaghetti.

Then it was off down the Snoqualmie Valley ... we saw lots of birds ... swans, geese, and eagles ... and then a fish in the road along 100th. I assume it was the same fish I saw a couple of days earlier ... don't think it could have swum very far.

John Pearch stretches out at North Bend.

We made it to the end just as darkness fell.

Threading the Needle

2009-02-01T12:45:00.000-08:00

Vincent mentioned yesterday that Randoing is much like threading the needle ... at least here in the Northwest. A window of reasonable weather shows up in the forecast and you have to grab it before it slips away. Thursday was one of those opportunities. No, the weather forecast wasn't perfect, but it wasn't snow, constant rain, or real cold. In other words, it was a good day to ride.

Mark Thomas and I rode Permanent 341 Leschi - North Bend - Leschi. We even got to see a few slivers of blue sky! Riding in the Snoqualmie Valley is always a pleasure; today was no exception. There were remnants of the recent floods - heavily damaged homes along the Fall City - Snohomish road and then a fish in the road - a rather odd sight.

Mark was exploring his new Garmin 705, so I introduced him to some of the different ways to use it ... courses vs. routes ... and the debate around the various options - track points vs. course points vs. way points. A geek's delight. I discovered a few things about my Garmin as well, including a whole bunch of leftover waypooints from last summer's Issaquah Populaire (I rarely use routes/waypoints). Anyway, I digress.

It was an enjoyable ride.

Hood Canal Repeat Hood Canal

2009-01-18T08:18:00.000-08:00

Don Boothby, Bill Gobie, Dave Harper, Vincent Muoneke, and I met at the 6:10 AM ferry yesterady to do the Hood Canal Loop. Don, Bill, and Dave did the Hood Canal 2.0; Vinceent and I went for the original - having just done 2.0 on Wednesday.

The courses are very similar, sharing the same start from Bainbridge to the Beaver Valley turnoff on 104, the same Center Road to Quilcene, 101 to Potlatch, and Gorst to the ferry sections. They differ in that 2.0 has a 104 to Chimacum to 104 stretch and takes 106 along the south end of the canal and then Old Belfair highway to get from Potlatch to Gorst, while the original gets there via Shelton and SR-3 and a loop to Grapeview. The original has more climbing 6,600 feet vs. 5,300 feet. They both share the opportunity for German Sausage & beer at Fritz' at the Bremerton ferry terminal ... a great motivator!

Having just done both, I'd say the new one is the nicer ride, but it does miss out on the wonderful Grapeview loop ... and more fast food choices (in Shelton). We went for the taco option. They took a while to kick in, but did in time for the climbs up SR-3.

We all rode together Port Gamble and then across the Hood Canal bridge over to the Beaver Valley turnoff from 104 ... with Bill on his recumbent lagging behind on the uphills and zipping past us on the downhills. Then we parted ways, meeting back up at the ferry terminal in time for the 5:30.

The first half of the ride was foggy and cold, barely above freezing ... and with a wind chill of 15 degrees as we zipping down from Walker Pass. There was evidence of black ice ... a van spun out in front of us on 104, ending up at a 90 degree angle across the opposite lane. The sun came out midday and we actually had blue sky. It was a nice day for a ride!

The ferry rides were enjoyable too, as we relived our SIR exploits. Did you remember when ...

No Coffee for Mark?

2009-01-15T13:08:00.001-08:00

Breaking News
SIR volunteers and news service reports
updated Thursday PM

There was a confirmed sighting of Mark Thomas without coffee at the start of a permanent yesterday. Multiple witnesses confirmed that Mark passed up coffee at the start of the Hood Canal Loop 2.0 ride. No coffee on the ferry ride over from Seattle either. Witnesses were torn as to whether Mark was actually taunting the coffee stand at the Bainbridge ferry terminal by turning his back to it (above).

This odd behavior lasted for 28K until Port Gamble, where he made a beeline for the Espresso stand. Subsequent stops at the Chimacum Bakery and Brinnon pie shop (not to mention the German sausage & beer at Fritz's next to the ferry terminal) confirmed that the morning's start was an aberration and all was back to normal.

Theories for this unusual behavior abound, with the leading premise being the rush from almost showing up at the start of the ride without his bike. Mark confirmed that on the way to drop his wife off at the airport before heading to the ferry, she asked "where's your bike?". Oops! Fortunately for us all, but unfortunately for his son, Mark was rescued. A rendevouz with his son (and bike!) in the wee hours along 405 saved Mark valuable minutes, and he made it to the start in time.

All Clear? Not!

2009-01-10T14:03:00.000-08:00

Riding around here has been a bit of a challenge recently. Snow and cold in December, rain and floods in January. Watching the city, county, and state transportation web sites to keep track of road closures and subsequent reopenings to find a clear route was a bit of a task. With a Saturday permanent in mind, Don Boothby was optimistic that the roads would be clear ... above water. When we last did this ride a few weeks ago, we had several detours due to snow. By Friday though, the all clear sounded ... no road closures on 531 Mercer Island - Redmond - Orting - Mercer Island.

A huge crew ... sixteen riders ... headed off at 7:00 AM. While we all rode together for a while, we soon broke up into smaller groups riding at our own natural paces. Ward Beebe, Vincent Muoneke, and I took the front by the time we hit Renton. Around Kent we were swallowed up by a club ride that was going our pace
... not especially fast (no drafting, honest!)... for a few miles before they turned off. A few miles after that we hit our first obstacle ... a road closed sign. Not water, but a slide had closed the road. It was a small slide and we easily rode past ... just a moment of consternation about whether to believe the sign or not.

Refueling at Orting, then on our way back home ... at the next info control (on McCutcheon) there was another road closed sign. Now this was at the top of a hill (sort of). If we went on and the road really was closed, we'd have to back-track up a hill. Decisions, decisions. Several Pierce County dump trucks drove by and then one stopped, the driver rolled down his window, and told us that the road really was closed and they had all sorts of equipment down there. So we backtracked. We ran into Greg Cox and filled him in, that the control was open and he'd have to backtrack and rejoin the route in Sumner. I thought we'd see a few more riders on the 4-5 mile stretch of 162 that we rode north on, but didn't see anyone. I gather that Don and crew rode through, braving the "hostile looks" from the bulldozer operator.

Our next challenge - a little one - was a short stretch (10-20 yards) of the Interurban Trail that was under water. Don Boothby said it was "almost knee deep", but I guess I'm taller than Don, as it was only just above my ankles !

Someday I'll get to ride this Permanent without any detours.

Unlike my last attempt, with detours due to snow, we were able to ride the Duwamish and West Seattle Trail sections ... not that I particularly want to ride them again, but at least now I can say I've ridden them.

RUSA 0536 Hood Canal Loop 2.0

2008-12-30T15:57:00.000-08:00

2 Degrees above Celsius

That's what the temperature was when we reached the first control at Chimacum. It was cold (obviously), we were wet, and had been riding into the wind. The word "miserable" came to mind. It could be worse ... there could be ice. After stuffing our faces, we headed down the road towards Quilcene. Before we got there ... what did we run into? Not ice, but a bit of slushy snow was falling. Oops!

Fortunately it stopped by the time we hit Quilcene. On the way out of town Joe wanted to stop at the Forest Service office, but the parking lot was covered with ... yes, ice. He decided to wait.

From there we headed up Walker Pass ... would it be snowing? and sitcking? Part way up what do we see but a DOT snowplow coming down. Is that a good sign? Probably not. It is now raining again ... and soon it turns to snow. And now the snowplow comes back, headed up the hill. Definately not a good sign. As we near the top, the snow starts sticking, but fortunately it is pretty slushy and we ride through it. It is cold though! Especially as we ride down the south side.

We soon make it to Brinnon, almost the half-way point. What do we see as we pull into the Tesoro but Vincent! A welcome sight for sure. December 31st, snow along the roads, and we run into a fellow SIR randonneur! We spend a few minutes catching up and then head south together. We ride to Hoodsport, where we refuel, then to Potlatch, where we head our seperate ways ... Vincent to Olympia (end of Olympia-Brinnon ride), Joe & I to Bremerton (end of Hood Canal Loop 2.0).

We are making pretty good time ... close to being able to make the 4:35 ferry. Past Belfair, on the Old Belfair Highway, Joe got a flat. Changing the tire in the cold was tough ... took quite a while. Joe pumps it up and ... it leaks out the valve. Darn. He pumps it up again and ... it holds. We were now at risk of missing the 5:30 ferry. But we hit the road and make the ferry (barely)! We've done it!

RUSA 0531 MI-Redmond-Orting-MI

2008-12-29T16:53:00.000-08:00

Guilty as Charged.

I sinned. I rode without a mud flap in winter. Fortunately I did not have to pay for my sins. Chris, Don, and Pam did instead, as they received what the mud flap should have stopped. Chris saved me from further damnation at the first control by giving me his front mud flap to put on my rear fender for the duration of the ride. I have since replaced my missing mud flap, so I am safe from further transgressions (and my fellow riders are safe from me).

Although I had ridden a short Permanent on Saturday, this was my first full Permanent since the snows hit and mostly melted. Having just ridden part of the route, I had a pretty good sense of where the problem areas would be and had arranged detours (where available) for the problem areas that we'd hit in the morning and hoped that the rest of the problem areas would melt by the time we got to them in the afternoon. So after walking part of the East Channel bridge through several inches of slush, we took a several mile detour into Bellevue and the Lake Hills Connector to get over to Factoria ... then another detour just past Eastgate. I knew where I was going on the detour (it wasn't on the route sheet), but forgot to tell Chris until I was about to turn and he was zipping past the turnoff. Oops!

Since this was a pre-ride of sorts, Chris, Don, and Pam were my Guinea Pigs for several of the information control questions. They survived, but not all of the questions did. What had made sense to me didn't always work on the bike.

Don had some great suggestions for route improvements also, so after a brief verification with the route owner, we tested those out and have incorporated those into the current route.

Running low on fuel, we made an unscheduled stop at the Safeway in Kent. Since we had stopped, I stuffed my face with an Orange Chicken Rice Bowl. Why not?

Shortly afterwards, we were almost blinded by a strange bright orb in the sky ... the type rarely seen in Seattle this time of year. It even dried off the pavement, at least in spots. It may have been the distraction of that bright thing, but just before the Orting control we hit a patch of broken glass (Heineken beer bottle). Don hit a big piece ... with a big crunch as he rode over it ... but no damage. Luck was with us.

After a bit more sustenance at the Safeway in Orting, we headed north, with the wind at our tail. We managed to miss the glass this time, but all the grit must have taken its toll, as squeaks were soon heard from several of the bikes. A bit of lubrication and the chorus was quieted.
We hit the Interurban trail and it was clear of snow, at least initially. Patches of snow, slush really, soon appeared, but not bad as long as you were attentive. Then one patch of a deep puddle ...pond? of 4-6 inches deep. Wow. At the end of the Interurban, at the intersection with the River trail, we stopped and put on lights, as it was now dark. Our reward was a gusty rain shower. Then when we got to Fort Dent, the trail was covered with slush. As it was only an inch or so deep, it was rideable ... and fortunately didn't last for long. The next few miles were hit and miss ... clear, then patchy slush ... and then relatively deep slushy snow when we got to E Marginal Way South. It was time to walk the bike and/or take our last detour.

A little more slush to go through before the I-90 bike tunnel and then smooth sailing. A quick ride around the Island and we're done. Pam and Chris get their R-12 ride in! I'm done too. My phone had rung a couple miles from the end. When I return the call from the QFC I get an offer for a ride home. It's only about three miles, but I snap up the offer!

One more ride to go. Three days to get it in. Hood Canal 2.0 on the 31st is it!

RUSA 0541 MI-MV-Redmond-MI

2008-12-27T15:37:00.000-08:00

Yippee!

Back on the road again!

It has warmed up enough and enough snow has melted that I started and finished a Permanent today. Granted it was a shorter Permanent ... 102K, but after a couple weeks of being unable to get much riding in because of the snow, it was great.

I'd tried starting this twice over the past few weeks, most recently yesterday, but it just wasn't doable. Aside from a few short detours (cleared with the route owner, who happened to be easily accessible) and sections that required walking, it was pretty decent riding, generally not slippery. The bike paths were a problem (above), requiring the detours or walking, and then Maxwell Road in Maple Valley was difficult(below). The rest was wonderful.

It wasn't even cold ... there was a sign in Redmond that read 47 degrees.

Did I mention I got to ride my bike today? :)

SNOW rhymes with SLOW and NO

2008-12-22T11:24:00.000-08:00

Cabin fever? Not really, but as I want to get three more Permeanents in before the end of the year I'm concerned about running out of time. I'd like to hit 10,000 K of rides in for the year and I'm 450K away. I was going to get 100K in on Saturday, but on my ride to the start I realized that with all the snow /ice I wasn't able to ride fast enough to complete the ride in the alloted time ... so I DNS'd. On the bright side I got most of my Christmas shopping done instead.

Today I thought I'd give it a more complete test and see if I would be fast enough ... and I was not even close. The required minimum average speed is 15Kph, just under 10 mph ... and I averaged 6-7 mph on a 5 mile ride with my studded tires. The roads were either snow packed or plowed with almost complete snow/ice coverage. There were a few places where it was soft slush, but not all that many.

So, too slow ... Permanent soon? No!

Given the conditions & forecast, I don't foresee being able to ride a Permeanent until this weekend and that is still quesitonable. A nice warm rain would be helpful!

RUSA 0357 Camano Island-Bellingham-Camano Island

2008-12-11T20:29:00.000-08:00

Mambo!

Mike Richeson, Mark Thomas, Andy Speier, Will Goss, and I beat the cold & snow to Bellingham today. A great day to ride ... mid 40's and partly cloudy in December! We found a window of opportunity and grabbed it. And when we got to Bellingham, we had a great bonus ... lunch with Dan Turner at the Italian Mambo Cafe. Wow! Couldn't ask for more (couldn't eat any more either, yum!). Only downside was the urge for a nap after lunch. The Scotch Ale seemed to give Mark Thomas a big boost of energy after lunch, but the lasagna really slowed me down.

All that coffee had to go somewhere!

Chuckanut drive had been closed for a month due to a series of four rock slides ... with big rocks the size of trucks. The road opened only two days earlier, but work wasn't quite complete ...
Santa was sighted ... apparently his sleigh was out of commission, so he was testing alternate modes of transportation.

Near La Conner, we ran across a rider with a flat. Apparently he had had several and was running out of patches, and didn't carry any tubes. Have no fear, SIR is here. His tire was changed and he was back in business!

The karma from helping the rider didn't last long ... Andy got a flat in Stanwood. And then Will got a flat 200 yards from the end ... and so he carried his bike over the "finish line".

RUSA 0400 Deming-Marblemount-Deming

2008-12-06T09:47:00.000-08:00

Jackpot!

This ride starts/ends at the Nooksack Casino, and at the end of the ride I hit the jackpot ... a small one anyways. More on that later.

This ride is much like the Three Rivers Cruise - relatively flat (total climbing of 2,700 feet), a ride along SR-9, along the Skagit River, and with a turnaround point at Marblemount. In fact, I ran into three SIR riders at Marblemount who were doing the Three Rivers Cruise - Jack Brace, Ryan Schmid, and Tom Norwood.

The weather turned out much nicer than the forecast, which was for mixed rain/snow and a high of 38 F with a 70 % chance of showers. The roads were wet most of the way and it did shower the last 5 miles or so, but all in all the weather was quite deccent ... it even hit 50F in Sedro Woolley.

The first and last part of the ride between Deming and Sedro Woolley along SR-9 was pretty, especially in the morning with the sun rising. With no shoulders it isn't the most pleasant in the dark when the occasional truck comes by, but the traffic wasn't bad and the views definately made up for it. Aside from the very "fresh" air along a few dairy barns, the crisp cool air was a joy to wake up to.

Riding on SR-20, with wide shoulders most of the way and with the river and mountain views to enjoy was great. I didn't see any eagles along the Skagit, but did see folks out looking for them with their cameras.

Chili at Clark' Cabins just outside Marblemount was good. Really hit the spoot.

Since I parked in te casino parking lot, I felt perhaps I should go in and dro a few quarters in the slot machine as a way to "pay" for the parking. After getting my receipt at the min-mart at the end, I noticed the price at the gas station ... $1.59 ... which was 0.30 lower than anything I'ved seen recently and 0.40 lower than what I filled up at just a couple of days earlier. Jackpot! So I filled up ... after waiting in line. At that price they were very busy.

I guess I still owe them the quarters for parking, as I was distracted and forgot my plan. I suppose it was a small jackpot ... only worth a few bucks, but it felt good and helped justify the lang drive.

RUSA 0202 Olympia-Brinnon-Olympia

2008-12-04T18:29:00.000-08:00

What a gorgeous day!

Okay, a bit chilly perhaps (30F to start out), but come on now. A sunny day in the Pacific Northwest in December? And I'm going to stay inside? I think not.

I've come to realize I am just 1,000K ... 5 rides ... away from 10,000 K for the year. This wasn't a goal. And I don't want to make it a goal per se ... but it would be kinda neat. The catch is there aren't any more Brevets nearby and the Permanents have to be ones I haven't ridden before to count. That limits me to a handful of possibilities ... #202 Olympia - Brinnon - Olympia seems like the choice.

I leave Top Foods at 7 AM, a bit concerned about the possibility of ice, but it turns out to not be an issue. It is a pretty ride along Delphi Rd.

After the first seven or eight miles the ride is along US-101 and the Hood Canal to Brinnon, a small group of houses & businesses. From there it turns around and goes back on 101 to the end at Top Foods. The first/last 15 miles or so of 101 is riding on the shoulder of a divided highway, similar to interstate riding. The ride between Potlatch and Shelton/Olympia is pretty disappointing ... not just the road, but the trash. Not the highlight of the ride, to be sure. I guess it is a necessary evil to be endoured in order to enjoy the ride along the Hood Canal, which is beautiful today ... crisp blue sky and sparkling waters.

I'm getting slightly ahead of myself however, as before I get there I run into a "ROAD CLOSED" sign, with a detour sign right below. This is a few miles north of Potlatch and it is a relatively short detour ... only a couple of miles. As part of it is along a nice wooded road that I hadn't ridden on before, I'm enjoying the detour ... putting aside the lack of shoulders and being forced off the road by a couple of trucks that pass me by.

It is a pretty ride ... the portion along the canal anyway. All things considered, I don't think this is a Permanent that I'd go out of my way to ride again.

RUSA 517 - The Alps Inaugural Ride

2008-11-26T11:25:00.000-08:00

Vincent Muoneke and I rode the inaugural ride of "The Alps" today. It was going to be the inaugural ride of "The 10K", but since it turns out to have just shy of 9,000 feet of climbing, I had to rename the ride. 9,000 feet was plenty of climbing as it was.

We met at Peet's, across from Whole Foods, so we started off with a warm beverage in our tummies ... nice since it was cold out. We left at 7:09, checking at Whole Foods in case another rider was going to join us.

We were a few minutes behind pace at the first control - Somerset Elementary School. Even though we were at the top of the hill, clouds were coming in ... fog was going to be an issue.

Riding with Vincent was great. This his sixth Permanent this month. Wow. He was in awesome shape and zoomed up the hills. Since he had the original route sheet, which didn't have the info control questions nor the route changes I had made Monday night, he couldn't get too far ahead of me. We got behind a school bus on Newport Way and had to stop three or four times as it stopped to pick up kids. Then up Cougar Mountain, one of the toughest climbs of the ride. We did pretty well on it tough and were back on time by the time we hit the info control towards the top.

The next control was a bit confusing. While just a four way stop, an intersection of two roads right? Wrong - there six road names ...lots of different road signs (133rd Ave, 134th Ave, 72nd Place, Newcastle Way, Newcastle - Coal Creek Way, & Newcastle Golf Club Road). How did that happen?

We don't figure that out. From there it is off towards Renton. Part way down 148th Vincent stops ahead of me and picks up a SIR mud flap ... it was probably mine from Monday's ride, as I had the mud flap last week and don't have it now. Well, that was fortuitous.

Down towards the Maple Valley Highway and then a turn onto Jones Road. Another nice road find from the Issaquah Populaire. Foggy though. Pretty too.

We zipped down the Auburn-Black Diamond Road and then up the Green River Valley. More fog.

Out of the valley up to Black Diamond and then up Tiger Mountain. No fog though ... gorgeous blue sky. From there it was on to Squak Mountain (a nice little 500 foot addition to the ride since Monday). Then up Highland Drive and over to the Snoqualmie Valley ... what fog again? Thick fog. Fortunately Vincent's Garmin beeps as he reaches the Issaquah-Fall City turnoff ... as otherwise we might not have even seen it.

And now for the ultimate climb ... we head up Lake Alice Road. This climb had a maximium grade of 24 % when I rode it a few weeks ago. While I doubt it really has changed, my Garmin read a maximum of 32 % as I rode up. Ouch! I had plenty of time to read it as I ground my way up. As the turn-off came into sight I saw Vincent pedaling onward and upward ...I yelled, but he didn't stop. Since there isn't another way out (well, not an easy one anyway), I figured I could sit and wait, but then decided I'd ride up and find him ... it was only another 100 feet of climbing. He was at the intersection at the top, getting directions from a car that had stopped. We went back down and then through the path to Snoqualmie Ridge.

Food. We were both hungry when we got to the Shell station at Snoqualmie Ridge. I had a corn dog ... hit the spot. It was starting to get dark now, so we didn't stay long. I wanted to make it down the descent to Fall City while there was still some light. With darkness falling, heading into the misty fog again, the ride along 203 was not pleasant. The mist kept collecting on my glasses, which magnified the headlights of the oncoming cars, making it difficult to see. A few miles down 203 there was a deep grate on a bridge that I barely missed. It was a relief to turn off 203 and climb Tolt Hill.

As this part of the ride was new from Monday, I was looking for a good place for the information control ... fortunately we found a spot near the top that had a street light ... much easier to have an information control when you have light. After a climb up Lake Ames Road and the last information control, it was over Union Hill Road and back to Whole Foods.

We made it in 11 hours and 40 minutes. 8,800 feet of climbing. My legs felt like rubber. A piece of pizza and I felt somewhat renewed ... at least I know had enough energy to make it home for dinner.

RUSA 517 The 10K ... or not

2008-11-24T09:02:00.000-08:00

I was psyched. The 10K ride was approved! This was going to be a great winter training ride .... lots and lots and lots of climbing, yet a maximum elevation of only about 1,100 feet. I had sent an invite to the SIR list for the inaugural ride of the 10K on Wednesday, but needed to pre-ride it to make sure the route sheet was a-okay and, most importantly, to come up with the information control questions.

I started from Peet's Coffee at 6:30. The ride starts gently, going through Marymoor Park and then going down the east side of Lake Sammamish. At the south end of the Lake I was warmed up and ready for some climbing. Up to Eastgate and then up to Somerset. Nice views here of Lake Washington, Mercer Island, etc. No time for enjoying the views though. I am barely within the control time limits. Okay, they don't apply to information controls, so it isn't absolutely critical at this point, but I need to stay on time so that when they do count, at a regular control, I'm within the limit. I come up with a couple of information control questions and hit the road.

Now for a downhill portion ... down to Newport Way and then along Newport Way to the base of Cougar Mountain. I hadn't ridden up Cougar Mountain until the Issaquah 100K Populaire ... the inspiration for this ride. It is a great climb. So up I went. It was close to a 1,000 feet of climbing, with much of it in the 10-15 % grade range and a max of around 20%. By the top I was definitely warmed up.

Even though I was hot, the way down would be cold, so I bundled up and headed down Lakemont to Newcastle. Chilly yes, but a restful change. Before turning onto Coal Creek Parkway it was time for another Information Control ... a few minutes to spare now. The sun was out and it seemed to be warming up a bit.

No more big hills for a while, so I had the chance to put some time in the bank. I headed off. By the time I got to May Valley Road my hands were freezing ... it was much colder in this valley. Time to put my gloves back on ... what had I been thinking?

Up a modest hill, 148th Ave SE, into Renton and over to Jones Road by the Maple Valley Highway. Jones Road was a nice alternative to the Maple Valley Highway...rural, windy, and scenic. It was then time to cross the Maple Valley Highway and head up 196th Avenue. I had never been along this road before - found it on the King County Bike Map. It is a nice road to ride on ... a bit more climbing than I had expected, but then that's what this ride is all about!

By the time I reached the first real control on the Auburn-Black Diamond Road, I had about half an hour in the bank. However, it was beginning to look like the ride wouldn't hit 10,000 feet of climbing ... so I started thinking of how I could tweak the course to get some more climbing in. But from here it was a nice long, gentle descent towards Auburn and the start of the Green River Valley. Very enjoyable. And from there the ride up the Green River Valley is one of the best. So picturesque !The climb up out of the valley towards 169 and Black Diamond was gone in a flash. A climb yes, but no killer grades here.

Lots of rolling hills and then a real climb up Tiger Mountain to the Fire Station. No need for a 911 call here, the climb is very doable. A nice descent to Issaquah and time for a climbing check ... 5,000 feet so far. I now expect the ride will be only 7,500 feet ... how did it get to be so far shorter than the projected 10,000? Oh well. I figure I can add perhaps a 1,000 feet with a few teaks - up Squak Mountain, over Tolt Hill Road, offset by shortening the ride in a couple of other places.

But before that, I have to make it up the next set of hills ... up Highland Drive and then probably the toughest climb of the day ... Lake Alice. I ride up Highland Drive ... on the road, not the bike path, just to check it out. I decide the bike path is better. Can't get the bike to shift into the smallest gear in the front though ... that is a disappointment as I work my way slowly up Lake Alice Road. Still doable though. It is quite a relief to make it to the top ... only one real climb left - Union Hill Road.

By the time I make it to the last info control at Lake Ames & W Snoqualmie Vally Road, it is just starting to get dark. The ride to the end is pretty straightforward except for the routing through the Park & Ride lot. Not sure how that got in there ... but simple enough to take out. I make it to the end just before 5:30 ... just under 11 hours. Not bad. 7,700 feet of climbing. I guess I'll have to rename the route, as I can't get it to 10,000 feet of climbing unless I make major changes. Should be able to get close to 9,000 feet with some minor tweaks though.

Now hopefully I can recover enough to ride it again day after tomorrow!

RUSA 083: Why would anyone

2008-11-18T19:33:00.000-08:00

... in their right mind ride across the Hood Canal Bridge? Sure, if you look at the scenery from the bridge it is wonderful, but who can look at it? The "shoulders" are minimal to non-existent on either end, there is the gap in the middle of the bridge that is great at grabbing tires, and then there are the metal grates on either end and in the middle. While you can avoid the grates by riding on the very edge of the road, the covering on the metal plates has worn off in large chunks ... so not much better than the grates, but okay as long as you keep it totally straight. Not easy to do with a semi blaring by and the metal plates banging. It is a stressful experience. And on this ride (RUSA 83, Hood Canal North) you get to do it twice !!

A screw loose, not playing with a full deck, bonkers ... but that is what I did today. At least it wasn't foggy when I crossed it today.

On the other hand if I had ridden the Hood Canal Loop and only crossed the bridge once today I would have ended up in Bremerton ... where the ferry terminal was closed due to a bomb threat. So this must have been the right choice.

Rational thought was not my strong suit today. Or was it? On the way back I convinced myself that it was better to take it easy, stop and get something to eat, than push it a bit and catch an earlier ferry. So I missed the 4:35 ferry by 2-3 minutes and was able to ride "easy" the last 3 hours and stop at McDonalds because it made more sense?

I must have fallen out of bed and hit my head last night!

RUSA 203 Hood Canal Loop

2008-10-22T20:07:00.000-07:00

Sunny and 71 in late October. It was a great day to be out on the bike. Steve Davis, Albert Meerscheidt, Thai Nguyen, Eamon Stanley and I got up well before the roosters crowed and caught the 6:10 AM ferry to Bainbridge to do the Hood Canal Loop.

Billed as a ride to control the symptoms that have led to several mid-week sick-day rides for ailing SIR members, I for one can state it was succesful. I did not realize however, that my symptoms would be replaced by sore, tired legs brought on by a sub-9 hour ride. While the five of us rode together for the first stretch of the ride to Suquamish, shortly thereafter we split into two groups. Eamon must have had a burr on his saddle, as he was riding fast. Thai seemed to have no trouble keeping up, but I kept dropping off the back. Fortunately a few construction zones, with stops by the flaggers provided me the opportunity to catch up. However, by Shelton, I was done. After a quick stop, Eamon went on while Thai and I took the opportunity to refuel with a bite to eat.

We did catch up with Eamon neear the Grapeview info control ... which was no longer there. So I came up with a new question for the next riders.

While it was cold to start and there was fog along the Hood Canal Bridge, the rest of the ride was clear and sunny, with temperatures quite comfortable. Although the reading was a bit suspect, the sign in Belfair read 71 as we rode by in the middle of the afternoon.

Thai, Eamon, and I reached the end by 3:40, with time to enjoy a sausage & beer at Fritz' before the 4:15 ferry. Alfred and Steve had a more sane ride and caught the 6:40 ferry.

RUSA 085 Three Rivers Cruise

2008-10-18T14:16:00.000-07:00

A gorgeous fall day, great riding companions, and a wonderful bike route! Could one ask for more? Why? It was even a leisurely start. Don Boothby had sent out a notice for a Sat ride of the Three Rivers Cruise with a 8:00 AM start at the Haggen store in Arlington. Don, Thai Nguyen, Chris Heg, Mike Richeson, new RUSA member Pam Creighton, and I hit the road right at 8:00. Shan Perera got a few extra minutes of sleep and caught up with us on the road.

There was a bit of fog to start off with, but the sun was blazing through the clouds before we were able to make to Darrington. Darrington ... at 575 feet we had reached the summit of our ride ... pretty tough riding :) ... well, a good enough reason to stop and refuel. Soon we were off ... except Thai stayed to wait for Shan.

From Darrington the ride was picture perfect ... a crisp fall morning with lots of sun. The gentle downhill made for nice riding and we soon made it to Marblemount. We took the back way to Marblemount ... exploring a minor route adjustment to avoid the out & back section on 20 ... and it received favorable reviews!

Also receiving good reviews were the soups at lunch. A couple of miles west of Marblemount we stopped for lunch - soup & pie. I had chile & onions. It hit the spot.
Now for that after lunch siesta ... well, maybe next time.

The ride from Marblemount to Concrete on SR-20 was generally pretty nice. Most of the time the rumble strips were a nice addition, but there were a few instances where the construction crews must have been asleep on the machine. To the right was one example where there is no way that this could be within specifications. Arghh!

Well, once we got past Concrete the rumble strips were behind us and it was chip seal instead. It actually wasn't too bad as it was fairly old so it had been packed down. Still, the riding surface on SR-9 was a welcome change. Mike and I rode ahead of the others at this point. Towards the south end of Big Lake there was a serious accident ... two fire trucks, two aid cars, and a rescue truck were all at the scene. As we past, a police unit arrived and must have closed the road. Don, Pam, Chris, Shan, and Thai all had to backtrack and ride around the other side of the lake. Six bonus miles! Mike and I reached the end at 5 ... we had a tailgate party waiting for the others to pull in shortly after 6.

A nice day!

RUSA 320 Mountain Loop Highway

2008-09-18T13:47:00.000-07:00

Thursday ... not normally a long riding day, but the weather was going to be nice and the calendar was clear, so why not. The ride started in Snoqualmie and I took the counter-clockwise route. In retrospect, I think the clockwise approach is better, as that has the advantage of having the unpaved portion as a climb rather than a descent. I suspect that would be faster, at least for me, as I took it slow on the descent to stay in control on the dirt portion.

Not going to say much about the ride other than it was very enjoyable ... very little traffic on the Mountain Loop Highway and lots of greenery, mountains, and river views.

Mountain 600K: They're Miserable Dad!

2008-09-14T20:10:00.000-07:00

My daughter Jessica and I helped Ryan out at the Naches overnight control on the Mountain 600K this weekend. In addition to it being a nice time together I had hoped that she would get to understand a bit of the Rando experience … my family tends to think I’m a bit nuts and thought this might help give me some slack. So after the Control closed and we were in the car, I was curious about her observations. When she said “They’re miserable, Dad!” I went into denial.

Well, yes, they’re exhausted, physically drained, and some are in pain … feet, butt, muscles – there was a run on Ibuprofen…and I suppose many appear mentally wiped … some are almost catatonic, dazed. And yes, we’ve had at least three riders taken to the hospital on long brevets this year, including one at this overnight. So perhaps they appear miserable, but they’re not really … I’m not when I ride … or am I? Are we miserable? Why do we do this to ourselves? Is it “because it feels so good when we stop (well, not right away)?.”

I don’t think so.

I ride these long brevets because of the challenge – both physical and mental – and the adventure. I ride because of the beauty I get to see. I ride because of the camaraderie – the shared experiences, such as the ditch nap or Post Office snooze. I ride because it makes me feel good – in spite of the pain. I ride because it’s fun – and being a bit miserable is probably part of that in a perverse way. So, yes, I suppose they are miserable, but loving it!

100K Mountain Populaire

2008-09-07T13:41:00.000-07:00

The word Mountain in the name is a clue about this ride. While it doesn't really go up into the Mountains (i.e. Cascades or Olympics), it explores the "Issaquah Alps" ... the local hills such as Cougar Mountain and Tiger Mountain. There is plenty of climbing even though the maximum elevation is only about 1,200 feet. I had never ridden on a few of these roads ... they've inspired me to create a new Permanent "The 10 K" with lots of climbing over these hills and a few others.

It was a very enjoyable, albeit tiring ride!

Thanks Kent!

Mountain 600K Pre-ride: All Creatures Great and Small

2008-08-31T21:00:00.000-07:00

I pre-rode the Mountain 600K ride this Saturday and Sunday. Jan Heine and Ryan Hamilton put together what was billed as a "fitting finale to a season that carried the motto "Return to the Mountains"" and that "will challenge all riders". Seeing the course ... up to Paradise on Mt. Rainier (5,400 feet), up to Windy Ridge on Mt. St. Helens (4,035 feet), up White Pass (4,500 feet) , and up Chinook Pass (5,438 feet) ... it was clear they were succesful. The question was, was I up to the challenge? Could I do it within the 40 hour time limit?

I left Eatonville at 4:00 AM. I was well rested, having gone to bed at 5:30 PM, getting up at 2:00 AM. It was cool, but I was well dressed. A new pair of AmFib tights had arrived Friday afternoon, just in time for the ride ... they were warm and wind/rain proof, so I didn't need to bring rain pants. They turned out to be well worth the price.

I was doing the ride solo, but 45 minutes into the ride I had company. A car rode along side with the driver, a young woman, asking me what I was doing, where I was going, etc. After a few minutes, she left, but ten - fifteen minutes later she pulled up again, wanting to know more details. She stopped the car and, after a brief conversation, I took off again. Another ten - fifteen minutes and she showed up again ... promising she wasn't stalking me! Another brief conversation and I left. Fortunately a little later the route took a side road, Mt. Tahoma Canyon Road, so if she was still looking for me she didn't find me!

The first control of the ride was at the Paradise Visitor Center - 5,400 feet up. It had been misting for the past several miles and was foggy. I rode up to the entrance and ... it was closed. It was just after 8:00 AM and the sign said they opened at 10:00. Not a good sign. I tried the door and it was open. Actually, they were open ... at least the climbing desk was ... the store/visitor center part didn't open till 10:00. That was fine with me. I was soon on my way.

The ride down from Paradise was chilly and wet. A badger (or something like that) ran across my path, yipping all the way, less than a mile from the top. After the long climb up I was a bit disappointed that I couldn't let it rip on the way down, but the scenery was so beautiful that I enjoyed it anyway.

Before I knew it, it was a little after 10:00 and I was in Packwood. Along with everyone else. They were having Packwood Days or something like that. There were booths up and down US-12 and lots of folks out for the day. One advantage of that was the Shell station had someone outside making sure no one parked there without going to the store. I made a snap decision and had him sign the card and left without getting any supplies ... the next control was only 16 miles away.

At Randle, the next control, I resupplied and prepared for the climb up to Windy Ridge on Mt. St Helens, 33 miles ahead. The past thirty miles had been basically downhill, but now the tables were turned and it was uphill. Between the change in grade and the warming of the day, it was time to take off the tights and jacket. Ten miles from the control was the turn to FR-26 ... but there was a sign saying the road was closed due to washout 14 miles ahead. Oh shucks! I knew that FR-99 (the last road to Windy Ridge) was closed to cars, but the route sheet doesn't say anything about this. I wasn't about to ride 14 miles uphill just to find out if it was passable or not. Since the planned route was to go up FR-26, join FR-99 to Windy Ridge, then come back via FR-99 and FR-25, I decided to go up FR-25 and then hopefully find a ranger or someone to find out if 26 was passable. So up I went.

While I have seen pictures of Mt. St Helens before, I had never been there. Pictures don't do it justice. The power that was unleashed to wipe out the miles and miles of trees must have been amazing. It was nice to have miles of road closed to cars, but the condition of the road precluded letting it rip on the downhills - there were periodic cracks in the road, boulders, landslides, etc. I made it to Windy Ridge by about 3:30 PM. It was windy (maybe that's where the name comes from), and there were threatening clouds, so I took a couple pictures and left.

I did run into a few bikers and asked them if 26 was passable ... they said it was, so I headed that way. They were right. I was able to make it through, but there were several patches of gravel, bushes overgrowing the already narrow road, and one complete washout. The picture shows the washout, taken towards the way the riders will be coming from. For them it will be at the bottom of a downhill, so hopefully they will take it easy on the way down so they can stop in time! After that the roads were better, albeit with a few short patches of gravel, and I was rolling down the mountain ... enjoying the scenery and the grade!

I rolled into Packwood again at 7:00 PM. I was just about half-way done ... two of the four climbs and 180 of the 380 miles done. Sunset was just before 8 and it was going to be sixty some miles over White Pass with no services until the next control. So I ate a sub sandwhich, called home to check in, prepared my second bottle of multi-hour Sustained Energy, and got ready for night time riding. Forty-five minutes later, I headed out.

A few miles outside of town I saw a pair of elk alongside the road. They stared at me as I stopped and took a picture ... which only shows a pair of eyes and an outline of the two ... oh well, it was dusk after all. Then the climbing started. On the Cascade 1200, when I climbed White Pass in the 90 degree heat, I had to stop several times. Tonight was not nearly so bad ... not as hot, for sure. It was a slow and steady climb. The sky was clear and the stars vivid. What a wonderful opportunity to be here! Several times I saw little field mice running along the road, caught in my bike light. When I finally made it to the top, while I had been comfortably warm, I soon chilled. I put on my hat, gloves, and the tights back on. Just after the top I startled a skunk ...it was less than ten feet away from me with its business end pointed at me. As we left each other's company, I sniffed ... did it spray me? If it did, it must have missed me due to the wind. That's a relief!

In seven miles is one of the turns that is easy to miss ... and at this point I had turned off my Garmin GPS as it was just about at the end of the regular battery life. I've made this turn before, but it wasn't dark then. I figured by watching the mileposts I could estimate where it would be and would be okay. I found it and then turned on the GPS to confirm. Dead battery, so I went to the backup battery charger ... which has to be connected while it charges, so isn't a great setup, as I don't have it charging on the bike mount, but in the bento bag. Still, I was able to use it periodically over the next twelve miles of winding roads to confirm I was on the right one. Being in the middle of the mountains, in the middle of the night, in the cold, it was very reassuring.

Soon I was back on US-12 with a clear cut route down the mountain to the next control in Naches. The question was would there be anything open? While I probably had enough food and water to go through, it would be better to resupply and would be nice to rest a bit ... it was another eighty miles or so to the next confirmed set of services in Greenwater.

I pulled into Naches just after 2 AM and there was an open Shell Station mini-mart. They even had some bananas - no chairs though. I resupplied and asked if there was a Post Office nearby ... there was just a few blocks away on 3rd street. So I headed there and went inside. Warmth! The wind was howling outside, but I was able to sit and rest for a bit on a bench. Didn't sleep, but refreshing nonetheless. Eatonville wasn't getting any closer as I sat there, so at 3 AM I decided it was time to go. I had caught myself wanting to drift off a couple of times before Naches, so I took a caffeine pill to guard against nodding off while I was riding.

The route out of town was along the back roads, and on a couple of gravel roads (which will be changed for the regular ride). The howling wind, which had helped push me the last few miles into Naches, was no help as I headed back into the mountains. It didn't stop me, but did blow me to the side a few times. Fortunately it didn't blow for all that long - ten miles or so at most - and I was able to make steady progress.

Dawn soon arrived. I made it to the Shell station at Cliffdell at 5:45 AM, but they didn't open until 6:00 AM, so I continued on. It was only 27 miles to the top of Chinook Pass, but I didn't get there till 9:00 AM. Aside from the last five miles, it was relatively easy riding - not fast, but very enjoyable. A few deer saw me and then bounded away. Wish I had their energy! The last five miles or so were tiring ... not that they were all that steep, but steeper and it was the fourth major climb and my legs let me know it. Fortunately there were only four major climbs and soon that was history! At the top there were a few snowflakes and then the descent.

After a few miles of descending I had cold rain in my face, but that only lasted twenty minutes or so and I was able to make steady progress. At Greenwater it was time (past time!) for a good breakfast, so I pulled into Buzzy's Cafe and had a great breakfast of bacon, eggs, and hash browns. Really hit the spot. Left there about 11:30.

A monsoon shower struck when I got to Buckly. What a downpour! Glad I had my new tights. It poured until I got to the next control in Wilkeson, mile 347. I stopped at the first opportunity, a gas station that is usually closed on Sundays but was open because the owner was painting. While I was there it stopped, so I headed out quickly. The route from here to 162 was one I hadn't been on before ... and turns out to be a figment in the Microsoft Streets & Trips imagination. After a mile or two of wandering unsigned, hilly, gravel and pothole laiden back roads I came to a dead-end. I was at the right place ... the gps showed the intersection, but the connecting road was down a hilly, wooded path/driveway with a security camera on it. That's why we pre-ride. This is not a route we'll take. So I got a few bonus miles.

Soon I was back on track and headed down the last 20 miles to Eatonville. I finally made the last turn off of Orville Road onto 161. I had been dreading this hill for a while ... and had decided I'd walk it. So I got off and started walking up. What a pain! So I got back on the bike and rode to the end, arriving at 5:00 PM. I had made it! 380 miles, four major climbs, in 37 hours. Yes, I was tired, but it had been well worth it.

SIR Fall 400K Revisited ... Certifiable ?

2008-08-23T21:38:00.000-07:00

Well, not a complete revisit of the 400K. With the Green Hornet in the shop getting checked out after my Tuesday morning upclose inspection of the bridge deck on Baker Lake Road, I didn't have the right lighting setup for extended night riding, so I couldn't do the full ride. However, I figured out I could ride to about Sedro Woolley before it got to dark. So I drove to Sedro Woolley this morning, getting there about 6:15, then rode to Arlington where I met up with the riders, then rode with them from there back to Sedro Woolley. I figure I got in about 255K of the 400K. It was a fantastic ride - at least my portion.

The forecast was for a nice day ... in the 70's ... and it didn't disappoint. Lots of blue sky, a few high clouds, warm but not hot, and a bit of a breeze. The kind of day that helps make the mountains stand out that much more ... the green greener and the snowcaps whiter. While the ride from Arlington to Darrington, then Marblemount, then Concrete was very enjoyable on the pre-ride, since we did that stretch in the dark, we missed out on the scenery. Revisiting the ride today during daylight hours would have been worth it for the scenery alone.

There was a tragic note to this part of the ride, as the road between Darrington and Rockport was closed due to a fatal traffic accident. Most of the riders were permitted to get through the closure by walking their bikes through the ditch to get around the accident scene. However, a few were diverted along the Concrete-Sauk road and ended up with adjusted routes.

I rode from Arlington to Darrington with Joe Llona. Along with Mike Richeson, we had ridden last fall's 1000K preride together, so it was nice to ride together again. From Darrington to Marblemount, I rode with Mike ... and we caught up with Matt. Aside from the accident, it was a pleasant ride.

At Marblemount, we stopped and ate a bit of lunch ... several other riders joined us ... Joe, Andy, Ole, Frank, and Sharon Stevens from Texas. We ate in the shade as it was too warm in the sun ... at least for this almost native northwesterner. Knowing what was ahead of us, we didn't want to sit too long, so Mike, Sharon, and I headed out towards Concrete.

We quickly made it to Concrete, where we turned off and headed towards ... the hill. Having ridden it earlier in the week I knew what we were in store for. However, since we had done it in the dark and fog, I didn't know what it looked like. In the daylight it was more intimidating. The one bright spot was there was less gravel - 4 more days of traffic had packed it down a bit more. My Garmin Edge 705 recorded the climb ... the initial mile or so was generally 11-13 % grade, getting up to 15/16 % occasionally ... and looking at the elevation profile afterwards was entertaining ... it looked like a wall. Nonetheless, we did finally make it to the top. Afterwards it was suggested that anyone (i.e. me) who would knowingly do this hill twice must be certifiably insane. My only defense was I had landed on my head (in part) earlier in the week.

Once we got past the hill, the rest of the way up to Baker Lake was quite enjoyable. I rode much of the way with Sharon from Texas, who was up in the Seattle area visiting her sister and mother. The scenery ... the lush, green forest, the snow caped mountains ... and the sounds ... the babbling brooks and cascading creeks, along the otherwise quiet, smooth, and shady road were definitely enjoyed. The bridge where I crashed on Tuesday was not nearly as intimidating dry and during daylight ... I wondered how I had managed to find the gap and fall in? In any case I easily avoided the gap today.

We made it to Baker Lake Resort, but I almost didn't recognize the place. 7:30 AM on Tuesday it had been almost deserted. Saturday afternoon it was packed ... practically wall-to-wall. I can understand why, as the weather was perfect as was the setting, but it was quite the contrast. As Randannours are want to do, we sat and ate ... although not for long. While there were going to be a few hills on the way back to SR-20, for the most part they were downhill!

The ride from Baker Lake to SR-20 and then Sedro Woolley was fairly easy (aside from an occasional annoying head wind on 20) and took a couple of hours. Sharon and I pulled into the AM/PM, joining Mike, Joe, Andy, Oley, and Frank. I was done, but they were soon preparing for night riding, as dusk and then night would soon be approaching. Then we were off ... they headed off towards Arlington, I went to my car. I wasn't done yet though ... it was time to find Dairy Queen ! I found one in Mt.Vernon and celebrated a great day of riding with a Cherry Blizzard.

SIR Fall 400K Pre-ride: Lions & Tigers & Bears! Oh My!

2008-08-19T19:47:00.000-07:00

What a ride! Yes, there were Lions, and Tigers, and Bears! Oh My! ... well, sort of anyway. I was laying (Lion) stunned on the bridge deck. Mark Thomas was wrestling like a Tiger to free my bike from the bridge's grasp, and we saw a bear and could have been right up next to another one. Oh My ... well that's the short version of what Dorothy (my wife) is going to say. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

I had been planning to ride the 1000K at the end of this week, but had been vacilating ... hadn't signed up for it yet and I really didn't want to miss two days of work this week. When I got back from riding to Sunrise on Mt.Rainier this Sunday, there was an e-mail from Mark Thomas ... did anyone want to pre-ride the 400K with him ... starting Monday night. This was the answer to my dilema ... with a little juggling I was set.

We took off right around 8:00 PM. The forecast was for occasional showers, with a low of about 59. Not the best forecast, but it could be a lot worse. It was nice to start off with a bit of light ... easier to get settled in for the ride that way. But the light didn't last long ... it was dark before we hit Snohomish. From Snohomish we took the Centennial Trail. A nice way to ride in the dark ... no traffic to worry about, no glass, and no potholes. While it wasn't raining per se, it was misting a lot ... sometimes quite a bit. Had to keep wiping the glasses and definately needed the rain jacket.

The scenery on the Darrington - Marblemount - Baker Lake portion of the ride is fantastic ... you will enjoy it a lot. We, however, didn't get to see it - it was dark and cloudy - even a bit rainy and foggy at times also. The riding was fantastic. The stretch from Darrington to Marblemount was especially pleasurable ... quiet (only two cars the whole stretch), with easy riding ...downhill or practically flat (all except that one uphill about 2/3rds the way up Rockport-Cascade Road, right where the dog comes out and chases you as you start up the hill). Now Mark had advertised "Breakfast in Marblemount ... but at 3:30 AM nothing was open, so breakfast choices were somewhat limited ... you'll have better luck I'm sure. We were blessed with a secret control staffed by Dan Turner - some food and beverages that really helped ... thanks Dan!

Leaving Concrete to head to Baker Lake was the most memorable hill climbing experience I think I've ever had - Burbee Hill Road. First of all, it was steep - over 10 % grade much of the way. And this isn't a short little climb ... think Everready - it keeps going, and going, and going! Steep by itself isn't that big a deal. Throw in fresh oil and gravel and you've got some fun. Think loose gravel, with piles in places! We had the pleasure of doing this in the dark, with fog - thick fog. I was concerned about going over the edge ... I think there was an edge there somewhere ... as we weaved back and forth, trying to make headway and keep some traction. We could have passed within a few feet of a bear and never known it.

The ride desciption calls this "a really nice road featured on one of our Permanents". All I can say is if this is nice I don't want to see a bad one. On the other hand, perhaps they were referencing Baker Lake Road, which you take from the end of Burbee Hill road to Baker Lake Resort. The ride back down to 20 on Baker Lake Road from the Burbee Hill Road intersection is awesome !

On the way up, we did finally make it up Burbee Hill Road and turned onto Baker Lake Road for the ramining 14 miles or so. A little more than half way up a bridge had been washed out and is being replaced with a temporary one. There are warning signs ... Motorcycles use extreme caution. I was a bozo. I didn't make the connection that if motorcycles (with two wheels) need to be extra careful, perhaps bicycles (also with two wheels) need to be extra careful also. While I slowed some, I didn't slow enough. The temporary bridge deck was built of wood. It had been raining ... wood was wet ... wood was slick. The wood structure has some dips in it ... especially along the right hand side as you travel uphill. I wanted to avoid the dips, so I shifted slightly (had to avoid sudden changes due to the wood being slick). Oops. There are gaps between the timbers. Oh $#%&! my wheel is falling in ... I fly over the handlebars, land on my chest and chin. I am laying there stunned. I take inventory and fortunately I am basically okay ... a few scrapes on my chin, my wrist, my knee ... and a sore jaw and chest. My bike ... looks okay, but is wedged in pretty good. Mark struggles mightily with it ...like a tiger, but eventually frees it. I ask him to check it out ... I'm still a bit dazed and am focused on making sure I'm really all in one piece. Mark tests out the bike ... the wheels turn .. nothings bent ... looks like we're in business. Good thing too, since we are in the middle of nowhere with no cell reception.

After a few minutes to recover, we press on. We eventually make it to Baker Lake Resort ... no restaurant. Darn, we had been hoping for a nice breakfast. Also, the Store was closed (will be open on Sat though). There is a pop machine ... some caffeine would be helpful. I don't realize that all the good selections are sold out until after I put my money in. Oh well. On the way out I take a picture of the lake. There are a couple of pretty decent climbs on the way down to SR-20 ... two climbs of about 300 feet each, although relatively gradual 4 to 7-8 % grades. And we do see a bear on the way down!

We finally had breakfast around 10:00 AM ... in Lyman, 9 miles before Sedro Wooley. There were several customers there, but there were more flies than customers. I was a bit worried. However, when the food arrived it was good ... plentiful and filling. Just what we needed.

The rest of the ride was pretty uneventful. While we had made pretty good time up until Concrete, we were slowiing down noticeably as the day wore on ... the lack of sleep and the miles were catching up to us. The last stretch was particuarly challenging ... Woodinville - Duvall Road during rush hour ! and then the last hill up to Mark's house ... with grades of 13- 16 %. We made it to the end at 6:30 PM ... 22 hours and 40 minutes. Not a particularly fast ride, but we did it!

While I definitely enjoyed the ride itself (aside from the bridge fiasco), hopefully the ride itself will be enhanced ...we made numerous refinements to the route sheet and a few to the route itself. And you've been forewarned about the dangerous bridge (look at the route sheet for specific location).

RUSA 243 Sunrise Climb

2008-08-17T12:43:00.000-07:00

I was feeling a bit guilty for missing the RUSA 10th Anniversary ride yesterday, but in much better shape after a day of recovery. I really had planned on riding yesterday, but I just didn't recover fast enough from Friday's ride.

I headed out to Black Diamond to start the ride early, leaving the first control about 6:15. It was about 70 and a bit muggy already, but that was much cooler than the past few days have been, so it felt pretty nice. It stayed nice like that almost the whole ride. There were scatterrd clouds along with blue sky, but fortunately the clouds hid the sun almost the whole time. For much of he way between Enumclaw and Greenwater, there was a pretty decent headwind ... with luck it will hold for the way back!

In the picture to the right, where a large stream joins the White River, you can see why they call it the White River ...

I made it to the White River Ranger station by 10:30 and started the long grind up, reaching the top right about noon. While it sure takes a while to get up there, the views along the way and up at the top sure make it worthwhile. The picture to the left shows some lava flows seen on the ride up; the one below shows the view from the 6100 foot viewpoint looking away from Mt.Rainier.

The ride back down was a blast. Not racing down, but simply enjoying the ride. The last few times I've ridden along 410 headed towards Enumclaw there has been a headwind that was just strong enough to shave a few mph off the ride ... not today. While there wasn't a strong headwind, it was either calm or perhaps just a little tailwind. In any case it was great! Temperatures were nice until I hit Enumclaw, which was very hot and very, very muggy. Got back to Black Diamond a bit before 4:00 PM. A very enjoyable ride!

RUSA 341 Leschi - North Bend - Leschi

2008-08-15T12:41:00.000-07:00

While I had been on a few short rides (15 miles) over the past three weeks, may lack of riding was getting to me. Even though I would be able to ride the RUSA 10th anniversary ride the next day, I couldn't wait. The stars were lining up and I could get a ride in on Friday. Yes!

I needed to come up with a new information control question for the Leschi - North Bend - Leschi ride as there had been some changes at the Nestle Regional Training Center - now Camp Korey at Carnation Farms. The old question no longer worked. So the specific ride was decided.

Since it was going to be a hot day, I figured I'd start early to take advantage of the cooler temps in the AM. I rode to the start - five miles or so - and started riding just after 6 AM. Boy,, it sure felt good to be back on the bike again. I was soon on the Burke Gilman, heading north. Around Sand Point a bunch of riders came onto the trail - turns out today is the start of the RSVP ride and they use the Burke Gilman and part of the Samamish River trail ... so I had plenty of company for quite a while. They turned off in Woodinville. I kept going and made pretty good time - it was great riding conditions.

Avondale Road, Novelty Hill, West Samamish Valley Road all zipped by pretty quickly (well, I suppose the hill part of Novelty Hill Road wasn't all that fast). Pretty soon I was at Carnation Farms, or what was the Nestle Training facility, but now is Camp Korey at Carnation Farms. While not a lot of changes from the road, the old info control questions definately no longer worked - so I came up with some new ones ... you'll have to go on the ride to find out what they are!

While the temperatures were warming up, the riding was still pretty comfortable as I climbed up to Snoqualmie Falls and headed towards North Bend ... this is such a pretty ride, especially along here. At North Bend I grabbed a quick bite qnd drink at QFC, then headed back towards Fall City. The lack of riding and the heat were catching up to me as I climbed up from Fall City towards Issaquah ... I definately slowed down. I appreaciated all the trees along the Issaquah - Fall City road ... and bemoaned the lack of them along the climb up Highlands Drive.

The rest of the ride was pretty uneventful ... and hot. The lady at the Shell station in Maple Valley offered me some water as I purchased some gatorade, commenting that she was concerned I was going to pass out due to the heat and she was going to have to give me mouth to mouth. Then she talked about how she would run around on the lava flows in Hawaii with her top off. It was time for me to go ...

RUSA 126 RAMROD

2008-07-19T18:57:00.001-07:00

Back in the 80's, when I rode the STP several times as my big bike adventures, finally working up to doing it in one day, I heard about RAMROD. Riding Around Mt Rainier in One Day. Wow. Those guys must be nuts I thought. I'll never do that...I could probably never do that!

Since I've crossed over to the dark side ... actively randonneuring ... and definitely a bit on the nuts side myself, it has become time to challenge the perception that RAMROD is something I couldn't do. Mark Thomas and several others did the RAMROD Permanent in mid June. I was out of town and couldn't join them, but it planted the seed. They came up with a few tweaks to the course that I finally got around to making to the official Permanent route on Friday. There were a couple of minor questions to resolve before I could finalize them. So, time to ride!

While the Permanent isn't exactly the Redmond Cycle Club official ride, in effect it is the same thing - a one day ride around Mt. Rainier ... roughly 150 miles on the same roads. Lots of climbing ... up to Paradise Lodge at 5,400 feet and Cayuse Pass at 4,675 feet.

I wasn't sure what to expect. While I've ridden most of the roads, I hadn't been up to Paradise in years, don't recall ever having gone between Paradise and 123 on the east side, and have only gone up 123 to Cayuse Pass once - earlier this year on the 600K. The official RAMROD ride starts at 4:30, although folks can start later than that. I decided to maximize my daylight hours ... I'd get up at 4:00 and shoot to be in Enumclaw and ready to ride around 5:30.

I started pedaling at about 5:25. The weather forecast was right on ... at least to start... morning clouds. They were to burn off and then the day would end up in the mid 70's ... lots of blue sky. I didn't see the sun until I was in Mt.Rainier Park ... perhaps 10:15 or so. The clouds were heavy ... and brought Seattle rain ... a light mist ... with them for part of the ride from Eatonville to Elbe or so. Actually it was quite pleasant.

Traffic and roads were pretty good. There were some signs for a Route 162 Detour in Buckley, but no warnings about a road closure. A couple miles later, at the intersection of 162 and 165, the road was closed. Bummer. I went up and asked a worker if I could get through and he said he'd check, as they were just finishing up. A minute or two later, I was on my way ... even though the road was still "closed". That was close ... I really didn't want to have to backtrack and go some extra miles on a detour!

I made decent time from the start to the park entrance, getting there shortly after 9:15 AM ... slightly over 15 mph. The next part, up to Paradise, was much slower ... lots of climbing, but not all that steep. I stopped and took pictures along the way ... that's part of my excuse for taking longer. The mountain, the streams & falls were all gorgeous. Aside from a couple of deer outside South Prairie, no wildlife though.

When I got to Paradise ... 11:15 or so ... there was a fair amount of construction activity evident and lots of cars/people in the parking lot. I had a sandwich & soda from the cafe at the lodge, then headed down. For some reason going downhill is so fun! I did stop at take some more pictures though.

There was more climbing that I had expected between Paradise and 123. I had naively expected/hoped it would be pretty much all downhill. A lot was, but not as much as I wanted. There was a lot of construction on 123 up to and just beyond Cayuse Pass ... many places where the road had been torn up for 25-75 yards or so to be repaved. It will be nice when it's done, but was a bit of a pain. Still, I was at the top of Cayuse and headed down before I knew it.

I knew that Joe Llona was riding the Sunrise Permanent and thought that I had a chance of running into him on 410. Sure enough, shortly after Greenwater, he caught up with me and we rode into Enumclaw together. It was nice to see him again ... and thank him again for all those ice socks on the Cascade 1200!

I pulled into Safeway in Enumclaw at about 4:45 ... 11 hours and 20 minutes to do the 151 miles and 9,000 feet of climbing. Much better than I had expected.

And then to Dairy Queen for my Cherry Blizzard!

R.I.P.

2008-07-12T20:01:00.000-07:00

It served me well, but it has reached the end of its useful life.

My bike seat.

Not quite sure when I got it, but I know I put it on the Green Hornet shortly after I got the bike last February (2007). Since then I've used it to ride across the country, ride around Lake Superior, the Cascade 1200, plus numerous Brevets and Permanents. It served me well. I began to take it for granted. Mistake. As you can see, it is coming apart and must be replaced. I took it off the bike last night and need to deep 6 it.

I put a new bike seat on last night ... but judging by the results of today's ride (Permanent 241 - Crystal Mtn Climb), I need to find a replacement. While not a picture of me, I think you get the idea ...I should have remembered that there was a reason that the bike seat I put on last night ... the one that came with the bike ... wasn't on the bike. Memories are short (at least mine are).

Besides the one that I put on last night ... which is coming off tonight! ... I found at least five other old bike seats in the garage (not on bikes) that I need to check out before deciding to part with the green stuff and get a new one (perhaps one just like the one that worked so well?). At least the bike seat lasted through my Lake Superior ride and most of the Cascade 1200.

RUSA 241 Crystal Mtn Climb

2008-07-12T19:20:00.000-07:00

Back on the bike.

It was time to get back in the saddle. After the 600K, riding around lake Superior, and the Cascade 1200, I needed a bit of a break from the bike. More specifically, my butt needed some recovery time. Ten days off the bike, other than a quick 15 mile ride around MI, was enough time. Being a bit of a glutton for punishment and wanting to get in a 200K ride to keep the R-12 string going, I decided to skip the 100K Populaire and get some more miiles/climbing in. Since I hadn't riden the Crystal Mtn Climb before, it seemed like a reasonable choice.

Since it was going to be warm, an early start was in order ... I got to the Kent QFC and hit the road by 6:30 AM. The initial part of the ride was quite pleasant - still cool, so I put leg warmers and my jacket on ... yes, I'm a wimp. The ride on Lake Sawyer Road was new to me and quite pleasant, as was the ride through Black Diamond ... the smells from the bakery were verrry tempting, but I resisted. The Green River Gorge was quiet ... no traffic at all other than one cyclist who passed me by. I reached the Cumberland Grocery - the first control of the day - and had a V-8. The cashier was friendly and we chatted about the weather and their broken a/c. It was time to take the jacket and leg warmers off ... and put sun screen on. Then the road beckoned and I was off.

I hadn't brought a lot of food for today's ride ... not quite sure why, but I ate my last banana and second to last breakfast bar before riding past Greenwater. Blue sky, green trees & mountains .l.. gorgeous riding. Lots of motercycles and cars on the road today. Then finished my last breakfast bar before the turnoff to Crystal. The ride up was faster than I expected - not because I was fast ... I wasn't, but because it really isn't that much of a climb. Six miles to the lodge. The first 3 miles or so were a 6 % grade that I plodded along at 6 mph, then much less of a grade for most of the rest.

I was at the top before noon (not much before) and found an open restaurant. The food was pretty good - I had a Philly sandwich, but the rest of the patrons were somewhat annoying. I don't like stereotyping, but they were motorcyclists and were drinking (Bloody Marys, ice tea & vodka, etc.) and swearing up a storm. I was glad to get out of there.

The ride down and then back to Greenwater was slower than I expected. Part of it was my not being able to find a comfortable way to sit on the bike (new bike seat and my butt probably hadn't fully recovered from prior rides), but part was a bit of a headwind. While the wind on the way up wasn't much of a factor, it tended to be a headwind then too ... why did it shift? Oh well.

After a short stop at Greenwater for a V-8 and some Gatorrade, I was back on the bike. Soon a rider caught up with me and we chatted most of the rest of the way until I turned off at Mud Mountain Rd. Thinking of the experience of Bob B and crew a few weeks back on the roda I was a bit apprehensive, but the ride down was uneventful. I soon was in Burnett for the final control of the day. After that it was a short 21 miles to the end, reaching there by 5:15 PM ... again uneventful and quite pleasant aside from the brief stint on 410 (traffic) and then the ride up to get out of the Green River Gorge (quite a hill).

Since there is a Dairy Queen a short ways from the end, I headed over and ghad a Cherry Blizard with Chocolate Chunks. Yumm!

Note to self - change the route to/from the start ... the current route is way more convuluted than it needs to be. It should go straight to/fom Wax Rd from QFC.

Cascade 1200: Living the Dream !

2008-07-02T10:19:00.000-07:00

What a glorious time !

Where to start?

The first is to recognize the organizers - Mark Roehrig, Don Boothby, and Joe Llona, along with RBA Mark Thomas, and the numerous SIR volunteers ... too many to name, but each and every one very much appreciated. You made the ride! Thank You!

Then some background - what is the Cascade 1200? It is a 772 mile (1240K)ride over four days (93 hours) through Washington state put on by SIR - Seattle International Randonneurs. It starts east of Seattle in Monroe, goes down Western Washington to US-12, where it goes over the Cascade Mountains via White Pass, overnights in Naches, goes back up into the Cascades, then back down and then east of Yakima, north up in eastern Washington to an overnight in Quincy, then on day three from Quincy over Loop Loop pass to an overnight in Mazama, then on day four over the gorgeous North Cascades Highway, returning to Monroe. It is not for the casual cyclist! 17 of 57 1200 riders DNF'd.

Waiting for the ride to start is one of the hardest parts ... but finally it is time to go. What next? Not more than half a mile down the road ... a train! More waiting.

THE HARDEST PARTS OF THE RIDE

Day 1 - Climbing up White Pass in the heat

I'm from Seattle. If it gets to 75, I start whining about the heat. I love to ride when it is in the 50's. On Saturday, by the time we got to Randle on US-12 (mile 142) at about 3:00 PM it was in the 90's. Joe and son Jesse were there at the secret control with water and ice socks. What is an ice sock you may ask? It is simply a sock filled with ice. You put it on the back of your neck and it cools you down as it melts. You can ride with it to keep you from overheating. I had never experienced one before ... thought it was a bit weird, but I am here to tell you it is better than sliced bread! The catch is on a day like today it only lasts for about 10 miles. It was gone before I got to Packwood. 17 miles up the road.

When I got to Packwood, I went into the convenience store, bought a cold drink, some gatorade, some water, and ice to refill the sock. The clerk asked me to take a drink before paying ... I was so shaky. A volunteer (sorry, forgot her name) refilled my Camelback and topped off my other water bottles while I caught my breath ... stopped shaking ... and then headed up US-12 to White Pass - another 20 miles up the road. I would have loved to sit a while longer, but I firmly believe in minimizing time at the controls ... I may not be a fast rider, but I'm a persistent rider.

Anyway, the ice sock ran out before the mountain did. I kept going for a while longer, but with perhaps 7-8 miles to go I simply had to stop and recover some. I found some shade and sat down, eating, drinking, and recovering for 5 minutes or so. I felt so much better, but enough of that. Back to the bike. Another couple of miles and an SIR Oasis! It wasn't a mirage, it was Don Boothby with water, watermelon, and more ice. I was saved! While I didn't sit down, I restocked and left refreshed and renewed. Still, there was a long ways to go, and the heat wore me down before I made it to the top. Then I picked up a hitchhiker. A bee started crawling around the visor on my helmet, right in front of my eyes. I didn't want to try and swat it - hard to do when you're plodding up a hill - and certainly didn't want to annoy it and get stung! I'll just ignore it. A few minutes later and it departs.

One more stop by the side of the road to catch my breath - renew my energy - with a couple of miles to go and then on to the top. I made it to the top just after 7 PM. I had passed two cars broken down along the side of the road - they had overheated - I had survived!

From the top it was a short eleven miles to the SIR control at Clear Lake, where SIR volunteers Dave & Cathi Read and Mike Norman gave me some soup and revitalized me. A short while later I was on my way to the overnight control at Naches Middle School - 35 miles down the road. As I got ready for a refreshing ... and much needed ... shower, I noticed how my black riding shorts were covered with white streaks - all the salt I had sweated out. It was a good thing I had been taking the electrolyte tablets along the way!

Day 2 - Yakima to Mattawa in the heat

I had left the overnight control - Naches Middle School - at about 3:45 AM. I wasn't sleeping well at all and decided to get some riding in while it was relatively cool (at least not hot). Sleeping in a sleeping bag on wrestling mats in a sweltering gym with a bunch of other people was not one of the high points for me. However, the advantage was I made it to the Fruitvale control just as it started getting really hot - almost half of the days riding down.

After a lunch at Subway, I headed out into the heat ... water topped off and ice sock filled. First comes almost eight miles on the Yakima Greenway trail, avoiding riding through the town itself. I don't avoid a snake in the middle of the path though - not sure if it was dead or alive. The bike path ends and I am ready to leave Yakima and head into the nothingness of eastern Washington's heat on SR-24. Fortunately Joe and son Jesse had just pulled in to set up a stop - and refilled my ice sock. I was set. No stores until Mattawa, 58 miles away. Two possible water stops. It was at least in the 90's.

Maybe ten miles later, with my ice sock basically gone, I passed Charlie White, who was off the road cooling off under a great big crop irrigation sprinkler. I lasted a couple more miles, then decided to try it myself. Heaven! Cold and refreshing. Only takes a minute, but what a lift. Then back to the bike. A few miles later - totally dry again and starting to melt - time to find another sprinkler. Unfortunately there weren't too many along the way, but soon there was an SIR oasis. Bob Brudvick and Erik Anderson were there with water, ice, and beverages. With a tent and chairs - shade! How heavenly. But enough of that ... back to the bike. Another 14-15 miles to the Vernita Rest area and water. No irrigation sprinklers along the way, but they were watering the grass at the rest area. What a simple pleasure. And such a relief. The catch with this place is it was across the river from "the hill". Written up in the pre-ride, we knew we had a grueling challenge ahead of us. Not easy to rest with that staring at us. So back to the bike.

A mile ride to the bottom of the hill. It is easily 100 degrees in the shade ... but there is no shade. The sun has been beating on the pavement all day and it is baking. If one could fry an egg on the pavement, today would surely be the day. This is not a gentle grade. It is a 10 % grade. Steep. I contemplate walking up the hill. But no. I'm going to ride up the hill. Not quickly. No attacking this hill. It is putting it in the granny gear and slowly, persistently climbing. Progress. Simply making progress. Making it to the top before melting ... fainting. Heat exhaustion ... heat stroke ... these are definite possibilities. Drink water ... more water ... keep pedaling ... a few more turns of the crank. Soon I'm well on the way up ... and I can see a rider down below, having crossed the bridge and headed for the hill. I've made progress and then ... I'm to the top. Success!

But what's next? I look ahead and there is basically just five miles or so of sagebrush, flat, gentle rolling hills, with some crops way up ahead. A derelict car of the side of the road. Hot. Dry. Can I make it another 12 miles to the next control - Mattawa? I think I have enough water, but it is so hot. I begin to wonder about heat exhaustion. I know I can't last much longer like this. And then ... irrigation sprinklers! I'm saved! I pull over, get off my bike, walk into the field, and under the sprinkler. What relief! It doesn't take long and I'm feeling renewed. So back to the bike. A couple miles more ... a couple more irrigation showers. Then the final turn before the control ... only seven more miles. I can make it!

Mike Norman, son Bennett and friend Kendal, have just set up a control and provide food, drink, and especially ice. I think I'll live.

From Mattawa to the overnight control in Quincy was another 41 miles. With the help of the ice sock and a refill at a store along the way, Charlie White and I made it in before dark. Eamon Stanley fixed up my bike ... it had been giving me trouble with the chain skipping along the way. His fixes made the next two days much easier.

Day 3 - Loop Loop Pass Climb

Charlie White and I left Quincy at about 2:45 AM. We had ridden in together shortly before 9:00 PM and decided that getting in as much riding during the "cool" morning hours was our best bet. We made it to Ephrata about 4:00 AM - it was a chilly? 82 degrees. We rode through the Coulee to Dry Falls, arriving there a little while after Mark Thomas set up the secret control with water and a few snacks. A pause to rest after the climb ... a little while earlier we had been down by the water.

A bit of high clouds were just what the doctor ordered ... it stayed relatively cool - 80's? until after the Farmer control. It didn't really start to get really hot for us until we road down into Bridgeport at around mile 101. We stopped in Bridgeport for water, then had lunch at McDonalds in Brewster, filling up our ice socks before the 15 miles to Malott - the last control of the day prior to the overnight. Before we left McDonalds, Charlie had a conversation with a nice guy who was telling us about his son's fruit stand. He started giving Charlie directions to it, saying it was about twenty miles out of our way (each way) ... I'll take two cases of apples please, just put them on the back of the bike! Somehow we forgot to go there.

Charlie's plan was to rest in Malott for several hours (we got there a bit before 3:00 PM), letting it cool down a bit before tackling the climb. He'd done the ride a couple of times before, so knew what was ahead. After two nights of "sleeping" on gym floors, and knowing that there were real beds waiting for us in Mazama, I decided to go for it. It was "only" 17 miles to the top. Having left early, we were basically at the front edge of the SIR support ... the Malott control was not yet manned, so there might not be water stops along the way. Still, I can't rest knowing there is something to be done. So I filled up my Camelback with ice/water, filled up my water bottle, prepared the ice sock, and hit the road.

The first four miles were pretty reasonable ... hot for sure, but the ice sock was keeping that under control. I turned onto SR-20 and John Vincent drove past, asking if I wanted some ice. Most definitely. While I still had some, I knew it wouldn't last long. So John topped off the ice sock and then drove off. A quarter mile up the road I could see the climb really steepen - here we go. Hot and steep. What a lovely combination. It stayed that way for a mile or two ... hard to keep track of distances. Very little shade at this point in the climb. Eventually the grade lessened and then ... a downhill? Now rationally one realizes that going downhill when you are climbing up a pass isn't really a good thing, as it means you are going to have to go back up what you are now going down. However, it felt so good! But ... payback time soon arrives and we are back headed up the climb. The good news is that now we are in the trees so there is more shade. Still hot, but the occasional shade provides some relative relief. The ice sock is now history, but the Camelback provides relief, as the ice in it melts slowly, so the water is nice and cool. I drink plenty of it and soon I'm half way up. With maybe six - seven miles to go, Mark Roehrig drives by and stops, offering water and ice. As he fills up the ice sock, Joe drives by, stopping momentarily. He's going to set up a stop five miles from the top. I decide I don't need water at this point, I'll wait till Joe's water stop in a mile or two.

I head on and am counting down the two miles to go - could be less, but I'm being conservative and assuming the worst - two miles. The climb is slow ... 6 mph or so ... ten minutes per mile. I make it to 5 miles from the top ... no water stop. It should be soon though. Ten minutes later, four miles from the top ... still no water stop. I press on, but soon have to stop and rest for a minute. Then onward again... three mile to go, no stop. I have to rest again. Onward once more ... finally, about two miles from the top ... relief ... Joe and Jesse are there with water, V-8, and ice. I pull over, collapse into a chair and rest for a couple of minutes. They give me some fluids, fill up my ice sock and then send me on my way ... telling me there is 6-7 miles to the top. My gps is telling me only a couple ... I hope it is right. It is! A little more climbing and then ... the top. I've made it.

Near the top is a sign warning of hitting deer - how many have been hit so far this year, along with the $ in damages. From there it is a nice coast down to Twisp, although with the sign in mind I don't go quite as fast and am definately watching for a deer to pop out. I make it to Twisp at about 6:00 PM - without hitting a deer thank you. I get a cold drink, a cheese stick and some chips before laying out in the city park for a few minutes to rejuvenate. Then on to Winslow and finally Mazama. I see four deer crossing the the road between Winthrop and Mazama.

A little while after I get in - after a shower, some dinner, and of course some ice cream, as I lay there in a real bed (feels sooo good!), a thunderstorm rolls through - lots of lighting. Then the power goes out ...supposedly lighting struck a transformer. Then it starts to rain hard. I'm glad I decided not to wait in Malott.

Day 4 - Washington Pass Climb/Descent

The climb up Washington Pass was one of the hardest parts of the ride for me. Not because of the climb itself, but because I couldn't find a comfortable riding position. It is difficult to ride when one is squirming ... sitting on a bike seat for three days - and then the ten day ride around Lake Superior a few days before that - had taken its toll. Tylenol didn't help much.

The good part of this was it gave me plenty of time to enjoy the scenery. The ride was so pretty. The trees, the mountains, the streams, the birds, the flowers. It was all so breathtaking. There are so many different bird chirps/songs. I'm sure someone could tell what birds they were from the songs, but that is beyond me. I just enjoyed the natural orchestra. Then there was the range of water sounds ... gentle drip, drip drip of water coming off rock cliffs. Gurgling rivulets through the woods. Babbling brooks. Rushing streams, hiss of spray. All looking and sounding so different. I could drive by ... I have driven by ... and not noticed the variety. It was stunning.

It is possible to eat an elephant. Not the whole thing at once, but one bite at a time. From the start of day 4 to the top of Washington Pass was 18.6 miles. And the day as a whole was 162 miles. If I focused on that it would be too much. I set much smaller goals. My first challenge was to get 10 % of the way to Washington Pass - 1.86 miles. Then 20 %. Then 25 %. Then 33%. Soon I was two- thirds of the way up - 12.4 miles. A little while later and I had done it. The top of Washington Pass. Sure I had another 143 miles to go, but the hardest part was done. The elephant was being swallowed!

From the top of Washington Pass (elev 5477 ft) it was basically downhill for the next 55 miles to the first control of the day at Marblemount. There were a couple of climbs, most noticeably to Rainy Pass (elev 4855 ft) five miles down the road, but it was just a bump in the road. There was lots of coasting and time to enjoy the scenery again - especially noticeable was the variation in temperature on the way down. Chilly from the wind chill -zipping downhill often in the mid-thirty mph range required putting on the jacket - a nice change from the past few days. Warmth in the sunny parts - frigid as I zipped past a large snow melt stream.

From Newhalem to Marblemount was still downhill, but much less so. I had to pedal constantly now, which was a mix of good and bad news. The bad news was that my feet hurt. The good news was that it meant I didn't think about my butt hurting! At Marblemount I decided to try Advil. Either that worked or perhaps it was the Chile I had for lunch, but whatever it was I soon felt better and my average speed picked up by 3-4 mph, even though I was now headed slightly uphill from Rockport to Darrington.

One of the scariest parts of the ride was just a few miles before the end of the ride. I caught myself talking to myself ... and then actually yelling as I charged down then up one of the last hills. I was losing it.

Then finally the end in sight. Knowing I had made it. No real need to pedal, as it was pretty much downhill the rest of the way. I simply coasted, marveling at the experience, that I had made it.

Recap

A few weeks before the ride I was telling someone about my June riding plsns - the SIR 600K, the ride around Lake Superior, and finally the Cascade 1200. They said I was "living the dream" They were right - it has been a fantastic month!

One is often asked after a ride like this - are you glad you did it? Would you do it again? I am definitely glad I did it. It was a fantastic experience - quite a challenge. Will I do it again? Not sure ... one of the most memorable parts of the ride for me was the support from all the SIR volunteers - they are what make the ride possible in so many ways. I suspect that next year I will be doing the ride from that side of the saddle.

Am I Ready?

2008-06-26T19:25:00.000-07:00

The Cascade 1200 starts in 35 hours.
1200K in 93 hours
On my bike
Am I ready?

My bike has been set up and road tested.
It's been tuned up.
New chain, new cogs, new brake pads ...
It is ready. Am I?

My equipment is together.
Food, drink, & sunscreen for on the road.
Overnight bag for off the road.
It is ready. Am I?

My body has been prepped.
2000 K on the Tour de Superior in the past two weeks.
Now renewing itself.
It is ready. Am I?

My mind has planned it.
Reviewed the course.
Developed a plan.
It is ready. Am I?

I test ride the bike.
I feel the wind.
I flow with the bike.
I am ready!

Tour de Superior: Day 10 Silver Bay, MN to Ashland, WI (RUSA 434)

2008-06-23T18:22:00.000-07:00

I’m full. We knew the ride was over when Jerry couldn’t eat any more.

Today’s ride was the longest of the ten days … 168 miles. Not a lot of climbing … it was supposed to be a bit more than yesterday, which ended up at 3,200 feet. Given the length, we wanted to get an early start … on the road by 6:00 AM. Breakfast didn’t start until 6:00, but Jerry asked if they could start it at 5:30 and it happened! So we got a nice start after a decent breakfast.

It was sunny, blue skies, and only a 20 % chance of showers. And warm. Jerry started with no arm/leg warmers or jacket. The wimp that I am I had all of those, but at least without the jacket sleeves. The ride into Duluth was very nice, especially from Two Harbors into town. We rode on old 61, which had very little traffic. Also, no need for guardrail stops … there had been a marathon over the weekend and there were lots of porta-potties along the route. Very convenient.

After our first control in Duluth, we headed over to Superior over US-2. Just as we were about to get on the onramp to the bridge, I saw a sign to the bike/pedestrian route. I yelled to Dave, but he was already on his way. We waited to see if he was going to come back, but when he went on, we decided to follow him to avoid possibly getting separated. We had to wait for the light, so by the time we got going he was out of sight … it is a big bridge, maybe a mile or so from end to end and goes way up. As we rode up the west side, crossing the several merging onramps, a state patrolman saw us & began to slow down. We got the hint and lifted our bikes over the railing onto the bike path that had now joined the bridge, crawled over and rode the rest of the way on that … which was not only safer, but free of broken glass and other debris which was very prominent on the regular lanes. When we got to the other side, the bike path separated from the road, going down below to regular surface streets. Where was Dave? He wasn’t there. Looking around, we saw him up above, still on US-2. There was no way either of us could get up or down at this point, so we figured out a place down the road where US-2 and the side roads intersections joined, and met there.

Shortly after leaving Superior we were going to be on back roads with no restaurants and few if any convenience stores for over 50 miles, so we stopped at a Subway for lunch, even though it was a bit early. Since we had snacked in Duluth at the control there, as well as a stop before Duluth, we weren’t especially hungry … so only 6” subs instead of the usual foot longs. Then it was time for the back roads of upper Wisconsin. We made pretty good time … with little traffic and good roads, it was pleasant riding. About 12 miles before Cornucopia, our other mid-ride control, we stopped for a cool drink and some ice cream … it was warm riding in the sun for a change. We then stopped at the general store in Cornucopia, across the street from the northernmost post office in Wisconsin. No cold Gatorade, so I had a cold orange Mountain Dew.

There were a few tall hills in this stretch, reaching up to a 1,000 feet … Lake level is around 600 feet. While a 400 foot climb isn’t all that high, after 1,200 miles of riding the legs were a bit tired and my climbing was a bit slow. The downhills were nice though. We pulled in to Bayfield, a nice touristy town about 20 miles from the end and decided it was time for some real ice cream this time (we had had ice cream sandwiches earlier). The little ice cream store was a bit busy, so it took a while … but that was fine by me…gave my legs a chance to recover a bit. We left Bayfield renewed and refreshed and made good time to the motel in Ashland. We finished at 6:00 PM, after twelve hours of riding – 165 miles and 3,700 feet of climbing.

We had done it! 1,277 miles in ten days around Lake Superior. After dinner, we called Ken to share the news … the internet connection at the hotel was down, so updating the blogs would be delayed.

Now to disassemble the bike and get it packed for the trip back home ... and then on to the cascade 1200 on saturday!

Tour de Superior: Day 9 Thunder Bay, Ontario to Silver Bay, MN (RUSA 433)

2008-06-22T15:21:00.000-07:00

Today was a nice ride. Nothing fancy, nothing spectacular, but a very enjoyable ride. We started out from Thunder Bay at 7:00 AM just as it started to rain lightly. It didn't seem like it was going to rain all day and it was going to be reasonably warm ... mid-sixties (which is warm compared to what we're used to), so we didn't get all bundled up. Rain jackets yes, but no rain pants. I wore my new light rain jacket that is easy to take on /off and put in a pocket ... we expected periodic showers. It was a light rain for the first hour or so, just enough to be glad to have the jacket on.

It was about 35 miles to the border crossing and we made it in pretty good time. This was the start of today's permanent, since it had to start in the USA, we started it at the border crossing. My card was signed at 8:18 AM ... 35 miles in 1 hr 18 minutes ... not bad ! I guess the time zone change helped a bit ... it was really 2 hrs and 18 minutes. I was the first one through the border crossing, so I turned to take a picture of Dave and Jerry when I got yelled at from several guards ... NO PICTURES ! I thought the camera was going to get impounded, but no ... I rode away quickly. I'd show you the picture but then we'd all be in trouble.

The next 45 miles or so were wonderful to ride on. After riding much of the past four days on shoulders that were 1.5 feet wide and often crumbling, with frequent heavy rucks zipping by, to ride on 15+ foot wide smooth shoulders with light traffic was heavenly. It is so much less stressful and is much easier to see the sights instead of focusing on the next 15 feet of road. And the views were nice.

Shortly after lunch at the Grand Marais Subway, the roads reverted to a narrow shoulder, with wide cracks to avoid. We had spoken too soon! At least traffic wasn't too bad and it wasn't raining. Once again, we spoke too soon. We got caught in a torrential downpour and were soon soaked. It was the kind of rain that is hard to see through. But it didn't last all that long and we were able to ride the last bit with only the threat of rain ... and some occasional sunbreaks. We made it to the hotel in Silver Bay shortly after 3:00 PM ... and then it rained again.

There was 3,200 feet of climbing on our 131 mile ride (96 miles for the Permanent). Only one really big hill, right after the border crossing.

The hotel today was an AmericInn, a definite step up from the last several days ... and it had a hot tub! It was very relaxing.

After a soak we went to dinner at the Lemon Wolf Cafe. It was probably the best meal of the trip and we had a good time. It must have shown, as the waitress asked if we were brothers!

Tour de Superior: Day 8 Nipigon, Ontario to Thunder Bay, Ontario

2008-06-21T14:34:00.000-07:00

Food. Today's focus was on food. Our motel wasn't the highlight of the trip and while it advertised a continental breakfast, our scouts pointed out that the antartic is a continent too, but is pretty desolate. We opted out, choosing a hot breakfast of eggs, bacon, hash browns, and toast instead. At least that was the plan. We had wrestled with the choice of going back towards town a little ways or going 5-6 miles down our day's route. Our scouts informed us that the restaurant back towards town was the better choice, so we somewhat reluctantly headed back towards town to start the day. I for one hate going the opposite direction ... probably too many war movies as a kid ... never retreat! Anyway, we got to the restaurant shortly after 7:00 AM. It was dark. It was a 24 hour restaurant, so we were a bit puzzled. It was also a gas station/convenice store ... which was open. We went in and the waitresses were having coffee ... they had just been told they were closed until further notice. Bummer.

So we decided to head for our other choice, the one 5-6 miles down the road. No big deal, we just get to work up a little appetite. Well, while it had been open during the day the day before, it was now closed. Darn. At least we had some bars and stuff to hold us until a restaurant down the road. We had looked at the map yesterday and there were several towns along the route ... certainly there would be a place soon. The first town came and went ... no stores, no restaurants. The second town came and went, again not stores, no restaurants. Finally, after about twenty miles, at an intersection not in a town there was a store/gas station on the right and a motel/gas station/restaurant on the left. And it was open! We went in and sat down. I noticed that the customers were all having coffee. Okay? The proprietor came up and offered us coffee. I asked what they had to eat. The cook had been fired, but a new one was on the way. Bummer. We went across the road and found a few things to eat/drink at the convenience store. Not quite the breakfast we had expected, but we weren't starving.

The ride today was only about 70 miles ... by far the shortest ride and way below the ten day average of 127. Dave's brother lives by Thunder Bay ... we were going to visit him later in the day. But first we had to finish the ride. The middle third of today's ride was the worst riding of the trip. There was a 21K section under contruction ... the first half of which the road had been stripped of the blacktop and was being prepared for paving. It was hell. Between the bouncing from the criss-crossed residual blacktop, to avoiding the cracks/potholes in the underlying concrete, while staying away from the passing traffic, it was very difficult to ride. At one point I looked up and realized that I had been so distracted/focused on the road that I had just climbed a several hundred foot climb without noticing.

We finally made it to the outskirts of Thunder Bay and opted to continue on 17, which basically goes around the town, since that is what we had origninally routed and our hotel was just off of 17. At this point 17 becomes a divided highway and we soon came to realize that bikes are not permitted. We exited at the first opportunity, but didn't know how to get to the hotel. Unlike the recent towns of 2,500 or so, Thunder Bay at 110,000 was large enough that we couldn't just wander around. Fortunately my Garmin Edge 705 came in handy ... I looked up the hotel and it routed us across town to it.

Just before the hotel I saw a McDonalds. Even though we were going to go for a BBQ shortly after arriving, I had to eat. So we pulled in, had a quick lunch, then headed to the motel. After showering and changing, we headed to Dave's brothers for a BBQ. It was nice to meet Phil, Sarah, and their friends. On the way back afterwards, we decided we should see if there was a DQ. I checked it out in Dave/Sandy's car GPS ... the nearest one was 152 miles away. Bummer.

After getting back to the hotel, I checked out the Edge 705 for DQ's. There is one 2.6 miles away. Eureka! Our first DQ since Munising.

Tour de Superior: Day 7 Marathon, Ontario to Nipigon, Ontario

2008-06-20T16:35:00.000-07:00

Sun. A day riding in the sun was a welcome change. While everything had been gorgeous earlier in the ride, with the sun out the colors were more vivid and the views all the more stunning. The day didn't start out sunny, it was very foggy when we left. In fact, because of the narrow shoulders I told Jerry and Dave that when trucks come by I'm going to assume they can't see us and just ride off the shoulder onto the dirt if we're on the narrow part. Fortunately that only happened once ... then the fog lifted and viola, sun. We rode without arm/leg warmers and even remembered to put on sun screen!

It was another relatively hilly day ... 5,800 feet of climbing over the 115 miles. Other than some construction just before Nipigon the roads were decent ... keeping in mind that we're used to riding with narrow shoulders ... and the traffic minimal. We saw a couple more moose, and caught one with the camera this time.

We were going to stop in Terrace Bay for lunch, as there was a Subway there, but when we got there it was only eleven ... a bit too early and since it wasn't half-way through the ride distance wise, we decided to push on to the next town - Schreiber. At Schreiber Dave and I had lunch - subs. Jerry for some reason ordered a medium pizza from Pizza Hut (it was a combo KFC, Pizza Hut, Deli/Donut shop, and motel. Fortunately for Jerry, Sandy and Dorothy pulled in and we all helped him eat it.

A little while later we met a group of five riders coming the opposite direction. They were riding across Canada raising money for Muscular Dystrophy. They had panniers with their stuff, plus three trailers that they took turns pulling. Wow! I'm glad we're doing it without having to carry all our stuff. We exchanged notes on the road up ahead, then departed.

We reached Nipigon just in time to get soaked in a short downpour ... a nice way to cool off I guess. The motel was on the far side of Nipigon. Since Nipigon is a small town fortunately it was only a couple of miles. Dorothy and Sandy had already checked in, so we cleaned our bikes, showered, and went for dinner. It was an early evening, which was nice ... a good nights sleep will be nice to our legs. They feel pretty good considering they've taken us 900 miles over the past week!

Tomorrow is the shortest ride of the ten days ... 72 miles or so.

Tour de Superior: Day 6 Wawa, Ontario to Marathon, Ontario

2008-06-19T16:48:00.000-07:00

As we left Wawa this morning we stopped by the General Store ... Jerry had to say good-bye to the store's moose. The store had all sorts of odds & ends, including the above moose. It wasn't the only one we saw today, but it was the closest we got to one.

Besides the moose, there were these giant snow geese all over town.

Here's a shot of the real, live moose we saw today. Can't see him? ... neither can I, but he was there, really. We did see a couple others that had been hit by a car, but I didn't take their picture.

The forecast for the day was light rain all day long. After riding in the rain a couple of days earlier, we were going to be prepared this time. We started out with all our rain gear on as it definately looked like rain as we left... and it didn't rain a drop ... until a few minutes after we got to the hotel in Marathon. I guess that is a good thing, but it sure is frustrating trying to figure out the weather. Now it is supposed to be clear tomorrow ... do I believe the forecast?

A few miles out of Wawa I had a moment of panic ... Dave and I had forgotten to get our RUSA Brevet Cards signed to indicate when/where we started. Do we go back and get them signed ... an extra five miles or so (uphill of course)? Then I remember, today's ride ... and the next several, weren't able to be set up as Permanents as they have to start in the US for insurance reasons. So no need for any bonus miles.

The ride today was away from the Lake, generally inland from the northeast corner of Lake Superior. Our lunch stop was White River. It's claim to fame is that it is Winnie the Pooh's home town. Lieutenant Harry Colebourn, a Canadian Army Veterinarian, purchased a Black Bear Cub at White River on August 24, 1914. He was on his way overseas. He named the cub "Winnie" after Winnipeg, Manitoba (his home town). Coleburn left "Winnie" in the care of the London Zoo, while he served in France. In 1919, he gave Winnie to the Zoo. In 1926, A.A. Milne and illustrator E.H. Shepard created the fictional character "Winnie the Pooh" based on the bear. We skipped the site though.

Not as many lakes as the second half of yesterday's ride, but still quite a few. Lots and lots of trees and rolling hills - 3,100 feet of climbing over the 116 miles. It wasn't a particularly tough day, but being the sixth day of 100 + miles per day has taken its toll. I was tired by the end of the ride!

Tour de Superior: Day 5 Sault Ste Marie, MI to Wawa, Ontario (RUSA 438)

2008-06-18T18:24:00.000-07:00

Scenic. Today's ride was gorgeous. The pictures I took didn't come close to capturing the beauty. On the coast, the sandy beaches, the towering cliffs, and the windswept trees were a sight to see. Inland, the countless lakes, streams, and meadows in the endless forest and towering hills were dazzling. It was well worth the ride.

We started out at 6:45 AM from Sault Ste Marie in Michigan. When we got to the toll bridge to go to Canada, the highway department had all lanes blocked just before the toll booths - they were painting the lines. Well, two guys in one truck were. There were a dozen workers standing and watching. After a few minutes, we decided to work our way around the traffic and highway trucks blocking the road ... we went and paid the toll and were on our way. Our reward was we were able to cross without any vehicle traffic ... that was a nice treat. Other than that, the first 15-20 miles were rather mundane as we worked our way through the two Sault Ste Marie's and the first part of 17.

By Pancake Bay at about mile 52 the scenery was picking up. There was a lot of truck traffic along the route ... and not much of a shoulder. It was often non-existent. Most of the truckers were pretty good about giving us room, but there was a DHL driver who basically drove us off the road. Not a fun experience. Fed Ex and UPS drivers were much better! We updated our weather outlook with the Pancake Bay Weather Station (above).

After Pancake Bay the scenery became even prettier and the ride much hillier. Total climbing was 5,800 feet over the 148 miles. We finished at 6:45 PM ... a twelve hour day. We were tired and ready for a nice soak in the hot tub. They do have one, right? Yes, but it is a portable one that you have to reserve 24 hours in advance. Oh well.

Tour de Superior: Day 4 Munising, MI to Sault Ste Marie, MI (RUSA 437)

2008-06-17T15:07:00.000-07:00

The word for the day was wet. The forecast for the day was showers. We had had showers on earlier days and they were short ... lasting just a few minutes. Today was different. If I took a shower that long our water bill would be astronomical. Basically it rained. It drizzled. It sprinkled. It misted. It paused a few times ... just reloading though. Even though we wore our rain gear, by the end of the day we were wet. And with all the sand that was on our bikes we could have started our own beach.

After leaving Munising the first few miles were a "climb" of a couple hundred feet. Nothing much, but then the next forty miles or so were straight, flat, and pretty much the same - green forest on either side, wet pavement, and grey sky. The variety was limited to how much grass on the side of the road before the trees start, how hard it was raining, and how much time there was between cars/trucks. Most of the drivers were pretty good about moving over to pass us - although one truck moved over from the oncoming lane just to spray us ... at least that is how it seemed.

We had a few stops for warmth - hot chocolate and toe warmers were popular.

Close to 90 miles of toady's 130 were on M-28. Most of it was pretty good riding, but there were eight miles or so just after Newberry that was a bit painful - the road was pretty much falling apart. I suppose that is why they were just starting on a road project there. We turned off 28 at Strong's corner to head up to the Lake. It was a very pleasant, pretty road with only a few cars. We passed under a tree that had many shoes hangin from it - not sure what that was about. We had contemplated not taking the turn - would have saved 8 or 9 miles - but it was worth it. Still, by the time we reached the Sault Ste Marie area, we were ready to be done.

However, it was not to be ... at least not yet. Jerry had a flat. He's had one a day so far. He's getting good at changing them, so it didn't take long and we were at the hotel. We washed the bikes off before heading in. A few minutes later Jerry and I were in the hot whirpool, thawing out. It had been a cold, wet 130 miles with about 1,500 feet of climbing.

A little while later we headed next door to Studabakers for dinner. It was pretty good - not all you can eat, but then there were multiple trips to the soup & salad bar that made up for it. No DQ today ... it was too cold when we arrived, but I did get my pint of Ben & Jerry's! Dorothy did a load of wash - so clean clothes for tomoorw's ride - thanks Dorothy! And Laura called to wish me a belated father's day!