Ride the West - Day One

My first day riding the "Ride the West-Central Leg" met my expectations... and probably exceeded them. We began our day at 6:30 a.m. for breakfast at the hotel followed by some time to gather all our gear and ready for the ride. Luggage was loaded on the van at 8:00 a.m. and I was out of the parking lot six minutes later under a foggy cool morning. The fog stayed with us for most of the day but as we began our 10+ mile climb out of Crescent City and into the Redwood National and State Park, we soon got a pleasant glimpse of sun and blue sky. As we climbed out of the fog, the sun cascaded through the the mist creating inspiring beams of light shining down upon us. The trees were enormous. And, as I was warned by Mom, it's hard to ride while gazing up at the treetops.


The long climb warmed me up and was promptly followed by a fast descent into Klamath where I once again visited Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox at the Trees of Mystery. The other cyclists were entertained by the talking Paul Bunyan and how he could turn his head and wave his hand.



After Klamath, we rode through another portion of the Redwoods along Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway. The tree trunks were huge and seemed to just get bigger. I found myself quietly saying, "Wow... Wow!... Wow!!!" as I passed larger and larger trees. As I caught up with two other riders, Craig and Dan, who were slowly riding by admiring the Redwoods, we passed a tree with a hollow trunk and climbed inside for a quick photo. Shortly after, we passed a sign reading "BIG TREE" pointing to the left. Good thing there was a sign... cuz you really wouldn't notice the BIG TREE without it! We thought that was pretty funny. But then realized that was the name of the park where our first SAG stop was located. (A "SAG Stop" is for "Support And Gear" and is where our rest stops are with food, water, facilities, and a chance to get off the bike.


Shortly after leaving the SAG stop, we passed through a large viewing area with a herd of Roosevelt Elk. While Roosevelt Elk are not uncommon in Oregon and Washington, only a small number of these animals are in California and principally in northern Humboldt County where we were riding today.



The next 20 miles took us through the small town of Orick and rural areas along Hwy 101 with occasional views of the ocean. We took a parallel road as we neared our next SAG stop that featured lots of bed and breakfasts and small motels tucked along the ocean in the town of Trinidad. We were a long ways from the Caribbean... and the weather was anything but Caribbean-like, but our stop in Trinidad did feature some savory Mexican food at the Chevron before we headed out along Scenic Drive and enjoyed even better views of the ocean including haystock rocks and beaches dotted with rock formations.

Our next interesting portion of the route was along the Hammond Trail bike path that fronted the ocean beach. At one point, I stopped to inspect a large group of what looked like big dead fish about 300 ft. away on the banks of a small inlet. On further inspection, it was about three dozen harbor seals lounging on the sand.

After the bike path, we hit some farmland and dairy farms along some bumpy farming roads. We entered Arcata, which struck me as a small community with mostly young hippy kids wearing dreadlocks and riding skateboards. We then followed the perimeter of Arcata Bay as we rode into Eureka, CA.
Our route took us through Old Town past stately Victorian homes and businesses in historic buildings. We arrived at our hotel, Best Western, just after 4 p.m. Route Rap (where we discuss tomorrow's route) and Dinner (at a nearby barbecue diner) filled out our early evening. Time to rest and get ready for another nearly 80-mile ride tomorrow to Garberville!

If you'd like to read the blog by our route leader, Mike Munk, visit this link and see more photos of the route and meet the other riders.

Dist: 84.89 mi.
Time: 6:29:09
Avg.: 13.0
Max: 33.8
Total Ascent: 4935 ft.
Max Elev: 1181 ft.
Temp: 60 degrees
Weather: foggy, cloudy, some sunbreaks

Ride the West - (Central) - Day 0

Well, the ride is about to begin. Susie, Kyle, Bethany, and I drove from Bothell to Olympia on Thursday and continued on yesterday to Crescent City, CA. Today we explored the Trees of Mystery in the Redwood forest, visited a lighthouse on the coast, and finally said farewell at 3:00 p.m. I attended our Orientation meeting with Mike, Barbara, and Karen--the tour leaders--along with three guys from Mexico who almost didn't make it here in time due to their flight coming through Houston and having to be re-routed because of hurricane Ike.


Our orientation was pretty thorough. They covered safety and traffic issues, explained tomorrow's route, talked about what they expect of the riders and what we can expect of them. It looks like I'll be the youngest rider in the group. The riders are all ages, but mostly 40-70 and from all over the country. And with the three guys from Mexico and my roommate--he's from Israel--it's an international group as well.

Tomorrow's route will take us through the Redwood forests along Hwy. 101 through Klamath, Orick, Trinidad, Arcata, around Humboldt Bay and into Eureka. The distance is 82 miles. Hopefully, the fog will lift and we can begin the route from the hotel. But if visibility is poor, we'll be driven the first 15-20 miles over the first mountain where the fog isn't so dense.

Since today is a rest day for the other riders, there's no planned dinner. I'll see if my roommate is awake and then probably walk around Crescent City to find some dinner and get things ready for an early breakfast (6:30 am) and a first day of riding tomorrow!

If you'd like to read the blog by our route leader, Mike Munk, visit this link and see more photos of the route and meet the other riders.

RSVP 2008 - Hot, Hotter, Hottest

The "Ride from Seattle to Vancouver, BC and Party" 2008 began for me in Bothell where I met two other riders, Jay and Johnny. We met up with Gary in Maltby and added two more riders to our group in Lake Stevens. The route on the first day, Friday, from Seattle to Bellingham, is a beautiful ride paralleling I-5 along back country roads, Highway 9, and Chuckanut Drive and goes through Lake Stevens, Arlington, Bryant, Mount Vernon, Burlington, and Bow/Edison. Hands down, the best part of Day One is along Chuckanut Drive overlooking Bellingham Bay. The weather was very warm, easily in the mid 80s, and we worked to stay hydrated. Fortunately the breezes kept us cool. Unfortunately, some of those breezes were headwinds. Especially in Skagit County before reaching Chuckanut Drive. But we had strong riders with us that pulled us nicely through the flat farmlands as we rode in a tight paceline.

Upon reaching Bellingham, most of our group stopped at either a hotel or at Western Washington University to spend the night. I, however, had another 20 miles to ride to reach Lynden where my family was camping at a KOA campground. The benefit to me, I got to sleep in on Saturday and only had to ride two miles before breakfast!

We started Saturday in Lynden for a sit-down breakfast at Dutch Mothers Restaurant and an all-you-can-eat buffet with about 100 other riders. Following breakfast, we continued north through the Lynden farmlands until reaching the Aldergrove US/Canada border crossing. The day was heating up and we spent most of Saturday riding in 90-100 degree heat. One memorable stop was at mile 144 where a public park featured a water spray area for toddlers and preschoolers. It was humorous to see a bunch of old cyclists standing amidst the little tykes and getting thoroughly soaked--fully dressed. But it kept them cool!

Our final miles into Vancouver were from the east riding along residential streets and dropping into Chinatown and then through Gastown and along the waterfront of Downtown Vancouver. The day was beautiful, if a bit hot. The scenery of the day was stunning and this continues to be one of my favorite rides.

Check out more of the photos here.

RAMROD 2008 - Pain is Guaranteed, Suffering is Optional

The good news is I FINISHED! The bad news… this is hands-down the toughest ride I’ve ever endured. The weather was perfect. While it was raining at home in Bothell, we had blue skies and sunshine in the low 80s. The only bit of rain we got was in the last half hour of the ride. The mountain was sporting a little cloud hat, but the views were still outstanding. The descents were amazing, soaring at 35 miles per hour down 9 miles of downhill. The climbs however were another story. I knew it was going to be a long, hard day.

Kristin, Bob D. and I left Enumclaw at 5:55 a.m. It was 43 degrees and most of the riders around me weren't dressed for it. But by Eatonville, things warmed up and soon we were at 59 miles and just outside Mt. Rainier National Park. I said farewell to Kristin and Bob at mile 59 and never saw them again until the finish line. The first climb up to Paradise is about 15 miles long. I had to take it two miles at a time, resting and then continuing. I was ecstatic to finally arrive at the top. But two more climbs were ahead. The second climb up Backbone Ridge is only 3 miles so that was mentally easier to take on. I stopped for a victory photo at the top and then enjoyed another amazing descent. The last climb of the day to Cayuse Pass is 9 miles and the steepest. It was also the hottest during this climb. I’ve never been so relieved to see the top of a mountain pass as when I summitted Cayuse!

One final descent and then a long 35 miles of rollers back into Enumclaw. I finished at 8:10 p.m. So for the record, that’s about 12+ hours on the bike and 154 miles. But, I wasn't last. Of the 800 riders that began this ride... four finished after me. But finishing fast wasn't my goal... just finishing.

Check out more photos here.

Having a Blast on Mount St. Helen's

Saturday, June 21—Tour de Blast This was going to be a great weekend to ride... Eight of us gathered at Eastside Church to carpool down to Castle Rock, WA. We were headed for an 84 mile ride with 7500 ft. of climbing up Mount St. Helen's. As we gathered, a few of us realized that we've never seen some of the other riders in street clothes. Usually, these people are wearing bike gear, helmets, and sunglasses... With "regular clothes", make-up, and hair in place, a few are almost unrecognizeable! It reminds me of the Reunion Show on CBS' Survivor reality TV series. After weeks of seeing those competitors living on an island, you can barely recognize them when they appear clean and well-groomed. You get the point...

Our Friday evening ride was long and tedious for the guys who drove I-5. The "gals" (me and three women... just one of the girls, huh?), took I-167 and experienced smooth sailing. It was a precursor for Saturday's ride. The girls and myself would summit easily while only two of the four men would. But, I'm getting ahead of myself.

A filling dinner of pizza or spaghetti at Dirty Dave's in Olympia gave us the fuel we needed for the ride ahead and then we finished the drive southward. Our night's accommodations in Castle Rock was the Mount St. Helen's Motel. Three double beds and plenty of floor space for the five guys. So after unpacking, readying our bikes for the day ahead, and laying out our gear, we hit the hay. Only Rick decided to stand guard into the wee hours of the morning since he couldn't get to sleep.

Breakfast at the restaurant next door was good, filling, and probably unhealthy, but plenty of calories to burn throughout the day. The weather was looking to be far better than what we anticipated. We had brought enough clothing for anything from 30 degrees to 80 degrees...torrential downpours, snow, or whatever else came our way. But temps hovered around 77F with an overcast sky. Perfect riding weather. We were blessed.


The first miles turned over quickly for me with good conversation, great scenery, and a decent rest stop around Mile 18. The next stage was about nine miles of gentle climbing up to Elk Rock at 3800 ft. for our second rest stop.
I felt great and kept chugging along. Rick and Mike were long gone as was Kristin. But Warren, Brenda, Jim, Chris and I arrived at Elk Rock fairly close together.


After a fairly good rest, food, and photos, we raced downward on the long descent to Clearwater Lake. But, what goes down, must go up... at least on this ride. We had another climb of six miles to Johnston Ridge Observatory, at 4800 ft. elevation. Warren was done at Elk Rock. Jim turned around shortly after Clearwater Lake, and it was just me and the three ladies making the climb up to Johnston Ridge. (Mike and Rick were so far ahead of us, we figured they were probably done by now!)


I was surprised to see snow on the climb. In past years, the snow level is far above our highest elevation. But with the late Spring (was there one?), the snow was still in place and nearly 12 feet deep along the side of the parking lot at Johnston Ridge.

Our return flight down from the summit back to Clearwater Lake was fast and furious. Soon, we were back to climbing on our return to Elk Rock. The day was getting late, but I was enjoying the ride, felt great, and going at my own pace. I reconnected at Elk Rock with Kristin and Jim, and soon Chris arrived. Chris waited for Brenda and the other three of us started the amazing nine mile descent from Elk Rock. But our ride was interrupted by a disturbing scene. Another rider had crashed about a half hour earlier. EMS was on the scene. We heard he was unconscious, obviously bleeding from the head, and had to be airlifted by helicopter to Portland. The next day we learned that he was going to be okay.


The scene on the side of the road reaffirmed that our avocation is not without risk. Whether descending Mount St. Helen's at 42 miles per hour or just crossing the street in my neighborhood, there's risk. Life is fleeting. And I realize this life is not my own. It belongs to the Lord. I'm thankful... so very thankful... for every day I am given... to live, to breathe, to grow... and, of course, to ride.

Summits of Bothell... More Rain, More Hills

I wouldn't be complaining if this was February. Or even March. But this is June. This is spring. This is two weeks from the start of summer. Someone apparently hasn't informed those in the weather factory.

Our day began with five of us in the Eastside Church parking lot contemplating the impending ride and the current weather. We decided to take it on, bravely confronting whatever rain or wind would come our way. I knew we were doomed when my wife called in the middle of our pre-ride devotion and prayer to inform me it was dumping buckets at our home seven miles away.

Ironically, our devotional thought for the day was about resisting discouragement! “So don’t get tired of doing what is good. Don’t get discouraged and give up …” (Galatians 6:9 NLT). The closing thought was "...great people are really just ordinary people with an extraordinary amount of determination. Great people don’t know how to quit." After reading that, I turned to the others and said, "I guess we can't bag out on this ride now!" However, only three of us would finish this ride. One rider didn't make it out of the parking lot. Well, technically she did, but it was in her car driving away. No bike ride today for her. A second rider, who shall remain nameless, (but who's first name is the same as mine and last name rhymes with "stir,") also turned away after about four miles, remarking something about warmer, drier weather in the South... like Bellevue.

So Jim, Ken, and myself pressed on. Our route was the Summits of Bothell, which covers eight summits in 38 miles with 3,250 ft. of vertical elevation gain. "More per mile than RAMROD," the website says. We began our ascent of Norway Hill and stayed fairly dry all the way until our climb up Brickyard Road. The scandinavian theme stayed with us. In our heaviest rainfall, Ken said, "The Scandinavians say there's no such thing as bad weather, only BAD CLOTHING!" How true. This was a day for the winter rain gear. But I've also learned over the years that when your clothing and body reach the saturation point, you really can't get any wetter.

One of the funniest moments was when Jim asked us to stop under the 405 overpass. He then proceeded to pull out a cheap, disposable hotel shower cap and placed it over his bike helmet. I've seen ugly helmet covers, but this takes the cake. But fair to say Jim's head stayed warm and dry for the remainder of the ride.

So up and down the hills we went. Getting wetter, climbing harder, riding faster. After 25 miles, I deemed our ride ready to conclude. We turned back toward downtown Bothell and climbed our final hill to Eastside Foursquare Church. Upon arriving in the parking lot, the skies dried up and the rain abated. But we had succeeded in resisting discouragement and not quitting. We're not extraordinary people. We're just ordinary cyclists with an extraordinary amount of determination. We don't know how to give up. Or maybe... we just don't have enough sense to come in from out of the rain.

Riders: Jim, Ken, Bob
Dist: 28.48
Time: 2:21
Avg: 12.0
Max: 32.7

The Five Trails... and Three Rain Squalls

"The Five Trails Ride" is one of my favorite routes. It takes you on five King County Regional Trails and through at least ten different communities. It's the one ride we do that covers more of Seattle and more touristy spots than any other.

Our group of nine started at Eastside Foursquare Church in Bothell and headed south through Kirkland, and Bellevue. Our first hill was just south of Carillon Point where a narrow pathway through a line of landscape trees leads you out of a cul-de-sac. It was just barely wide enough for Don on his tricycle recumbent.

As we rode through Medina and Clyde Hill, we hit our first rain squall. The rain shower was cold and fell heavy as we rolled onto Main Street. It lingered only briefly as we turned west on the I-90 Bike Trail (trail #1) and crossed Mercer Island stopping at the restrooms across from some ballfields where several little league teams were warming up. As we crossed the I-90 span into Seattle and were met by rain squall number two, I saw a kayaker paddling along with a swimmer in a wetsuit. Looked to me like another long-distance athlete on a morning workout. As I thought about my 2009 bike ride across America, it occurred to me that you can't swim across the U.S.

Upon reaching the other side of the bridge, we stopped to enjoy the view and then entered the I-90 bike tunnel. This tunnel is a treat for the first-timer. It's brightly decorated with children's murals and well lit. You can't tell that hundred of cars are hurtling along at 70 mph just over your head.

As we turned west along Dearborn toward SoDo, we passed MC Electric cars. This dealership has probably seen quite an uptick in business with gas costing more than $4.20 a gallon. I've thought about trading my car for an electric. But, then again... I could also make a strong case to trade it for a new bike!

Once in the Rainier Valley, we turned south along Airport Way and then east through SoDo to make our way towards Alki. One of the things I really enjoy about cycling is the ability to smell the environment around me. Sometimes that's a disadvantage. But today, our olfactory senses caught a whiff of a nearby barbecue restaurant. It got me thinking... what if I planned a "progressive dinner" on bike?! Pedal from restaurant to restaurant. Might be good to purchase an extra large pair of cycling shorts for the occasion.

We successfully made it to bike trail #2: Alki Bike Trail. This was not only a great day for cycling but apparently an equally good day for diving. Scores of divers waited along the waterfront for their turn to raise the red and white diagonalled flag and submerge in the cold dark waters of Elliott Bay. The view of Seattle from Alki makes a great backdrop for a cyclist's action photo as we cruised along the trail avoiding dogwalkers, rollerbladers, and families on bikes. We didn't spot Warren's favorite scene on this route--female volleyball players.

All of us rolled into Tullys' along Alki to enjoy some refreshments and coffee. The sun was shining amid a blue sky dappled with white clouds. Our coffee and conversation ended in time for us to remount our bikes and head west and then south along Fauntleroy past the ferry terminal and then uphill through White Center. Our favorite wild-haired descent was just ahead. We flew down Highland Park and dropped down to the Duwamish River Trail (trail #3 if you're keeping track).

We turned north along Elliott Bay and passed a couple of cruise ships heading for Alaska as well as carload after carload of cruise ship passengers making their way to the terminal. We rode trail number four on the Elliott Bay Trail taking us along Alaskan Way, the Seattle waterfront, and past the Olympic Sculpture Park as we pressed toward the Ballard Locks. My favorite part of this ride is the hidden pedestrian bridge crossing the railroad that is tucked between W. Government Way and W. Commodore Way. It's a little-known gem that surprised several of our riders that were new to this route. After bumping across it, we rolled out into the Ballard Locks. Stopped for a photo or two and then walked across the Locks amid the out-of-towners and their Seattle hosts showing them the sights.

Our return route along the Burke-Gilman trail--fifth and final trail--was greeted by our third, and fortunately final, rain squall. We dried out as we reached the University of Washington and then hit our stride and stepped on the gas keeping a fast pace through University Village, Sandpoint, Sheridan Beach, Lake Forest Park, and Kenmore. As our group returned to EFC, Ken commented that this ride was like a vacation around Seattle. He had seen more of Seattle today by bike than he had over most of his years living in the area! Hey, every day on a bike is a vacation for me!

Riders: Jim, Brenda, Warren, David, Ken, Don, Bob, Bryant, Cary
Dist: 68.8
Time: 5:08
Avg: 13.4
Max: 37.0
Total Ascent: 3318 ft
Max Elev: 411