2013_07_13 Puyallup Cyclopaths Reverse Ramrod

Author: Jim Wilcher

 
 

The case of the missing shoe

We all met in Orting around 5:15 AM -- Mike Hassur, Brent Moody, Chris Fox and myself (Jim Wilcher). The pre dawn sky illuminated the top of Mt. Rainier with a pale orange glow; there was just a slight chill to the morning air and a subtle buzz of anticipation in the morning chatter. Mt. Rainier (or Tahoma as the native peoples called it) looks so big from Orting and on this morning it took on an ominous stature.

Just before departing, Chris, fully dressed and ready to ride quizzically looked down at his shoes, then to his bike pedals, back to his shoes and then spoke the words “I think I brought one shoe with the wrong cleat”. Doh! We all acquired the quizzical look and began searching our minds for a way to solve this problem. Duct tape? No. Buy a new set of pedals? Nothing is open for many hours. Then with great courage Chris called his wife at 5:30 AM! Nancy agreed to bring the missing shoe to a halfway point (Renton) where Chris would acquire said shoe and meet us near Enumclaw. Thank you Nancy.

Mike, Brent and I hit road about 5:45 AM. The Orting trail was particularly sublime with low ground

fog in the fields and a shower of golden light reminiscent of romantic landscapes paintings. The short but steep climb to the intersection of Mud Mountain Dam and Hwy 410 put us at our “lost shoe” meeting spot. Just one minute later Chris arrived ready to get started again -- this time on the right foot.

Hogs and the cycling afterlife

Pulling in at Greenwater for a quick bathroom break, we are greeted by Nick. Then Leon and Mark appear and the group is up to seven. We stopped at the Crystal Mt. turnoff where Leon and Mark had cached food and liquids in Mark’s car (which they generously shared with all).  Leon (the wunderkid) wore his hockey pads to protect his recently broken femur and hip. I thought to myself how this group of guys are friends, yes, but they are so much more.  They are examples of how to live life to its fullest and never give up on your passions. There is Mike Hassur who at 65 rides like a 30 year old, and Nick at 67 doing Ramrod again this year!  Not to mention the other certifiable and committed Cyclopaths who do these strenuous rides year after year with ease and grace.  I am humbled.

Motorcycles & bicycles at the top of Cayuse Pass

The group of seven begins the long climb past the turn off to White River Campground, up, up where the road steepens and we attain views of rugged peaks, snow, waterfalls and Hogs. What? Yes, Hogs!  There must have been a hundred Harley riders pass us on the way up. At the top, Nick went left (up Chinook Pass) and the remaining six Cyclopaths flew down the backside of Cayuse Pass as Mike recorded the decent on his GoPro. Mike’s resulting video features an amazing scene of Leon entering and exiting a tunnel at high speed. The extreme shadows and bright light at the end of the tunnel overwhelmed the GoPros ability to compensate exposure and produced special effects that rival Hollywood. As Mike said, “It looks like we are following Leon into the cycling afterlife”.

 

Paradise awaits the ardent

At the end of the 10-mile Cayuse decent, we turned right and entered Mt. Rainier National Park.

There are really two climbs from here to Paradise. The first section to Backbone Ridge is through ancient forest on a steady pitch. I had trouble in this section, riding slow and feeling off, a strange pain in my gut later turned to nausea. At the top of Backbone Ridge, I see Leon riding down to make sure I was okay – hockey pads and all!

At Box Canyon, Leon and Mark turned around to climb back up Backbone Ridge and then up Cayuse Pass (from the hard side). The core group continued from Box Canyon heading up the long climb right into the belly of Tahoma. Brent and Chris are riding strong, making it look easy as I (Jim) struggle behind. Mike seeing my pace drop, slows down to be an escort. He is jabbering away, talking about all kinds of things and all I can do is breathe and try to keep pedaling. Finally he says, “Hey Jim, I’m working really hard back here to be entertaining, I know I’m not hilarious but I think I’m at least mildly funny – and your not giving me any reaction at all”.  Jeez, now not only am I bonking, I’m a shmuck to ride with. It took all my energy to utter, “Ok, now that’s funny Mike”.

Brent and Chris rode a fast uphill pace but waited about half way up the last climb sensing problems behind. I stopped emptied my stomach of all remaining nutrition and hydration and mounted the pony once again with Mike staying at my side. Brent began his full on attack at this point and rode beautifully to Reflection Lake (more or less the top) with Chris powering up right behind him.

 

The geriatric buss waits

“I just need a short nap” I told the guys when we regrouped at Reflection Lake. Then, as I lay on a stone wall, I hear “We need to find a ride for Jim” and “I can drive back up and get him”. There is the “Lanterne Rouge” that picks up stragglers in the mountain stages of the Tour de France but getting put onto an old folks sight seeing bus and sent home was not unacceptable!

Longmire Lodge

We resumed the ride, opting for the low route past Paradise as opposed to climbing up to the visitors center. The next stop after a long decent was Longmire (the small village in the Park). Everyone agreed it was a wonderful stop as we sat in the sun on lounge chairs re-fueling and enjoying the wonderful view of the Mount Rainer’s Kautz Glacier and the high-point named Columbia Crest at 14,411.

 

 

All downhill from here

Feeling refreshed after the break, we hit the road for Orting with new vigor. Brent, Mike and Chris began a series of long pulls straight into a huge headwind through Ashford, Elbe, and past Alder Lake and all the way to Eatonville. Road closures rerouted traffic onto Orville Road, so the route past Ohop Lake was littered with cars and we had the pleasure of another drive-by from the Hundred Hog club.

 

The road surface here is “chip-seal”, which is basically gravel with a coat of oil which renders a surface something like an oversized piece of super course sand paper. It was here that I (Jim) crashed. Doh! Be careful on this section of road because there is very little shoulder and what shoulder does exist has very loose gravel on it.

 The final section of the ride into Orting went fast with more big pulls from Mike and Brent to complete our circumvention of Tahoma. Congratulations to Brent who beat his previous record long ride of 113 miles and did his first Ramrod ever (in style). Chris who did his first ever Ramrod. Mike added one more notch to his Ramrod gun belt. All in all, it was a great adventure full of friendship, teamwork, beauty and a few bruises.

 

Postscript

Leon saved the day by driving the vehicle that was dropped at Mud Mountain Road, back to Orting. Thanks, Leon.  That was a great idea and saving us a big hassle.

 

 

Link to all photos from this ride:  https://picasaweb.google.com/103821724300588557330/2013_07_13ReverseRAMROD#slideshow/5901032361019052082