Spring Ride

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

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!

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!

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

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

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.