HURRICANE RIDGE

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 !

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.

We have a winner! Big Arlington Mambo

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.

But it's sooo cozy!

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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!

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

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

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

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? :)

RUSA 0357 Camano Island-Bellingham-Camano Island

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

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

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.