The Ramblings of a Cycling Addict

Good Weekend

2012-01-08T16:22:00.000-08:00

I went for a long hard walk yesterday with my daughter and my husband. We did a 3 mile loop with a steep hill (12% grade) included. Today I went for my first bike ride of 2012. It was sunny but very cold. The starting temperature on today's ride was 34 degrees but by the time I finished it was 47 degrees and with the sun shining down it felt a lot warmer. I only rode 16.43 miles but it felt like I rode a century. I guess that's to be expected when one has not been on ones bike since November 6th! :-P But it sure felt good to be outside today in the fresh air and sunshine. I guess it's time to start riding again! Spring is around the corner and some great seasonal rides are coming up in the months ahead! It begins! :)

Slacking Off Again

2011-12-16T05:43:00.000-08:00

The weather is miserable and as I normally do every winter about this time I've stopped riding. I guess I'm just not a winter rider. When the rain, fog, ice, and snow appear I look out the window and shudder. Oh well I will try and get a few short rides in during my winter break. I will be off from Wednesday, December 21st through January 4th a good time to get back on the saddle.

Fall Riding

2011-10-21T06:03:00.001-07:00

I've been riding a lot this fall. Both September and October had some pretty nice days. I completed my third P12 this month and in fact I've been doing a lot of metrics these past two months. Four in September and so far two metrics for the month of October. I usually ride any where between 30 and 70 miles on my rides. My hope is to ride through the winter months to maintain my fitness and mileage and then really picking it up in the spring.

Riding along the Carbon River in September I pass many fishermen fishing for salmon.

My daughter and I joined CBC on a beautiful fall Sunday to Alki Beach in West Seattle.

Beautiful day riding through Enumclaw farmland.

Getting ready for October fun!

Riding with CBC from Renton to Black Diamond.

Riding with the Seattle Randonneurs on the inaugural ride of the Pie Run 100k metric in October completing my third P12. Great picture of Don and Mimi.

Beautiful autumn afternoon in October. The trees are beginning to put on their fall foliage.

The Old Fishing Hole in Kent farmland.

Farmer's stand in Kent.

September 6, 2011

2011-09-06T16:52:00.000-07:00

I have been getting a lot of great rides in since my last post. I have begun my P12 series again to earn the P12 Award. You can read all about the P12 Award and how to earn it here. I did my first P12 on August 20th choosing the Snoqualmie River Run route. I completed my second P12 on September 4th by doing the Pacific Rose route. Both were great rides with great people and wonderful weather. I uploaded both rides from my garmin and you can take a look at how I did here:

The Snoqualmie River Run I did with one other person and we did really well. We both rode very strong on a very hilly course as you can see. The Pacific Rose ride had 17 people show up for it. It was a ride to show how much we love and support one great cyclists who is battling cancer. When you look at him, and talk with him, and ride with him you couldn't tell that he is fighting the disease. He is all about life, living, family, friends and riding his bike!

Right now our weather is very beautiful. It's the summer we never had. Warm and sunny days and chilly nights. I guess fall has arrived. It's what you would definitely call an Indian summer. I love it. And there are some great fall rides coming up. On September 18th my daughter and I will be doing the 4th annual Cycle the WAVE. I have done every single WAVE ride and this will be my daughter's first. We are both looking forward to the ride and riding it together. On September 25th is the annual Kitsap Color Classic. A gorgeous ride through some of the most beautiful scenic parts of Kitsap county. And of course I will do many of my two bike clubs' weekend rides. One of my favorite weekend bike rides being the Tukwila to Alki Coffee Run. That's just one of many rides I love. So stay tuned for some great fall ride reports.

Summer of 2011

2011-08-03T14:46:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to get a lot of bike rides in this summer. My winter and spring were horrible with my back injury and trying to get back in shape but finally by May/June I was beginning to feel like my good old self again. It was a long slow process but I made it. The hardest part was getting my back to heal. I won't even go into that long story because I really don't want to talk about it. It's over and I'm back and I won't ever let it happen again! To prove I am back here are a few of my favorite pictures from some of my favorite rides this summer. Of course I didn't take pictures of all my rides but the ones I did take pictures of I will share here.

What are the odds? Last year when I rode in the Flying Wheels Summer Century my bib number was 1521. This year when I rode in the event it was 1522! I can't wait to see what my number will be in next year's Flying Wheels Summer Century?

Beautiful local ride in the Enumclaw area. A cool early June ride.

Joe and went to Montana and Wyoming. A two week wonderful vacation. Here I am just outside the west entrance to Glacier National Park. We had the best time riding our bikes in the park.

A local bike ride with the TWBC. We left Sumner library and biked up to Alki Beach. Out and back was 71 miles. It was a gorgeous Sunday as you can see. We stopped and had lunch in Alki before heading back that day.

On the ride back to Sumner from Alki we passed through South Park and saw a huge fire. An apartment complex was burning down. It was on the news that night and we biked right by it.

Last year I rode in the STP and RAMROD. This year I did not. But I did do volunteer work for the RAMROD. I worked from 3:00 - 7:00 AM the day of the ride at packet pick up. It was a gorgeous day for the ride.

Besides these rides I did many many others. These are just the ones I took pictures of. My summer is not over and I plan on riding a lot more. And I also plan to keep riding this year and not slack off like I normally do when November arrives. This is the year I ride all year long!

Saturday the Day Before the First Day of Spring Ride

2011-03-21T17:40:00.000-07:00

My ride on Saturday was pretty nice! I decided to ride the Uvillage – Issaquah 100k route (Redmond start) and I must say I wasn’t disappointed. I was riding alone so I decided to pick this route because most of it was on bike trails.

I parked my car at the free parking lot on the east side of Marymoore Park and then biked over to Peet’s Coffee about a block away. It was just about 10 minutes before 10:00 AM when I arrived at Peet’s Coffee. There must have been a group ride going on because when I arrived at Peet’s in Redmond there were about 15-20 cyclists enjoying coffee and scones and chatting away. Some were arriving on their bikes and others were leaving. With no time to waste and eager to start my ride I turned on my Garmin GPS and headed for the Issaquah McDonalds 9.6 miles south.

Kenmore

Log Boom Park in Kenmore

Cruising on East Lake Sammamish Parkway was a great warm up. I had nice clean shoulders to ride on and a great view of the lake and a few little rollers to warm things up. The only section I did not care for was the last mile or mile and half right after the circle intersection. The section of highway immediately after that circle was heavy with traffic. But I made it to McDonalds in excellent time. I turned around and went back the way I came heading north now on East Lake Sammamish Parkway. About a block away from Peet’s Coffee I turned left onto 65th street and cut through Marymoore Park picking up the Sammamish River Trail. The trail was heavy with weekend people out enjoying the spring weather. For the next 20+ miles I cruised on the Sammamish River Trail and then the Burke Gilman Trail which I picked up near Kenmore. Here the trail got a bit bumpy from roots that buckled the trail but nothing I couldn’t handle. I also noticed a lot of mud that had been scraped off the trail near Kenmore. I think the hill slid down covering the trail (a mud slide . . . go figure with all the rain we’ve been getting) but the mud was evidently cleaned off the trail. I arrived at University Village and it was bustling. I pedaled past QFC and then over to a little area where there were outside tables. I found a hotdog vendor and bought a hotdog and told the man to put everything on it. Fried onions, mustard, ketchup yum did it taste scrumptious. I refilled my water bottles went to the bathroom then began the trek back to Redmond. I stopped at Wilmot Gateway Park and took a picture of a fish sculpture I thought was unique then continued on. I rolled into the Marymoore parking lot a little past three when I realized my hubby tried to reach me on my cell phone. I called him and he reminded me that we had dinner plans with our good friends Jim and Kathy at 6:00. It was 3:00 plenty of time to drive back to Bonney Lake, shower, and meet Jim and Kathy. Mexican food at Puerto Vallarta never tasted so good!

Lunch at University Village

Wilmot Gateway Park

The route was 19 miles of road and 47 miles trail. It was a fun, easy, and scenic ride. I think it will be my P-12 ride for April. My last two 100k rides were pretty darn hilly and I feel a need to do a flat ride in April. But of course back to hills in May. Hmmmm now the question is when should I do my April P-12? April is pretty full in my "date" book and it looks like the only two good days are April 9th and April 23rd possibly the 30th but that’s cutting it too close. Whichever date I chose I hope Mother Nature will be kind and give me a sunny beautiful day.

100k Spring Populaire

2011-03-05T20:45:00.000-08:00

My back is feeling much better. Thank goodness! Today I did the 100k Spring Populaire put on by the Seattle International Randonneurs. I finally met Don aka raleighdon. His wife Mimi I've met before on a ride with a bunch of team estrogen ladies. The ride yesterday was hard. The course began in Woodinville in a park just a block away from the Redhook Brewery. We cycled north then south towards Carnation. If you've never done the course it's a wake up call especially for people out of shape. Tons of rollers and two big hill climbs. The last climb is 20 miles from the finish and it's a long three mile hike up out of the Carnation valley. It's the same hill climb on the Flying Wheels Summer Century. When I climbed it last June it was a piece of cake but today it was a total bitch excuse the language, because right now I am so out of shape. I'm surprised I finished. On the climb up my quads began to cramp horribly (and painfully). I had to stop five times or more to massage the cramps away but when I got back on my bike and pushed they would cramp again. I finally made it to the top and was thankful that was the last big climb of the day. With only 17 miles left to the finish I was determined to see it to the end.

But I did enjoy the scenic route that was picked for today's spring populaire in spite of my suffering lol. Lots of farms with scenic country views, mountain, and rivers to enjoy. Low traffic roads for 90% of the ride. It's going to become one of my favorite routes even with the hills and rollers once I get back in shape. The temperature was in the mid to upper 40s with sunshine and clouds. A little headwind coming through the Carnation valley farmlands.

The stop in Carnation at Sandy's Espresso was wonderful. Lots of time to mix and chat with other people, get a hot mocha and a raspberry scone, fill my water bottles, get a real bathroom break, and relax for 15 minutes before continuing on with the big hill coming up and only 28 miles left to do.

This ride gives me number two in my quest to complete 12 consecutive 100k rides this year to earn my P12 award from the randonneurs. So 2 down and 10 to go! They should get easier as time goes on.

Mimi and me before the start of the ride.

Happy to be on my bike on a great ride.

Majestic spectator along Lake Sammamish.

Control in Carnation at Sandy's Espresso.

The start of the 3 mile climb on the Issaquah Fall City Road.

Don and Mimi with matching socks. Aren't they a cute couple?! :)

Along Lake Sammamish. Look at that sky! It was a glorious day!

The finish at the Redhook Brewery. Don, Mimi, and me.

Mimi and me with our hard earned 100k pins.

First P-12 In the Bag!

2011-02-19T22:48:00.000-08:00

Today I did my first 100k to earn my Randonneur P-12 Award. To earn your P-12 award you have to complete twelve consecutive 100k rides. One per month to earn it. Today's ride was a little over 100k it was 104K. The route I chose for my first P-12 ride was "Southern Exposure" which started in Kent continued to Green Valley, up to Black Diamond, to Ravensdale, onto the Cedar River Trail, into Renton, returning back into Kent. It was a sunny blue sky day but it was also a cold windy day. Starting temperature was 32 degrees with a nasty headwind the entire ride. There were also three big climbs and a lot of rollers on this course. Needless to say I was exhausted when I finished. One down and eleven more to go.

Joe was waiting for me and we went to Pete's BBQ for dinner.

First control at Green Valley Meats.

Finish at Safeway in Kent.

2011 A New Year With New Challenges

2011-01-09T15:49:00.000-08:00

Last year I finished seven cycling events. Accomlishments which I am very proud to have participated in and complete. They were the Daffodil Classic (65 miles), May Day Metric (75 miles), Lewis County Historical Ride (72 miles), Flying Wheels Summer Century (100 miles), Seattle to Portland In One Day (202 miles), RAMROD Ride Around Mount Rainier In One Day (154 miles), and Cycle the WAVE (44 miles). This year I joined the Randonneurs and will be attempting to complete a P-12.

Before I explain what a P-12 is, I think a short description of randonneuring should come first. Randonneuring is long-distance unsupported endurance cycling. This style of riding is non-competitive in nature, and self-sufficiency is paramount. Participation in randonneuring events is part of a long tradition that goes back to the beginning of the sport of cycling in France and Italy. Friendly camaraderie and perseverance are the hallmarks of randonneuring.

RUSA (Randonneur USA) has a new award program this year called the P-12. Modeled after the R-12, this award is for members who ride a sub-200km randonneuring event in each of 12 consecutive months. Being new to randonneuring I thought it best to start off with the P-12 and next year go for the R-12. The R-12 Award is earned by riding a 200km (or longer) randonneuring event in each of 12 consecutive months. The counting sequence can commence during any month of the year but must continue uninterrupted for another 11 months.

So beginning in January I plan to ride a 100 - 199km ride per month. And if I complete this task I will receive the P-12 Award at the end of the year.

Besides the P-12 rides I would love to try out a few other randonneur rides this year. A few of their 200km, 300km, and yes maybe even a 400km this spring/summer when the days are longer and the weather a bit more pleasant.

WTS Redmond to Carnation and Back

2011-01-08T15:53:00.000-08:00

A big turnout for the first WTS ride.

I joined the Seattle International Randonneurs on their first WTS (Winter Training Series) ride today. We met at Sammamish Valley Cycle for an 8:30 sign-up, an 8:50 briefing, and a 9:00 start. The day was a typical January day in the PNW. Wet, chilly, windy, but the sun popped out half way to Carnation. It actually turned into a pretty decent day to be outside and on a bike.

We left the bike shop's parking lot and maneuvered through the streets of Redmond. We turned onto East Lake Sammamish and cruised for six miles before turning left onto Thompson Hill Road. The run on East Lake Sammamish was a nice warm up but Thompson Hill Road was a challenge. The grade on this hill is 9.5% and a few riders I passed were walking. Hey it's early in the season and why kill yourself on a training ride in January? I took my time and made it without having to get off my bike and walk but I sure was huffing and puffing as I ascended the hill. Once on top it got a lot more pleasant. The rest of the ride to Carnation was flat with a few rollers. One particular part of the ride I totally enjoyed was the descent down Duthie Hill. What a ride! Entering Carnation I rode along wonderful back country roads with very little traffic. The road that runs along the Carnation golf course was one of my favorites. Finally at mile 22.5 I arrived at Sandy's Espresso in down town Carnation, this was our rest stop.

At Sandy's I ordered a tall mocha which I thoroughly enjoyed. I took my time drinking it relishing in the warmth and taste of this wonderful beverage. After I finished my mocha, took my bathroom break, and refilled my water bottles I was on my way back to Redmond. On the ride back I set a moderate cadence and enjoyed the pastoral scenery. There was quite a bit of climbing again and another thrilling downhill to enjoy. And before I knew it I was back at the Sammamish Valley Bike shop.

Sandy's Espresso in Carnation

Last Months 3rd Annual Cycle the WAVE

2010-10-16T06:24:00.000-07:00

I completely forgot to write about my ride last month. The 3rd Annual Cycle the WAVE on Sunday, September 19th. I have been participating in this ride every single year since the 1st Cycle the WAVE in 2008. It's for a great cause and it's totally FUN! Yes fun even this year in the rain! Riding in this event was a great way to finish the season. Wonderful people, great support and people, fabulous rest stops, cheerleaders, hot firemen, and a finish line that was totally out of this world. I look forward to the 4th Annual Cycle the WAVE!

Here is what I posted at the Cycle the WAVE facebook page:

I had a great time on Sunday! My applause to all the friendly people working at the fully stocked rest stops, to the hunky firemen offering hot tamales and cheers, to the cheerleaders at the start and throughout the course, to the guys posted at turns and bad sections on the roads, to the police officer who helped cyclists turn at busy intersections, to the kids at the finish line handing out the medals and candy, the vendors with their wonderful food, to everyone who helped in any way, you all counter balanced the rain. I had the best time and was happy with my decision to ride on Sunday morning. I can't wait to ride the WAVE in 2011!

2010 RAMROD (Ride Around Mount Rainier In One Day)

2010-07-31T11:02:00.000-07:00

Thursday, July 29, 2010

It was an early start to a very long day! I was up when my alarm went off at 3:00 AM. I got dressed, got my bike into my car, stretched and then I was out the door for the 10 mile drive to the start at the Enumclaw H.S. At the high school I enjoyed a hearty breakfast, courtesy of the local rotary and lions club, of scrambled eggs, sausage, juice, waffle, hot oatmeal, and coffee. It was a foggy morning. The marine layer was thick, seems to be the weather pattern this month, causing condensation on my glasses as I rode. So I had to remove them for the first 58 miles of the ride.
I left the start with the rest of the riders at 5:00 AM. The streets were quiet and the traffic, well there wasn't very much. At each major intersection though we had a police officer there making sure we crossed without difficulty. The route continued through the towns of Buckley, South Prairie, Orting, and finally arriving at our first rest stop in the town of Eatonville. I was averaging almost 16 mph when I reached Eatonville but the course was downhill to Orville Road (mile 13) and then flat and then a very gradual rise to Eatonville. But this would soon end.

A "hill" greeted me as I left Eatonville. From Eatonville (elevation 800 feet) we had a gradual climb for the next 25 miles. Our second rest stop was at mile 58.2 (elevation 2010) just half a mile from the Nisqually entrance to Mt. Rainier National Park.

Mounthaven rest stop mile 58.2 just half a mile from the park entrance. The fog begins to clear just as I leave the rest stop.
Approaching the park entrance and the start of the 18 mile climb to the summit near Paradise. Next rest stop is 18 miles up at Inspiration Point. This was also our first checkpoint. As we entered the park we had to show the ranger and members from the bike club our number.

The ride from the park entrance to Longmire (6 miles to Longmire from the entrance) was beautiful. The climbing began as soon as we entered but it wasn't too bad . . . yet! The ride up was along the river and through the most beautiful lush forest I have ever seen. After 6 miles I reached Longmire and here the climb stiffened up. Plainly put, it got pretty steep! So from the park entrance we went from 2010 feet to 4800 feet in less than 18 miles. But the rewards upon reaching Inspiration Point were well worth the effort of the climb.

This picture was taken about a quarter mile from the Inspiration Point rest stop. I just had to get this picture of my bike with Mt. Rainier in the background!
Approaching Inspiration Point and the third rest stop at mile 75.1.

And this is why it's called Inspiration Point but this picture does not do justice to the real thing!
I reached the summit around 11:30 AM. That 16 mph average quickly went down once the climbing began. But I made up some time on the sweet 13 mile descent from the top of Inspiration Point. As I cruised down I passed Reflection Lake and was so tempted to stop and take a picture but I didn't; I just enjoyed the view as it went by. After the thrilling downhill the three mile climb up and over Backbone Ridge began followed by another sweeeeet five mile descent to Box Canyon and our fourth rest stop.

After leaving the rest stop I continued downhill past Ohanapecosh to the junction of highway 123 and the start of the last steep climb of the day, Cayuse! This climb was 11 miles long, very steep, with no shade, and starting 99 miles into the ride! Talk about a long 11 miles . . . it was brutal. Like I said there was no shade at all on this climb up Cayuse. The sun was beating down, and the hill just kept on going and going. I had to rest a few times because I was getting very over heated. I passed a few little waterfalls on the climb up and they created a very cold breeze as I went by. I was tempted a couple times to jump into one! :D And my water was quickly disappearing but 7 miles into the climb there was a water and sanican stop at the Deer Head Trailhead. Thank God because my two water bottles were almost empty. There was this wonderful man spraying riders with a spray bottle and I tell you it felt wonderful! And a wonderful older woman filling our water bottles for us. Refreshed and with full water bottles I continued up the last 4.1 miles to Cayuse Pass and the junction of highway 410. Oh I forgot to mention that we passed through three tunnels on the RAMROD ride. The bike club put up these neat signs that said Bikes In Tunnel but I didn't stop to get a picture. The tunnels were cool and dark but thank goodness not too long. The final tunnel was just 2 miles from the top of Cayuse . . . onward and upward!

Finally I reached the top of Cayuse Pass at 3:07 PM! Woot woot! It only took me just under two hours to climb Cayuse! But the downhill from the top of Cayuse to the Deli stop 8 miles below only took me 12 minutes. It was one thrilling ride from Cayuse Pass to the Deli Rest Stop. The road was in great shape and there was hardly any traffic! I was flying down at 40+ mph! My overheated body quickly cooled and I felt like I was flying. It made me think of the Tour de France, coming down a steep mountain stage in the Alps or Pyrenees. It was wonderful, exhilarating, and it made me smile from ear to ear! It was pure pleasure and excitement. Finally I reached the park's exit. After exiting the park, a few yards ahead, I turned right onto Crystal Mountain Blvd and into the Deli Stop.

The people were great and the food tasted wonderful. After a day of cookies, fruit, bagels, and peanut butter, a ham with Swiss sandwich, with lettuce tomatoes and a side of salty chips and a bunch of grapes . . . I was in heaven! I stayed a little too long at the Deli stop, leaving at 4:11 PM.

Only 35 miles to Enumclaw and the finish line. You're probably thinking all downhill to Enumclaw, well that's a half truth. The first 15 miles were nice. But after Greenwater there were a few little climbs left to do. Nothing bad but after a day of climbing through the park they were tough. And there was a headwind . . . of course there was! Finally 27 miles after leaving the Deli stop I saw an officer at the Mud Mountain Dam turn off waiting to help us cyclists make the left hand turn off of highway 410 onto Mud Mountain Dam Road. He yelled out encouragement as I turned, "You are almost there, only a little over 9 miles to the finish!" I thanked him and continued on. There was a sweet fast downhill off mud mountain onto the Enumclaw plateau and then I was on the out skirts of town.

About half a mile before the finish there was one more officer stationed at a busy intersection to help us again cross highway 410. And then it was just two and half blocks to the finish line. Finally there was the school where it all began only 13 hours and 11 minutes ago! As I approached people were clapping and cheering and woot wooting for me as I entered the finish and crossed the line. I made it! I crossed around 6:11 PM and a great guy handed me my official 2010 RAMROD patch! He told me job well done and reminded me to go and get my ice cream, which I did! It was delicious! The perfect treat at the finish line! :)

Total miles 148.13, average speed 12.9, ride time 11:28, total time 13:11, and elevation 10,127 feet of climbing.

A BIG THANK YOU to the Redmond Cycling Club for a day of cycling I will not soon forget! It was an A+++ ride and all the people involved, support, rest stop folks, officers, just everyone were great! You made my ride a very memorable one.

2010 STP

2010-07-19T20:36:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, July 17th I rode in the 40th annual STP (Seattle to Portland) bike event. You can do the ride in either two days, 102 miles a day, or you can go for the gusto and do the ride in one day, all 204 miles. I chose the latter. I've been training for this ride since early March and all those weekend training rides paid off.

My day on Saturday began very very early. I wanted to get a head start on the other riders. I did not want to deal with the 10,000+ riders that would be starting at 4:45 AM. I've seen the crashes in a previous year and this year I just didn't want to deal with it. It was surreal being the only one on the road so early in the morning. But I wasn't alone for too long because apparently other cyclists had the same idea. I met a few riders who like me also went for an early start. I chatted with a few of them but we mainly pedaled alone in those early hours. Except for me and the other lone cyclists we had the entire streets to ourselves for quite some time. It was so peaceful riding during those early hours.

Our weather for Saturday morning was pretty chilly. We had the typical pacific northwest marine layer that rolled in over night. It was pretty thick too and would not burn off until 1:30 PM. It actually made riding nice. Not hot or wet but very comfortable. In fact I think it was the perfect kind of weather for such a long ride.

I was in a "zone" those first few hours and didn't stop for quite sometime. In fact my first rest stop was the Yelm ministop at mile 71.4 just before we jumped onto the Yelm/Rainier/Tenino Trail (Okay okay I did stop a few times at convenience stores and a gas station). I refilled my water bottles and drank a large bottle of powerade, ate two cookies, and a bag of trail mix before continuing on. I got onto the trail and was on it for 13 miles before returning to the road. At mile 86 I stopped at the Tenino ministop to use the bathroom and all the fast riders were beginning to appear. I was no longer alone but was quickly seeing more and more cyclists on the road with me.

I reached the half way point in Centralia just before 11:00 AM. As I rolled in I was offered a large chocolate milk which I drank down quickly. It was delicious! In Centralia free food was offered to the one day riders. Good thing for me because I was hungry! I devoured a turkey and cheese sandwich and a rice crispy treat, filled my water bottles, drank a large bottle of powerade and used the sanican before getting back on my bike and continuing on. I skipped the next two ministops at miles 105.85 and 113.55 and finally turned in at the Winlock rest stop at mile 120.3. Here they were selling hamburgers, hot dogs, polish sausages, and all kinds of goodies. Hungry again I bought a hamburger and a drink and found a table and sat down and enjoyed my feast. I talked to this really cool guy who was doing the STP for the 31st time! Wow, I was impressed. He told me about some years where it was so hot you wanted to die and other times of pouring down rain. He experienced it all! After we both finished eating we said good luck to each other and I continued on. I left this rest stop at 1:30 PM. This was also about the time the sun finally burned through the marine layer and blue skies appeared giving us sunshine for the rest of the day.

I stopped quickly at mile 143.9 to use the sanican again. Only nine miles to the Oregon border from this stop. Crossing the Lewis and Clark Bridge was a bit scary. The bike/pedestrian path was narrow and there were huge, rough, expansion joints on the bridge too. They were pretty bad but I managed to get across. I wanted to stop and take a picture of the "Welcome to Oregon" sign but the decent was fast and the turn too sharp making it pretty difficult to stop so I just continued on.

At mile 173.85 I reached the final rest stop at St. Helens H.S. Here they were serving some great food so I helped myself to a delicious mini turkey wrap and a white chocolate chip cookie. I rested a bit longer here but finally was on my way again. Only 30 miles left to go! It was the longest 30 miles of the day but finally I saw a sign that said "10 miles to Portland" I was excited. I could also see the bridges of Portland in the distance. I was getting close! The sun was getting low and the shadows were getting long. It was a beautiful evening. The sky was blue and clear and the air "shimmery". Cyclists were beginning to accumulate as I approached the city. With 5 miles left to go I was swallowed up by a group of about 15-20 riders. Together we cruised through the streets of Portland. It seems we hit every single red light once we entered the city streets. We were all laughing and chatting and passing our energy on to each other. We were almost to the finish and we were all excited!

At mile 201.9 we reached the Steel Bridge and rode onto the lower-level pedestrian walkway. We were lucky because there was practically zero pedestrian traffic on the bridge as we crossed. With less than two miles to go we became electric and animated. As we passed people on the sidewalks of Portland we could hear them clapping and cheering for us as we rode by. Then there it was the finish line! I made it! I did it! It was thrilling, exciting, and totally rewarding as I crossed the finish line. I could hear the announcer call my number as I crossed and I could see the smiles and hear the cheers. A man handed me my 1 day rider patch and congratulated me. And there was my husband waiting for me. As sweaty and stinky as I was he came over to me and gave me a big hug and kiss and told me how proud he was that I did the STP in one day. I crossed the line at 7:37 PM. Over 15 hours ago I was in Seattle and now here I was in Portland. My ride time was 13.49, my average speed was 14.7, and my total miles was 203.19. What a day, what a ride, what an experience.

Vader ministop at mile 127. Only 25 miles to the Oregon border and 76 miles to Portland.

Me crossing the finish line in Portland.

I did it! Woot woot!

I'm proud of this, my one day rider patch!

Flying Wheels Summer Century 2010

2010-06-14T21:06:00.000-07:00

I forgot to write about my ride on Saturday, June 12th. I rode the century course in this year's Flying Wheels Summer Century. It was a great ride with perfect weather. The start was at Marymoor Park in Redmond. The ride took me through some beautiful scenic back roads and quaint towns. Some of the towns I passed through were Carnation, Monroe, Duval, and Snohomish. The course was VERY hilly. My first hill, Inglewood Hill, was 4.5 miles into the ride, with a 12% grade! And my last big climb was 82.5 miles into the ride with a 10% grade. But I made every single hill and finished with strong legs. There were five rest stops on this course and all were well stocked. It was an A+ ride. At the finish there was a lot of great food booths. The first thing I did upon finishing was grab a cold chocolate milk and drink it down. Then I walked over and bought a hot link with onions and sauerkraut. After a day of power bars, cookies, and fruit the hot link was like heaven. I got home around 6:00 PM and showered and then my wonderful hubby took me out for Mexican food. When I got home the day and ride finally caught up with me. Tired I went to bed and fell into a deep and wonderful sleep.

28th Annual Lewis County Historical Bike Ride

2010-05-09T19:05:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I rode the 72 mile course in this year's annual Lewis County Historical Bike Ride. The start was in Chehalis at Stan Headwall Park. I left my house at 5:40 AM and drove the 70 miles so that I could start by 7:30 AM. It was a cold morning, with a temperature of 38 degrees. But the sky was a crystal clear blue and the sun was shining brightly. After 20 minutes of pedaling I began to warm up nicely. By the time I reached the first rest stop at mile 15 I was peeling off my arm and ear warmers. The ride was through some of the most beautiful and scenic lands in this state. I had great views of Mount Saint Helens, Mount Adams, and Mount Rainier. The entire ride was on quiet low traffic back roads of pastoral farmland. And as the name of the ride says our rest stops were at old historical sites. It was fun, scenic, and educational. The course was very hilly and my partner of late my friend Mister Headwind was with me the entire ride. I finished a little after 1:00 PM. On my way home I stopped at a local Arbys and devoured a medium roast beef sandwich with horsey sauce. It was delicious!

Some of the historical sites where our rest stops were and some of the other historical sites I pedaled by were:

Jackson Prairie Court House just beyond highway 12 which used to serve as the first district court north of the Columbia.

We passed by the Lewis and Clark State Park which opened in 1923. It has the largest stand of old growth trees in western Washington.

Our first rest stop was at the St. Francis Mission which was first occupied in 1838 and the site of the oldest Catholic Mission in the state.

Evaline School, my second food stop, is one of the few remaining two room schools in the state. First through sixth grades are still taught in this building. The bathrooms were unique! Swinging doors and steps that lead up to the toilet!

Claquato Church, third rest stop, built in 1859 is the oldest standing protestant church in Washington. It is still used for special occasions.

Evaline School.

Claquato Church.

May Day Metric 2010

2010-05-04T19:04:00.000-07:00

I forgot to post my May Day Metric ride. On Sunday, May 2nd I woke up at 6:00 AM and the first thing I did was look out my bedroom window to check the weather condition. It wasn't pretty. Gray low hanging dark heavy clouds greeted me as I parted my curtains. I decided to check the weather on my local news station and they said the rain would hold off until late afternoon. Always the optimist I decided to go for it. I made a pot of coffee, made toast and eggs, dressed, loaded my bike into my car and off I went. I stopped at Starbucks on my drive to the start and arrived just after 7:00. I registered and was on my bike by 7:23. It was chilly but after a few miles I began to warm nicely. There was a headwind (of course) and the route was very hilly. The ride was an out and back. Start was in Federal Way at Phil's South Side Cyclery and the turn around stops were in Orting (turn around here for the 50), next stop was in Wilkerson (turn around here for 75), and the third rest stop was in Carbonado (turn around here for 105 miles). I decided to turn around in Wilkerson. Passing through Orting on my return I did get a little rain but the majority of the ride was dry. Dry and WINDY! How is it possible to have a headwind both going out and coming back amazes me. Just my luck I guess. I would rather climb hills then ride against a headwind. Finally, after 74.5 miles I reached the finish. Next door to Phil's, in Johnny's Bar and Grill, they were serving peach and apple pie to all finishers. I had a slice of apple and my goodness was it delicious. I was so hungry I also ordered a Swiss and onion burger with fries too. What a great (and hard) ride. I slept soundly on Sunday night!

Rest stop at Wilkerson.

My beautiful bike.

Pie at the finish! YUM!

35th Annual Daffodil Classic

2010-04-19T19:44:00.001-07:00

Sunday, April 18th was the annual Daffodil Classic Bike Ride. And what a great ride it was this year! The weather, the people, the routes, the entire ride was just wonderful. I rode the metric (but I got a few extra miles in because I missed a turn and had to back track). So my total mileage was 65.41 miles. It was a pretty hard course. Very hilly, lots of chip sealed roads, and I had a crazy headwind most of the ride. I began riding at 8:30 AM; it was a foggy start but the sun quickly burned away the fog layer and left behind beautiful blue sky and sunshine. The support was great! I especially enjoyed the second rest stop in Eatonville. They served beans and rice to all the riders plus there was a ton of cookies, bagels, peanut butter, jelly, Philly cream cheese, and fruit! Yum! The entire course had great views of Mount Rainier! And at the finish there was the famous TWBC's strawberry shortcake served with congratulations and smiles!

Spring Ride

2010-03-19T18:21:00.000-07:00

I had a personal day today and I picked a great day for it! Sunny, warm, and beautiful. I got a wonderful 40 mile bike ride in. Started straight from my home and did my Bonney Lake/Sumner/Orting/South Prairie/Buckley/Bonney Lake Loop!

I dropped down into Sumner from Bonney Lake on a 3 mile fast downhill WOW! I love coming down that hill. I hit 40 mph. In Sumner the daffodil fields were full of gorgeous beautiful daffodils. This weekend would have been a perfect one for the annual Daffodil Classic Bike Ride but it's not for another month. April 18th. By then all these daffodils will be gone. We have been getting unseasonable warm weather all winter long. No complaints from me! I took all of these photos with my cell phone camera. Not the best quality.

After enjoying the daffodils I continued on towards Orting. From Orting you have fantastic views of Mt. Rainier.

From Orting I head towards South Prairie. On the way I follow the Carbon River. I saw a lot of wild life today. Bald eagles over the river, mallards, and some domestic ones too. Horses, cows, sheep, and buffalo.
From South Prairie the climbing begins. Remember that hill I zoomed down at the start into the valley? Well now it was time to climb up out of the valley into Buckely. It was a long winding climb but it felt good. From Buckley I got onto Old Buckley highway which took me past farmland, fields and pastures, and some gorgeous homes.
40 miles later I was back home!

Tomorrow I begin my local bike club's training series. Tomorrow will be the first ride of the 16 week long series. 43 miles working up to our last ride on July 3rd of 168 miles with 9,000 feet of climbing. It's to get cyclist in my area ready for the big summer rides.

First Ride of 2010

2010-01-10T19:17:00.000-08:00

I finally got my first ride in for this new year. A beautiful Sunday ride with the TWBC. We began in South Tacoma on Pacific Ave (hwy 7 just off SR 512). We had a foggy start but the sun finally came out as we crested the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. It was a great ride with beautiful scenery along the way. And a great lunch break in Gig Harbor.

Before we began our ride our ride leader Sue gives us instructions.
22 riders showed up today.

Tacoma Narrows Bridge this morning in the fog.

We broke through the fog just over the crest on the Narrows bridge.
This shot is looking back at the fog bank we just came through.

Tides Tavern and Restaurant in Gig Harber where we stopped for a lunch
break. I had the 2 piece halibut and fries. Delicious!

Shot from the Tacoma Narrows Bridge on our return to Tacoma.

Fog is gone! Great ride. 40 miles.

Happy New Year! 2010 Will Be a Great Year!

2010-01-01T07:55:00.000-08:00

To repeat what I wrote at my web site . . .

I'm looking forward to this new year. I want to ride, I want to lose weight, I want to get back in shape, and I want to stay fit and healthy. A big order I know but I have a plan for achieving my goals.

First, I volunteered to lead rides for my bike club's "Series Training Rides". These will be weekend rides that the club will be offering this spring and summer to help cyclists prepare for major rides this year. The Ride Series begins in March and will continue every weekend through mid July. Now I won't have an excuse not to ride on the weekend because I will be leading the ride. I will also go to the gym after work on the weekdays with my daughter. And when the weather begins to get nicer and the days longer I will start to do my after work rides. Mix it up, a day at the gym to work on core and strength then a day of riding out doors to get a good cardio workout.

My list of rides that I plan to participate in (this list will probably grow). :)

Daffodil Classic April 18, 2010
Peninsula Metric June 6, 2010
Seattle to Portland July 17, 2010
RAMROD July 29, 2010 (by lottery . . . I may not get to ride this one)
Crater Lake Century August 14, 2010

November First a Great Day for a Ride!

2009-11-01T17:47:00.000-08:00

November started off sunny and warm. I went on a great bike ride today with the Cascade Bike Club. We started from Coulon Park in Renton rode past Seward Park and over the I-90 Bridge to Bellevue where we stopped at a Starbucks for refreshments before continuing over the Channel Bridge and returning to Coulon Park.

Rest stop at Seward Park

I-90 Floating Bridge

Starbucks break in Bellevue

Tolt McDonald Mountain Bike Ride

2009-10-25T20:54:00.000-07:00

Joined Erik and 27 other mountain bikers for Erik's annual October Tolt McDonald ride. It was an awesome ride!

Regrouping at the top of the long steep climb.

On the trail!

Vashon Island to Alki Bakery Ride

2009-08-20T21:47:00.000-07:00

Today I joined the Tacoma Wheelmen cyclists for a bike ride. We met at the Point Defiance ferry where we caught the 8:25 AM ferry to Vashon Island. Straight off the ferry we had to climb a 8-9% grade one mile hill. Then we cycled past some scenic sites of the sound and country side of Vashon before stopping in the quaint downtown section of the island for lattes, mochas, and baked goods at Cafe Luna's. After our wonderful break we continued on to the northern tip of Vashon where we caught the Fauntleroy ferry to west Seattle. The route after we disembarked from the Fauntleroy ferry was gorgeous views of the sound all the way to Alki Beach where we stopped at the famous Alki Bakery for lunch. After lunch we did the route in reverse returning to Vashon Island and then to our starting point in Tacoma via the ferries again. What a wonderful day of cycling!

Cloudy 8:25 AM ferry crossing to Vashon Island from Point Defiance ferry dock.

The famous Vashon Island tree that swallowed the bicycle!

Coffee stop in downtown Vashon at Cafe Luna.

Approaching the northern tip of Vashon and the Fauntleroy ferry dock.

Leaving Vashon for west Seattle on the Sealth ferry.

Group photo op on the beach in west Seattle.

Beautiful lawn art.

Famous Alki Bakery! Yum!

My sandwich! It was so good! And fresh squeezed strawberry lemonade!

Posing with "Bert". The owner was outside and gave us permission and told us his name! :)

Returning from west Seattle to Vashon Island.

Approaching the southern tip of Vashon to catch the ferry back to Tacoma.

On my way back to Point Defiance.

Tacoma to Belfair and back.

2009-08-16T20:18:00.001-07:00

Great ride today. I rode with the Tacoma Wheelmen Bike Club. We started the ride in Tacoma, cycled across the Narrows bridge, went through Gig Harbor, Purdy, and Port Orchard, before stopping in Belfair for lunch. After lunch we headed on back to Tacoma. Total miles 65. Weather beautiful!

Crossing the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.

My Bike!

The Group in Gig Harbor.

Puget Sound near Purdy.

Mount Rainier.

A Busy July

2009-07-31T14:39:00.000-07:00

July was a busy month for me. I went on a week long vacation with my hubby and two kids to Glacier National Park, Montana. We had a great time. I also got eleven great bike rides in this month too. And most of the rides were during the hottest weather days that the pacific northwest has ever received! For example one ride was in 98 degree temperature and the other 106 degrees! I seemed to tolerate the heat really well and I actually enjoyed sweating in the heat. I still have one more month off before going back to work and I plan on biking as much as I can. I'm looking forward to a ride on Sunday, August 9th called the Tour de Peaks. Start is from Snoqualmie, WA. I've never participated in this ride; it looks like it will be a lot of fun. I can't wait!

The summer is flying by so fast. Before I know it I'll be back at work. But fall also brings some of my favorite ride events. There are three wonderful rides in the month of September and two in the month of October that I ride every year. The last event on October 10th is my favorite. It is the Harvest Century in Hillsboro, Oregon. It's a beautiful time of the year and to see the gorgeous country side from my bike is always a special pleasure of mine. It's a great ride to end the cycling season with.

Chehalis Western Trail Ride With the TWBC

2009-07-01T17:29:00.001-07:00

Today my daughter and I joined the TWBC on their Wednesday ride on the Chehalis Western Trail. We had a great time and a wonderful ride. The weather was beautiful and the scenery gorgeous.

Me waiting for the ride to start around 9:15 AM at the trailhead.

My daughter Jackie waiting for the start of the ride.

Lunch stop at the half way point in Tenino.

Me playing with my food again!

Jackie trying on my onion ring glasses lol.

Jackie catching some rays from the sun.

Definitely will do this ride again! :-D

We got 42.62 miles in and averaged 15.27 mph. Very bad headwind on the way back! Egads!

2009 Tour de Pierce

2009-06-28T14:12:00.000-07:00

Today my daughter and I did the 50 mile route of this year's Tour de Pierce. We had a great time. The day was perfect! The weather seemed more like an autumn day then a summer day. Dry, cool, sunny, with giant white fluffy clouds sailing by but also a horrible headwind on the way back. The roads were quiet and nice. Sunday mornings are always a nice time to ride because everyone is either sleeping in or going to church. I could have biked all day long! We had the best time!

30 and 50 mile route maps at the rest stop.

Jackie at the end of our ride.
Me at the end of the ride. Another 50?! Easily! :)

Our numbers.

2009 Native Planet Classic

2009-06-22T14:29:00.001-07:00

On Friday Joe, Jackie, Aaron, and I left our home in Bonney Lake around 9:00 AM for Winthrop. We were going over so that I could ride in the 2009 Native Planet Classic. I had signed up to do this ride almost eight months ago and here it was just a day away! We decided to take the "scenic" route over to Winthrop. The scenic route being the north cascade highway. This way I could check out the course I would be riding tomorrow. You see the course is over Washington Pass, starting from the town of Winthrop to Diablo Lake then turning around at Diablo Lake and returning to Winthrop. Here is an elevation profile of the course:
Around noon we arrived in the quaint town of Marblemount, WA. This town sits just before the start of the scenic north cascade highway. Many cyclist ride this rode and I can see why. Low traffic, scenic views, and Alp like climbs (so I've heard from people who know)! We had lunch at the Buffalo Run Inn and Restaurant. You can tell that a lot of cyclists stop here for breakfast, lunch, and dinner by the sign immediately inside the door:
The food was delicious! Joe, Jackie, and I had buffalo burgers and fries and my son Aaron, always the adventurous one, had an ostrich burger with onion rings. Aaron liked the ostrich burger but he did not think that either Jackie or I would have enjoyed it. He said it had a strong taste, almost like liver, and was very dry. I think he's right. I'll stick with buffalo burgers! Mine was scrumptious! After we finished lunch we continued our drive to Winthrop. Driving towards Winthrop I got an eye full. I'm glad I got to see the course before tomorrow's ride. Mentally it helped prepare me for the ride just a day away. And left no doubt in my mind that it was going to be a very difficult ride.

We arrived in Winthrop around 2:00 PM. We stopped at the Winthrop Red Apple for a few provisions and then checked into our cottage in town. We always stay at the Rivers Edge Resort just a block away from the main intersection in Winthrop. I love that place! We had a full kitchen, two bedrooms with king size beds, and a deck with a hot tub that overlooked the Chewuch River. All the comforts of home. I texted Jennifer to see when she would be arriving and she texted me back saying that she didn't get out of Tacoma until 6:00 PM and probably wouldn't see me until the morning of the ride. She got in, I later found out, after 11:00 PM!

Joe, the kids, and I went out for dinner. Then we walked around town and enjoyed the sights and shops. Finally, around 8:00 we went home where the kids and Joe watched TV and I went to bed. I needed all the rest I could get before my big day tomorrow!

The alarm went off at 4:30 AM on Saturday morning and I quietly got up and started my coffee. I dressed and packed my backpack for the days ride. That backpack was a big mistake on my part. I have never ever worn one on any of my road rides and why I decided to carry one on this ride I will never figure out. I think because of that pack on my back it caused the severe back spasms that I had about three quarters of the way through the ride. But more about that later. I enjoyed my coffee and two pieces of toast. I was going to make myself some eggs too but my stomach was very upset for some reason so I just settled for the toast and coffee. Joe woke up and lubed my chain and pumped my tires for me. What a wonderful sweetie of a husband! Then my kids got up to say good luck and see me out the door. Before leaving Joe had to take these pictures of me:

I was ready! I left the cottage and biked the two blocks to the "red barn" in Winthrop. Waiting there for me was my friend Jennifer:
I took a picture of her at the start and she took one of me too. Don't I look excited?!
And so we set off around 6:00 AM for Washington Pass. We were excited and happy and ready for the challenge. For the first 15 miles we stayed pretty much together. Chatting and laughing and just enjoying the surrounding country side of Winthrop. After we passed Mazama the flat valley floor of Winthrop began to disappear and the start of the climb began. Immediately Jennifer began to get further and further away from me. She was a much stronger and faster climber than me. I told her to go and not wait for me. We had agreed to this in the beginning. We would try to stay together but being realistic we knew we were in different categories. So off she went as I continued up at my slower pace. My legs and lungs felt strong and great. My training for this ride was not the best and I was worried. I really did not train on any "big" hills or "long" climbs. I chatted with other riders and discovered that many of them trained for this ride by starting from the town of Cle Elum and riding over Blewett Pass to Leavenworth and back. Something I should have done but now it was too late. But I seemed to be doing really good and I was in great spirits as I watched the summit get closer and closer.

As I climbed towards Washington Pass I noticed the temperature dropping, the appearance of snow, and my breath as I breathed the cold air in and out. It felt great on the climb but I was worried about the descent down towards Diablo Lake! It was going to be quite frigid at the start of the descent from Washington Pass. I was thinking, "I should have brought along my long finger gloves". All I had on were my fingerless ones! Oh well too late to worry about it now.

Finally, at 9:11 AM I reached the summit and the Washington Pass rest stop. Jennifer was there eating some wraps and cookies and was ready to go to the sanican before continuing on. We talked briefly and then she was off while I ate and restocked my fuel and hit the sanicans too. About ten minutes after Jennifer left for Diablo I finally left too. And what a descent those miles were. The first 11 miles were bone chilling. My fingers (I figured this would happen) were frozen and numb after five minutes. I couldn't even feel them! It was so damn cold! And wouldn't you know a headwind and crosswinds were with us the entire way down to Diablo. It helped slow the speed down (but not by much as it was steep!) It was a blast! I never felt so exhilarated! My bike was sweet! She loved the speed. After that slow ascent this was just too much fun! The miles down towards Diablo Lake just ticked by quickly and before I knew it I was on the last steep descent towards the lake. The distance from the top of Washington Pass to Diablo Lake was 34 miles. After my food and bathroom stop at Washington Pass I started for Diablo around 9:47 AM, at a little past noon I was at the lunch stop and Diablo Lake! And there was Jennifer! She had just finished eating and was heading to the bathroom then she said she was going to start back. She said I was never very far behind. This really helped to pick up my spirits. I wished her good luck on the climb back up out of Diablo! If you look at the elevation profile you can see it was quite a steep 5-7 miles! I sat and stretched my legs and back and enjoyed all the good food at the rest stop. One thing I must give the organizers is their awesome rest stops. They were stocked with real food! Hot coffee! And delicious cookies, power bars, nuts, and fruit. Finally full and stretched I hit the bathroom before starting my return trip back towards Washington Pass and Winthrop. And I was right the 7-8 mile climb out of Diablo was a killer! It was very steep (I'm guessing about an 11% grade or more). My speed out was 5.3 mph. Finally I made the top of the short climb out of Diablo Lake and was treated to a short downhill section before the slow long climb back to Washington Pass began. The headwind and crosswinds were back and they were dealing out their punishing assault. At the second reaching of Washington Pass I stayed there for a good half hour just stretching my back. It began cramping so bad about 80 miles into the ride that I had to get off my bike many many times to massage and stretch it.

Looking at the time I finally got back onto my bike and started down Washingto Pass for Winthrop. I was coming down at 45 mph. The winds were picking up and I had to hit the brakes and to maintain a speed between 35-38 for the majority of the descent. When the winds seemed to die down I would open it up. The miles flew by quickly. What took me three hours in the morning to climb took me less than two hours descending. The last 15-18 miles were on the rolling and valley floor terrain. Near Mazama a strong headwind greeted us. Fatigued and spent I was struggling against the headwind and valiantly trying to hold on to a 14 mph speed. As I pedaled along I heard a honking and then saw a gray truck go by. The tail lights lit up and it did a u-turn and came back. Seven miles from Winthrop and the finish Joe and my kids went out looking for me. They were worried. It was so late and they were concerned I had died on the mountain! They stopped and they said I looked terrible. My face was salt encrusted and my pedal stroke looked "tired" but that's not how they described it! They asked me if I wanted a lift back. I was so tempted. You don't know how badly I wanted to jump into the truck and tell Joe to put my bike in the back but no . . . I told them I loved them and thought their concern for me (to come looking for me) really meant the world to me but I had to finish. Only seven more miles to go . . . no way was I going to ride back now. I did give Joe my dang backpack though! After hugs and kisses they left. I watched the truck disappear down the highway towards Winthrop. When it was out of sight I got back on my bike and pedaled on. About an hour later I came rolling into Winthrop and the "red barn" was there. I made it! I headed right inside the barn and gave the massage therapist my money and had the best massage ever. After the massage I cycled the two blocks back to the Rivers Edge Resort and our cabin and walked in the door. Joe, Jackie, and Aaron were there and I was finished! I showered and we all went out for pizza and ice cream! What a day, what a ride, I did it!

2009 Flying Wheels Century Ride

2009-06-13T16:58:00.001-07:00

I woke up this morning and looked at the alarm clock. It said 5:30 AM. I turned it off and went downstairs to start the coffee. Joe must have heard me because he joined me in the kitchen a few minutes later. I said it looked like it was going to be a nice day for the ride. We decided to eat breakfast at home and pick up Starbucks on the drive to Redmond where the ride was to start. After breakfast Joe went out and got the bikes ready and loaded them onto the truck while I filled our water bottles with powerade. We were on the road by 7:00 AM.

Initially I was going to do the ride with a friend from work, Jennifer. But on Thursday she went home sick with a very bad sore throat. She emailed me on Friday saying she was really sick and would not be able to do the ride. We had signed up to do the 70 mile route. I didn't want to ride alone so I talked my hubby Joe into doing the ride. He said on one condition, that we do the 45 mile route. I said that would be fine with me. Joe hasn't been riding as much as me this year and anything more would have made the ride miserable for him (and me). I've been training for a big 128 mile ride. It's next Saturday! At least I got to ride today!

So we left the house by 7:00 AM and made our Starbucks stop. The ride to Redmond is only 40-50 minutes depending on traffic. We were making good time until we reached the exit for Marymoor Park. It was backed up down the highway with vehicle upon vehicle loaded with bikes. I guess everyone thought it was a nice day for a bike ride too. We finally pulled into Marymoor Park and parked the truck. We unloaded our bikes, pinned our numbers on then hit the sanican lines. Fifteen minutes later we were finally on our way! :)

What a turnout! There must have been at least 5,000 cyclists there for the event. It was like one big party! The start line had music playing and a guy on a mic shouting out encouragement, welcome, and alot of other nonsensical information. It was all good.

The first seven miles was sweet. We left Marymoor Park and cycled along Lake Sammamish. Around mile 8 or 9 we veered away from the lake and hit our first major hill climb. A steep son of a gun with a ten percent grade the last mile from the crest. I made it and waited for Joe at the top. He reached me a few minutes later.

At mile 20 we reached our first rest stop at Camp Korey near Carnation. Camp Korey is a special camp for children suffering from serious and life threatening illnesses. The camp provides week-long camp activities to these children at no cost to them and their families. Camp Korey had people at the finish line with information about it's program.

After the first rest stop we hit a headwind but we also cycled on some beautiful (and smooth) back roads around the Carnation area. At mile 28 we hit more serious hills. Some pretty long and steep (8-9 percent grades) climbs. About 3 miles away from our next rest stop we saw a sign that said 10% grade! And it was downhill! Woo Hoo! What a thrilling trip that was!

After our ride Joe and I hung around for a while watching people race on the velodrome. It was pretty interesting to see. It was the first time I have ever watched people on bikes ride around and around on a velodrome. It actually looked like a lot of fun.

With the afternoon quickly disappearing we finally left and headed back home. We had a great time!

Me approaching the finish line!

90 Mile Ride

2009-06-09T19:28:00.000-07:00

Seeing as I did not get a ride in this past weekend I went out today at 9:00 AM and did a 90.10 mile ride. My average speed was 14.4, ride time was 6:14:51, and my total time was 7:05. Did a lot of climbing and there was the ever present headwind. Felt pretty good. Great ride!

Marvelous Monday Afternoon Ride

2009-06-01T18:26:00.000-07:00

A quick 12.67 mile ride around my neighborhood. It was quite warm, especially the climb up the "hill" which has a 10% grade. But I made it to the top without stopping dripping sweat all the way up! LOL

Sunday Ride

2009-05-31T20:40:00.000-07:00

After yesterday's long hilly ride, today we did a leisurely twenty mile ride. We just wanted to stretch our legs and enjoy the beautiful day. Here are two pictures from today's ride that I took with my cell phone's camera. Not the best pictures but you can tell it was a sunny afternoon!

Hilly Saturday Afternoon Ride

2009-05-30T21:48:00.000-07:00

Joe and I went on a very hilly bike ride today. The day was absolutely beautiful. Mid to upper seventies, sunny, and pleasant. We started in the town of Black Diamond then dropped down into the valley. We cycled through pastoral farmland, past raging rivers from the spring snow melt from Rainier, and other cyclists. At mile 11.57 we began the 9 mile climb out of the valley back up to Black Diamond. Continuing through Black Diamond we rode all over the Covington, Maple Valley, and Ravensdale area before returning back to Black Diamond. It was a glorious day and we had a great ride! We got a wonderful 63 miles on this beautiful spring day. Of the 63 mile ride Joe calculated that we were climbing for 45 of the 63 miles, over two thirds!

Sunny . . . 81 degrees!

2009-05-28T18:41:00.000-07:00

After work I went and did a 15.03 mile ride. For some reason my legs were very tired. I initially was going to do 30 miles but with legs that felt like lead I stopped after 15. I did enjoy the sunshine and scenery though!

Memorial Day Family Ride

2009-05-25T19:37:00.000-07:00

Short ride, 15.33 miles, with my family on the Orting Trail! A beautiful day! We had Route 66 pizza after we were finished. It was so gooooood!

Memorial Day Weekend . . . Day One, Fabulous!

2009-05-23T19:10:00.000-07:00

The weather for this Memorial Day weekend is sunshine, sunshine, and sunshine! This is the first time since 1969 that all three days of Memorial Day will have sun! And I am not going to let it go to waste! This morning Joe, Jackie, and I went for a ride. Joe and Jackie rode with me for the first 30 miles then I continued on without them getting an additional 57.90 miles! It was wonderful! Sunshine, upper 60s lower 70s. I got some great climbing in and I fought a horrible headwind but I wasn't complaining! I was on cloud nine, my legs felt great, and my lungs strong! Tomorrow we are going to ride again. I can't wait!

Thursday Afternoon Ride

2009-05-21T18:24:00.000-07:00

I got off work at 1:00 and went for a ride. The weather was beautiful. Only complaint - a very bad headwind. I got 30 miles in!

Repeat Weather . . . Beautiful!

2009-05-17T18:53:00.000-07:00

Jackie and I did a 30 mile easy ride today. We just enjoyed the sunshine and warm weather. We stopped at a Starbucks for cookies around mile 8 (we needed some energy it seemed) then resumed our ride. At mile 24 we were so hungry that we stopped at a McDonalds and ordered cheeseburgers, fries, and a cold drink. We took our food outside and enjoyed our meal while sitting in the sunshine.

This weekend has been the best weekend in months. I'm happy that I got two great rides in with my daughter.

Long Hilly Ride

2009-05-16T19:27:00.000-07:00

Finally our weather turned nice! This morning my daughter and I went on a long hilly ride. We got 72.17 miles in. The course we chose today was very hilly. What were we thinking? Besides the hills we had to deal with a strong headwind and the sun which meant it was quite warm. We had a very cold spring and our bodies really were not acclimated to warmer weather workouts. The last 10 miles almost killed us and I think I got a little dehydrated! But we persevered! Tomorrow we plan to ride again (another nice day) but it will be shorter. A recovery ride. We'll probably do a 30 miler.

Our bikes with drinks balanced on the saddles! We stopped at one of our

favorite espresso stands for a cool refreshing drink! They sure hit the spot!

The Best Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T21:05:00.000-07:00

I had the most wonderfully perfect Mother's Day! Breakfast prepared by my husband and two kids followed by a perfect bike ride. I didn't want the day to end! The entire weekend was just so special. Family, weather, and two super bike rides! I'm so happy right now! I am truly blessed!

2009-05-09T21:03:00.000-07:00

Today Joe and I went on a wonderful bike ride through Enumclaw, Black Diamond, and Ravensdale area. Here is Joe in his brand new Chevy Silverado just after he loaded our bikes onto the bike rack.
Here is Joe on the bridge that crosses the Green River. This bridge is in the Flaming Geyser Park.

Joe on his bike.

Me on my bike

Steep descent but a steeper climb awaited us!

Soon after our rest stop at Ravensdale we began to see a lot of cyclists go by in large groups. It appears there was a big race this afternoon. We stopped to watch a group go by and I took a few pictures.

Joe and I had a great time and an awesome ride this afternoon. The weather was just perfect! And my two wonderful kids treated Joe and me to dinner this evening. An early Mother's Day dinner. I couldn't have asked for a better day!

Great Day!

2009-05-03T17:12:00.000-07:00

I thought my weekend was going to be horrible. Yesterday it was raining and the report for Sunday did not look promising. But when I woke up this morning the sun was shining and the sky was a brilliant blue! I couldn't believe it but I wasn't going to question this Godsend! Joe and I ate a hearty breakfast then went on one of the best bike rides ever. We mixed it up. We started slow to get our legs nice and warm. Then we hit our first steep hill at mile eight. The climb wasn't that bad. We easily made the 2 mile long hill in good time. At the top we sprinted for 7 miles. Then we slowed and spun, resting our legs. We reached the downhill and it was thrilling! With only 7 miles left to our ride we opened it up again and pushed ourselves until finally about half a mile from home we once again slowed to cool down our legs. What an awesome ride! I'm happy Sunday turned out to be such a nice day!

Last Minute Ride

2009-04-27T19:22:00.000-07:00

I got off work today at 1:00 PM and went to the grocery store. I was out of milk, eggs, sugar, and coffee creamer. I got home at 1:50 and unloaded everything from my car. Yea yea I got extra stuff. Who ever comes home with just the items on their list? Not me! To continue, I checked the mail and looked out the window. I saw big gray clouds sailing by but I also saw patches of blue sky and sunshine. The weather report this morning said sun breaks throughout the day and maybe a spritz in isolated areas. I decided to go for a ride and I'm glad I did. I had a super ride. My legs felt strong and even with the strong headwind I was flying! Today's route was uphill, about a constant 3-5 percent grade. There were some flat spots and a couple easy downhills too but mainly uphill for 31 miles. I finished in 2 hours and 2 minutes with an average speed of 15.2 mph. Not bad. I ran into a friend, Rachel and we stopped and chatted briefly before continuing on our way. She's training for a big ride just like me. And it did not rain on me! Not even a spritz!

I need to find a long steep hill to ride on. I need to begin hill training twice a week for my June 20th ride up and down the north cascade highway! I think I know just the hill and route! Stay tuned! :-D

Sunday Afternoon Ride

2009-04-26T18:55:00.000-07:00

Joe, Jackie, and I went for a wonderful ride this afternoon. It was a bit chilly and we had a headwind but we all agreed it still was a great ride. It felt wonderful to be outside and on our bikes. There were huge big clouds that were constantly trying to block out the sun but every now and then the sun escaped them and shone through. And when it did we could feel the difference. It was a leisurely ride with our total average speed being 14.9 mph. Tomorrow I plan to get a longer ride in as soon as I get off from work at 1:00. Our spring has been unseasonably cool. But as long as it's not raining and the sun makes an appearance I don't mind the coolness. :-D

Sun, Mountain, and Bike

2009-04-21T20:54:00.001-07:00

Another beautiful, warm, sunny day here in the pacific northwest which meant another wonderful bike ride for me this afternoon. I forgot my digital camera but I did have my cell phone. These pictures were shot with my cell's camera. As you can see it truly was a beautiful afternoon.

Mount Rainier in the distance from the town of Orting.
And that's my bike on the grass in the foreground.

Another shot of Mount Rainier.

A new born calf.

Carbon River

Daffodil Fields and Mount Rainier in Sumner.

Leisurely Ride

2009-04-20T21:28:00.000-07:00

After riding the Daffodil Classic's hilly course yesterday Joe and I and our daughter too went on a very leisurely ride after work. We started riding at 5:00 PM and got a wonderful 15 miles in before returning home for a late dinner. We just spun and cruised along enjoying the weather and views. And views there were. Of course there was Mt. Rainier standing beautifully snow white against the bluest sky. We also rode by the Carbon River and saw people getting their feet wet. The sun was getting low and it was sparkling off the water like diamonds and streaming through the trees along the route. Days like this refresh the soul!

Daffodil Classic

2009-04-19T15:33:00.000-07:00

Today Joe and I rode in the 34th annual Daffodil Classic. It was a beautiful day and a great ride. We had a blast! :)

Registration line this morning at the Orting Middle School.

Riders ready to start riding.

Joe and me before the ride.

Mount Rainier in the background with lenticular cloud formations.

Joe waiting patiently for me while I take pictures of the bridge.

This is the new bridge just completed that will connect the Orting Trail to Buckley, Wilkeson, and Mount Rainier eventually. Right now the Orting Trail ends at South Prairie.

Saturday Ride

2009-04-18T20:56:00.000-07:00

Joe and I had a great ride today. We rode 33 miles with headwinds the entire time. We did not want to over do it because tomorrow we will be riding the 40 mile hilly course of the Daffodil Classic.

Great ride, nice weather, just a wonderful time out on my bike this afternoon.

Beautiful Afternoon For a Ride!

2009-04-15T18:53:00.000-07:00

Today I got off work at 1:00 PM. It has been raining for almost 2 weeks straight (off and on) and yesterday we even had snow! Disgusting! Geeish! But today, oh my, what a difference! It was beautiful! Big huge white clouds cruising by and the sun was shining brightly. The air was chilly, reaching a high of only 52 degrees but once I began pedaling I warmed up nicely.

So I leave work at 1:00 and head home to grab my bike. The only negative things on today's ride was the headwind, which I had the entire ride, and a flat tire. A little over 10 miles into my ride I pick up someone's heal cap along with two long nails in my front tire. I pull over and remove the cap and nail and sure enough I can hear the air escaping. I pull off my front wheel and remove the tube. I get out my spare and place it inside the tire. I get the tire back on the rim and then I get out my hand pump. The hand pump was useless to me so I pulled out my CO2 cartridge and instant tire inflation! A girl's best friend when she has to inflate a bicycle tire! I'm so happy Joe bought me the CO2 cartridge tool. I love it!

I pack all my tools and garbage up and continue on my ride. I saw a field of cows with their new born calves, I went over a bridge with rushing spring water swirling by. I saw hawks and eagles and a lot of other cyclists this afternoon. What a great ride I had today, except for the headwind and flat it was pretty near perfect. I wish I could ride tomorrow and on Friday too but I have a meeting tomorrow afternoon at 4:00 and a baby shower on Friday at 4:00. I guess my next ride will be on the weekend. Both Saturday and Sunday look fabulous darling! :-)

Wonderful Ride After Work

2009-04-06T21:19:00.000-07:00

It was a gorgeous day! 71 degrees and sunny! Joe got home at 4:40 PM and we were out the door by 5:00 PM! Jackie joined us and the three of us got a nice 30 mile ride in! The evening sun at 6:30 was casting long shadows and the Carbon River sparkled like a million diamonds were dancing on it's surface. So many other people were also out enjoying this wonderful spring day. Wow two rides in two days! I hope the streak continues tomorrow! :)

First April Ride

2009-04-05T18:05:00.000-07:00

This afternoon Joe and I went for a ride. The weather was just perfect. Sunny, warm, and very spring like. Trees blooming everywhere. People out running, cycling, rollerblading, walking their dogs, just everyone it seemed was outside.

I returned from a week long visit to see my parents yesterday and I haven't been on my bike since March 21st. Between the weather and no time I just couldn't get out. But today more than made up for it. I'm happy again! :)

The nice weather is supposed to continue through the first half of the week. So tomorrow, when Joe gets home from work, we are going out at 5:30 PM for a ride. I can't wait!

Finally a Ride!

2009-03-21T19:12:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe it has been one month to the day since my last bike ride! The time between February 21st and March 21st was not the best of times. Between the weather, illness, and the passing of my mother-in-law it was a bad month. I hope today's ride, and today's beautiful weather, marks a change for the better.

Joe and I went out this afternoon and did a hilly twenty mile jaunt. We weren't fast but we had fun. It felt great to be on my bike again with the wind blowing past my face. The climbs were doable and within a month they will be a breeze again. It's always hard in the beginning of a new season but as the new season passes your endurance, strength, and fitness return. The best part of today's ride were the thrilling downhills. They were as wonderful and exhilarating as I remembered!

Next Monday I am leaving for a six day visit back east to see my parents. When I get back from my trip my serious training will (must) begin. April will mark the start of my 2009 training. I have two big rides I plan to do this summer. The first ride is in June, a 128 mile ride over the north cascade highway; the second ride is in July, 154 miles around Mount Rainier. The second ride is still up in the air. The rider limit is 800 and the riders are chosen by lottery. The results will be posted the first week of April. Hopefully I will get a ticket in.

But back to today's ride. The route was one of my favorites. My legs felt pretty good but my lungs and breathing were not what I had expected. With time I'm sure they will come back. We had a head wind on the last two thirds of the ride. We saw a lot of other cyclists enjoying the spring like day too. As we passed the other cyclists we waved, said hello, or nodded. And the pastures along our course were full of new born calves, horses wrapped in blankets, llamas, and sheep. The Green River was a rushing torrent from all the rain we had been getting plus the melting snow from the mountains. We stopped on the bridge that crossed the river and watched for a while. We met a nice older couple out walking their old black lab. They stopped to chat and we indulged the lab with patting and friendly talk. We finished our ride tired but happy. I believe it's safe to say the cycling season has begun.

Enumclaw Hills

2009-02-21T17:55:00.000-08:00

Today Joe and I rode through Enumclaw's back country. It was a great day. Warm and dry. The sun was playing a good game of hide and seek with us throughout the entire ride. We saw many new born critters on the pastures we cycled by. Calves, horses, goats, llamas, and Scottish highland calves. The Scottish highland calves looked like little wookies and were so darn cute.

Our route was very hilly. The hills were mostly rolling but there were two big climbs on our route this afternoon too. They were very steep and long. But Joe and I made both, of course we sounded like a couple of trains huffing and puffing up them, but we made the climbs! And for our reward we got to scream down the other side. I hit 38 mph and couldn't catch Joe! He was going down over 40 mph. He claims it's his size and mass that give him the momentum to go down so fast.

We only got 27.50 miles in but they sure were the best miles! Sadly rain is in the forecast for tomorrow. So maybe it will be the gym in the morning for some weight bearing exercises.

Wednesday Afternoon Ride

2009-02-20T06:13:00.000-08:00

I forgot to write about my ride on Wednesday afternoon. I had the day off and the weather was beautiful so I went on a 33 mile bike ride. It was great! I rode my Specialized Ruby Expert instead of my old Trek. My Trek is my bad weather winter bike but Wednesday was wonderful. A really "spring" day. Mid 50s, warm, and sunny.

Half of my ride was on the trail and the other half was on the road. As you can see from my picture part of the trail was closed due to local flooding this winter. But when I rode by there was a work crew there repairing that section of the trail. They had cleared away all the mud, stumps, trees, and debris and had filled in the washed away section of the trail with dirt. When I rode by they had a big roller flattening the trail. All that's left to do is the paving! They really want the trail ready for spring. I think it may be ready this weekend. Perhaps if I get off early enough today I will take a ride down to the trail and check it out.

30 Mile Family Ride

2009-02-14T20:44:00.000-08:00

Today Joe, the kids, and I went on a wonderful 30 mile ride. We decided to stay off the roads and ride on the Interurban and Green River Trails instead. It was a good ride and a great time spent with my family.

Fog . . . Elk . . . Movies . . . Great Day!

2009-02-07T18:00:00.000-08:00

This entire past week was a sad one. All week long I did nothing except go to work, come home from work, watch tv, go to bed, repeat. I didn't even go to the gym or spin class this week. I was getting into a rut but thank goodness today Joe and I got out and we did a 22 mile road ride. Yeah! It wasn't a very long ride but it was a very nice ride.

It was chilly when we left at 11:30, only 40 degrees and cloudy/foggy. The weather report said sunshine and clearing but it never happened during our ride. But I must admit the sun finally did pop out about an hour after we finished riding around 3:20! But I won't complain because as I was saying it was a good ride. We did one of our hilly courses and we still managed to average 15.7 mph. Not bad. We also saw a herd of 40-50 elk in a farmer's field in Enumclaw. We stopped to watch them for a while and I tried to get a picture with my cell phone's camera but they were too far away for a decent picture.

After our ride this afternoon I got a text message from a friend asking Joe and me to come out tomorrow morning and do a mountain bike ride at Banner. I told her we just might show up for her ride!

In about 50 minutes Joe and I will be leaving for the movies. We are going to see Liam Neeson in his new movie Taken. I heard it was good. Actually I'm ready to go to bed but Joe has been wanting to see this movie so I guess it's the movies for me tonight.

What a great day today turned out to be! :)

Last Day of January - Beautiful!

2009-01-31T15:08:00.000-08:00

I couldn't believe my eyes this morning. The sky was blue and the sun was out shining brightly! That could only mean one thing, a road ride! WooHoo! I started my ride at 10:48 AM. I must admit it was a chilly start. The temperature was a brisk 37 degrees but that sun was working it's magic. It was warming the day up nicely. When I finished it was 50 degrees! It felt warmer with the sun beating down on my black cycling pants. I was very comfortable on today's ride.

I wasn't the only one who thought today was a great day to be outside. On my ride today I saw runners, walkers, people with their kids on bikes, people walking their dogs, other cyclists, and people rollerblading. It seemed like everyone had the same idea as me on this gorgeous sunny winter day.

I got a good 37 miles in and made good time. I stopped around mile 20 for a snack break and a good stretch. After 15-20 minutes I was off again. I got back home at 1:23 PM.

I hope tomorrow will be a repeat of today. I could use another day like this one to wrap up my weekend!

5:30 PM Spin Class

2009-01-26T19:28:00.000-08:00

Went to spin class after work today. Wish I could have skipped work entirely. The sun was out shining brightly. Even though it was a chilly 37 degrees I would rather be on my bike then indoors on a stationary. Spin class was good. Heidi had us doing intervals. Hopefully I will get two long rides this coming weekend.

30 Mile Ride

2009-01-24T17:51:00.000-08:00

Today the sun was making an attempt to break through the clouds. Around 11:00 AM it looked like it was going to succeed. The outdoor thermometer showed that it was 37 degrees on the other side of the window. Chilly but with the sun it shouldn't feel too bad. So Joe and I decided to go for a ride. It was our first ride outdoors since December 6th.

We began our ride at 11:35 AM. The sun was out but the clouds seemed to be fighting back, and winning. The first ten minutes of our ride were the worst. The wind chill made me feel like an icicle. But soon I warmed as my body produced heat from the constant pedaling. Joe and I dressed in layers. We had on our warm winter riding gloves, our booties to keep our feet and toes warm, and are balaclavas which really helped keep our faces protected from the wind and cold. But the sun was what really made us feel warm but about 20 minutes into our ride the clouds won and the sun disappeared. As long as we kept pedaling we were fine. But when we stopped, and we did once, the chill settled in quickly and it took a good 5 minutes of hard pedaling to warm up again. Even so our ride was wonderful! Joe and I never felt better! It sure beat an hour of spin class indoors.

When we got back home we were tired but happy. We got 30 miles logged in today! I hope tomorrow will be a good day for an outdoor ride too. That will make this the best weekend in a long time for me!

Spin Spin Spin

2009-01-20T06:46:00.000-08:00

Sunday and Monday I went to spin class. Although the snow, rain, and flooding have ceased we are now getting a lot of thick fog. So I continue to go to spin class. The fog did clear on Monday and the sun finally did come out but too late for me to get a good ride in before the sun set. I hope the weekend weather will get nice soon. I need to begin adding long rides into my workouts. So here's to sunny warm weekends in the up coming months ahead!

Foggy Wet Winter Day

2009-01-11T18:21:00.000-08:00

This morning I was up at 5:30 AM. I am a morning person and no matter how late I stay up I am always up between 5:00 and 7:00 AM every day. Rarely will I sleep beyond 7:00. Now I don't mind getting up so early in the summer. Because in the summer the sun is up early like me, shining brightly, the birds are singing, and the world is still asleep. In the summer mornings are a quiet, peaceful, beautiful time of the day. But in the winter, now that's a different story. In the winter it's dark and cold. In the winter I can't take my morning cup of coffee outside and sit on the patio and watch the day begin. That's why in the winter I wish I could sleep a little bit longer. At least until the sun comes up. But no, try as I may I just can't sleep past 7:00.

After I got up this morning I shuffled downstairs and started the coffee. I turned my laptop on to check my email and messages. Soon my daughter was up; she joined me in the kitchen with her cup of coffee. Around 7:30 AM we got ready to go to the gym. We went to the 8:15 flex class and after the hour long class we went to the 9:30 spin class. By the time the spin class was over we were both exhausted. We left the gym and drove straight to Starbucks for Americanos before we headed home.

What I really wanted to do today was ride my bike. I thought the weather would be nice this weekend but I was wrong. Maybe next weekend the weather will cooperate and I will be able to ride my bike outside instead of a stationary bike inside at the gym.

First Snow Now Rain and Floods!

2009-01-07T19:09:00.001-08:00

What is up with our weather lately? During the month of December we were hit with snow and very cold temperatures. January is bringing us heavy rains, warm temperatures, melting mountain snow, avalanches, and flooding! Right now I am watching the evening news and I see pictures and reports of rivers over flowing and running over their banks. Many towns see their fields and residential areas under water. Snoqualmie Falls looks like Niagra Falls. Stories of mudslides are now being reported. It's scary! I feel so badly for the people living in these flooded areas. I hope the rains stop soon and the rivers recede quickly. This has been one hard winter and it's only just started. Spring is two and half months away! March 21st can't get here fast enough.

Three Days Into New Year!

2009-01-03T20:38:00.001-08:00

Wow, January 3rd and I finally made it to spin class. What I really wanted to do was ride my bike today but the weather is still being very uncooperative. It snowed again yesterday and although the temperature is creeping back into the 40s it wasn't enough to melt all the snow today. Besides the snow there's the sand, not safe for a cyclist. If the sun comes out tomorrow I may ride on the Orting Trail. I'll just have to wait and see I guess but at least I went to the 8:00 AM spin class this morning.

I guess I should explain my goals for this new year. My big goal is to ride and complete the 128 mile Native Planet Classic on June 20th. I have six months to get ready for this event. My plan is to continue to go to spin class until the weather and roads improve. Spin class should keep my legs strong and help me build and maintain my cardio. But I will need to ride outdoors and increase my mileage this spring. I will also need to begin riding a lot of hills to train for the climbing I will be doing on the 128 mile ride this June. Did I mention the course is over the north cascade highway? And the total elevation gain for the ride is over 10,500 feet! I have my work cut out for me but this is the year I get back in shape. So the June 20th ride is my big goal but I have other goals too. To ride at least 4-5 times a week. To do one long ride every weekend if not two. To ride on a hilly course every week. To build my stamina and endurance. To increase my average speed.

Here's to my goals, challenges, and a great year!

Last Spin Class of 2008

2008-12-30T18:57:00.000-08:00

I went to spin class this afternoon. It was the last spin class for 2008. Probably won't ride tomorrow. There is no class and the weather is looking too nasty for an outside ride.

See you in 2009!

Day After Christmas Workout

2008-12-26T12:07:00.000-08:00

My daughter and I went to a special "day after Christmas" spin class at our gym. Instead of the usual one hour class it was 1 1/2 hours long. It began at 9:00 AM. It was a great workout too. Our instructor this morning really mixed it up and pushed us. She had us do intervals and a lot of climbing. I'm glad I went!

The weather is beginning to warm. Rain is expected tomorrow which will melt all the snow. I'm a bit worried about flooding. Not for me but for the people in the lower areas and near the already overflowing rivers.

Silent Night . . . Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T00:18:00.000-08:00

What a CRAZY Two Weeks!

2008-12-23T22:25:00.000-08:00

School is out for winter break and I am off for the next two weeks returning on January 5th, weather permitting. Actually I got an extra 3 days off! With all the snow and cold weather we have been receiving school was canceled on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday (December 17, 18, and 19th). It was nice but that means 3 snow days to make up before the end of this school year. Hopefully there won't be any more school cancellations due to snow!

I have been very busy preparing for the holidays. Shopping, shipping, baking, wrapping, decorating and on and on. With all this extra holiday work plus the bad weather we have been receiving very little biking has been done. Okay zero biking has been done this month. With the exception of December 6th (my only real bike ride this month) all exercise has been at the gym. On Sundays I go to Flex Class and on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday I have been going to spin class. I even went to spin class twice in one day a couple of times this month. The 5:30 AM class and then the 5:30 PM class. Those were exceptional days. Plus this little fact, my daughter made me go! :-P

Yes, this has been a very hectic and busy month. The good news is we have passed the winter solstice which means the sun is making it's journey back to the northern hemisphere! Yippee!

Spin class and the gym will see me through this winter. When spring and warmer weather finally do arrive I will be ready to start training for my 128 mile ride on June 20th.

Snow!

2008-12-14T14:34:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning early and looked outside. This is what greeted my eyes:

So much for a bike ride today. I guess it's the gym today and probably the rest of this week. 26 degrees F. So much for mild winters in the pacific northwest. Our climate is definitely changing.

Winter Has Arrived!

2008-12-13T08:09:00.000-08:00

It started yesterday. First the dark clouds, followed by high winds, then came the rain, and this morning the snow! The temperature outside right now is 34 degrees but the weather report for the weekend said 24 by tomorrow with lows around 17! So much for a bike ride this weekend. So it's the gym. I hate being indoors but when you have weather like this it's the only way to get your exercise and training in. Sigh!

Finally!

2008-12-06T20:42:00.000-08:00

After a month off my bike because of work, weather, and travel, Joe and I got out today and rode for 30.02 miles. It was wonderful to be on my bike again. It sure beats spin classes at the gym. That's what I have been doing four times a week; spinning at the gym.

We started our ride at noon and finished at 2:33 PM. It was 45 degrees, calm, sunny with a few high clouds. We rode on the Orting Trail. When we passed the Carbon River we noticed it had changed it's course. The heavy rains a few weeks ago caused flooding and you could see where it came over the trail. But today the river was low and it's course definitely was not the same when I last saw it in September.

Even though I have been going to spin classes for the last two months today's ride wore me out. My legs were definitely stronger, thanks to spin class, but my stamina and endurance that I had all summer long is definitely gone.

No complaints from me though. I had a great ride! Hope to do a repeat next weekend. I just hope the weather will cooperate next Saturday. Tomorrow it's the gym and spin class.

Two Hours at the Gym

2008-11-09T15:18:00.001-08:00

I went to the gym and worked my butt off. First there was my flex class at 8:15 AM. One solid hour of a very high-energy workout. Maximum calorie burn and a full body workout. My instructor really pushed the class this morning. After the hour of flex I then did an hour of spin class. I hope I will be able to move tomorrow morning.

I would have loved to have gone on an afternoon ride but the weather was not cooperating. Raining and windy all day long.

Busy Week

2008-11-08T16:55:00.000-08:00

I went to the gym on Tuesday and Thursday and did the 5:30 AM spin classes. Today Joe and I went mountain biking. We had fun. The trails were covered with fallen leaves making the ride pretty interesting. Tomorrow my daughter and I are going to the 8:30 AM flex class at the gym. I may do the 9:30 spin class immediately after the flex class or go home and do a road ride with Joe. It all depends on tomorrow's forecast.

Gloomy Rainy November First

2008-11-01T17:27:00.000-07:00

Our weather today was the typical rainy, gloomy, windy pacific northwest pattern. So Joe and I went mountain biking. I doubt I will be doing any road riding in the next 3-4 months. We left the house and drove to Lake Sawyer around noon and rode on some of our favorite muddy, twisty, technical trails in the rain for 2 1/2 hours. We forgot to put our fenders on our mountain bikes so we got extra muddy on our ride but that's okay that's all part of mountain biking. The important thing is we got out and rode and we had fun. We forgot how hard mountain biking can be. By the time we finished and got back to the truck at the trailhead we were exhausted. We got home, Joe cleaned the bikes, I unloaded the truck and started washing our muddy bike clothes. We both showered and then had dinner. Then we both collapsed and chilled out (slept) in the family room in front of the TV.

Rain is called for all weekend long. Tomorrow Joe and I will go to the gym. There is a 9:30 AM spin class on Sundays and we decided to join our daughter and go to it.

It will be the gym all week long after work. Maybe next weekend the sun will make an appearance. If it's sunny we will ride our road bikes. If it's raining we will be on our mountain bikes again.

Club Ride . . . Rivers, Falls, Colors Galore, and Great Fun!

2008-10-19T08:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went on a Cascade Bike Club ride. The ride started at 10 AM from the town of Fall City. We met at Quigley Park which is right on the Snoqualmie River. About 30 riders showed up for the ride. It was a big turn out but that was to be expected; the weather was beautiful. It started out cloudy and wet because it rained last night. When we started the ride the roads were still wet but the sun broke through just as we began and by the time we finished the roads were dry the sky was blue and the sun was shining brightly. We rode from Fall City to Snoqualmie Falls, then through North Bend's back country roads finally returning to Fall City. We crossed the Snoqualmie River about a half a dozen times, saw Mt. Si breaking clear of the clouds, and was treated to beautiful trees in their fall wardrobe, fields, and farm critters. We stopped in North Bend for lunch. Our total miles was a little over 45. I sure hated to see the ride come to end.

Wouldn't you love to have a driveway like this, lined with beautiful trees on both sides?!

Town of North Bend with Mt. Si just breaking out of the few remaining clouds.

This picture was not taken on yesterdays ride but I had to put it up. This was taken on an early morning ride about a week ago from my house.

Harvest Century

2008-10-13T08:38:00.001-07:00

What a great weekend! The weather was autumn perfect and the Harvest Century bike ride was one of the best organized rides I have been in all season long. On a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is the worst and 10 is the best, I give this ride a 10+!

It all began in August when I found the web site of the Harvest Century on line and thought that it looked like a wonderful ride in which to end the 2008 season. Fall rides can be very special and spectacular, especially if the weather cooperates. Fall brings with it shorter hours of day light and chilly mornings, but the frosty mornings and shorter day light is off set with magnificent views of colorful trees, fields of pumpkins, and warm autumn sunshine. And we had all of these, fields of pumpkins, gorgeous foliage, and sunshine on our ride yesterday. My friend Jennifer and I did the 75 mile course which was described as having rolling hills (and a lot of steep ones too) for example the 14% grade hill that we had to climb when we got off the Canby Ferry. What a leg burner that was! But regardless of the hills it was the "day" that made it so perfect. The sun appeared around 10 AM, the sky became a clear blue, the temperature was a not too hot not too cold mid sixty degrees and the course was marked with Dan Henry Pumpkins or should I say Jack-o-Henry legends! The only negative thing I can think of is the constant headwind we had all day long.

Initially my husband Joe was going to do the ride with me but instead he went to Montana to hunt with his brother. Being the understanding wife that I am I knew how much this meant to him so I said have fun and be safe. At work I talked about my ride and discovered that a coworker was also a cyclist and was looking for bike rides to ride in. I told her about the Harvest Century and she said it sounded like a great ride so she signed up to do the ride with me. I think I should have asked her how fast she was before I agreed to ride with her! She hammered up the hills and left me in her dust. Her pace was totally above mine. She was strong and fast. The first half of the ride I was able to keep up with her but my legs started to cramp from her faster pace plus the hills, oh those hills. After our lunch stop I told her not to wait for me. I would finish but at my own pace. I saw her at the last rest stop. She said I wasn't too far behind her (hmmmm was she being kind? probably). She really pushed me and I loved it. My rides with my husband are always casual pace. We rarely push ourselves except on the flats which my husband just loves. He hates hills but I think hills are what make you a stronger rider.

Jennifer left for Portland on Thursday along with two other teachers from my school. They were attending a WLMA conference on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. I drove to Portland on Saturday afternoon and checked into my hotel at 2:00 PM. As I was walking my bike from my car to the hotel Jennifer, Hillery, and Cheryl pulled into the hotel's parking lot. Perfect timing. They had checked out of their hotel in downtown Portland Saturday morning when the conference ended and joined me at my hotel in Lake Oswego.

That night we had dinner reservations at the Greek Cusina restaurant. It had a purple octopus outside just above the restaurant's door! The food was great! The entertainment fun. We got to break plates and watch a belly dancer. The dinner was another highlight of my weekend in Portland. It was a lot of fun. We arrived back at our hotel a little past 10:00 and immediately went to bed.

Early the next morning, at 5:45 AM, Jennifer and I got up while Hillery and Cheryl continued to sleep. We dressed as quietly as we could, grabbed our suitcases and bikes and packed them into our cars. Then we went back inside to the hotel's breakfast room for breakfast. We had coffee, omelets, and English muffins. Fueled we left for Champoeg Park (pronounced sham-poo-ee) where the ride was to start. It was still very dark outside when we left the hotel at 6:30 AM. The temperature was 42 degrees. Jennifer and I arrived at Champoeg Park around 7:20 AM. We parked our cars and walked over to the registration table to pick up our packets and numbers. We returned to our cars got our bikes out and started the 75 mile course.

A field of dahlias (I believe) along the route.

The first 15 miles of the ride it was very cold. It was overcast and sunless but after riding for about 10-15 minutes I began to warm up nicely. At mile 15 we reached our first rest stop at the Historic Canby Ferry. The ferry takes you across the Willamette River. It could only carry 60 riders at one crossing so we had to wait. The line of cyclists was beginning to back up and Jennifer and I did a little calculating and found that we would make the fourth crossing. It took the ferry 12 minutes to cross to the other side, unload it's passengers, and then return. So we had a good 48 minutes to wait. When we stopped at the Canby Ferry rest stop we were sweating and hot; as we waited we began to get cold. I couldn't wait to ride so I could get warm again! Brrrrr was it chilly waiting for that ferry.

Line forming for the ferry crossing.

Cyclists arriving for the ferry crossing behind Jenn and I.

On the ferry.

Jennifer and me after the we got off the ferry and just before that 14% grade climb!

One of the Jack-o-Henry Legends that marked the 75 mile course.

Start and finish of the Harvest Century at the Champoeg State Park.
Pronounced Sham-poo-ee.

Jennifer and me after our ride.

We stopped at mile 42.7 for lunch. The organizers had baked potatoes, cheese, chili, salad, cookies, and fruit for us. We got our plates and loaded them up and then found a nice sunny spot to sit and eat our lunch. After lunch and with only 32 miles left we set off again.

Jenn flew up the hills while I slowly ascended them. With each hill she got further ahead of me. She is quite the climber! I was amazed! She went up them like they were nothing. If I'm going to ride with her again I have my work cut out for me! The course was so well marked and there were so many cyclists and sag vehicles on the road I just told her to go for it! The second half of the course my legs were just cramping terribly. Especially after the lunch break. Every time I pushed on a hill my left quad would begin to cramp. So I had to spin up the hills in my lowest gear. But I made every hill. The downhills were pretty awesome and I really looked forward to them. But with every downhill there came an uphill and a climb. Willamette Valley is a very hilly place to ride. Great training, in my opinion, if you want to get hills into your workout.

I seemed to get a second wind, or "life" into my legs about 7 miles from the finish. I found a group of cyclists and fell in with them. We hammered to the end. I thought for sure I would have severe leg cramps last night but they never came. Thank goodness. My legs seem fine today. I plan on going to a spin class this Wednesday to see how they do.

I finally came rolling in and Jenn was packed up and waiting for me at her car. We did it! What a great ride it was but Jenn and I still had to drive home from Champoeg State Park, which is about 20 miles southwest of Portland, back home to the Seattle area. Oy vey, something I was not looking forward to. Tired and exhausted I arrived home just before 7:00 PM. I did stop on my way out of Portland for a burger and fries. That was the best burger and fries I have ever eaten!

First Day of October Ride

2008-10-01T19:33:00.001-07:00

Today after work I went on a 25 mile bike ride on the Orting Trail. It was warm and a bit humid. Rain is on it's way and today is supposed to be the last nice day for a week. Or so say the weather people on the local news. But what do they know, right?

Mt. Rainier was hiding behind a thin veil of high stratus clouds. The clear blue skies of the weekend are gone. Leaves are really starting to fall from the trees that line the bike trail and when the rain and wetness finally do arrive they will be treacherous to ride on. But for now they were quite pleasant. As I rode over them they made that crackling dried leaves sound. People were still fishing along the banks of the Carbon River. The once crowded banks at the beginning of the king salmon season a few weeks ago are now thinned out with only the most dedicated fishermen still casting out their lines.

Today's ride was easy and casual. Just spinning and getting my legs stretched. Enjoying the autumn day, the ride, and my bike.

Along the trail I passed a farmer on his trackter in his pumpkin field. I took a picture with my cell phone's camera. It didn't turn out too good as the sun was directly in front of me. But you get to see one of the beautiful views I cycled past on my after work ride today.

Club Ride to Mount Rainier

2008-09-28T21:55:00.000-07:00

Riders checking in with ride leader.

Today Joe decided to go hunting instead of going on a bike ride with me so I went on a Cascade Bike Club ride. When I read about the ride on the club's website it sounded like the perfect ride for a beautiful autumn day. The day was very sunny with clear blue skies and afternoon temperatures in the mid 70s. The ride started from the park in the town of Orting and climbed up to the Carbon River Ranger Station on Mount Rainier, returning through the farmland of Buckley and back into Orting. Total miles for today's ride was 62! I had to ask another rider at the end of the ride for the mileage as my cyclocomputer died on me. Probably needs a new battery.

The ride time was listed as 9:30 AM starting from the Orting City Park. When I arrived there were lots of cyclists already there. I parked my car and got my bike ready. Then I went over to meet the ride leader. I introduced myself and told him I was here for his ride. He said he would be giving a description of the ride as soon as everyone signed in. After about 10 minutes everyone was finished signing the ride waiver. Gary, the ride leader, introduced himself and then quickly went over the route for today's ride. He also handed out cue sheets. We were almost ready to leave. Final count, 23 riders, Wow!

Our first brief stop was in the town of Wilkeson.

Yes, it was going to be a beautiful day for a bike ride but we had a chilly start. Overnight a marine layer rolled in but it was already beginning to burn off as we started the ride. The sun was breaking through the mist and fog. It was chilly enough at the beginning that I wore my jacket. By the time we reached our first stop in the town of Wilkeson the sun was out, the fog was gone, and I was ready to put away my jacket. The steady climbing also helped warm me up. We were making good time, everyone was in high spirits, and all agreed that this was going to be a special ride. And it was!

Bridge over the Carbon River just half a short distance from the Ranger Station.

After we left Wilkeson we passed through Carbonado the last town before Mt. Rainier. The ride was a steady climb from Orting. Some climbs were very steep. The climb out of South Prairie must have been a 9 or 10 percent grade (if not more?!!!)! You could feel the burn in your legs on that hill. Finally, after one and half hours of climbing we reached the ranger station where we all took a bathroom break and enjoyed our lunch. Stomachs full and legs rested from the long climb up we were ready for the ride down! And wooo hoooo did we ever fly down the hills! All 23 of us! For me it felt like I was in the tour or a bike race. All of us screaming down hill together like one long living creature coming down the mountain at very high speeds! On our climb up, from the town of Wilkeson, it took us, I believe, an hour but on our way down we were there in half the time!

On or way back down we stopped in Wilkeson to buy water and/or powerade and snacks.

After our rest stop in Wilkeson, to replenish water and snack foods, we were ready for the farmland part of the ride through Buckley which would return us to Orting. This part of the ride was up and down rolling hills with stretches of flat roads where we picked up the pace. Just about 7 miles before the finish we had one winding, swooshing, downhill which dropped us back down into the valley where we jumped onto the Orting Trail where we cooled down on the leisurely multi user trail. After 5 1/2 hours we arrived, all 23 of us, safely and happily back in Orting. What a day, what a ride! I really enjoyed today's club ride and the people I met and rode with. Kudos to the ride leader Gary and to his helpers who made sure everyone was present, doing okay, and not left behind. I'm still smiling from the ride and will save the memory of this ride for when I need it on an especially gloomy winter day.

Perfect Weather For A Ride!

2008-09-27T18:03:00.000-07:00

Today Joe and I left at 11:30 AM for a bike ride. The sun was out and shining brightly. The sky was a clear blue. The air was cool and the temperature was, perfect for a ride, 62 degrees. We wore shorts and short sleeved jerseys. I put a vest on but really I did not need it. We did a little over 25 miles today. My legs felt a bit heavy but that's probably because I have not been on my bike since last Sunday's hard hilly metric in the rain. I should have gone to the Tuesday and Thursday spin classes after work this last week to keep my legs in shape. Oh well, definitely this week!

Tomorrow Joe is going hunting with our son but I'm ready for another ride. A longer one so I signed up to do a club ride tomorrow. It starts at 9:30 AM and is listed as a 62 mile loop. The ride description says that this ride is a very special fall loop which will start in Orting then on to the Carbon River Ranger Station on Mt. Rainier. Then back to Buckley along low traveled country roads. It says the scenery will be gorgeous so I will take along my camera for this ride.

Check back tomorrow evening for a report on tomorrow's club ride.

Wet Ride

2008-09-21T18:53:00.000-07:00

This morning I was up at 4:30 AM so that I could be in Issaquah by 6:30 AM for the first annual Cycle the WAVE. A ride for Women Against Violence Everywhere. There were two courses, the girly girl course a 30 mile ride and the burly girl course a metric. I signed up for the burly girl ride. I arrived by 6:30 and riders were arriving by the minute. I parked and then went to the check in and picked up my number and packet. I got my bike ready and then rode over to the start. The burly girls were scheduled to leave at 7:30 AM and the girly girls at 8:30 AM. We were a little late starting but finally at 7:50 we were off. It was misty and wet. The course was very very hilly. There were some pretty steep and long climbs and a couple of long fast descents too. One descent had a 10% grade and the hill was over 2.5 miles long. There were three fully stocked rest stops on the metric course. The ladies working the rest stops were awesome. Even though it was raining off and on all morning and afternoon long I still had a great time. I rolled back in around 1:24 to cheers and applause. I was given a ribbon by a young girl as I crossed. I'm very tired but very happy I did the ride. I will sleep very soundly tonight.

My Tshirt and medal with purple ribbon. Given to me by a little girl as I crossed the finish!
I will treasure it always.

Gorgeous Weekend!

2008-09-14T16:36:00.000-07:00

Joe and I rode on both Saturday and Sunday this weekend. Both days were exceptional! A beautiful Indian Summer weekend! The morning was chilly and cold but once the sun came up it warmed up nicely. We reached a high of 75 on both days, just perfect for anything outdoors!

On today's ride we saw eagles flying overhead, people fishing along the Carbon River, trees just starting to turn red, yellow, and orange, and dry fallen leaves across our path. Mt. Rainier was majestic against a clear blue sky. Many people had the same idea as Joe and I on this gorgeous autumn weekend. We saw people cycling, rollerblading, walking, jogging, and just out having a good time.

Yesterday Joe and I did a 67 mile ride and today we did a 33 mile ride. I know that this weather will soon be a distant memory but right now I am enjoying every single perfect day. These are the kind of days to treasure and save in your memory. The memories you save on days like these will get you through those miserable, rainy, cold, dark winter months that will be here all to soon.

Week In Review

2008-09-12T19:56:00.000-07:00

A new school year has begun and once again fall has arrived and with it my return to work. We are having exceptionally beautiful weather this fall and it sure makes it hard for me to go in to work. And when I do get home between 3 and 4 each day I have so much to do that my weekday rides are few and far between. I have started walking after dinner but I did ride on one day this week. I went on Wednesday. It was a short ride, 15 miles, but it was a gorgeous ride. I started at 5 PM and the sun was casting long shadows through the trees. There leaves on the trail, a true sign of autumn, and the air was clean and clear. The autumn sun's shadows were dazzling off the water on the Carbon River and through the leaves on the trees. I felt like I was in another world. It was an awesome ride. Too bad it was so short.

My long rides will now be on the weekends now that I am back at work and the days are getting shorter. So here's to those fall and winter weekends. Hopefully mother nature will hold off her bad weather for the weekdays this year and save the nice days for the weekends. I can only hope!

Headwater Century Bike Ride

2008-09-07T16:37:00.001-07:00

Parking lot of the high school where the ride began and ended.

My bike ready to go!

What a perfect day for this event. When I woke up this morning it was just getting light. I looked out my kitchen window and there wasn't a cloud in the sky! I started the coffee and Joe walked in and told me he was going to load the bikes into the truck. When we finally left the house at 7:20 AM the sun was shining brightly and the air was beginning to warm. We arrived at the event's start and picked up our ride packets. My friend from work Jennifer arrived about 5 minutes later along with her friend Brook. The four of us were ready for a great ride on this gorgeous September day. We were on our way at 8:11 AM. The cool September air was chilly but all of us decided to leave our jackets and vests in our vehicles. Within 10 minutes we were warm and toasty. There was zero traffic on the back country roads. We decided to do the 45 mile course. At mile 15 we arrived at our first rest stop in Flaming Geyser State Park. The stop was stocked with cookies, bananas, cantaloupe, peanut butter, bagels, granola and yogurt, water, gatorade, trail mix, well let me just say it was very well supplied! The four of us took a bathroom break and then walked to the food! We chatted and stretched and ate! We were having a great day! After our break we continued on the ride.

Flaming Geyser Rest Stop
Joe and his bike at the first rest stop.

Right outside the park entrance we took a right and began to climb! Yes, awaiting us after our first rest stop was a 1.6 mile steep, winding climb! We all made it and continued on. We had a straight away for about 4 miles and then an awesome downhill with another steep climb. The next 5 miles were hilly. Ups and downs. Finally, we reached our second rest stop in Ravensdale. Again well stocked.

After our second break we were ready for the last 20 miles. More straight aways, hills, and this time a headwind. We made good time though. Joe was setting a 25 mph pace on the straight aways. We were flying and slicing through the headwind. We made good time on the last 20 miles averaging 17.5 mph. We rolled back in exhilarated! We loaded our bikes into the truck and then walked to the high school to claim our strawberry shortcake dessert. One thing about the Tacoma Wheelmen, they always serve you strawberry shortcake after all their events. And it was DELICIOUS!

River, Mountain, Fishermen

2008-09-06T19:17:00.000-07:00

I went for a bike ride around 1:30 this afternoon. The day was beautiful. Clear skies, sunshine, and very windy. Rainer was out and he was looking mighty fine. I set a casual pace because tomorrow Joe and I are riding in the annual Headwater Century Bike Ride. Today I just wanted to get out and stretch my legs, get some fresh air, and enjoy the beautiful late summer early autumn day. It did not disappoint me.

I rode the Orting Trail. It's a beautiful trail with a lot of trees on either side of it. It was also very busy. I guess I wasn't the only one who was out enjoying the day. There were moms and dads with their kids. People on roller blades and skateboards. There were walkers and hikers and of course a ton of bicyclists.

There were also a lot of people fishing on this fine day. As I rode by the Carbon River I saw dozens of men, women, and kids with poles in their hands. The king salmon run had begun and people were out casting their lines in hope of catching the big one. The Carbon River is very silty from the glacier run off from Mt. Rainier. It is also very cold! I stopped and watched for a while and then continued on with my ride.

I got a good 29.77 miles in and finished around 4:00 PM. It was a good day and a good ride, I hope there will be more rides just like this one. I'm ready for tomorrow's ride. Check back for a report on it. Tomorrow is supposed to be as gorgeous as today.

Beautiful Late Afernoon Ride

2008-09-02T20:53:00.000-07:00

Well it's happening. Summer is coming to an end and and as summer ends work for me begins again. Yep, I went back to work today. And what a beautiful day it was. Warm and sunny making it very hard to go to work when all I wanted to do on such a beautiful morning was jump on my bike and ride. Finally the dismissal bell rang and 30 minutes later I was off and on my way home. Joe went to work early today so he was home early too. We decided to go for a ride before dinner. We got dressed, got our bikes and off we went. The sun was casting long shadows, a true sign of the end of summer and the introduction into autumn.

Joe and I rode past the Carbon River and both sides of it's banks were full of fishermen. The king salmon run had started. We stopped to watch for a while. The sun sparkled and danced on the water. There was a splash and one guy had caught himself a large salmon! We watched as he reeled it in and then released it. After a few more minutes Joe and I continued on. It was a wonderful ride on a beautiful day. We rode only 15.5 miles but it was the most wonderful ride. It's just hard to describe. Days like the one today are exceptional.

Cool Morning Ride

2008-08-30T19:51:00.000-07:00

Joe and I had a pretty good ride this morning. We had gray clouds and wind but no rain. The high was only 54 degrees. It actually was a great day for a ride.

We rode through Black Diamond, Ravensdale, and the Maple Valley area. We saw many other cyclists out on the road too. We began slow, to help our legs warm up and then we picked it up. We were averaging between 21 and 24 mph on the flats. This route had many many hills which brought our average speed down but we didn't care we were just out enjoying the day and our ride. It felt like an autumn day. I think summer is over.

Gray Clouds and Wind But I Beat the Rain!

2008-08-29T17:38:00.000-07:00

I wanted to get an early ride in today but other things popped up all morning long. Finally at 1:30 I got the opportunity and off I went. The noon weather report said rain this afternoon and looking at the clouds I agreed that yes indeed it was going to rain. They were big, gray, and fat! Probably filled with rain! And the wind was really strong too. The clouds were moving right along. I could see spots of blue but then the gray clouds would blot it out. I wanted to get 30 miles in but at mile 10 the clouds were getting darker and the wind was really starting to blow. I decided to turn around and head back. Right into a headwind. Even though the return ride was all downhill I had to pedal hard to maintain my speed. I made it back. It never rained. It's still cloudy and windy but still no rain. Probably later this evening. Oh well I did get 20 miles. Better than nothing!

I did notice on today's ride leaves all over the trail and road. Autumn?! Already?!

Sunday Ride

2008-08-24T18:40:00.000-07:00

Joe and I left at 8:30 AM for a beautiful late summer morning ride. It was a beautiful morning. The sun was out, the sky was clear, and the air was chilly. But we knew that within 5 minutes we would be nice and warm so we left our jackets at home and endured the 5 minutes of shivering. We got 30 miles in before arriving back home. This is what weekends are all about!

August Recap

2008-08-23T14:28:00.000-07:00

August was a crazy month for me. In July I rode almost every day. It was wonderful! But August was an entirely different month, cycling wise. On August first Joe and I left for his home town of Havre, Montana to attend his mom’s 90th birthday celebration. We drove the entire way in one day. A 13 hour drive not including rest, meal, and gas stops. We brought along our bikes thinking we might get an opportunity to do some riding while visiting but it did not work out that way. Instead we sat and visited with all of Joe’s brothers, sister, and relatives and talked and ate and ate and talked. It was good to see everyone but I missed my daily ride. Oh well sometimes you have no control and just have to live with it. We stayed through Tuesday and decided since we did not get any cycling done while in Montana we would stop in Idaho and ride the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes. A great plan but my back thought otherwise. With all the sitting in the truck and sitting in Montana my back went out. I was in pain and we had to forgo our ride on the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes and get me home asap. Perhaps next year.

The birthday girl!

We pulled into our driveway on Wednesday afternoon and I called my chiropractor immediately. I saw him on Wednesday and Friday. I did a lot of stretching and icing on my back and I was beginning to feel like my good old self again. Just in time for my flight to Pittsburgh on Sunday.

My daughter and I flew back to Pittsburgh to visit my parents and siblings. We were there for ten days. We also drove to Sandusky, Ohio to visit my niece. Jackie and I did a lot while in Pittsburgh. We went to Cedar Point in Sandusky, to Kennywood Park in Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Zoo, and the Carnegie Mellon Museum of Natural History. We went out to eat with my parents and with my brother. We were on the go from the moment we arrived until the moment we left. The weather was hot and humid. Jackie and I were not used to it and it did take a lot out of us.

My nieces private beach on Lake Erie.

Cedar Point in the distance from niece's beach.

My dad, my mom, and my daughter at Carnegie Museum.

Baby elephant with her mom at Pittsburgh Zoo.

We returned home to Seattle on Wednesday, August 20th. As much as I enjoy going home to visit my family it still feels wonderful coming back to your own home. We returned to rain. So I did not get to ride my bike immediately, I had to wait until this morning.

It was beautiful today. Sunny, clear, and warm; it feels more like an autumn day then a summer day. Joe and I got up early so that we could get our ride in before he had to go to a meeting at 1 PM. We left the house at 7:30 AM and finished at 10 AM. We started with our jackets on but after 5 minutes we were warm enough to remove them. The back country roads where we usually ride were deserted and we had the roads all to ourselves. Mount Rainier was out as were the local farm animals that we passed. We rode by fields of corn and other crops. It was a good ride. After almost three weeks without a ride it felt wonderful to be back on my bike again.

Easy Ride

2008-08-07T21:21:00.000-07:00

Joe and I went for a leisurely 15 mile ride this afternoon around 4 p.m. We just returned from Montana on Tuesday. After a 13 hour drive to Montana on Friday and then sitting around all weekend long visiting family I was ready to ride today. And it felt great! I hope to get two more rides in this weekend. On both Saturday and Sunday before I fly east to visit my folks. I'll be with them for 10 days. 10 days of zero riding!

Monday Ride

2008-07-28T21:56:00.000-07:00

Today was a very beautiful day. It was a sunny comfortable day. The temperature was in the upper 60s lower 70s. I began my ride at 12:30 PM and got a good 65.8 miles in with an average speed of 15.38 mph. Tomorrow rain arrives. We had a good run of sunny days (no rain since the 4th) and I guess we need it. The grass is brown and the leaves are falling from the trees because they are in much need of moisture. I hope the rain only lasts just the one day. I want to ride on Wednesday and Thursday before Joe and I leave for our trip to Montana on Friday. Of course we're taking our bikes along with us! :)

Saturday Ride

2008-07-26T21:23:00.000-07:00

This morning Joe and I got up at 6:00 AM. We were going to ride with our friend Jim this morning. Joe called Jim last night and told him we would pick him up at 7:30 and drive to Enumclaw for a nice early morning ride. Joe went out to the garage to get the bikes ready while I started breakfast. After eating, dressing, and loading the bikes we got into the truck and drove to Jim's house to pick him up. Jim was up, ready, and waiting. We loaded Jim's bike into the truck and off we went. First a stop at Starbucks for my morning ride's mocha. I always get a mocha on the days I ride. I swear it gives me energy. Laugh if you want but it's true I've tested this out on numerous occasions and on the days I skip my mocha my legs feel like lead and I have no energy at the start of a ride. On the days I do get my mochas I feel energized and ready to go from the start! So laugh if you want but it really works for me! Joe says it's all in my head but I tell him it's all in my legs and feet! LOL

We finally arrive in Enumclaw and unload the bikes. I try to decide whether or not to wear my vest. The guys, Joe and Jim, say it's nice out and there is no need for a vest. I on the other hand say it's cold and wear my vest. After we start off I'm glad I decided to wear my vest. The air is chilly early in the morning and once I warm up I just unzip my vest and I feel fine.

Enumclaw is so peaceful on an early Saturday morning. The only ones up are the cows, birds, and deer! Hardly a car passes us. We enjoy the scenery and casual conversation. We try to decide how long of a ride to do. Should we bike to Black Diamond and stop at the Black Diamond bakery, a 45 mile loop? Or should we just stay up here in the Enumclaw area and do the 25 mile loop. In the end we compromise and cycle to Kanasket Palmer State Park. Making our ride 33 miles long.

We stop at Nolte State Park first. It's a beautiful park. There is a lake there, Deep Lake, that is very peaceful and beautiful. There is also a trail that goes around the lake. A favorite trail for the local runners. When we arrive the first thing we did was head to the bathrooms! Then we sat for about 5 minutes talking. There were people setting up for a picnic, people out walking their dogs, others arriving with fishing poles. It seems everyone was out having a good day like Joe, Jim, and me. Refreshed and releaved we set off again. We decide to bike up to the next park four miles up the road, Kanasket Palmer State Park. We reach the park entrance in very little time. We cycle into the park and descend towards the river. At the bottom we hear the river but we don't see it. We find a dirt path through a thick patch of trees that leads to the Green River's edge. We walk our bikes to the river and lean them against some trees. The river is pretty low right now but it's still very fast. This is the point where hard core kayakers launch to run the river. The category here at the Kanasket entry is category 4. The hardest river run. Not a place for amateurs or intermediate people to be getting into the river with their float tubes or kayaks.

After enjoying the Green River we walk back up the dirt trail to the road and begin our climb out of the river valley. We reach the top and leave the park. We decide to turn around here and head back to Enuclaw. We turn right into a nasty headwind. It was hard going but we make it. We arrive back at the truck around 11:30 and load up the bikes. Starving we decide to go to lunch. Our first choice, The Mint, would have been nice but it so happens that Enumclaw is having some sort of big celebration. First there is the fair going on at the fair grounds but there is also things going on in downtown Enumclaw. Roads are closed, parking is full, and there are people and vendors everywhere. So we decide to drive over to the next town, which is Buckley, for lunch.

We arrive and enter the bar/restaurant. I don't remember the name of the establishment. I'll have to ask Joe or Jim. Anyway we place our order and relax and talk. It was a great ride. We should do this more often. Our food arrives. My goodness but the onion rings were delicious. Greasy and delicious! I will surely pay for eating these greasy onion rings tonight or tomorrow but at the moment they were so good!

It was a great ride! I hope we really do ride a lot more and enjoy more rides like this one!

A Much Better Ride Today!

2008-07-25T21:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I only rode 15 miles because of some major road work being done on a section of highway on my route. I made up for it today and rode 65.7 miles! I started my ride from the East Puyallup Trailhead at 9 AM this morning. I followed the trail into the town of Orting and then continued on to South Prairie where I jumped onto the now freshly paved highway and climbed out of the valley into Buckley. I cruised around the outskirts of town keeping to the back roads. On my ride today I saw 4 deer. My first encounter was a doe and her twin fawns as I was climbing the long hill out of South Praire. They were on the side of the road and we noticed each other at the same time. I broke into a smile and they did an about face and went back into the woods. The second deer sighting was in Buckley. She was in the middle of a big corn field. I bet she was one happy deer with all that corn surrounding her! And I bet she had little ones too. They were probably hiding in the corn.

Oh did I mention I did not ride the entire 65 miles at once?! I rode twice today. In the morning by myself and then again in the afternoon with Joe. On my morning ride I got 53 miles in by 2 PM. I went out again at 3:30 PM when Joe got home from work. He wanted to go out and ride the bike that he just finished building. He had ordered this beautiful SOMA frame. He worked on it all week long and finally last night he finished, it was beautiful. We did a short 12 mile ride to see how the bike performed. It performed beautifully; we had a really nice ride.

Yehuda Moon and the Kickstand Cyclery.

Short Ride

2008-07-24T20:24:00.000-07:00

This morning when I left for my ride at 9 AM it was a chilly 53 degrees. The sun was shining brightly in a perfectly clear sky. And even though both of my arms were displaying hundreds of goosebumps within 10 minutes they were all gone. The sun shining on the Carbon River created thousands of dancing, glittering, diamond reflections on the water. There were a handful of early morning joggers, walkers, and other cyclists who were also out enjoying the early morning peacefulness along with me. We nodded as we passed each other or waved or spoke a friendly, "Good morning". Little did I realize that my plan to ride 60 miles today would not come about. What's the say? Something about "The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry" well they sure did about 8 miles into my ride today.

Summers are great for us bicyclists. The weather is finally nice, the days are long, the temperature warm but summers also means road work! It's also good weather conditions for the state, counties, and towns to get all their road work done. Yes, one of my favorite routes was having some major road work being done on it. When I arrived at the "hill" there was a long line, twenty plus vehicles lined up waiting for the pilot car to take them through. I didn't want to deal with it so I turned around and got almost 16 miles in. Whooo Hooooo! I went home and showered and took my son out to lunch. Tomorrow I will ride a different route and try for that 60 miles that I didn't get in today.

As Dorris would sing . . . Que sera sera!

Oh during lunch with my son I learned that Star Wars the Clone Wars will be coming to theaters August 14th. He is very excited about this movie animation of the Clone Wars. Hey I may go and see it myself.

May the force be with you . . . and ME! Tomorrow I want to get a 60 mile ride completed!

Monday Ride

2008-07-21T19:25:00.000-07:00

I went out at 11:30 AM for a ride. My bike ride was great except for the road crew that I ran into at mile 9 of my ride. They were resurfacing a section of the highway I was riding on this afternoon. I had to wait in line along with the cars and trucks for the pilot car! Even so it was still fun! I had a great time and got a 30 mile bike ride in by 2:00 PM.

Movie and a Bike Ride

2008-07-20T19:00:00.000-07:00

Joe, our son Aaron, and I woke up early this morning so that we could go to the 9 AM matinee to see the new Batman movie The Dark Knight. It was great! It is by far the best movie I have seen this year! Heath Ledger was great as the Joker. It's sad that he is not here to claim his star!

We got back to the house just before 1:00 PM. Joe and I decided to go for a ride and Jackie our daughter joined us. It was a leisurely ride. The sun was beating down and very hot. There was a headwind during the entire ride. We got 20 miles completed by the time we returned home. Tomorrow I will get a longer ride in and I will start much earlier in the day, before it gets too hot.

Saturday Ride With Joe

2008-07-19T18:26:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up to a cloudy and chilly morning. Over night a thick marine layer had come on shore and was still hanging around. When I looked at the thermometer the outside temperature was 51 degrees. So Joe and I decided to wait until noon to begin our ride. We were hoping that the sun would burn through by then and begin to warm things up. But noon came and still no sun. Not wanting to waste the day or let a little marine layer get in our way of a ride we decided to drive into the city of Orting and start our ride from the city's park. We arrived at the park a little past twelve and unloaded our bikes from the truck. We were almost ready to go except for the fact that Joe and I were having a difficult time deciding whether or not to wear our jackets. It was still quite chilly but we also knew that once we began to cycle we would warm quickly. And the weather report did say clearing in the afternoon with full sunshine. After much debate we decided not to wear the jackets. And 5 minutes into our ride we were both quite happy with our decision.

After 7 1/2 miles of a gradual climb out of the Orting valley to South Prarie we reached the "climb"! A 2 mile hill with a 6 percent grade. We ascended the hill on new pavement. The work crews had been busy these past two weeks. The road was so very smooth, every cyclists dream road. Oh the descent back down would be sweet!

After the climb we were about 2 miles from the town of Buckley. The ride from the top of the hill into Buckley is beautiful and it has very little traffic. Once we arrived in Buckley we rode around the perimeter of the town and then headed back down the big hill to South Prarie and then to Orting. Total mileage for this route is almost 29 miles. Exactly it's 28.87 but I always round up.

Oh I almost forgot, on our way back this guy on a bike passed us and Joe decided he just couldn't allow this. So the last 4 miles of our ride Joe, me, and this guy were in a sort of three person Tour de France. We were the sprinters racing towards the finish. Happy to say Joe and I won! We passed this guy and left him in our dust. We put a lot of distance between us too. Joe was happy. He gets like this occasionally and it actually was fun. I guess Joe was feeling pretty good on our ride today. I felt pretty good too. It was a good ride. Oh and the sun did come out. Finally about 1/3 of the way through our ride it started to burn those marine cloud layers away. We finished with full sunshine!

Cool Morning Ride

2008-07-17T19:35:00.000-07:00

This morning I went for a 30 mile road ride. During the night a marine layer came inland from offshore. I actually had to wear my jacket on this morning's ride. The temperature when I left my house was only a chilly 53 degrees. Add the wind chill factor and it was a brisk ride. At least in the beginning. After about 5-10 minutes of constant pedaling it's amazing how warm you will get.

It was a quiet ride. Not many people were out this early especially with the cool chilly temperature. I'm sure many riders were waiting for the sun to break through, which it did around 1:00 PM, before going out for a ride. I had a great time on my bike this morning.

Club Ride on Vashon Island

2008-07-15T21:16:00.000-07:00

I went on a Tacoma Wheelmen ride today. We rode around Vashon Island getting a little over 40 miles in this afternoon. It seems that all the islands around Seattle are hilly and Vashon is no exception. If you want to ride hills just catch a ferry to Vashon (or Bainbridge). Both will give you great hill training for rides like RAMROD and Courage Classic. In fact two of today's riders are doing the RAMROD in two weeks.

There were six of us that showed up for the ride today. We met at the Point Defiance Ferry Dock and caught the 9:15 AM ferry to Vashon. As soon as you disembark from the ferry you have two big climbs waiting for you! You can turn left or right off the ferry. Take the right turn and you have a short steep climb and left is a longer less steep grade, but still a pretty good climb too. We opted left and off we went. If you want to warm up quickly just find a hill and climb!

The day was beautiful. We had a great ride. Around noon we stopped in town for lunch. We decided to give this new Indian restaurant a try and we weren't disappointed. The food was delicious! After lunch we rode for another 1 1/2 hours before arriving back at the dock to catch the 3:10 ferry back to Point Defiance.

This is Erin. We met him while waiting for the 9:15 AM ferry. He joined our group for a while. We learned that he will be leaving in a week to do a cross country bike ride. From Bellvue to Key West, Florida. We asked to be put on his mailing list. I wish him good luck and look forward to reading all about his adventure on his blog.

Monday Morning Ride

2008-07-14T17:14:00.000-07:00

I went for a short road ride today. My legs are still recovering from Saturday's hard mountain bike ride. They felt like lead on today's ride. I did a lot of spinning. I did enjoy the ride. The temperature was 61 when I started at 9 AM and only 67 when I finished at 10 AM. I got 15 miles in with an average speed of 15.09 mph. My ride was an out and back. I had a gradual climb at the start and a nice gradual descent on the way back. My legs were starting to feel good when I finished. I think they will be fully recovered by tomorrow. So where shall I ride tomorrow? Come back and find out.

Epic Mountain Bike Ride

2008-07-12T22:50:00.000-07:00

Today was a great day! One, the weather today was perfect, low 80s with very little humidity. Two, Joe and I rode on one of the Pacific Northwest’s most epic mountain bike trails with a group of good mountain bike friends. The day began when I woke up at 5:30 AM. I went down to the kitchen and started my coffee. Joe woke up about 20 minutes later. He said he would get the bikes ready and then load them onto the truck while I made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and filled our hydro packs with water. We decided to stop at Starbucks for swirl mochas and then Burger Kings for their sausage croissant breakfast sandwiches. Joe also had an orange juice which he shared with me. Finally, with our breakfast sandwiches and Starbucks purchased we drove out of Enumclaw towards the Dalles Campground in the Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest to meet up with our friends. About ten of them were camping there in the Dalles Campground for the weekend. But a few of us, Joe and me included, could not do the campout. But we couldn’t miss out on today’s ride, so we drove there for the day just to ride this epic trail.

The Dalles Campground is 26 miles east of Enumclaw up highway 410. We arrived around 8:30 as our friends, who were camping there, were just finishing their breakfast. We were the first “day riders” to arrive. We had to wait for 5 more people who were driving in to do this ride too. While we waited we sat around and talked and caught up with bike rides. Who did what ride, who was doing what ride, new bikes, crashes, friends doing the STP this weekend, etc. Finally around 10:30 AM the last rider drove into the campground. Half of us were going to shuttle to the end of the road and the other half were going to pedal up the forest road (8 miles) to the trailhead. The ones riding up set off while the rest of us got our bikes loaded onto the two vehicles that would be shuttling riders up the forest road. The road was very steep and winding, I give those riding up a lot of credit. Maybe if I had been riding a lot more than I had been I would have rode my mountain bike up the hill today but today was not the day. After about a half hour in the truck we reached the end of the road. We unloaded our bikes and began pedaling . . . up! Yes, we still had to climb 3 more miles before we could begin the awesome descent which starts on the Suntop Trail. It was a very steep and hard climb. Why is it that the last few miles before a crest are always the steepest? But our hard work soon paid off. We reached the top and the view from there was eye popping! There was Mt. Rainier in all its glory! With a clear blue sky for a backdrop! Just breathe taking. After much oohhing and aahhing we set off and picked up the Suntop trailhead and the single track.

Some parts of the trail were smooth but other parts were rocky and had some pretty difficult drop offs from water bars, roots, and rocks. But everyone was in the “zone” and we swooshed effortlessly down the mountain. After about an hour of riding we stopped on a gorgeous section of the trail for a break. Food, water, rest, and a good stretch break. We sat around and talked about our ride and how great it was so far with yet more miles of fun ahead of us. Then we were back on our bikes and back to the rapid descent towards the river valley below.

The next few miles of the trail had some surprises for us. First the descent became a lot steeper. We were flying down the trail. To prove how hot a disc brake can get, Joe spit some water onto his brake and steam hissed off the disc. This section of the trail was also very dusty and rocky. I had to fall back because the dust from the rider in front of me was irritating my eyes. Then came the switch backs. Very sharp ones! And if you didn’t pay close attention you could fly off the edge to the trail below. We also had to stop and carry our bikes over some trees that had fallen over the trail. Next we encountered about a mile of trail covered with snow! We had to walk this part. We also had 4 streams to cross. I unsuccessfully tried to keep my feet dry but the rocks were slippery and no sooner had I started across I was up to my ankles in ice cold water. Finally we reached the bottom of the mountain! But our ride was not over. Now we picked up Skookum Trail and followed the White River to the Dalles Campground 11 miles downstream. This part of the ride was very difficult. Parts of the trail had been washed away this past winter and we had to detour it up and over roots, rocks, trees, and debris. After about 4 or 5 miles of this it began to get better. The trail returned and the final 5 or 6 miles were sweet swooshing, winding, up and down single track through a quiet old forest.

After almost 6 hours of hard mountain biking we reached the campground. Both exhausted and exhilarated. What a ride! What a day!

A few pictures from my ride today!

I took a picture of everyone from this view point.

Fields of high mountain wild flowers.

Close up of Bear Grass

Friends finally on the trail and the descent down to the river valley

My mountain bike. She is a sweet ride!
Crossing trees that had fallen onto the trail.
Walking over snow!
Crossing streams. Brrrrrr but the water was icy cold!