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.

The barn come entertainment area and Lady Wooleater’s dorm

Cute details throughout

There’s even a teepee you can stay in

Covered bike storage!

Beautiful back entrance

Our dorm

Watch out!

hot tub and sitting area

fireside chat at night

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

Relive 'Tunnel Ride~ Seattle says goodbye to the Alaskan Way Viaduct and Hello to the infamous tunnel of doom'

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 Tunnel Ride is Only a Carmageddon Away

source: Cascade Bicycle

It’s official! I’m registered for The Tunnel Ride this February. It seems like forever away, especially will so many downtown workers worried to death about the upcoming construction. It will be an unforgettable ride with the Wooleaster. I plant to take a lot of pictures. Crossing fingers now for a rain-free morning.

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

Relive 'RSVP (Ride to Vancouver and Party) 2018 day 1'

Relive 'RSVP (Ride from Seattle to Vancouver and Party) 2018 day 2'

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. 

Ride Time capsule: Wooleaters Solstice Swiftcampout

The Tuesday Ride Time Capsule captures past rides that haven't been shared yet. Enjoy!

Abby's ride report said it best. Here are some exerts from the report:

“Jessi, Kristin, Betsy, Amanda and I started our voyage at the Fremont PCC at precisely 8:05 am. Kristin, Betsy & Jessi were slightly late due to a minor mechanical with Kristin’s shifters; I was slightly late as per usual. Amanda was on time as per usual. It was cool and overcast.

We meandered across the Fremont bridge, to downtown via the Westlake trail and got to the water taxi station on Alaskan around 8:45 am. With plenty of time to spare until the next ferry, we ventured up the street to Top Pot Donuts where donuts and caffeinated beverages were purchased and consumed. Some sheep were fed...

...We boarded the West Seattle water taxi at 9:30 am and arrived at Alki Beach approximately 15 minutes later. There was virtually no one out on Alki so we enjoyed a pleasant ride to the ferry...We...continued on our way to the Fauntleroy ferry and boarded.

We arrived in Southworth around 11:30 am, and proceeded to ride out to the campground. No one was on the roads, which had stunning views of the sound and nearby Bainbridge Island. We hugged the coastline, watching herons stalking their unsuspecting prey in the tide flats. The sun slowly started to emerge from the clouds. ”

Photos compliments of the #Wooleaters

Then we rode on to Manchester State Park, our camping destination. Abby's report continues:

“We locked up the bikes and went down to the beach for a picnic lunch. Many delicious snacks were consumed, including ocean-cleaning mussels, Amanda’s no-bake chocolate peanut butter oat cookies, peanut butter pretzel crack and much much more. The sun cast off her cloudy rainment and blessed us with her beaming warmth. Betsy got a little too excited about a wedding party that was taken place at the park shelter and went off to make new friends.

Eric arrived via car around 3 pm and we agreed it would be an excellent day for some kayaking. We rented all of the kayaks available and took a little paddle out around the bay, where we spotted kingfishers, gigantic jellyfish, minnows jumping and a curious seal. Betsy and Kristin ventured into an off-limits government facility that smelled like death. We all turned around and headed back to shore. It was time for more snacks (and booze)!

Eric got to work building a fire that was soon a roaring blaze, and we had to purchase more firewood to keep up with his firebug ways. We had some beer and a stinky fish taste test courtesy of Kristin. For dinner we had orichette (aka cervical cap) pasta with fresh basil, goat cheese, cherry tomatoes, pine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes and garlic, spinach and stinky fish. Everyone adjusted per their dietary needs/preferences, and all agreed it was one of the best meals they’d ever had the pleasure to eat in the great outdoors. Whiskey was consumed in great quantities and Eric read us a little of The Thirteen Clocks as we toasted smores...Betsy elected to sleep in the hammock, while the rest of us got cozy in our tents.

The next morning we awoke to find Betsy asleep on top of the picnic table — apparently hammock sleeping is indeed an acquired taste. Kristin made everyone a mini cup of coffee in the charming tiny coffee maker Roger found at Goodwill. We spent a leisurely morning eating hard-boiled eggs and oatmeal, and lounging by the delightful breakfast fire that Kristin made. Around 10:45 am we were fully packed up and ready to roll. The sun was out and it was warm but not too hot. A low fog hung above the surface of the water as we rode back to Southworth, and we could see the mist evaporating as the day grew hotter. We rolled into Southworth just as the 11:10 ferry was arriving (30 minutes late) and were pleasantly surprised to be catching an earlier ferry back to West Seattle than we expected. More snacks were consumed. Jessi abandoned us to drink a beer and eat tater tots in the cantina.

The scene on Alki Beach was completely different than the previous day. Small children, oblivious pedestrians and inexperienced bicycle riders created a challenging obstacle course for the Lady Wools, but we wove our way through the crowds without incident and even passed a sexist dude without a glance behind us. We got to the water taxi station at approximately 1:25. Would Abby have enough time to buy some fish tacos at Marination Station before the 2 pm water taxi arrived? It was a very close call, but she made onto the boat with minutes to spare and enjoyed some tiny but excellent tacos on the boat ride back to downtown.

This was just the fuel needed to get back to Fremont. We rode along the Elliott Bay Trail, enjoying the incredible views of Rainier and the waterfront, and not enjoying all the tourists crowding the bike path. We took the ship canal trail back to the Fremont Bridge and Abby encouraged everyone to break the law by racing across the bridge as the bell was ringing for a ship to go through the drawbridge. After this last sprint, it was time to part. We chatted up an older gentleman who was wearing a RSVP jersey and riding a sweet titanium steed that was fitted for travel. Jessi, Betsy & Kristin headed off to Ballard and Amanda and Abby climbed one last hill up to Fremont. The journey had come to an end.

Total mileage: 47 miles give or take depending on starting location
Pace: leisurely
Mechanicals: One
Crashes: One
Flats: Nope
Wool: check!
Sheep: check!
Number of times Kristin attempted to explain the meaning of wool eaters to a complete stranger: At least 3”

Swift Campout 2018 is on it's way!

Have you seen our new #swiftcampout 2018 website? We are super excited to have it live and can't wait for you to see all the new sweet features. Take a look! The link is in our profile! - Illustrations by @scrappy_cat!

A post shared by Swift Industries (@swiftindustries) on Apr 3, 2018 at 4:15pm PDT

It's happening! The Swift Campout is this weekend! Onward to Manchester State Park via 2 wheels and a ferry ride. I can't wait!

Uneeda Bike Ride (with Unicorns on the side)

An example of collaborative planning in the simplest sense. Abby suggested we ride on Saturday (rain was planned to saturate Sunday). Bryant picked the Green River Trail Route (the route proved to be low in wind and traffic). I picked the start time (rain started just as our ride came to a close). We had a delightful finish at Uneeda Burger where I enjoyed a tasty Rhubarb Seattle Cider. 

Relive 'Uneeda Bike Ride (Unicorns on the Side)'

Relive 'Uneeda Bike Ride (Unicorns on the Side)'

Swift Campout 2018

Have you seen our new #swiftcampout 2018 website? We are super excited to have it live and can't wait for you to see all the new sweet features. Take a look! The link is in our profile! - Illustrations by @scrappy_cat!

A post shared by Swift Industries (@swiftindustries) on Apr 3, 2018 at 4:15pm PDT

The Wooleaters are planning a bike camping excursion! I am very excited about this! Adding self-supported camping is a thing I've been wanting to add to my biking repertoire for a while. 

Emerald City Bike Ride 2018

When you start riding at 5:30am in a heavy downpour with 30mph wind gusts...on a Sunday, you know you are going to an organized ride. When you see dozens of other riders on the streets with you, you know it's because they are going to the same ride as you...and that they are only going because they paid for it. 

Beautiful start to #EmeraldCityRide! A little light rain isn’t gonna stop us! pic.twitter.com/UDQ0CrvpJq

— Cascade Bicycle Club (@CascadeBicycle) April 8, 2018

We started out wet and chilly. My Showers Pass jacket lost its waterproofing, so I layered another rain jacket underneath...that also lost it's waterproofing. My right arm has streams of water running down my sleeves within moments. I tried to prevent my Reynaud's fingers from acting up by lining my thick winter gloves with hand warmers, even though the 45 degree temp didn't call for that much warmth. It didn't work. Water soaked through to my hands and my precious shifting digits went numb before I even got to the start. Abby didn't have shoe booties and struggled having the same disappointing jacket as me. Bryant had a better jacket, but didn't seem to be any more comfortable. The cluster of a start line didn't know anything about our "souvenir" tickets and lacked the breakfast-y food options I planned for. What were we doing? 

The the road started. Riding up the SR-99 viaduct opened up into quintessential Seattle; rain, ferries, the big wheel, The Space Needle (complete with construction), construction cranes as far as the eye could see, sea gulls, Elliott bay. We reveled in the glory of riding on a wide, smooth carless road. What would it be like to commute to downtown, safe from hazards and with views of the Olympic Mountains? 

We rode up Aurora Avenue, crossing the Aurora Bridge. This infamous bridge is known for the tragic tour bus collision of 2015 and the bus driver shooting of 1998. Judging by it's outdated design, I can only assume many more died less sensationally over this bridge. On a bike, the bridge felt pleasant and delightful. The road seemed more accommodating on a bike than it does in a car. 

Then, it was onto the I-5 express lanes. As we rode of the ramp during Emerald CIty's inaugural ride, I only felt tingling sensations of splendor with increasing magnitude. Today's express lane experience couldn't have felt more opposite. The cold wind howled. Water dumped in regular breaks from the breaks in the bridge above. The dismal view gave nothing to the spirit. And it just kept climbing. The deafening sound from cars on the freeway hurt to listen to. 

Then we hopped into the tunnel. Fun again! Hoots and hollers, call and response, bells dinging. I even caught a guy writing graffiti in the soot of the tunnel walls. The day increasingly improved from here. The spirits of each Wooleater lifted. We crossed the finish line, and started the ride all over again. More people seemed to be starting the ride than when we started the first time. The sky got a little brighter, the air got a little warmer, and we started having a lot more fun.

Relive 'Emerald City Bike Ride 2018'

Emerald City Bike Ride Sunday

The Wooleaters and I rode the first-ever Emerald City Bike Ride. It felt so epic being part of a first, that I felt no interest being part of the second. The route enticed me this year, however, and I feel compelled to do it again. We'll be riding over the Aurora bridge, which seems novel, especially since the bf once suggested it as a commute route. More exciting is the route taking us over the viaduct. The viaduct! Can a bike takeover in Seattle get any more epic than that? I don't think so. 

Join me in getting pumped for this ride by revisiting posts I made about the first time. And for all of you non-cyclists in Seattle: don't get in a car on Sunday. Period. Especially if you have any interested in getting downtown, or out of town, or anywhere really. 

Happy Holidays!

The commuter is all ready for the annual Wooleater Jingle Bell Ride. Totally getting into the holiday spirit. Even playing Christmas songs. It should be a great ride!

Woolsgiving

bicycle banana creme pie

The Wooleaters, a group of Seattle Cycling fanatics from work, celebrated Woolsgiving this weekend. It’s a 2nd-annual celebration of the year of riding and friendship that involves eating a ton of food and donating wool socks (or just socks) to people experiencing homelessness. This year Betsy hosted at her lovely home, which, imho, was way better than last year’s venue, Freelard Pizza. We started with crackers and assorted cheeses, and chips and guacamole with 2 incredible salsas. Kreg made a jicama salad to compliment the tamale dinner with beans. Kiki make an avocado zucchini salad that disappeared instantly. For dessert Abby made a chocolate stout cake and I made a bike-and-sheep-themed banana crème pie. Of course I had to finish a good 50-mile ride in the morning to balance out the calories consumed at this dinner. See, riding has myriad benefits. 
The evening involved lots of laughter as the group recounted various bike crashes, martial arts shenanigans, ride-bar experiences and animal encounters. Truly something to be thankful for.

Bryant counted up statistics of the group. I thought they’d be pretty fun to share. Mind you, I didn’t participate in all the event, but I did participate in some.

Since the last Woolsgiving, we Woolies have participated in:
•    At least nine Coffee Rides
•    Over 650 miles of training rides
•    Four organized rides: Candy Cane Lane, Chilly Hilly, Emerald City Ride, & Flying Wheels
•    At least two pool party rides
•    Two birthday rides (for Kreg and for Jessi)
•    AND the inaugural Tamale Ride
... which included two car-free, multi-modal adventures:
•    Bussing to Redmond, riding a loop out to Carnation
•    Biking to Kirkland, hiking through St. Edwards State Park
... as well as:
•    The MLK Day snowshoe outing
•    Craft Night
•    AND the Fourth of July bocceminton/beerBQ event

Bryant and Chris enjoy some bicycle banana creme pie