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.
Showing posts with label Pass - White. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pass - White. Show all posts
Monday, July 13, 2009
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Mountain 600K Pre-ride: All Creatures Great and Small
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.
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.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Cascade 1200: Living the Dream !
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.
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.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
SIR Spring 600K: Awesome, Epic Even
This weekend was the SIR Spring 600K ride. It was awesome, perhaps epic. Brad Tilden and the support crew did a fantasic job. They were amazing. Thank you! For those not familiar with the course, it is 375 miles from Issaquah over Stevens Pass (4,000 feet) to Leavenwoth, then over Blewett Pass (4,100 feet) to Ellensberg, then through the Yakima River Canyon to Selah (by Yakima), then up towards White Pass for the stop at abou 400 K 250 miles). Day two starts with a climb the rest of the way up White Pass (4,500 feet), then down and then back up to Cayuse Pass at 4,700 feet. From there it is a "stroll in the park", another 90 miles or so to Issaquah via Enumclaw.
Talking at the start of the ride we were hoping for an awesome ride. Awesome, but not epic. The course, the support, the views, and the riders were awesome. The weather, on the other hand bordered on epic. Thursday's forecast for Friday and Saturday was, to say the least, concerning:
"This new system is expected to drop as much as 1-2 feet of snow in the Cascades and Olympics above 5,500 feet, with general snow levels dropping as low as 3,500 feet. That can result in hazards for mountaineering and travel in the high backcountry with poor visibility, cold temperatures and potential avalanche dangers once again. It also means those driving Stevens Pass, Chinook Pass, Washington Pass, and the roads to Paradise and Hurricane Ridge could see snow and poor visibility, although snow totals should be 3" or less."
While snow fortunately did not materialize (it is back in the forecast though), it was unseasonably cold, the start of the ride was wet, and it was windy. Oh, and did I say windy? More on that later.
The ride started at Brad Tilden's house in Issaquah at 5:00 AM. The first part of the ride up to Skykomish on US-2 was for the most part on familiar roads, the exception being taking Ames Lake Road to head over to West Sammamish Valley Road due to the Tolt Bridge construction. These are great low-traffic rural roads. While it started out basically dry, it soon turned wet and chilly. The socks stayed wet all day.
The mist/rain would continue until we got a few miles past Stevens Pass around mid-day. While we had ridden over Stevens Pass on the 400K a few weeks earlier, heading East instead of West is a much tougher climb. While there fortunately wasn't any fresh snow, it was cold and wet. Then the ride down from the summit was verrry cold. Fortunately the sky turn blue just as we were turning blue, thawing us out a bit. There was even a bit of a favorable tailwind on our way into Leavenworth.
After a lunch break in Leavenworth, it was on to Blewett Pass. As we turned off US-2 onto 97, we were hit with a blast of wind. A taste of things to come? Fortunately it didn't last all that long, but did come back periodically. Still, with the now sunny skys it didn't affect our disposition ... much. It was a long, slow climb up to Blewett, but when we made it to the top, there was Brad Tilden with food, drink, and chairs. Those chairs sure felt good. The tent shook in the wind ... it sure seemed like it was going to blow away. The ride down was nice, but into a periodic head/crosswind that shaved a few mph off the ride.
At 970, we turned towards Ellensburg. I was expecting a headwind given the strong cross gusts I'd just been hit with. I was pleasantly surprised by a strong tailwind that actually helped push us up the hill for the first few miles, then a great push into Ellensburg ... mid-30's on a long, long downhill, without much pedaling. That was great! And pretty landscapes to boot.
After some food in Ellensberg, it was off to the Yakima River Canyon. What a gorgeous ride! Fortunately we were headed downstream, unlike the 2002 riding of this course, which was in the other direction. For a fantastic story about that ride, ask Peter Beeson about his run-in with a skunk and his calling AAA for a tow in the middle of the night.
After setting up for night riding, Dave Harper and I rode through Selah and then went onto US-12. This is where the ride went downhill ... figurately speaking. It was now dark and US-12 has rumble strips on the shoulders ... these take up most of the shoulders ... with a relatively narrow and sometimes non-existent strip that could be ridden on. Perhaps it could be ridden on during daylight ... where one could see the glass (there was a fair amount of that) ... and if it wasn't windy and if we weren't tired. As it was, we kept trying to ride there, then would give up and ride the white line, then give up and bbbbounce bbback over to try again. It got old quickly. As US-12 is four lanes at this point, with a fair amount of fast traffic, it was not a pleasant experience. After Naches, it got nasty. The wind really picked up. Sometimes a headwind, sometimes a cross-wind, never consistent, but always strong ... STRONG. So strong that at one point earlier in the day it stood Bob Brudvik up. It would push us into the traffic lane, it made it very slow going. At the 410/US-12 interchange, we finally were able to get shelter and rest at a much needed food stop/control. The support team was great ... the food was fantastic.
A few minutes of rest and sustenance and we were back on our way ... at 11:15 PM and 25 miles to go to the overnight control. The sky was clear and the stars were oh so clear. One wanted to just sit and look at them. What a fantastic sight. But no, we had to push on. However, it wasn't so simple. We were tired ... weaving back and forth as we tried to stay awake. Finally, Dave says he's going to pull over and nap but I should go on. Dave ends up taking 5 naps along the way before he finally makes it to the overnight. I push on ... I must have ridden 30 miles instead of the 25 given all the weaving I did. Fortunately there was virtually no traffic at this point. I tell myself just make it to the next mile post, then the next, then the next, and finally ... the overnight.
I pull in and it is like the Ritz Carlton ... being pampered left and right by the control support team. They take care of my bike, bring me food, drink, as they bring me back to a state of near normalacy. They were awesome ! Finally feeling somewhat concious, I head to my room, take a shower and fall into bed. Shortly before my alarm was to go off, I wake up and realize I now had two roommates, including one in bed with me. I was so out of it I hadn't heard them come in. I get up, take my stuff out to the hall and finish dressing there so hopefully I don't wake them. Then breakfast - the support folks have a nice spread with pancakes, sausage, yogurt, oj, and some other stuff. Fantastic. Some of them are taking a well deserved nap. Then it is time to hit the road shortly before six.
By comparison to Saturday's ride, Sunday's is a piece of cake - at least after the first forty miles. The weather is nice, there is only one and a half passes to climb (Cayuse and the last part of White Pass), and "only" about 200K to ride. Saturday had Stevens Pass, Blewett Pass, and the first part of White Pass, it was 400K, and there was that horrid headwind. Still, there was eight miles of climbing up to White Pass, twelve miles zipping/freezing downhill, then warming up with hot chocalate at the US-12/SR-123 intersection control ... thank you guys!. From there it was sixteen miles up to Cayuse Pass, which was the highest of the passes at 4700 feet. That took a long time, slow and steady, slow and steady through miles of forest and mountains. Oh, the views! Finally, when we're thinking we can't handle much more of this, we get to the top. Time to bundle up. Then a great rush down the first part of the downhill. From there, around midday now - it turned into a long, slower than expected ride - a bit of a headwind to offset the gentle downgrade to Greenwater. After a bit of lunch and stocking up on water, we're off for the final push to Issaquah ... including, as Peter B put it, a "Victory Lap" around Lake Sammamish.
Today the weather is nice, the scenery gorgeous, and the camaradrie wonderful. This is why we ride!
Talking at the start of the ride we were hoping for an awesome ride. Awesome, but not epic. The course, the support, the views, and the riders were awesome. The weather, on the other hand bordered on epic. Thursday's forecast for Friday and Saturday was, to say the least, concerning:
"This new system is expected to drop as much as 1-2 feet of snow in the Cascades and Olympics above 5,500 feet, with general snow levels dropping as low as 3,500 feet. That can result in hazards for mountaineering and travel in the high backcountry with poor visibility, cold temperatures and potential avalanche dangers once again. It also means those driving Stevens Pass, Chinook Pass, Washington Pass, and the roads to Paradise and Hurricane Ridge could see snow and poor visibility, although snow totals should be 3" or less."
While snow fortunately did not materialize (it is back in the forecast though), it was unseasonably cold, the start of the ride was wet, and it was windy. Oh, and did I say windy? More on that later.
The ride started at Brad Tilden's house in Issaquah at 5:00 AM. The first part of the ride up to Skykomish on US-2 was for the most part on familiar roads, the exception being taking Ames Lake Road to head over to West Sammamish Valley Road due to the Tolt Bridge construction. These are great low-traffic rural roads. While it started out basically dry, it soon turned wet and chilly. The socks stayed wet all day.
The mist/rain would continue until we got a few miles past Stevens Pass around mid-day. While we had ridden over Stevens Pass on the 400K a few weeks earlier, heading East instead of West is a much tougher climb. While there fortunately wasn't any fresh snow, it was cold and wet. Then the ride down from the summit was verrry cold. Fortunately the sky turn blue just as we were turning blue, thawing us out a bit. There was even a bit of a favorable tailwind on our way into Leavenworth.
After a lunch break in Leavenworth, it was on to Blewett Pass. As we turned off US-2 onto 97, we were hit with a blast of wind. A taste of things to come? Fortunately it didn't last all that long, but did come back periodically. Still, with the now sunny skys it didn't affect our disposition ... much. It was a long, slow climb up to Blewett, but when we made it to the top, there was Brad Tilden with food, drink, and chairs. Those chairs sure felt good. The tent shook in the wind ... it sure seemed like it was going to blow away. The ride down was nice, but into a periodic head/crosswind that shaved a few mph off the ride. 
At 970, we turned towards Ellensburg. I was expecting a headwind given the strong cross gusts I'd just been hit with. I was pleasantly surprised by a strong tailwind that actually helped push us up the hill for the first few miles, then a great push into Ellensburg ... mid-30's on a long, long downhill, without much pedaling. That was great! And pretty landscapes to boot.
After some food in Ellensberg, it was off to the Yakima River Canyon. What a gorgeous ride! Fortunately we were headed downstream, unlike the 2002 riding of this course, which was in the other direction. For a fantastic story about that ride, ask Peter Beeson about his run-in with a skunk and his calling AAA for a tow in the middle of the night.After setting up for night riding, Dave Harper and I rode through Selah and then went onto US-12. This is where the ride went downhill ... figurately speaking. It was now dark and US-12 has rumble strips on the shoulders ... these take up most of the shoulders ... with a relatively narrow and sometimes non-existent strip that could be ridden on. Perhaps it could be ridden on during daylight ... where one could see the glass (there was a fair amount of that) ... and if it wasn't windy and if we weren't tired. As it was, we kept trying to ride there, then would give up and ride the white line, then give up and bbbbounce bbback over to try again. It got old quickly. As US-12 is four lanes at this point, with a fair amount of fast traffic, it was not a pleasant experience. After Naches, it got nasty. The wind really picked up. Sometimes a headwind, sometimes a cross-wind, never consistent, but always strong ... STRONG. So strong that at one point earlier in the day it stood Bob Brudvik up. It would push us into the traffic lane, it made it very slow going. At the 410/US-12 interchange, we finally were able to get shelter and rest at a much needed food stop/control. The support team was great ... the food was fantastic.
A few minutes of rest and sustenance and we were back on our way ... at 11:15 PM and 25 miles to go to the overnight control. The sky was clear and the stars were oh so clear. One wanted to just sit and look at them. What a fantastic sight. But no, we had to push on. However, it wasn't so simple. We were tired ... weaving back and forth as we tried to stay awake. Finally, Dave says he's going to pull over and nap but I should go on. Dave ends up taking 5 naps along the way before he finally makes it to the overnight. I push on ... I must have ridden 30 miles instead of the 25 given all the weaving I did. Fortunately there was virtually no traffic at this point. I tell myself just make it to the next mile post, then the next, then the next, and finally ... the overnight.
I pull in and it is like the Ritz Carlton ... being pampered left and right by the control support team. They take care of my bike, bring me food, drink, as they bring me back to a state of near normalacy. They were awesome ! Finally feeling somewhat concious, I head to my room, take a shower and fall into bed. Shortly before my alarm was to go off, I wake up and realize I now had two roommates, including one in bed with me. I was so out of it I hadn't heard them come in. I get up, take my stuff out to the hall and finish dressing there so hopefully I don't wake them. Then breakfast - the support folks have a nice spread with pancakes, sausage, yogurt, oj, and some other stuff. Fantastic. Some of them are taking a well deserved nap. Then it is time to hit the road shortly before six.By comparison to Saturday's ride, Sunday's is a piece of cake - at least after the first forty miles. The weather is nice, there is only one and a half passes to climb (Cayuse and the last part of White Pass), and "only" about 200K to ride. Saturday had Stevens Pass, Blewett Pass, and the first part of White Pass, it was 400K, and there was that horrid headwind. Still, there was eight miles of climbing up to White Pass, twelve miles zipping/freezing downhill, then warming up with hot chocalate at the US-12/SR-123 intersection control ... thank you guys!. From there it was sixteen miles up to Cayuse Pass, which was the highest of the passes at 4700 feet. That took a long time, slow and steady, slow and steady through miles of forest and mountains. Oh, the views! Finally, when we're thinking we can't handle much more of this, we get to the top. Time to bundle up. Then a great rush down the first part of the downhill. From there, around midday now - it turned into a long, slower than expected ride - a bit of a headwind to offset the gentle downgrade to Greenwater. After a bit of lunch and stocking up on water, we're off for the final push to Issaquah ... including, as Peter B put it, a "Victory Lap" around Lake Sammamish.
Today the weather is nice, the scenery gorgeous, and the camaradrie wonderful. This is why we ride!
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