Cascade Bicycle Club Cascade Training Series Ride #4: Absolutely amazing!
Pacific Coast Bikepacking Day 1
Olympic National Park
Spokin' Spokane
Bucket List Rides: North Cascades National Park
North Cascades National Park is inarguably one of the most beautiful places in the world. Why not bike it? This could be done as a 60 miles one-day trip, dropping off at Washington Pass and stopping at the Visitor’s Center. It could also be done as a 153 mile/3-day bike camping tour from Mazam to Bellingham. Either way, this ride would probably be the most amazing in September.
Bucket List Rides: Olympic National Park
The only way to ride Olympic National Park is to Ride the Hurricane! This has been on my back burner for years. Will it happen in 2021? Will the Century ride happen?
Dayum! Grand Coulee Dam
Keeping safe from COVID-19. Avoiding the Seattle rain that won’t stop. Feeling moved by the signs of social unrest with every escape from the home. I felt the need for some variety, something to make significant the day-in and day-out I’ve gotten used to. So, out we adventured to the lovely town of Wilbur, Washington.
Wilber, about 6 hours away from Seattle, enticed me to two reasons. One, the area, being east of the Cascade range, promised sunshine and warm weather. Two, this area, with lots of open space and a small population, had far fewer confirmed cases of COVID-19 than the rest of the state.
Wilbur delivered. I rode out to Grand Coulee dam, and had a wonderful time. The quiet roads were traveled by few, and most who passes were pleasant and mindful of my presence. I got to enjoy an amazing descent. There was a bit of a cross-wind, enough that it pushed me on the descent. to get the most out of my downward momentum, I tucked into my handlebars as tight as I could and coasted. The road kept descending. I felt so safe on such a calm, straight road and I let the bike go as fast as it wanted to. I coasted so long that my heart rate dropped to my resting rate. I coasted so long that my arms and legs got stiff from being tucked in for so long…three times! I think this was the longest free coasting downhill ride I’ve enjoyed since Tour de Blast.
It was not so much fun going back up. That’s all I’m going to say about that.
Wilbur to Grand Coulee Dam Out and Back
The next day I rode a short way out, just 15 miles to keep the muscles fresh and the mind awake. It’s not exciting enough to recount here, but it was fast. I rode 16.4mph, which is the fasted average I maintained thus far on my new bike. It felt good to know the new bike and I could succeed at these speeds.
The third and last day I rode to Sherman, a ghost town. Once a thriving mill town, all that remains now is an old church and a cemetary. The town is literally dead. I also passed by another cemetery and some farm art. Most important of all, however, is that the ride finished with a perfect iced latte at the local coffee shop in Wilbur that planned it’s grand opening right as the town locked down for COVID.
Wilbur to Sherman Out and Back
Photo Highlights of the Whole Trip
Ride Time Capsule: Lady Wooleaters Ride Orcas Island
The Tuesday Ride Time Capsule captures images, thoughts, and notes about rides that happened some time ago that haven't been posted on SheRidesToday before. Here's to saving treasured memories!
This trip dates back to May 13-17, 2017.
Fall time riding
The leaves are nearly all fallen. The color was amazing this year, each leaf’s hue deeper and more vibrant than years’ past. I took a brisk, crisp ride out with Cascade Bicycle Club. This series is called the SNOCO; one that takes place in the fall around Snohomish county. I enjoyed the group quite a bit last year. I forgot how much. This group include a larger percentage of women that usual, many who are in the vicinity of my age. There’s even one who rides with the same socks I do. Pretty good time!
Scooter Bike Campout
The gif(t) of Bike MS
Team F5
source video credit: Zach @ F5
I had so much fun riding with team F5. Because f5 was the biggest fundraiser in 2018, our team had the honor of starting the ride. Here we are, the first team to cross the start line. All the cheering made it so much more fun.
Bike MS Deception Pass 2019
Team F5 is the first team out of the start line chute!
Lance invited me to join team F5 with him and his fellow work buddies. I rode Bike MS Washington once before and decided I would only do it again with a team. Well, being part of team F5 made it better than ever. F5 went above and beyond as a host. I felt welcome, cozy, and well-appointed. One of the team captains commutes to work from near where I live. The other team caption made his famous “loaf”. This “loaf” comprised of some 15 or more boxes of rice crispies, cocoa crispies, chocolate chips and a year’s supply of marshmallows. It sat in a large plastic tub, bigger than you would wash your dishes in. One sliced off what they wanted with a long knife. The treat was both delicious and strangely satisfying. He also made tasty (and strong) margs’ for everyone. Many F5’ers rode with their teenage children. Three other riders had white Specialized Roubaix’, just like mine.
Team F5 crossed the start line first in 2019 among cheers from riders and rumbles from the Harleys. Team F5 raised more money than all other teams in 2018, so everyone really had something to cheer about!
Day 1 Recap (more day 1 details below):
Highlights
Starting the ride first, as an award for being on the “number 1 fundraising team”. Hearing all the cheers and the Harley’s roaring for us.
The cheerful cheerleaders at the Deception Pass stop, “5-6-7-8-who do we appreciate-THE BIKERS-THE BIKERS”
The really friendly “Disney VoluntEAR” wearing Minnie Mouse ears who told us all about the route for the rest of the day in pro tour-guide fashion.
Watching birds crack open clamshells by dropping them on the bike path right in front of me.
Riding through crops with identifying signage; potatoes, wheat, cover crop.
The cornfield that advertised, “We have big EARS” and pictures of Alfred E. Neuman’s bastard children.
The lone beer drinkin’ dude on a truck at the Chuckanut Brewery’s nuthouse cheering us on.
The couples sitting out on their porch overlooking Padilla Bay and waving Pennsylvania style.
Aussie Bites at the rest stops.
The numerous volunteers who watched traffic for us and were fun and cheerful
The chapter president met us and remembered my name.
The large number of other white Roubaix bikes like mine.
That massive flock of birds that took flight right as we passed, turning the sky all around us black for a moment.
Stopping traffic to cross the Deception Pass Bridge, creating a massive backup and nobody went road-rage about it.
The flocks of people cheering their brains out at the finish line. This is how the rides should be!
Watching cyclists do the “I Ride with MS Victory Lap” and not turning into a sobbing mass. Although someone was cutting onions nearby.
The coolest SAG wagon; a federation starfleet jeep.
Riding past Lake Erie. I was born in Lake Erie. Who knew I was a west coast native?!
Weather:
The forecast called for 75 degrees and overcast, in line with the weather the whole week leading up to the ride. I felt pretty confident we would be treated with the same pleasant temperatures. It was the last minute that I decided to toss in a rain jacket and a fender. I didn’t bring and sleeves, legs, or any of my numerous warm weather gear. Murphy’s Law, perhaps? I could have easily worn more. Temps barely rode above 65 Saturday, and the waterfront routes ensured it felt cooler than it was. It wasn’t too cold by any means, it just could have been warmer. I wore my rain jacket the second day, mostly for warmth. Turns out I felt plenty warm, and the heavens blessed us by making the rain part of the jacket unnecessary. The best treat of the trip was the lightning and thunder storm. Lance and I got to enjoy the storm of the century from the comfort of my van. Lightning and thunder- an unusual display for the Seattle area, lit up the skies for hours Saturday night. Other Bike MS campers oohed and awwwwed at each magnificent flash. The soft rain puttering on the roof put us right to sleep. Then the magnificent bright flashes woke us up again.
Seattle lightning credit: reddit.com
Mechanicals:
None! Can you believe it! Lance rode his ebike and it performed like a dream! My bike gave me no complaints. It may have helped that a certain live-in-barista cleaned my bike up for me before the ride.
Roadkill:
This ride showed us unique roadkill, especially for Washington state. I rarely see any roadside death here: Opossum, rabbit, frog (belly up!)
Day 1 Details:
Day 2 Details:
Photos of the Ride:
The Viking Tour
Poulsbo, WA Viking Festival
I wanted to go to the Viking Festival in Poulsbo for so long, and I am so glad I finally did it. Street fair, parade, live music, historic scenery, donut eating and lutefisk eating contest, farmer’s marker and bike ride. All kinds of fun. There was also several things I didn’t do, like attend the amusement park. Super fun time!
Bike MS Deception Pass is this September
Lance invited me to join Team F5 as they ride Bike MS Deception Pass this year! It’s going to be AWEOME!!! It will be here before you know it, I have some work to do!
Sponsor me by Clicking Here
At the start line in 2014
Route Goals
Will I be able to ride 169 miles and 7000+ feet elevation? Only time will tell. I have to start training!
Scenes from 2014
Scenes from 2014
Scenes from 2014
I rode Bike MS Deception Pass back in 2014. It was a spectacular and varied route. I am excited to ride it again and looking forward to being part of an awesome team.
My Bike MS Story Continues
Another Bike MS Washington?
Map from Bike MS Washington
So…I a friend is thinking about doing this ride with his work team. I did this ride once, and was nonplussed doing it as a solo rider. The ride had such a corporate preference that a solo rider had nowhere to fit in. But…if I could join a corporate team….well, that temps me like you’d never believe! Let’s do this!
Viking Tour
I hear about this ride years ago, and always had a little interest in doing it. It never seemed like quite as exciting as it should be. But, I have a van now and I can camp wherever, whenever. Suddenly, the Viking Tour sounds like a lot more fun. Well, this year it’s going to happen! Stay tuned for the ride report.
The Tunnel Ride
Last year’s Emerald City Bike ride was kinda cold and a bit of a slog. I worried another ride on the viaduct in cold February might be the same. The weather cooperated well for The Tunnel Ride, however. We stayed cool and dry. And the snow waited for everyone to get home before it started falling.
Check out my Video
Check out my Photos
many of these photos are compliments of the lady Wooleaters. Thank you for being such great photographers! This was more a day to document history than it was a ride. What will this same spot look like in 5 years? Ten years? It won’t be the same.
Check out my Stats
The Princess and her Bike
We cyclists are a picky bunch. I left my commuter at work last night. Really I had other things going on that made riding home inconvenient, but I prefer to blame the dangerous windstorm that fell upon Seattle. I decided to take a ride today at the last minute and because of the things left at work I didn’t have my usual gear. I didn’t have a heart rate monitor. There’s no point in riding without one (!), so I had to get out my old broken one that was too tight. I didn’t have my headband, so I wore a beanie that hit my ears such to amplify the wind noise to a frightening level. It took almost an hour to get used to it. I didn’t have my gloves, so I wore the un-padded backup pair I got in Italy. I had to grip hard due to the slick rain and slick gloves and my hands felt cramped for most of the ride. I wore a different pair of socks, just for the fun of it. They were thicker than my usual pair, but oddly enough my feet felt cold and squishy. I didn’t have my nice new prescription sunglasses. I wore an old pair that was too dark. I also felt blind without prescription lenses. I didn’t have my usual water bottles, so I had to use some backups that are harder to open and get water out of. They paired terribly with the gloves, which were slick. I simply couldn’t get a drink with the bottle and glove combo. I got used to all of these changes by the end of the ride, but it took some time. It chuckled to myself. I do the same ride with the same trusty gear so often every nuanced difference stands out. Somehow I survived. Somehow I got to enjoy the majestic views allowed by the clear sky. Somehow I got so soak in the sunshine and fresh air. I know, it’s rough doing the best most fun thing ever.
Spotted: gigantic geese, goats, a very stern and tiny dog, friendly couples taking walks and wishing us “Merry Christmas!,” people hollering “Merry Christmas” out of their cars, tons of fallen debris from last night’s storm, a Santa scarecrow perched on a bench on the side of the road, a large house with a sprawling front yard and what appeared to be 40 or so larger-than-life inflatable holiday decorations.
RSVP (Ride from Seattle to Vancouver and Party) 2018
I first heard about RSVP when I rode the STP (Seattle to Portland Ride) years ago. I decided then that I had to do it. I mean, it has the word "party" in it! Back then, the rider registration filled up early on. It was such a popular ride that a second one was offered. Even though there were 2 options, the dates didn't work in with my schedule year after year. This was my lucky year. The Wooleaters decided to do it again (several of them have done the ride before) and I jumped in. There's something better about finishing a ride that just happened to be on your 'bucket list'.
Distance: 189 (over 2 days)
Pace: enthusiastic tight riding team
Mechanicals: We had a list of strange, but not debilitating 'mechanicals'. I lost my gloves in the rest room at the Lynden rest area. After looking for them I assumed all was lost, but Jessi suggested I check the food table again. After that recommendation, I saw them at the mechanic's tent. Yay! Bryant left his sunglasses in his luggage and had to buy a cheesy gas station pair. They were fabulous. Jessi's fender decided to rub on her tire weirdly. She stopped at a mechanic and they fixed it. Bryant stepped on his fender flap and it fell off. I decided it was due as well, considering all he did was step on it. Abby's fender also made a weird noise for some reason. Then at the very end of her ride her bell fell off the bike and she had to loop around to look of it.
Flats: I got a flat riding out the gate. Literally 2 minutes in. A thorn. Guess I was due.
Wildlife: There was much, but most notable were the black squirrels of northern Washington and at the Canada border. Not much road kill to speak of.
Weather: Smoke from nearby fires made the air quality dangerously poor, with the index over 150 in places. News mentioned breathing Washington air was as unhealthy as smoking 7 cigarettes and that the air was worse then Beijing. But. It lifted Friday morning just before the ride started and sunk again in full force Sunday after the ride was long over. In fact, the drive home Sunday exposed me to some of the worst air I've ever breathed. The temperatures were cool. I wore my new little jacket all morning both days. I could have been more heavily dressed, but I was also fine as I was. I've been inordinately lucky in weather lately.
Snacks: ride stops early on treated us with delicious muffins, scones and hard-boiled eggs. Each stop had stuffed Cliff bars, some sort of dried fruit and fresh fruit option. One stop handed out entire sleeves of Oreo's. Water was aplenty, but some of the spigots ran very slow. Overly sweet Nuun was available at every stop; I took some for the last push of each day. The Canada stops boasted a cookie in a Kiwi box. I excitedly grabbed several, curious what a Kiwi cookie would taste like. Turns out they were ordinary chocolate chip cookies that happened to be packed in a Kiwi box. I grabbed a Rice Crispies treat to save for Bryan. But I ate it at the Chuckanut viewpoint and it was delicious. The best stop wasn't a sanctioned one. Hosted by a family as a fundraiser, perfectly poised that the top of the last hill on Chuckanut drive. Known near and far as the lemonade stand, signs preparing us for the stop started cheering us on miles early. "Clap! Clap! Clap!" they said, and other comments about how awesome we were and how much we needed lemonade. They were raising money for college. I guess in years past they raised money for various camps, back to having their kids, back to getting married, and then on. This family grew up with RSVP going by their house every year.
Meals: RSVP had a clever option for lunch on day 1. Several local businesses offered a "ride meal" that you could exchange with a coupon attached to your bib. You could also exchange the coupon for $7 of food inside the restaurant. We chose this option at the Stilly Diner. Kreg ordered pancakes. I ordered French toast. My meal appeared, a tiny pat of food on a gigantic plate. Kreg's order arrived, massive pancakes bigger than his head. It was not clear how to options priced the same could be so different, but Kreg kindly shared his. He gave me way too much. I drank several cups of coffee from the coffee pot. This is a new thing I never used to do. Once we arrived in Bellingham, we ate at the Brewery. I had a too-sweet cider and delicious poutine. The hotel we overnighted in offered a breakfast in the waiting room of the front desk. It was pretty good. I ate Trader Joe's style hash browns, an English muffin, sausage, and a hard boiled egg. I did not have enough caffeine. The party portion after the ride in Vancouver boasted a beer garden. We sat there for a spell, but they only offered beer so I drank nothing. After that we had another food ticket for the food trucks at the park. After waiting in line for a long time at the choice food truck, they ran out of food so we grabbed some corn on a stick at another, but they wouldn't accept the meal ticket so we grabbed some hot dogs too. After eating all that food, we ate more at a lavish Italian joint in downtown Vancouver.
Videos of the Ride
Photos of the Ride
Many photos credited to The Wooleaters
Ride Details
Note that a programming error from Garmin made day 1 appear to happen on Thursday evening when really it happened Friday morning.
Kitsap Color Classic September 23
I'm thinking about doing this ride. I've heard nothing but rave reviews about it. And having just ridden through the area, I am excited to ride it again. This might just be the year to do it! We've had an amazing summer so far, and I am looking forward to a long and warm fall.
